Part 1. Introduction.
Part 2. Belief in Allah. Oneness of Lordship (Tawheed al-Rububiyyah)
Part 3. Belief in Allah. Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes (Tawheed al-Asma’ wa as-Sifaat)
Part 4. Belief in Allah. Oneness of Divinity (Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah)
Part 5. Belief in Allah. Idolatry, disbelief, hypocrisy
Part 6. Belief in the Angels
Part 7. Belief in the Revealed Books
Part 8. Belief in the Messengers
Part 9. Belief in the Last Day
Part 10. Belief in Divine Decree, Whether Good or Bad
Believing in the divine names and attributes has an enormous impact on the heart of a Muslim as well as on his worship of the Lord. Faith in Allah allows a servant to find the meaning of his heart-related devotion to his Lord. This faith makes him trust Almighty Allah, rely on Him alone and be mindful of his physical and mental actions, as well as gain control over his thoughts in order to think only of what pleases Allah. He begins to love what Allah loves, he hears and sees strictly for His sake alone. And still, he is full of hope for Allah’s mercy and has a fair thought concerning Him.
The names of Allah the Almighty help His servant love his Lord whole-heartedly, and this devotion is the basis of a Muslim’s happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, the key to all success; this love excites him to worship the Lord in a most wonderful manner. It is relevant to highlight in this regard that the degree of such heartfelt love for Almighty Allah determines how easy or tedious the physical acts of worship become for a believer.
Performing an act of worship in that perfect way that would please Allah depends on the heartful love one has for Allah, and this love is contingent on knowing Allah by His beautiful names and attributes. This is why His Messengers worshipped Allah in the best manner, as they had the best knowledge of Him, consequently their love of the Almighty surpassed that of any other.
The Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes (Tawheed al-Asma’ wa as-Sifaat) is being convinced in the heart of all the divine names and attributes of Almighty Allah which He has affirmed for Himself and which His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has affirmed for Him, as well as denying all names and attributes which Allah has declared as unbefitting of Him, and which His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has declared as unbefitting of Him; and also acknowledging their true meaning and understanding their impact and implications on His creations.
FIRST: the fact that Allah has the most excellent names, that is to say, names that are more beautiful than anything can be, for Almighty Allah said: “And the most beautiful names belong to Allah.” Surah “Al-A‘rāf”, ayah 180.
Besides, to Him belong the highest and the most perfect attributes, free from any deficiency whatsoever. Almighty Allah said, “…for Allah is the highest description.” Surah “An-Nahl”, ayah 60.
It is referred to the supreme, the most perfect and the finest attributes.
SECOND: the fact that knowledge about Allah’s names and attributes came from above, the Qur’an and the Sunnah being the source of our knowledge about them, and this means that we should refer to these records exclusively, neither taking anything away from them nor adding anything to what they reveal.
THIRD: both confirmation and denial are used when describing Allah; what is more, confirmation should in no way resemble likening, nor should denial resemble deprivation, which was highlighted by Allah, Who said: “There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-hearer, the All-Seer.” Surah “Ash-Shūra”, ayah 11.
FORTH: we know some of Allah’s names and attributes, but only Allah knows what exactly they mean and imply. The Qur’anic proof in this regard is these lines:
“…but they will never compass anything of His Knowledge.” Surah “Tā-Ha”, ayah 110.
The two “Sahih” quote a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, Allah be pleased with him, who reported that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever memorizes them all will enter Paradise”.
In this context, memorizing implies knowing the names by heart and worshipping Allah in accordance to their meaning.
However, the number of names is not limited to the ninety-nine, because He also has such names which are not mentioned in the Qur’an nor in the Sunnah.
Imam Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and other Muhaddiths report a hadith recorded from Abdullah bin Masud, Allah be pleased with him. This hadith narrates that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “O Allah, I ask You by every name belonging to You, which You have named Yourself or You taught to someone from Your creation or revealed in Your Book, or have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You…”
Thereby, Allah, the Sublime, the Great, has a lot names which include both names and attributes. In this respect, the names highlight the essence of the Almighty, whereas the attributes indicate the features of His perfection.
Here are some of the names and attributes of Allah.
In Surah Al-Fātihah Almighty Allah says, “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe; the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful…” Surah “Al-Fātihah”, ayahs 2–3.
Allah is the One Who is considered God and Who is praised.
Lord is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Sovereign Who directs all affairs, the One Who has nurtured all His creations with mercy.
