Principles in Allah’s Names and Attributes
What We Affirm and Negate
Speaking about Allah and His names and attributes is not a light matter, as it is to speak about the Lord of the Worlds and the King of Kings. The stance of Ahl As-Sunnah is that we only affirm about Allah what has been affirmed in the Quran or Sunnah so we do not attribute anything to Him through our opinions, assumptions or personal thoughts. Likewise we only negate about Allah what has been negated about Him in the Quran or Sunnah.
Anything about Allah which has been neither affirmed nor negated then we leave it as that and do not make statements about it. The severity of saying things about Allah without knowledge is in fact shirk, and it is something Shaytaan incites mankind to do. Allah says:
وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
{And that you associate with Allah that which He has not sent down authority for, and that you say (and attribute) about Allah that which you do not know."}
[A’raaf:33].
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إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلسُّوٓءِ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
{He (Satan) only incites you to commit evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.}
[Baqarah:169].
Allah’s Names and Attributes Befit His Majesty
The names and attributes that Allah has informed us about Himself is something that we understand from the linguistic origin of the word and not the reality of how this attribute is. As people, we have the attributes of hearing and seeing just as animals have these attributes, however our hearing and seeing is not the same as a cat’s or a bird’s etc. We know what hearing and seeing entails but how this is varies amongst the creation itself, so how about with the Creator?
Everything’s attributes and characteristics befit the essence of the thing it is being ascribed to. So we say that we know Allah hears all and sees all and we understand this from the linguistic definition, however we do not know how Allah hears and sees, and that it is in a way which befits His majesty. Allah negates anything being like Him whilst at the same time affirming He has the attributes of hearing and seeing, He says:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌۭ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
{There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.}
[Shuraa:11].
This is the stance of Ahl As-Sunnah in regards to Allah’s names and attributes. We believe and affirm this about Allah without delving into the how aspect because Allah informed us clearly that there is nothing like Him and so we accept that our understanding is limited in this regard, and this is the case with all His attributes. Allah has told us about Himself that he has two hands and a face. We affirm this about Allah without commenting on how these are.
Allah’s names and attributes are perfect
As already mentioned, the attributes and characteristics of a thing befit the essence of what it is being ascribed to. Allah is perfect without any deficiency or faults and so His names and attributes are perfect without any deficiency or faults.
Unlike the creation, His seeing and hearing are not limited in any way. His might and strength does not endure any fatigue. His knowledge is all encompassing and unrestricted. As humans, when we show mercy and forgive others we may encounter an inner struggle within ourselves in doing so, however Allah is above and free from any such deficiency or struggles and He is the Most Merciful who forgives by night and day with no limitation or deficiency, glory be to Him. Allah says:
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا
{And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.}
[A’raaf:180].
Allah has more than 99 names
It has been narrated in a hadith that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred except one, whoever memorises (and acts in accordance to) them will enter Paradise.”
[Bukhari].
This hadith is referring to the names of Allah that we have been informed about and that we know of. However, Allah has more names that we do not know of. This can be seen from the following supplication that the Prophet ﷺ made:
“I ask You by every Name that belongs to You that You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or taught any one of Your creation, or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart.” [Ahmad].
In this supplication the Prophet ﷺ said “or kept unto Yourself” which is a clear evidence that Allah has more than 99 names that we have not been informed of, the exact number of which we do not know.
And Allah knows best.
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