(Refutation of Jahm, who claims that the names of Allah are created and that the name is other than the named) And he ruled that His names are created*** and that they are created from among the creations
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : ... He said that the names of Allah the Exalted are created. The names of Allah are created, and they are not eternal with His eternity. Why? He said because the name is other than the named. Is it correct that the name is other than the named? If you say yes, you are wrong; if you say no, you are wrong. There is a distinction. If you mean by the name the word that indicates its referent, then it is the named one. If I say, "Call for Zayd," you are calling Zayd himself, the one named by this name; it is he. But if the name is meant to be the letters that indicate its referent, then it is undoubtedly other than it. This is why I write "Zayd stood up" and "Zayd sat down" and "Strike Zayd." These letters are a very severe, painful addition. And Zayd, who is with me, does he say, "You hurt me," or not? No, he does not say that. Why? Because the name is other than the named. But if I say, "Call Zayd," this is undoubtedly the named one. Allah the Exalted said: [Ghafir 40:14] The intended meaning is the named one, and the word does not allow for any other meaning. But if I say, "Write Allah," the intended meaning is the name, meaning the letters that indicate its referent. On this basis, they say that the names of Allah are created because they are other than Him, so Allah is named by them after He had no name, may Allah protect us from that. So He was denied of names, of attributes, and of actions. What remains on this basis? What has become of Him? He has become non-existence. They say the name is created, the attributes have no attribute subsisting in Him, and the actions have no action subsisting in Him. So He was non-existent and then became existent. We ask Allah for safety. O Allah, guide us among those You have guided. Yes.
The reader: "But he presented the doctrine thus".
The Shaykh : Now, what do we say? ... Allah has always been and will always be with His names and attributes, so His names and attributes are eternal with His eternity. It is correct that the types of the action attributes or their instances are created, but the essential attributes are eternal with the eternity of Allah the Exalted. ... The names; I say, we say that Allah has always been and will always be with His names and attributes, so His names and attributes are eternal with His eternity. Yes, but the types of some of the action attributes or their instances are what are created. For example, the rising above the Throne was not eternal because the Throne is not eternal; it is created. The descent to the lowest heaven is created. Speech, in terms of its individual instances, is created. Yes.
So invoke Allah, [being] sincere to Him
فادعوا اللهَ مخلصينThe reader: "But he presented the doctrine thus".
The Shaykh : Now, what do we say? ... Allah has always been and will always be with His names and attributes, so His names and attributes are eternal with His eternity. It is correct that the types of the action attributes or their instances are created, but the essential attributes are eternal with the eternity of Allah the Exalted. ... The names; I say, we say that Allah has always been and will always be with His names and attributes, so His names and attributes are eternal with His eternity. Yes, but the types of some of the action attributes or their instances are what are created. For example, the rising above the Throne was not eternal because the Throne is not eternal; it is created. The descent to the lowest heaven is created. Speech, in terms of its individual instances, is created. Yes.