Is the attribute of being eternal (al-Qadim) among the attributes of Allah the Exalted?
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The questioner : In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, reported by Abu Dawud
The Shaykh : In Abu Dawud.
The questioner : In Abu Dawud, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 466Sahih (Al-Albani) Does this establish the attribute of eternity (al-Qadim) for Allah, Mighty and Majestic?
The Shaykh : I ask this questioner: is the word "al-Qadim" (the Eternal) an attribute of the Sultan, or an attribute of Allah? Where is the questioner? I ask you all: is "al-Qadim" an attribute of Allah or an attribute of the Sultan?
The student: Of the Sultan.
The Shaykh : By his eternal Sultanate. "Al-Qadim" is an attribute of the Sultan, not an attribute of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Describing the Sultan as "al-Qadim" does not imply that it is permissible to describe the Most Merciful as "al-Qadim." For this reason, "al-Qadim" is not among the names of Allah. Instead, "al-Awwal" (the First) is among His names, meaning that there is nothing before Him. This is sufficient in place of "al-Qadim," and it is more appropriate and better than it. It does not carry the meaning of something that has a beginning, which "al-Qadim" can imply. "Al-Qadim" is used to describe the eternal, pre-existent, and it is also used to describe the created, as Allah the Exalted said:[Ya-Sin 36:39]. Therefore, "al-Qadim" is not among the names of Allah, but "al-Awwal" is, meaning that there is nothing before Him.
The Shaykh : In Abu Dawud.
The questioner : In Abu Dawud, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I seek refuge in Allah, the Magnificent, and in His noble face, and in his eternal domain, from the accursed Devil.
أعوذ بالله العظيم وبوجهه الكريم وسلطانه القديم من الشيطان الرجيمThe Shaykh : I ask this questioner: is the word "al-Qadim" (the Eternal) an attribute of the Sultan, or an attribute of Allah? Where is the questioner? I ask you all: is "al-Qadim" an attribute of Allah or an attribute of the Sultan?
The student: Of the Sultan.
The Shaykh : By his eternal Sultanate. "Al-Qadim" is an attribute of the Sultan, not an attribute of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Describing the Sultan as "al-Qadim" does not imply that it is permissible to describe the Most Merciful as "al-Qadim." For this reason, "al-Qadim" is not among the names of Allah. Instead, "al-Awwal" (the First) is among His names, meaning that there is nothing before Him. This is sufficient in place of "al-Qadim," and it is more appropriate and better than it. It does not carry the meaning of something that has a beginning, which "al-Qadim" can imply. "Al-Qadim" is used to describe the eternal, pre-existent, and it is also used to describe the created, as Allah the Exalted said: