What is the ruling on supplicating to an attribute of Allah the Exalted?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. What is the ruling on a person supplicating to an attribute of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), with an explanation of the basis for that ruling?
The Shaykh : Okay: does the attribute act?
The questioner : No, it does not act.
The Shaykh : Okay, if you supplicate to that which does not act, is it permissible?
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam said: "Supplicating to an attribute is disbelief by consensus". He said this in the book *Al-Istighathah*: "Supplicating to an attribute is disbelief by consensus". And because if you supplicate to the attribute, you make it independent, bringing you good and warding off evil from you, which means you have made it a god alongside Allah.
The questioner : Does that include, O Shaykh, may Allah reward you, the saying of the common people: "O Face of Allah" or the like?
The Shaykh : No, "O Face of Allah" means they are seeking Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as He the Exalted said: meaning the Lord (Mighty and Majestic).
The questioner : And no prohibition follows from that, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What is it?
The questioner : That it might be confused with supplicating to an attribute?
The Shaykh : No, no, it is far from that. But if by saying "O Face of Allah" he intends to seek intercession with Allah regarding this man, meaning he makes Allah an intercessor, then that is forbidden, because Allah the Exalted is too great and exalted to be an intercessor. Rather, intercession is sought at His presence, but He is not sought as an intercessor. Is that clear?
The questioner : Yes, it is clear, O Shaykh. May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Okay: does the attribute act?
The questioner : No, it does not act.
The Shaykh : Okay, if you supplicate to that which does not act, is it permissible?
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam said: "Supplicating to an attribute is disbelief by consensus". He said this in the book *Al-Istighathah*: "Supplicating to an attribute is disbelief by consensus". And because if you supplicate to the attribute, you make it independent, bringing you good and warding off evil from you, which means you have made it a god alongside Allah.
The questioner : Does that include, O Shaykh, may Allah reward you, the saying of the common people: "O Face of Allah" or the like?
The Shaykh : No, "O Face of Allah" means they are seeking Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as He the Exalted said:
And the Face of your Lord will remain
ويبقى وجه ربكThe questioner : And no prohibition follows from that, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What is it?
The questioner : That it might be confused with supplicating to an attribute?
The Shaykh : No, no, it is far from that. But if by saying "O Face of Allah" he intends to seek intercession with Allah regarding this man, meaning he makes Allah an intercessor, then that is forbidden, because Allah the Exalted is too great and exalted to be an intercessor. Rather, intercession is sought at His presence, but He is not sought as an intercessor. Is that clear?
The questioner : Yes, it is clear, O Shaykh. May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.