Our statement regarding the attribute of speech: that it is an essential attribute in terms of its origin, and an action attribute in terms of its individual instances
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The questioner : The honorable Shaykh, our statement regarding the attribute of speech: that it is an essential attribute in terms of its origin, and an action attribute in terms of its individual instances. Does this apply to the other attributes, or to some of them, such as coming, descending, hearing, and seeing? We say: Is it an essential attribute in terms of its origin, and an action attribute in terms of its individual instances? And what is the criterion for this?
The Shaykh : No. First: The attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are divided into descriptive attributes and conceptual attributes. The descriptive ones are: such as the Face, the Hand, the Eye, the Leg, and the Foot. Allah the Exalted has always possessed these attributes and continues to possess them.
The conceptual ones: some of them have individual instances that renew, and some do not. Knowledge, power, hearing, and seeing: their individual instances do not renew. He has always been and continues to be Knowing of everything, and He has always been and continues to be Able to do everything, and He has always been and continues to be Hearing and Seeing. It is not possible for us to say: that these are action attributes, neither in their origin nor in their individual instances.
There is a third category of attributes: conceptual attributes, but they are action attributes in terms of the renewal of their individual instances. For example, speech: its individual instances renew. Allah’s speaking to Musa was in the time of Musa, and Allah the Exalted’s speaking to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the time of Muhammad. That is, you see that the second speech is not the first speech. Here, its individual instances renew, and for this reason we say: it is an essential attribute in terms of its origin, meaning: in terms of the fact that Allah has always been and continues to be a Speaker. And in terms of its individuals and instances, it is an action attribute. As for descending: descending to the lowest heaven is an action attribute only. Why? Because He descends to the lowest heaven, and the lowest heaven is a created thing that came into existence after it did not exist, so the descending is an action attribute only. But the genus of the action, and that Allah has always been and continues to be an Actor, this is an essential attribute. Is the matter clear to you? Yes. Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : No. First: The attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are divided into descriptive attributes and conceptual attributes. The descriptive ones are: such as the Face, the Hand, the Eye, the Leg, and the Foot. Allah the Exalted has always possessed these attributes and continues to possess them.
The conceptual ones: some of them have individual instances that renew, and some do not. Knowledge, power, hearing, and seeing: their individual instances do not renew. He has always been and continues to be Knowing of everything, and He has always been and continues to be Able to do everything, and He has always been and continues to be Hearing and Seeing. It is not possible for us to say: that these are action attributes, neither in their origin nor in their individual instances.
There is a third category of attributes: conceptual attributes, but they are action attributes in terms of the renewal of their individual instances. For example, speech: its individual instances renew. Allah’s speaking to Musa was in the time of Musa, and Allah the Exalted’s speaking to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the time of Muhammad. That is, you see that the second speech is not the first speech. Here, its individual instances renew, and for this reason we say: it is an essential attribute in terms of its origin, meaning: in terms of the fact that Allah has always been and continues to be a Speaker. And in terms of its individuals and instances, it is an action attribute. As for descending: descending to the lowest heaven is an action attribute only. Why? Because He descends to the lowest heaven, and the lowest heaven is a created thing that came into existence after it did not exist, so the descending is an action attribute only. But the genus of the action, and that Allah has always been and continues to be an Actor, this is an essential attribute. Is the matter clear to you? Yes. Praise be to Allah.