The Gracious, the Merciful. Both names refer to the notion of grace, however while the name “Gracious” is indicative of a quality present in Allah, the name “Merciful” shows connection between His grace and everything that it encompasses.
Allah’s grace can be divided into two parts: general, which He bestows upon all mankind, and special, which He manifests towards the believers.
In regard to the general grace, Almighty Allah stated the following: “Verily, Allah is, for mankind, Full of Kindness, Most Merciful.” Surah “Al-Hajj”, ayah 65.
As for the special grace, Almighty Allah put it this way: “…and He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers.” Surah “Al-Ahzāb”, ayah 43.
In Surah “Al-Ikhlās”, which is equivalent in its significance to a third of the Qur’an, Almighty Allah says:
“Say, ‘He is Allah, the One, Allah, the Self-Sufficient One…’ ” Surah “Al-Ikhlās”, ayahs 1–2.
In this context the One means the Unique in regard to perfection, and there is none and nothing comparable to Him, and no one shares with Him the attributes of His perfection.
The Everlasting means perfect in His attributes, the One all creatures turn to with their needs.
All these names are mentioned by the Almighty in The Throne Verse (Ayat Al-Kursi), which is one of the greatest of His ayahs. Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to say that for those who recited this ayah before going to bed, there would be a guardian appointed over them by Allah, and Satan would not be able to approach them till morning. Almighty Allah said,
“Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One who sustains all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî (Throne) extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” Surah “Al-Baqarah”, ayah 255 — Ayat Al-Kursi.
The Living. This means that His life is eternal and perfect in every way, and no slumber can seize Him, nor sleep, neither can death take control of Him. Almighty Allah said, “And put your trust in the Ever Living One Who dies not…” Surah “Al-Furqān”, ayah 58.
The Existing. It means that He exists per se, while others exist thanks to Him only, as He is self-sufficient and needs nothing at all.
The Most High. What is meant here is the absolute height, for example, the height of power, the height of submission and the height of existence. As for the height of power, it refers to the qualities of perfection and the qualities of majesty which characterize Allah. Relating to the height of submission, it means that sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Him and that He has control over all creations. As for the height of existence, it implies that He has established Himself over the Throne high above all His creations. Almighty Allah said, “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High…” Surah “Al-A‘lā”, ayah 1.
Almighty Allah also said, “And when Allah said, ‘O ‘Îsâ (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself…’ ” Surah “Āl-‘Imrān”, ayah 55.
Almighty Allah also said, “Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake? Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not send against you a violent whirlwind? Then you shall know how has been My warning.” Surah “Al-Mulk”, ayahs 16–17.
In this context “heaven” implies height, which is to say everything that is above the created skies.
The Most Great: this name highlights the possession of everything that pertains to majesty.
Almighty Allah said, “He is the First and the Last, the Most High and the Most Near. And He is the All-Knower of every thing.” Surah “Al-Hadīd”, ayah 3.
Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, expressed his interpretation of these four names saying: “O Allah, You are the First, so there is nothing before You, and You are the Last, so there is nothing after You. You are the Most Victorious and the Highest, so there is nothing above You, and You are the Most Inward, so there is nothing closer than You.” This hadith is quoted by Muslim.
The All-Knower: it refers to the One Whose knowledge is all-embracing. Almighty Allah said, “And with Him are the keys of all that is hidden, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.” Surah “Al-An‘ām”, ayah 59.
Almighty Allah said, “…and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” Surah “Ash-Shūra”, ayah 11.
He is the All-Hearer, and it means that hearing is an attribute of His. He is the All-Seer, and it means that sight is an attribute of His. Therefore He hears everything and He sees everything, and from Him nothing can be concealed.
Almighty Allah said, “…and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.” Surah “Saba’”, ayah 1.
The All-Wise: it means that He takes control over His creation both in this world and in the Hereafter by means of the laws established by Him and religious laws, and He judges as He wills. And no one can reverse His decisions, and He has wisdom in virtue of which all His commands and creations are distinguished by perfect accuracy and beauty.
The All-Aware: it means having knowledge of the manifest and the hidden.
Almighty Allah said, “And the face of your Lord, full of majesty and honour, will remain forever.” Surah “Ar-Rahmān”, ayah 27.
Almighty Allah said, “Both His hands are widely outstretched…” Surah “Al-Mā’idah”, ayah 64.
