Knowing the Names and Attributes of Allah is Part of the Creed

Question:
Is knowing the Names and Attributes of Allah part of the creed? And is it obligatory for us to alert people to the figurative interpretation, distortion, and denial of the divine attributes found in some tafsirs?

Answer:
Yes; the Names and Attributes of Allah and belief in them are a type of tawhid (the oneness of Allah); because tawhid has three types: tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship), and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). Tawhid al-rububiyyah means singling out Allah the Exalted with His actions, such as creation, provision, giving life, causing death, and managing creation. Tawhid al-uluhiyyah means singling out Allah the Exalted with the actions of the servants by which they draw near to Him, provided they are in accordance with what the Shari'ah has brought; they must be pure for Allah and contain no shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is tawhid al-uluhiyyah. Tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat means that we affirm for Allah what He has affirmed for Himself or what His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has affirmed for Him; without tahrif (distortion of a text's meaning) or ta'til (denial of the divine attributes), and without takyif (asking how an attribute is) or tamthil (comparing Allah to creation). We affirm for Allah the names and attributes He has affirmed for Himself, or the names and attributes His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has affirmed for Him; without tahrif or ta'til, and without takyif or tamthil. As for the issue of mentioning some of the ta'wil (figurative interpretation) found in some tafsirs; this is explained to students of knowledge. As for explaining it to the general public who do not benefit from it; this is not permissible; because this leads to confusion and occupies people with what they do not know. And in the athar (report from a Companion or successor): "Speak to people with what they know. Do you want Allah and His Messenger to be denied?" (2). The common people have a method, and students of knowledge have a method: the common people are taught the summaries of the creed, the summaries of commands and prohibitions, the promise and threat, and the admonition. They are taught the foundations of the religion, the five pillars of Islam, and the pillars of faith. They are taught these foundations and memorize them; as was the case in these lands until recently, they were taught the religion in the mosques; they memorized the pillars of Islam, the pillars of faith, and the meaning of the two testimonies: the testimony that there is no god but Allah, and the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. They memorized the pillars of prayer, the conditions of prayer, and its obligations, and they memorized what they need of the matters of their religion. As for students of knowledge; when explaining and clarifying to them, the ta'wil is explained to them, but without targeting the author and saying: the author is an innovator and misguided. Rather, it is said: this tafsir is wrong, and the correct view is such and such. It contains ta'wil of such and such a verse, it contains ta'wil of such and such an attribute; without targeting the scholars, labeling them as innovators, and attacking their persons. People do not benefit from this; rather, this causes students of knowledge to turn away from the scholars and leads to bad suspicion of the scholars. The purpose is only to clarify the correct view in this error, and not to attack persons by labeling them as innovators, ignorant, or misguided; this does not benefit anything, but rather leads to opposite outcomes, leads to bad suspicion of the scholars, leads to confusion of ideas, and leads to discussing the reputations of deceased and living scholars. This does not bring good. The truth is explained to those among the students of knowledge who can bear this matter and understand it. As for the common people, they cannot bear this matter and have not reached that level. Rather, they are shown what they need of the matters of their religion, their worship, their prayer, their zakah, and their fasting. The most important thing is to clarify the creed to them in a concise meaning; so that they benefit from it, and there is no lengthening that burdens them and bores them, but rather it is in a concise manner.