The Foundation of Understanding Allah’s Attributes#

This chapter addresses one of the most important and complex topics in Islamic theology: how to understand and believe in Allah’s Names and Attributes. Ibn Taymiyyah presents the balanced approach of the Salaf, avoiding the extremes of anthropomorphism and complete negation.

The Text#

وَمِنْ أُصُولِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ: أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يُوصَفُ بِمَا وَصَفَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ، وَبِمَا وَصَفَهُ بِهِ رَسُولُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، مِنْ غَيْرِ تَحْرِيفٍ وَلَا تَعْطِيلٍ، وَمِنْ غَيْرِ تَكْيِيفٍ وَلَا تَمْثِيلٍ

And from the fundamental principles of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is that Allah, the Most High, is described with what He has described Himself with, and with what His Messenger (ﷺ) has described Him with, without distortion or negation, and without asking how or likening Him to creation.

فَيُثْبِتُونَ لَهُ مَا أَثْبَتَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنَ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَالصِّفَاتِ، وَيَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ مَا نَفَاهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، وَيُثْبِتُونَ لَهُ الْحَيَاةَ وَالْعِلْمَ وَالْقُدْرَةَ وَالْإِرَادَةَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ وَالرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبَ وَالْمَحَبَّةَ وَالْكَرَاهَةَ وَالْفَرَحَ وَالْمَسَرَّةَ وَالْعَظَمَةَ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءَ وَالْجَلَالَ وَالْإِكْرَامَ وَالْوَجْهَ وَالْيَدَيْنِ وَالْعَيْنَيْنِ وَالْأُذُنَيْنِ وَالْأَصَابِعِ وَالْقَدَمِ وَالسَّاقِ وَالْقُدُومِ وَالْمَجِيءِ وَالْإِتْيَانِ وَالنُّزُولِ وَالْعُرُوجِ وَالْفَوْقِيَّةِ وَالْعُلُوِّ وَالْقُرْبِ وَالْمُعِيَّةِ وَالْإِحَاطَةَ وَالْعِلْمَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَالْقُدْرَةَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَالْإِحْسَانَ وَالْعَدْلَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَالْجُودَ وَالْكَرَمَ وَالْعَفْوَ وَالْغُفْرَانَ وَالشُّكْرَ وَالْمَجْدَ وَالْحَمْدَ وَالْبَهَاءَ وَالْجَمَالَ وَالْكَمَالَ وَالْعِزَّةَ وَالْعَظَمَةَ وَالْجَبَرُوتَ وَالْمَلَكُوتَ وَالْعِصْمَةَ وَالْحِفْظَ وَالْخِزْيَ وَالْإِذْلَالَ وَالْقَهْرَ وَالْغَلَبَةَ

So they affirm for Him what He has affirmed for Himself from the names and attributes, and they negate from Him what He has negated from Himself, and they affirm for Him life, knowledge, power, will, mercy, pleasure, anger, love, hate, joy, happiness, greatness, pride, majesty, honor, face, two hands, two eyes, two ears, fingers, foot, shin, coming, going, coming, descending, ascending, being above, elevation, nearness, being with, encompassing, knowledge of everything, power over everything, excellence, justice, wisdom, righteousness, piety, generosity, nobility, pardon, forgiveness, gratitude, glory, praise, splendor, beauty, perfection, might, greatness, power, dominion, protection, preservation, humiliation, abasement, subjugation, victory.

وَيَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ مَا نَفَاهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ مِنَ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَالصِّفَاتِ، وَيَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ الْجَهْلَ وَالْعَجْزَ وَالْكَسَلَ وَالنَّوْمَ وَالسُّبَاتَ وَالْعَمَى وَالصَّمَمَ وَالْبُكْمَ وَالْخَرَسَ وَالْعَوَرَ وَالْعَرَجَ وَالْعَجْزَ وَالْفَقْرَ وَالذُّلَّ وَالْخِزْيَ وَالْإِذْلَالَ وَالْقَهْرَ وَالْغَلَبَةَ وَالْعَدَمَ وَالْفَنَاءَ وَالزَّوَالَ وَالْحُدُوثَ

And they negate from Him what He has negated from Himself from the names and attributes, and they negate from Him ignorance, inability, laziness, sleep, slumber, blindness, deafness, muteness, dumbness, one-eyedness, lameness, inability, poverty, humiliation, disgrace, abasement, subjugation, defeat, non-existence, annihilation, disappearance, origination.

وَلَا يُشَبِّهُونَهُ بِخَلْقِهِ، وَلَا يُشَبِّهُونَ خَلْقَهُ بِهِ، وَلَا يُنَفُّونَ عَنْهُ مَا وَصَفَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ، وَلَا يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ، وَلَا يَلْحَدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ وَآيَاتِهِ، وَلَا يُكَيِّفُونَ وَلَا يُمَثِّلُونَ صِفَاتِهِ بِصِفَاتِ خَلْقِهِ

And they do not liken Him to His creation, and they do not liken His creation to Him, and they do not negate from Him what He has described Himself with, and they do not distort the word from its places, and they do not deviate in His names and signs, and they do not ask how or liken His attributes to the attributes of His creation.

Quranic Evidence#

Hadith Evidence#

The Methodology of the Salaf#

Key Attributes Discussed#

Common Deviant Views#

Practical Applications#

Benefits of Correct Understanding#

1. Stronger Faith: Deepens understanding of Allah’s nature
2. Protection from Deviation: Guards against theological errors
3. Better Worship: Enhances the quality of supplication and worship
4. Intellectual Satisfaction: Provides clear answers to theological questions
5. Unity: Unites Muslims around correct understanding

Contemporary Challenges#

Conclusion#

This chapter establishes the correct methodology for understanding Allah’s Names and Attributes. The key principles are:

1. Affirm what Allah has affirmed about Himself
2. Negate what Allah has negated about Himself
3. Avoid distortion, negation, asking how, and likening to creation
4. Follow the methodology of the Salaf
5. Trust in Allah’s self-description

This balanced approach protects Muslims from theological extremes while maintaining the purity of Islamic belief.

Next: Chapter 3 – Belief in the Messengers and Prophethood

“Say: He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (Quran 112:1-4)

May Allah guide us to the correct understanding of His Names and Attributes and protect us from all forms of deviation. Ameen.