Detailed Affirmation and General Negation in the Names and Attributes
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From the rules of the people of the Sunnah and the community: Regarding the affirmation of the names and attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and the fact that negation is general, is it possible for affirmation to be general and for it to be detailed? And if this is possible, does this lead to departing from the previous rule?
First: When the names and attributes of Allah come in the context of affirmation, the majority of them are detailed, and the evidence for this is clear in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.You will find, for example, the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surah al-Hashr: 22] to the end of the surah contains fourteen names from the names of Allah, each name encompassing one or two attributes; this is because all attributes of affirmation are attributes of perfection, so the more they multiply and the more news is reported about them, the more of the perfection of the one described becomes apparent that was not known before.
As for the attributes of negation, they are attributes of deficiency, which Allah the Exalted has negated from Himself. If they occur in a summary manner, it is greater in magnification. If they were to come in a detailed manner, there would be something of mockery and ridicule in it.
And I will give you an example of what happens among the children of Adam: If a man were to say to one of the kings: You are a man of established authority, you are a man of decisiveness, you are a strong man, you are a man who enjoins good and forbids evil, you are a man severe against the disbelievers and merciful to the believers, you are a man of strong power, you are a man whom the enemies fear.
All these attributes would be praise of which the king would boast.
But if he were to say to him: You are a king, not a garbage collector, nor a sweeper, nor a cleaner of trash, nor a barber, nor a cupper.
And if he were to mention attributes of deficiency and negate them from the king, this would be a defect that would anger the king. Therefore, the attributes negated from Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) came in a general form,Such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surah al-Shura: 11] and His saying: [Surah Maryam: 65] and His saying: [Surah al-Isra: 111] and the like, except that they are sometimes mentioned in detail; this is to dispel a suspicion that arises among the children of Adam, or to refute a lie told by the liars.
For example, Allah the Exalted said: [Surah al-Mu'minun: 91] This is a specific attribute of negation; but He (Mighty and Majestic) said it and negated it from Himself in response to the liars who said: That Allah the Exalted took a son,The Christians said: The Messiah is the son of Allah,And the Jews said: Uzayr is the son of Allah,And the polytheists said: The angels are the daughters of Allah.
Or it came to dispel a suspicion and to clarify perfection,Such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surah Qaf: 38] "Lughub" means fatigue and weariness, and it is a specific attribute, but Allah negated it from Himself so that no one would suspect that Allah became tired when He created these great creatures in this short period, so He negated it from Himself. Thus, the predominant form in attributes of affirmation is detail, and in attributes of negation is generality.
And detail may come in the chapter of negation, just as generality may come in the chapter of affirmation,Like His saying, the Exalted: [Surah al-Nahl: 60] The Most High Example,Meaning: The most perfect description, and this is general and does not contain detail.
First: When the names and attributes of Allah come in the context of affirmation, the majority of them are detailed, and the evidence for this is clear in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.You will find, for example, the saying of Allah the Exalted:
He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُAs for the attributes of negation, they are attributes of deficiency, which Allah the Exalted has negated from Himself. If they occur in a summary manner, it is greater in magnification. If they were to come in a detailed manner, there would be something of mockery and ridicule in it.
And I will give you an example of what happens among the children of Adam: If a man were to say to one of the kings: You are a man of established authority, you are a man of decisiveness, you are a strong man, you are a man who enjoins good and forbids evil, you are a man severe against the disbelievers and merciful to the believers, you are a man of strong power, you are a man whom the enemies fear.
All these attributes would be praise of which the king would boast.
But if he were to say to him: You are a king, not a garbage collector, nor a sweeper, nor a cleaner of trash, nor a barber, nor a cupper.
And if he were to mention attributes of deficiency and negate them from the king, this would be a defect that would anger the king. Therefore, the attributes negated from Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) came in a general form,Such as the saying of Allah the Exalted:
There is nothing like unto Him
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌDo you know of any similarity to Him?"
هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيّاًand has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّFor example, Allah the Exalted said:
Allah has not taken any son
مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍOr it came to dispel a suspicion and to clarify perfection,Such as the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And We did certainly create the heavens and earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness.
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍAnd detail may come in the chapter of negation, just as generality may come in the chapter of affirmation,Like His saying, the Exalted: