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The
creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah in regard to Allaah's Names
and Attributes
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Question:
What is the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah in regard to
Allaah's Names and Attributes? And what is the difference
between a Name and an Attribute? And does affirmation of a
Name necessitate affirmation of an Attribute, and (likewise)
does affrimation of an Attribute necessitate affirmation of
a Name?
Response:
The creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah in regard to Allaah's
Names and His Attributes is affriming that which Allaah has
affirmed for himself from the Names and Attributes, without:
1)
tahreef (changing/distorting a Name and/or Attribute
of Allaah to other than its true meaning, i.e. from Allaah
to al-Laat, and al-'Azeez to al-'Uzzah);
2)
ta'teel (denying some or all of Allaah's Names and
Attributes);
3)
takyeef (questioning as to "how" (Allaah's
Name or Attribute is), i.e. How does Allaah descend, etc.?);
4)
tamtheel (to imply a similarity between Allaah's Names
and Attributes and that of His creation).
And
the difference between a Name and an Attribute is that a Name
is that which Allaah has named Himself by; and an Attribute
is that which Allaah has described Himself by. And between
them is a clear difference.
So
a Name is that which is considered a Name of Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala), (and that) which incorporates an Attribute.
And
affirmation of a Name necessitates affirmation of an Attribute.
For example:
al-Ghafoor
(the Most Forgiving) is a Name, and (its affirmation) necessitates
the (affirmation of the) Attribute of Maghfirah (Forgiveness);
And
ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful) is a Name and (its affirmation)
necessitates the affirmation of ar-Rahmah (Mercy).
And
the affirmation of an Attribute does not necessitate the affirmation
of a Name. For example: al-Kalaam (Speech) does not necessitate
the affirmation of the Name al-Mutakallim (the Speaker) for
Allaah.
So,
based upon this, the Names are more wider (in scope), since
every Name encompasses an Attribute, however, every Attribute
does not encompass a Name.
Shaykh
Ibn 'Uthaymeen
Fataawa Arkaan al-Islaam - Page 73, Fatwa No.30
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