On the rules of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the affirmation of the names and attributes of Allah: affirmation comes in detail, and negation comes in summary. Is it permissible to reverse this, and is it considered a departure from the rule?
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The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh: Among the rules of the people of the Sunnah and the community is the affirmation of the names and attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Affirmation comes in detail, and negation comes in summary. Is it possible for affirmation to come in summary and negation in detail? And if this is possible, is it considered a departure from the aforementioned rule?
The Shaykh : First, may Allah bless you. When the names and attributes of Allah come in affirmation, the majority of them are detailed. The evidence for this is clear in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. You will find, for example, the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Hashr 59:22] There are about fifteen names in it until the end of the surah, meaning there are fifteen names of Allah in it, each name containing one or two attributes. This is because all attributes of affirmation are attributes of perfection. So the more they are multiplied and the more news is reported about them, the more of the perfection of the one described becomes apparent that was not known before.
As for the attributes of negation, they are attributes of deficiency, which Allah the Exalted has negated from Himself. If they occur in a summary manner, it is greater in magnification. If they were to come in a detailed manner, there would be something of mockery and ridicule in it.
And I give you an example of what happens among the sons of Adam: If a man were to say to a king: "You are a man of standing authority, you are a decisive man, you are a strong man, you are a man who enjoins good and forbids evil, you are a severe man toward the disbelievers and merciful to the believers, you are a man of strong power, you are a man whom the enemies fear." All these attributes would be praise; all these attributes would be praise that the king would take pride in.
But if he were to say to him: "You are a king, you are not a garbage collector, nor a sweeper, nor a cleaner of trash, nor a barber, nor a cup-taker," and he continued to mention attributes of deficiency that he negates from the king, would this be praise or blame? Yes? It would be blame, because how can he say, "You are not a cup-taker, nor a tailor, nor a tanner, nor a sweeper"? The king would be upset and angry. Therefore, the attributes negated from Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) came in summary, such as His saying the Exalted:[Ash-Shuraa 42:11] [Maryam 19:65] He has no partner in the kingdom [Al-Isra 17:111] and the like of this. However, they are sometimes mentioned in detail while being negated, either to dispel a misconception that occurs among the sons of Adam, or to refute a lie told by the liars.
For example, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mu'minun 23:91] Is this an attribute of negation, general or specific?
The questioner : Especially.
The Shaykh : Specific,[Al-Mu'minun 23:91] but He the Exalted said it and negated it from Himself in response to the saying of the liars who said: "Allah the Exalted took a son." The Christians said: "The Messiah is the son of Allah," the Jews said: "Uzair is the son of Allah," and the polytheists said: "The angels are the daughters of Allah."
Or to dispel a misconception and clarify perfection, such as:[Qaf 50:38] "Al-ghalab" means fatigue and weariness, and it is a specific attribute. But Allah negated it from Himself so that no one would mistakenly think that Allah became tired when He created these great creatures in this short period. So the predominant rule is that attributes of affirmation are detailed, and attributes of negation are in summary.
And detail may come in the chapter of negation, just as summary may come in the chapter of affirmation, such as His saying the Exalted:[An-Nahl 16:60] "The highest example," meaning: the most perfect description. And this is general, with no detail in it.
The Shaykh : First, may Allah bless you. When the names and attributes of Allah come in affirmation, the majority of them are detailed. The evidence for this is clear in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. You will find, for example, the saying of Allah the Exalted:
He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُAs for the attributes of negation, they are attributes of deficiency, which Allah the Exalted has negated from Himself. If they occur in a summary manner, it is greater in magnification. If they were to come in a detailed manner, there would be something of mockery and ridicule in it.
And I give you an example of what happens among the sons of Adam: If a man were to say to a king: "You are a man of standing authority, you are a decisive man, you are a strong man, you are a man who enjoins good and forbids evil, you are a severe man toward the disbelievers and merciful to the believers, you are a man of strong power, you are a man whom the enemies fear." All these attributes would be praise; all these attributes would be praise that the king would take pride in.
But if he were to say to him: "You are a king, you are not a garbage collector, nor a sweeper, nor a cleaner of trash, nor a barber, nor a cup-taker," and he continued to mention attributes of deficiency that he negates from the king, would this be praise or blame? Yes? It would be blame, because how can he say, "You are not a cup-taker, nor a tailor, nor a tanner, nor a sweeper"? The king would be upset and angry. Therefore, the attributes negated from Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) came in summary, such as His saying the Exalted:
There is nothing like unto Him
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌDo you know of any similarity to Him?"
هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيّاًand has no [need of a] protector out of weakness
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّFor example, Allah the Exalted said:
Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity.
مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍ وما كان معه من إلهThe questioner : Especially.
The Shaykh : Specific,
Allah has not taken any son
ما اتخذ الله من ولدOr to dispel a misconception and clarify perfection, such as:
And We did certainly create the heavens and earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness.
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍAnd detail may come in the chapter of negation, just as summary may come in the chapter of affirmation, such as His saying the Exalted: