The First Topic on the Names of Allah: That the Names of Allah are proper nouns and descriptions. And the Second Topic: That the Names of Allah are synonymous and distinct.
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The Shaykh : ... In terms of their indication of the Essence, they are proper nouns, what? And in terms of their indication of the meaning, they are descriptions.
Second: The indication of these names to their meanings has three, what? categories: indication by identity, indication by inclusion, and indication by implication.
The second consideration regarding the names: Are the Names of Allah the Exalted other than Him, or are the Names of Allah the Exalted Allah Himself? Are they His Essence or other than His Essence? What do you say?
The student: Other than His Essence.
The Shaykh : We say that it is not correct to say that the name is other than the named, nor that it is the named itself. Because if by the name one means the word indicating its named, then it is undoubtedly other than the named. And if by the name one means the referent of that word, then it is the named. For example, if you say: "The One who created the heavens and the earth is Allah," what is it? Is the name here the named and nothing else? "The One who created the heavens and the earth is Allah," what is intended here? What is intended by the name, people?
The student: The named.
The Shaykh : The named, meaning the named of this name. It is not the letter lam and the letter ha; it is the One who created the heavens and the earth.
If I tell you: Write "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim," and you write it, and then I ask: Did you write "Allah"? The intended meaning is the name, not the named. So here, the name is other than the named.
And if I tell you: Hit Zayd, and there is a paper in front of you with "Zayd" written on it, and you hit this paper, are you complying?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: Because he did not hit Zayd.
The Shaykh : Zay, ya, dal, you hit it.
The student: The intended meaning is the named.
The Shaykh : Yes, the intended meaning is the named. "Hit Zayd" means the one named by this name. And if I say: Write "Zayd," write "Zayd is standing," for example, what is intended here? The name, which is other than the named.
And based on this, we say: The Names of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, if the referent of the name is intended, then it is Allah, as we say "Allah, the One who created the heavens and the earth," or the Essence named by this name. And if the word indicating the named is intended, then it is other than Allah, Mighty and Majestic; so it is other than Allah.
Second: The indication of these names to their meanings has three, what? categories: indication by identity, indication by inclusion, and indication by implication.
The second consideration regarding the names: Are the Names of Allah the Exalted other than Him, or are the Names of Allah the Exalted Allah Himself? Are they His Essence or other than His Essence? What do you say?
The student: Other than His Essence.
The Shaykh : We say that it is not correct to say that the name is other than the named, nor that it is the named itself. Because if by the name one means the word indicating its named, then it is undoubtedly other than the named. And if by the name one means the referent of that word, then it is the named. For example, if you say: "The One who created the heavens and the earth is Allah," what is it? Is the name here the named and nothing else? "The One who created the heavens and the earth is Allah," what is intended here? What is intended by the name, people?
The student: The named.
The Shaykh : The named, meaning the named of this name. It is not the letter lam and the letter ha; it is the One who created the heavens and the earth.
If I tell you: Write "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim," and you write it, and then I ask: Did you write "Allah"? The intended meaning is the name, not the named. So here, the name is other than the named.
And if I tell you: Hit Zayd, and there is a paper in front of you with "Zayd" written on it, and you hit this paper, are you complying?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: Because he did not hit Zayd.
The Shaykh : Zay, ya, dal, you hit it.
The student: The intended meaning is the named.
The Shaykh : Yes, the intended meaning is the named. "Hit Zayd" means the one named by this name. And if I say: Write "Zayd," write "Zayd is standing," for example, what is intended here? The name, which is other than the named.
And based on this, we say: The Names of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, if the referent of the name is intended, then it is Allah, as we say "Allah, the One who created the heavens and the earth," or the Essence named by this name. And if the word indicating the named is intended, then it is other than Allah, Mighty and Majestic; so it is other than Allah.