What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the names and attributes of Allah?
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The questioner : What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the names and attributes? We ask for your guidance in this matter. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
The methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the names and attributes of Allah is that they affirm for Allah the Exalted every name He has affirmed for Himself and every attribute He has affirmed for Himself, in a manner that involves no distortion, no denial of the divine attributes, no asking how an attribute is, and no likening Allah to creation. Let us give an example of this:
Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said:[Taha 20:5] But how is He elevated? Allah knows best. We do not ask how His attributes are, but we believe in its meaning and say: "The Most Merciful rose above the Throne," meaning He is elevated above it in a manner befitting His Majesty and His Greatness.
They avoid the path of the people of innovation who distort the words from their places and say:[Taha 20:5] meaning He took control. There is no doubt that this diverts the speech from its apparent meaning without evidence. There is also no doubt that it entails false implications, because if we say that "istawa" means "took control," it would follow that the Throne belonged to someone other than Allah before the creation of the heavens and the earth, and that Allah took control of it afterwards.
It would also follow that it is correct to say that Allah took control of the earth because He has taken control of it, and this is a false statement.
Another example is the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He:[Ar-Rahman 55:27] The people of denial of the divine attributes, who distort the words from their places, said: The intended meaning of "the Face of Allah" is His reward, and the intended meaning is not His Face, which is one of His attributes, Mighty and Majestic. It is one of His descriptive attributes in which the intellect has no entry, and it is not conceptual, but it is a descriptive attribute similar to some of us and a part of us in relation to us.
It is said: This is contrary to the apparent meaning of the noble verse and contrary to what the righteous Salaf were upon, namely the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Imams of guidance after them. So the Face of Allah the Exalted is His Face, and the reward is something else. Then where is the comparison?[Ar-Rahman 55:26-27] Where is the comparison with the idea that the intended meaning is action? These verses do not fit with what precedes them such that it can be said that they are from action, meaning they do not fit with what precedes them in terms of being interpreted as reward.
Also included in this is the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He to Iblis:[Sad 38:75] They said: The intended meaning of "hand" here is power. It is said: Glory be to Allah, He created all of humanity with His power. Then does power become partial and multiple?
Power is a single attribute by which the one who has power can act without weakness. And much can be compared to this.
So the people of the Sunnah and the community say: Whatever Allah has named Himself with, it is obligatory for us to affirm it. And whatever Allah has described Himself with, it is obligatory for us to affirm it. But it must be that our affirmation is free from likening Allah to creation and from asking how an attribute is. This means that we affirm this attribute for Allah and deny that He is similar to the servants in this attribute. And likewise, we affirm this attribute and do not ask how it is; we do not say its manner is such and such.
Therefore, when a man asked Imam Malik and said: O Abu 'Abdullah,[Taha 20:5] How did He rise above? Malik lowered his head until sweat covered him, then he said: "O this one! The rising is not unknown, the how is not comprehensible, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation".
So he said, may Allah have mercy on him: "The how is not comprehensible", meaning it is not possible for us to grasp it with our intellects. And if we do not grasp it with our intellects, it follows that we must rely on transmission in this matter. And no transmission has come, neither in the Qur'an nor in the Sunnah, of the manner of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He rising above His Throne. And on this basis, the manner of the rising is unknown and not known to us.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
The methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the names and attributes of Allah is that they affirm for Allah the Exalted every name He has affirmed for Himself and every attribute He has affirmed for Himself, in a manner that involves no distortion, no denial of the divine attributes, no asking how an attribute is, and no likening Allah to creation. Let us give an example of this:
Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said:
The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىThey avoid the path of the people of innovation who distort the words from their places and say:
The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
لاالرحمن على العرش استوىIt would also follow that it is correct to say that Allah took control of the earth because He has taken control of it, and this is a false statement.
Another example is the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He:
And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلالِ وَالإِكْرَامِIt is said: This is contrary to the apparent meaning of the noble verse and contrary to what the righteous Salaf were upon, namely the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Imams of guidance after them. So the Face of Allah the Exalted is His Face, and the reward is something else. Then where is the comparison?
(26) Everyone upon the earth will perish, (27) And there will remain the Face of your Lord
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ * وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَAlso included in this is the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He to Iblis:
what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands?
مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّPower is a single attribute by which the one who has power can act without weakness. And much can be compared to this.
So the people of the Sunnah and the community say: Whatever Allah has named Himself with, it is obligatory for us to affirm it. And whatever Allah has described Himself with, it is obligatory for us to affirm it. But it must be that our affirmation is free from likening Allah to creation and from asking how an attribute is. This means that we affirm this attribute for Allah and deny that He is similar to the servants in this attribute. And likewise, we affirm this attribute and do not ask how it is; we do not say its manner is such and such.
Therefore, when a man asked Imam Malik and said: O Abu 'Abdullah,
The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىSo he said, may Allah have mercy on him: "The how is not comprehensible", meaning it is not possible for us to grasp it with our intellects. And if we do not grasp it with our intellects, it follows that we must rely on transmission in this matter. And no transmission has come, neither in the Qur'an nor in the Sunnah, of the manner of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He rising above His Throne. And on this basis, the manner of the rising is unknown and not known to us.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.