And in the first consideration, they are synonymous because they refer to a single referent
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The Shaykh : Then he says: "Are they synonymous or distinct?" Synonymy means that two words refer to one thing.
And distinctness means that two words, each of which has a meaning. So are the names of Allah distinct or synonymous? Did you understand distinctness and synonymy? What is distinctness? That each word refers to a meaning. Synonymy is that the two words refer to one meaning. It is clear.
"Human" and "person," what are they? They are synonymous because they refer to one thing. Are the names of Allah like that? The author explained it.
He said: "And in the first consideration", meaning in terms of their reference to the Essence, "they are synonymous because they refer to a single referent, which is Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And in the second consideration, they are distinct because each of them refers to its specific meaning". It is clear, my brothers. If someone asked you, what would you say about the names of Allah? Are they distinct or synonymous?
The answer is: Yes, in terms of their reference to the Essence, meaning to Allah alone, they are synonymous because they all refer to one thing. The Almighty, the Wise, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing refer to one thing. In terms of the reference of each of them to a specific meaning, they are distinct. And these are the examples.
The author says: "So the Living, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, the Almighty, the Wise. They are all names for a single referent, which is Allah". It is clear. "But the meaning of the Living is not the meaning of the All-Knowing, and the meaning of the All-Knowing is not the meaning of the All-Powerful, and so on". The example is clear, and praise be to Allah. This rule is the authentic linguistic and legal rule.
The Mu'tazilah said: No, the names of Allah are mere proper nouns that do not refer to attributes. Therefore, they affirm the names but do not affirm the meanings. And as the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said, this contradicts all the languages of the world, the entire world. When they use a derived word, they know that it includes what? The meaning from which it was derived. So they do not say to the blind man that he is seeing, nor to the seeing man that he is blind, nor to the strong man that he is weak, nor to the weak man that he is strong. All the world, Arabs and non-Arabs, when they use a derived word, they intend what? The meaning from which it was derived. So this rule benefits us in refuting whom? The Mu'tazilah, who affirmed the names without the attributes.
And distinctness means that two words, each of which has a meaning. So are the names of Allah distinct or synonymous? Did you understand distinctness and synonymy? What is distinctness? That each word refers to a meaning. Synonymy is that the two words refer to one meaning. It is clear.
"Human" and "person," what are they? They are synonymous because they refer to one thing. Are the names of Allah like that? The author explained it.
He said: "And in the first consideration", meaning in terms of their reference to the Essence, "they are synonymous because they refer to a single referent, which is Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And in the second consideration, they are distinct because each of them refers to its specific meaning". It is clear, my brothers. If someone asked you, what would you say about the names of Allah? Are they distinct or synonymous?
The answer is: Yes, in terms of their reference to the Essence, meaning to Allah alone, they are synonymous because they all refer to one thing. The Almighty, the Wise, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing refer to one thing. In terms of the reference of each of them to a specific meaning, they are distinct. And these are the examples.
The author says: "So the Living, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, the Almighty, the Wise. They are all names for a single referent, which is Allah". It is clear. "But the meaning of the Living is not the meaning of the All-Knowing, and the meaning of the All-Knowing is not the meaning of the All-Powerful, and so on". The example is clear, and praise be to Allah. This rule is the authentic linguistic and legal rule.
The Mu'tazilah said: No, the names of Allah are mere proper nouns that do not refer to attributes. Therefore, they affirm the names but do not affirm the meanings. And as the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said, this contradicts all the languages of the world, the entire world. When they use a derived word, they know that it includes what? The meaning from which it was derived. So they do not say to the blind man that he is seeing, nor to the seeing man that he is blind, nor to the strong man that he is weak, nor to the weak man that he is strong. All the world, Arabs and non-Arabs, when they use a derived word, they intend what? The meaning from which it was derived. So this rule benefits us in refuting whom? The Mu'tazilah, who affirmed the names without the attributes.