Almighty Allah said, “So wait patiently for the Decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our eyes.” Surah “At-Toor”, ayah 48.
Almighty Allah also said, “…in order that you may be brought up under My eye.” Surah “Tā-ha”, ayah 39.
In this verse two eyes are meant, that is why Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “…verily, Your Lord is not one-eyed”.
The three attributes mentioned above relate to the essence of Allah.
Almighty Allah said, “The Most Gracious rose over the Throne.” Surah “Tā-ha”, ayah 5.
Almighty Allah also said, “And then He rose over the Throne.” Surah “Al-A‘rāf”, ayah 54.
The statement referred to above is related to the height (the highest point), remaining above everything else, the ascension, and the fundamental strength. A statement of this kind pertains to the features of action.
Almighty Allah said, “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rose over the Throne. He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do”. Surah “Al-Hadīd”, ayah 4.
Almighty Allah also said, “Have you not seen that Allah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no secret of three but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their sixth, nor of less than that or more but He is with them wheresoever they may be. And afterwards on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.” Surah “Al-Mujādalah”, ayah 7.
Almighty Allah also said, “…[Muhammad] said to his companion: ‘Be not sad, surely Allah is with us.’ ” Surah “At-Tawbah”, ayah 40.
Almighty Allah also said, “Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him, and those who are good-doers.” Surah “An-Nahl”, ayah 128.
This proximity can be of two types: Allah’s proximity to all people, which is evidenced by the ayahs “Al-Hadīd” and “Al-Mujādalah” quoted above. This closeness has relation to the Almighty’s all-encompassing knowledge of all beings created by Him.
The second type of proximity is Allah’s proximity to a part of beings created by Him, which is indicated in the ayahs “At-Tawbah” and “An-Nahl” quoted above.
This applies to those who are close to Him, since, in accordance with the meaning of the ayahs, He always assists, supports and protects them.
Almighty Allah said, “Do they then wait for anything other than that Allah should come to them in the shadows of the clouds and the angels?” Surah “Al-Baqarah”, ayah 210.
Almighty Allah also said, “…and your Lord comes with the angels in rows…” Surah “Al-Fajr”, ayah 22.
This refers to Almighty Allah’s arrival on the Resurrection Day for a final decision concerning His servants. These attributes are the features of action.
The two “Sahihs” record a hadith, transmitted on the authority of Abu Hurairah, Allah be pleased with him, who narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is left, and He says, ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’ ”
Thus, this hadith confirms that every night Almighty Allah, praise be to Him, comes down to the lowest heaven, which is related to the features of action.
Almighty Allah said, “And when Mûsâ (Moses) came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him…” Surah “Al-A‘rāf”, ayah 143.
Almighty Allah also said, “And when Allah will say: ‘O ‘Îsâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)!’ ” Surah “Al-Mā’idah”, ayah 116.
Almighty Allah also said, “And if anyone of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah.” Surah “At-Tawbah”, ayah 6.
The speech or words of Allah pertain to His attributes. Almighty Allah speaks whenever He wills and in whatever manner He wills. His voice is heard, and Allah’s words are, on the one hand, an attribute of His essence, and on the other hand — a feature of His action…
The Qur’an contains uncreated words revealed by Allah. Almighty Allah said, “And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it…” Surah “Al-An‘ām”, ayah 155.
As already mentioned, Allah’s words are one of His attributes, and His attributes are not created.
Almighty Allah said, “…Truly, Allah loves the good-doers.” Surah “Al-Baqarah”, ayah 195.
Almighty Allah also said, “Surely Allah loves the pious.” Surah “At-Tawbah”, ayah 4.
Almighty Allah said, “Allah is pleased with them and they with Him.” Surah “Al-Mā’idah”, ayah 119.
Almighty Allah said, “…and the anger of Allah is upon them…” Surah “Al-Fat’h”, ayah 6.
We know for sure that these names and attributes belong to Allah, because He has affirmed them for Himself, and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has affirmed them for Him. There is no departure from the Qur’an or the Sunnah, as it is unacceptable to depart from their clear meaning, nor is it acceptable to try to find out what lies behind it or to compare Allah’s attributes with the attributes proper of humans. Almighty Allah said, “There is nothing like Him…” Surah “Ash-Shūra”, ayah 11.
Almighty Allah also said, “Do you know of any who is similar to Him?” Surah “Maryam”, ayah 65.
