UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES OF ALLAH’S NAMES AND ATTRIBUTES: A FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPT OF TAWḤĪD IN ISLAM

🔸 Daurah Ilmiah “Bersama Tokoh Ilmuwan Negara Yaman ke Perlis” 🔸 Yang Berbahagia Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Umar bin Mar’i (Pengerusi Lembaga Pemegang Amanah Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Yaman & Pengelola Dar al-Hadith al-Fiyush dan al-Shihr, Yaman). Siaran ini dikuasakan oleh Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Perlis (MAIPs).

Penerjemah: Asy-Syaikh Ahmad Banajah hafidzahullah - Sesi 1 Pagi 06/08/2025 Masjid Alwi Kangar, Negeri Pelis


📖 Introduction

📌 This daurah session explores the critical branch of Tawḥīd al-Asmā’ waṣ-Ṣifāt (Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes) as derived from the celebrated work of Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn رحمه الله. The study focuses on the foundational maxims (qawāʿid) guiding the correct methodology in affirming the Divine Names and Attributes.

This topic is not simply theological—it is the bedrock of proper maʿrifah (recognition of Allah), which shapes one’s worship, trust, and reverence. Misunderstanding it leads to severe theological deviance, as seen among historical sects such as Jahmiyyah, Muʿtazilah, and Ashʿariyyah. This session aims to restore the pristine methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah based on Revelation, not rationalism.

📚 Core Maxims and Principles in Understanding Allah’s Names and Attributes

🥇 Principle 1: All of Allah’s Names Are Most Beautiful (أسماؤه كلها حسنى)

💡 Every Divine Name is:

  • Indicative of absolute perfection.

  • Free from any deficiency.

  • Encompasses meanings of majesty and beauty.

📌 Example:

  • Al-Ḥayy (The Ever-Living) implies an eternal life without beginning or end, unlike created beings.

  • Al-ʿAzīz al-Ḥakīm implies combined majesty and wisdom—unlike tyrants who are mighty but ignorant.

🥈 Principle 2: Allah’s Names Are Both Labels and Attributes (أعلام وصفات)

🎯 Every Divine Name:

  • Is a ʿalam (designation of the Divine Essence),

  • And simultaneously a ṣifah (description of a perfect attribute).

📎 Examples:

  • Al-Samīʿ is both a name and refers to Allah's attribute of hearing.

  • Al-Ḥayy indicates the essence and the attribute of life.

⚠️ Warning Against Innovation:
Deviant groups like Jahmiyyah say, "Allah is Samīʿ without hearing." This contradicts:

  • Qur’an and authentic Sunnah,

  • Arabic linguistics,

  • Rational principles,

  • Scholarly consensus.

🥉 Principle 3: Names That Imply Action Indicate Three Aspects

🧩 If a name implies action (fiʿl), it signifies:

  1. The Name itself,

  2. The associated Attribute,

  3. The consequential impact of that attribute.

🔍 Example:

  • Al-Samīʿ (The All-Hearing):

    • Is a name,

    • Refers to the attribute of hearing,

    • Implies Allah hears everything—secret and manifest.

📌 Contrast:

  • Passive names (lāzim), like Al-Ḥayy, imply only the name and attribute, not external effects.

🏅 Principle 4: The Indication of a Name Has Three Layers

🧠 1. Dalālat al-Muṭābaqah – full meaning of the name.
🧠 2. Dalālat al-Taḍammun – partial implications of the name.
🧠 3. Dalālat al-Iltizām – necessary inferred meanings.

💬 Example: Al-Khāliq (The Creator)

  • Muṭābaqah: Allah as the Creator.

  • Taḍammun: Allah possesses the act of creating.

  • Iltizām: Necessitates knowledge and power (ʿilm and qudrah).

🏆 Principle 5: The Names of Allah Are Tawqīfiyyah (Revealed and Not Manmade)

🚫 It is impermissible to name Allah with names not mentioned in Revelation.

📝 Evidence:

  • Qur’anic command:

    “Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of.” (Sūrah al-Isrāʾ: 36)

  • Hadiths prohibit speaking about Allah without knowledge.

  • Linguistic and rational principles support this restriction.

📛 Refutation of Ahl al-Kalām (People of Speculative Theology):

  • They rely on logic over revelation.

  • E.g., claiming: "Allah is Samīʿ but without hearing," assuming hearing implies anthropomorphism.

📖 Qur’anic correction:

“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.” (Sūrah al-Shūrā: 11)

🔑 Manhaj of Ahl al-Sunnah in this Matter

✅ Affirm all Names and Attributes as transmitted in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
✅ Avoid:

  • Taḥrīf (distortion),

  • Taʿṭīl (negation),

  • Takyīf (asking how),

  • Tamthīl (likening to creation).

✅ Accept the Names and Attributes verbally and in meaning.
✅ Never compare Allah to creation.

📌 Foundational rule:

“Speaking about the Attributes of Allah is a branch of speaking about His Essence.”

🧭 Concluding Reflections

🌿 This daurah emphasized the importance of:

  • Recognizing the Names and Attributes of Allah through sound methodology,

  • Anchored in revelation (naql), not speculative theology,

  • Supported by sound reason, correct Arabic linguistics, and the legacy of the early righteous generations (salaf).

📖 Correct knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes:

  • Is the key to proper worship,

  • Shapes one’s relationship with the Creator,

  • Protects the heart from misguidance and distortion.

✨ “Whoever knows Allah through His Names and Attributes will worship Him better, love Him deeper, and fear Him more sincerely.”