Explanation of the author's statement: "As for deviation in His names: it is departing from the truth that is obligatory in them, and it is of four types: 1- Denying any of them"
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The Shaykh :"Deviation in His names is departing from the truth that is obligatory in them", because it is a turning away from what is obligatory, departing from the truth that is obligatory in these names.
"And it has types: the first is to deny any of them, or what the attributes indicate, as the Mu'attilah did". This type is the highest and, refuge is sought in Allah, the most vile: denying any of the names, such as denying Al-Aziz (The Mighty), Al-Hakim (The Wise), Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful), and the like. This has been found, for the extremists of the Jahmiyyah deny the names, saying that Allah is not Al-‘Alim (The All-Knowing), nor As-Sami‘ (The All-Hearing), nor Al-Basir (The All-Seeing), nor Al-Aziz, nor Al-Hakim, and so on. They attribute these to themselves, saying that the meaning of As-Sami‘ is the Creator of hearing in others, and Al-Hakim is the Creator of wisdom in others. Thus, they attribute it to Him, naming Allah with it by way of attribution (idafah) rather than by way of reality. Yes. Or they deny what the names indicate of attributes. We know that if Allah's names are transitive, they indicate the Essence, the attribute, and the effect. So the name is affirmed, the attribute it contains is affirmed, and the ruling resulting from it, which is called the effect, is affirmed. For example, As-Sami‘: do we affirm that As-Sami‘ is one of Allah's names or not? We affirm the attribute, which is hearing. We affirm the ruling resulting from it, which is that He hears. These three things are necessary.
If a person says, "I affirm that Allah is As-Sami‘, but I do not affirm hearing for Him," we call this deviation. If he says, "I affirm that He is As-Sami‘ and that He has hearing, but I do not affirm the ruling that He hears," yes, what do we say? We say this is also deviation. So it is necessary to affirm the name, the attribute, and the ruling, or some say the effect. If the name is not transitive, two things are necessary: affirming the name and affirming the attribute. For example, Al-Hayy (The Living). Al-Hayy is not transitive; it does not relate to another, it relates to Himself, Glorified and Exalted is He. So we say: Al-Hayy, we affirm Al-Hayy as a name among Allah's names. What next? And we affirm life as an attribute of His, indicated by the name Al-Hayy. Do you understand? The one who says, "I affirm that Allah is Al-Hayy and that Al-Hayy is among His names, but I do not affirm life for Him," we say this is a deviator, this is a deviator. So the first type is to deny any of them, meaning any of the names, or what they indicate of attributes, as the Mu'attilah did.
"And it has types: the first is to deny any of them, or what the attributes indicate, as the Mu'attilah did". This type is the highest and, refuge is sought in Allah, the most vile: denying any of the names, such as denying Al-Aziz (The Mighty), Al-Hakim (The Wise), Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful), and the like. This has been found, for the extremists of the Jahmiyyah deny the names, saying that Allah is not Al-‘Alim (The All-Knowing), nor As-Sami‘ (The All-Hearing), nor Al-Basir (The All-Seeing), nor Al-Aziz, nor Al-Hakim, and so on. They attribute these to themselves, saying that the meaning of As-Sami‘ is the Creator of hearing in others, and Al-Hakim is the Creator of wisdom in others. Thus, they attribute it to Him, naming Allah with it by way of attribution (idafah) rather than by way of reality. Yes. Or they deny what the names indicate of attributes. We know that if Allah's names are transitive, they indicate the Essence, the attribute, and the effect. So the name is affirmed, the attribute it contains is affirmed, and the ruling resulting from it, which is called the effect, is affirmed. For example, As-Sami‘: do we affirm that As-Sami‘ is one of Allah's names or not? We affirm the attribute, which is hearing. We affirm the ruling resulting from it, which is that He hears. These three things are necessary.
If a person says, "I affirm that Allah is As-Sami‘, but I do not affirm hearing for Him," we call this deviation. If he says, "I affirm that He is As-Sami‘ and that He has hearing, but I do not affirm the ruling that He hears," yes, what do we say? We say this is also deviation. So it is necessary to affirm the name, the attribute, and the ruling, or some say the effect. If the name is not transitive, two things are necessary: affirming the name and affirming the attribute. For example, Al-Hayy (The Living). Al-Hayy is not transitive; it does not relate to another, it relates to Himself, Glorified and Exalted is He. So we say: Al-Hayy, we affirm Al-Hayy as a name among Allah's names. What next? And we affirm life as an attribute of His, indicated by the name Al-Hayy. Do you understand? The one who says, "I affirm that Allah is Al-Hayy and that Al-Hayy is among His names, but I do not affirm life for Him," we say this is a deviator, this is a deviator. So the first type is to deny any of them, meaning any of the names, or what they indicate of attributes, as the Mu'attilah did.