Tawḥeed Al Asmaa' Was ṣifaat

﷽

It is to single Allāh the Most High affirming all the Magnificent Names and Attributes as He affirmed for Himself and through His Messenger ﷺ.

This comprises of 2 matters- 

• Affirmation - that we affirm to Allāh all the Names and Attributes which He affirmed for Himself and through His Messenger.

• Negation that is negating resemblance by setting no likeness to Allāh the Most High in His Name and Attributes.

Ash-Shura 42:11

فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ أَزْوَٰجًاۖ يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ 

The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you mates from yourselves, and for the cattle (also) mates. By this means He creates you (in the wombs). There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

This ʾĀyah is a proof that nothing resembles Allāh in all of His Names and Attributes, none of the creations. Although they may share in the basic meaning of the word however they are different in reality in their essence.

So whoever does not affirm for Allāh which He affirmed for Himself then he is a negator (muʿaṭṭil), denier of the Attributes of Allaah and his negation resembles the negation of Firaun and whoever affirms them but likens them to anything then he resembles the polytheists who join partners with Him in worship.

But whoever affirms them without likening them to creation is a monotheist.

This is the branch of Tawḥeed regarding which a part of this Islaamic nation went astray and got divided into many sects.

Some of them followed the path of negation and negated the attributes claiming that He is Glorified from these but they are astray because one who really Glorifies Allāh above imperfections is the one who negate all forms of defects and imperfections from Him and His Attributes and he is the one who Glorifies the Speech of Allāh from being misleading and obsecure. So if someone says that Allāh is not qualified with Hearing or Sight or Knowledge in this case he didn’t really Glorify Him rather he attributed to Allāh the worst of defects and described the Speech of Allāh as if it is misleading and obsecure because Allāh repeats in many places of His Speech and Affirms for Himself that He is All-Seer, All-Hearer, All Mighty, Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

So since He affirmed for Himself these in His speech and He is Perfect in all of that then anyone who denies is like he’s describing the Speech of Allāh as misleading and obsecure and it’s an insult to the Speech of Allāh.

There were also some who followed the path of resemblance with Him.

So what’s dutiful upon us is to believe in that all which He described Himself with in His Book and through His Messenger without alteration, negation, setting the manner of “how” and resembling or likening Him to any of His creations.

Therefore our belief must be free from taḥrīf (distortion with regards to the texts), taʿṭīl (rejection concerning the beliefs), takyeef (saying ‘how’ about the Attributes) or tamtheel (likening with respect to the Attributes). Tamtheel is more specific than Takyeef. Whoever does Tamtheel has made Takyeef as well but not the other way round.

What is meant by taḥrīf (distortion) is actually Ta’weel (interpretation) done by those who distort the texts concerning attributes because they call themselves ahl Al Ta’weel (people of interpretation) due to the Arabic term Ta’weel being milder to the listener as the heart basically detests the word taḥrīf. However it’s nothing but word decoration so that people don’t turn away from what they do of alteration of texts.

So their taḥrīf is in fact Ta’weel because they change the word from its apparent meaning and this manner of changing the text from its obvious meaning without any evidence is not interpretation but distortion. On the other hand directing the wordings of the texts with an evidence then this is real interpretation as long as there’s an evidence. If there is no evidence then this is alteration.

So they affirm the attributes however with taḥrīf. They went astray due to this way which opposes the path of Ahlussunnah Wal Jamah because the people of sunnah follow the sunnah and hold to it while they do not.

Some of the famous names who followed this approach about texts was Al-Ghazali and Ar-Raazee and others, they at the end turned away from such deviant path.

Such people are filled with confusion and uncertainty about the way they're upon while people of Sunnah read from Speech of Allāh and Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ and feel calm and certainty within themselves knowing their Rabb and affirming what He has affirmed for Himself in His Book and through His Messenger ﷺ.

None knows Allaah more than Allaah and none is truer and more explicit in speech than Allaah. Hence all of His Names and Attributes clearly mentioned in the Qur'ān must be affirmed as well as all that which are mentioned in the Sunnah. However we must not go beyond our limits and ask 'how' about them or liken them to creations.

Imām Mālik Ibn Anas (D. 179H), where a man came to him and said: “O Abū 'Abdullāh:

{ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ}

"The Most Beneficent (Allāh) istawā (rose over) the Throne."

[Sūrat Ṭā-Hā 5]. 

How was His Istiwa?

 

Upon hearing this question, Imām Mālik lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, then he said: 

"الاستواء معلوم، والكيف مجهول، والإيمان به واجب، والسؤال عنه بدعة..."

"(The meaning of) Istiwā [to rise] is understood, the Kayf [how] is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation...". 

[Al-Asmā' waṣ-Ṣifāt by Al-Bayhaqī (2/305-306)]

Ahlus-Sunnah affirm Allāh's Names and Attributes believing in their apparent meanings without any distortion and they refer the reality of these Attributes back to Allāh abstaining from delving into thinking or asking how they are or resembling them with the creations. 

So it's obligatory that we must believe and affirm them and avoid going beyond the Qur'ān and the Sunnah.

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