Almighty Allah also said, “…and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” Surah “Al-Ikhlās”, ayah 4.
The proper understanding of the names and attributes of Almighty Allah rests on a firm belief and absolute certitude in every name and attribute that Allah has ascribed to Himself and that has been ascribed to Him by His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, neither distorting (Tahrif), negating (Tatil), or subjecting such terms to descriptive designation (Takyif) or comparing them to the attributes of His creations (Tamthil).
Distortion (Tahrif) implies altering the true essence of Allah’s names and attributes and can be done in two ways:
1. Distortion of a name by adding extra letters to a word, deleting one or more letters from a word, or changing vowel signs (harakats) on it. An instance of this can be traced in the following verse, in which some representatives of misguided groups changed the word “istawā” in the discourse of the Almighty: “The Most Gracious rose [established Himself] (istawā) over the Throne” Surah “Tā-ha”, ayah 5. The word “istawā” means “rose over”, “ascended”, “elevated (himself)”, “established (himself)”, but some people distorted it to mean “istawlā”, which signifies “take possession of”, being a fundamentally different notion.
2. Distortion of the meaning by interpreting the word to mean something different from what Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, intended. An example of this is the interpretation by some of the word “iad” (hand) in the Almighty’s phrase “the Hand of Allah” as either “Allah’s power” or “His blessing”. Such interpretation is erroneous and it conforms to neither religious rules of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, nor the generally accepted rules of the Arabic language.
Negation (Ta‘tīl) refers to a total denial of Allah’s attributes. Such is the claim of those who state that Almighty Allah has no attributes at all.
Subjecting Allah’s attributes to descriptive designation (Takyif) refers to subjecting divine attributes to human imagination in terms of how a certain quality of His could be. This is what some misguided people do when they try to give descriptive explanation of Allah’s attributes and thus claim, for example, that His Hand is such or that He established Himself upon the Throne in such-and-such manner. This is truly an undue claim, for the state of Allah’s attributes is only known to Him, and it is something that is beyond the comprehension of people.
Comparing (Tamthil) implies comparing Allah’s attributes to those of His creation. People with such attitude can say, for example, that He has hearing similar to ours or that He has a face that is similar to ours. Far exalted is Allah above such a similitude!
The correct approach in relation to Allah’s names and attributes is based on three fundamental principles, the fulfillment of which is enough to guarantee safety of any deviation in this respect. The principles are the following:
1. None of Allah’s attributes should be likened to any of His creation. Almighty Allah said, “There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer” Surah “Ash-Shūra”, ayah 11. This wonderful verse indicates that there is no resemblance of any kind between the Creator and what He has created, and clearly states that the Almighty possesses the hearing and the sight which are in no way similar to the hearing and the sight of His creations, in spite of the fact that these two attributes are present in many of Allah’s creations. The Qur’anic proof in this regard is this verse: “So put not forward similitudes for Allah” Surah “An-Nahl”, ayah 74, as well as the following words of the Almighty: “…and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him” Surah “Al-Ikhlās”, ayah 4.
2. Any name or attribute that Allah has ascribed for Himself and that has been ascribed for Him by His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, suits His Sublimity.
3. One should have no aspiration to comprehend the actual condition of the Almighty’s attributes, as it is impossible for a created being to know this. This is proved by Allah’s words: “He knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter, but they will never compass anything of His knowledge.” Surah “Tā-ha”, ayah 110.
People with common sense ought to realize that human understanding has definite limits beyond which it is unable to pass, nor are their visual and hearing abilities unlimited. Whoever attempts to conceive the inconceivable for the human mind and, for instance, gets into thoughts about the condition of Allah’s attributes, is like the one who wishes to see what is there on the other side of the wall or the one who is hoping to hear a sound coming from afar.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah mention a great many beautiful names and sublime attributes of Almighty Allah, and it is impossible to count them all. The names and attributes that we have cited are just some of them. Each Muslim has to believe in all the divine names and attributes in a manner that suits His Sublimity and Majesty. All believers have to accept all the qualities He ascribed to Himself in the Qur’an, because He has a better knowledge of Himself than His creations. Each Muslim also has to accept all the terms that His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to describe Him in the Sunnah, as He knew the Lord better than any other human and was the most sincere, the most eloquent, the most devoted and the most pious among them. No one has the right to negate any of the attributes of Almighty Allah or compare them to the attributes of His creation, because “there is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” Surah “Ash-Shūra”, ayah 11.