Conceptualizing At-Tawheed Al-Asmaa Was-Sifaat (VII)

Tuesday 15-Jan-2019, 4:10AM / 1216

Adaptation and Translation by Abul Aamaal Misbaah Olagunju (@Bn_Uthmaan)


Bismillaah-ir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem

Explanation of the Perfect Names and the Lofty Attributes


[19] AL-ALĪM

Allah the exalted said:
إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
"Verily He is As-Samee' (All-Hearing) Al-Alīm (Most Knowledgeable) - Surah Ash-Shuarā': 220

Al-Alīm
He is the one whose knowledge encompasses both the visible and the concealed affairs as well as the secretive and the broadcasted matters, the past, the current and the future matters; nothing is hidden from Him. 

Points from the Exemplary Principles:

Bin Al-Uthaymeen said in Qawā'id al-Muthlā: principles regarding the attributes of Allah: The second principle: The aspect of attribute is more expansive than the aspect of names; that is because all names are comprise of attributes. Examples of this: from the attributes of Allah are; Al-Majyau (coming), Al-I'ttiyān (going), Al-Akhidh (seizing), Al-Imsāk (withholding), Al-Batsh (striking), and others from His attributes which cannot be enumerated. Like Allah had said:
وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ
and your Lord comes" (Al-Fajr:22), and
هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِنَ الْغَمَامِ
"Do they then wait for anything other than that Allah should come to them in the shadows of the clouds and the angels?" (Al-Baqarah:120), and 
فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ
 "And Allah seized them as a result of their sins" (Aale-Imraan:11), and
وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ أَنْ تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
"He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His Leave" (Al-Hajj:65),  and 
إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ
 "And the striking of your Lord is severe" (Al-Buruuj:12), and 
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
"Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want for you hardship" (Al-Baqarah:185),

And the Prophet's statement: 
ينزل ربنا إلى السماء الدنيا
"Our Lord descends to the heaven of the earth."

We describe Allah with these attributes as they have been reported but we do not name Him by them, so we do not say; from Allah's names is Al-Jā'iy (The Comer), and Al-Ātiy (The Goer), and Al-Akhidh (The Seizer), and Al-Mumsik (The Withholder) and Al-Bātish (The Striker) and Al-Murīd (The Intender) and An-Nāzil (The Descender), and other similar names, though we have been informed about these actions regarding Him and we describe Him by them.

[20] AL-BARR

Allah the exalted said (what means):
إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ
"Verily He is Al-Barr (The Most Kind and Righteous) Ar-Rahīm (The Exceptionally Merciful)" - Surah At-Tūr:28

Al-Barr
He is the one vast in His goodness to His slaves, He gives (continuously) so much that none is capable of counting or enumerating His favours, and He is the most trustworthy in fulfilling His promises; He condone His slaves, support and protects them, He takes little from them and multiplies. 

Points from the Exemplary Principles:

Bin Al-Uthaymeen said in Qawā'id al-Muthlā: principles regarding the attributes of Allah: The third principle: The attributes of Allah are divided into two: the attributes of Affirmation (Thubūtiyyah) and the attributes of Negation (Salbiyyah).

Ath-thubūtiyyah: They are whatever Allah –the exalted— affirmed for Himself in His book or upon the tongue of His messenger –Allah raise His rank and grant Him peace–, and they are all attributes of perfection and no defects in them whatsoever, like His Living, His Knowledge, His Power, His Ascension over His throne, His Descent to the lowest heaven, His Face, His two Hands, and other similar attributes.

It is obligatory to affirm these for Allah –the exalted— upon their literal meanings as it befits Him, based upon the textual and intellectual evidences.

[21] AL-HAKĪM

Allah the exalted said:
وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ
"And there is no victory except from Allah, Al-Azīz (the All-Mighty), Al-Hakīm (the All-Wise)." - Surah Aale-Imran: 126

Al-Hakīm
He is the one who set all things in their suiting places and nothing of defect or slip enters His administration.

Points from the Exemplary Principles:

Bin Al-Uthaymeen said in Qawā'id al-Muthlā: principles regarding the attributes of Allah: Ath-Thubūtiyyah (The attributes of Affirmation): as for the proofs of affirming the attributes upon textual evidences: Allah –the exalted– said: 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۚ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا
"O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad) and the Book (the Quran) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him), and whosoever disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away."- An-Nisā' :136

Believing in Allah (as required in the verse) includes believing in His attributes and believing in the Qur'ān which He revealed to His messenger includes believing in all the attributes of Allah mentioned in it, while believing in the status of Muhammad —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace– as the messenger of Allah requires believing in all the reports he relayed from the one who sent him with the message; and He is Allah, —the mighty and sublime–


Adapted and Translated from:
Aahkaamu Tahamul Muslim
Sharhu Qawaa'idul Muthlaa'