Allah's Names and Attributes - أسماء الله وصفاته

Series of the Writings of His Eminence The Shaykh (7)
Allah’s Names and Attributes
By His Eminence Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Sālih Al-‘Uthaymīn

May Allah forgive him, his parents, and all Muslims
Published by
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sālih al-‘Uthaymīn Charity
Foundation
***
In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful,

the Especially Merciful
Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help and

forgiveness, and repent to Him. We seek refuge with Allah from
the evil of our souls and from our bad deeds. Whoever Allah
guides, none can lead astray, and whoever He leads astray none
can guide. I bear witness that there is no true god but Allah
alone who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad
is His slave and messenger, whom Allah has sent right before
the Hour as a bearer of glad tidings, warner, caller to Allah by
His permission and a luminous lantern. He conveyed the
message, fulfilled the trust, communicated sincere advice to his
Ummah, and strove as due in the cause of Allah by his tongue,
hand, and wealth until he passed away. May Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him, his family, his Companions, and those
who follow them with good conduct until the Day of Judgment.
Dear Brothers,
I remind myself and you of the blessing of Islam which

Allah has bestowed upon this land in past and recent times.
This land was the place where Muhammad (may Allah’s peace
and blessings be upon him), the last of messengers, started
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his mission as he was sent to all the people; rather, to all

humans and Jinn.
This land from which Islam started and to which it shall

return, as authentically reported from the Prophet (may Allah’s
peace and blessings be upon him) as he said: “Indeed, faith
retreats to Madīnah just as a serpent retreats to its hole.”
This land, the like of which I have never seen - and Allah is
my witness - among all other Muslim countries, in terms of its
holding fast to Islam, not just by its people, rather, by both its
people and those whom Allah entrusted to rule it.
This great blessing may soon vanish if we fail to show

gratitude for it as due. Unless we preserve this blessing by
protecting and defending it, disbelief could replace faith and
arrogance could replace submissiveness to Allah.
Dear Brothers,
This land, due to this great blessing of Islam, has been a

central target for attacks that aimed at averting its people from
their religion, not only in the field of ethics, but in matters of
belief as well. Therefore, I address the youth, in particular;
being the men of the future who have stronger resolve and
determination than the elderly people, and being the main
target of those attacks.
I address them to protect their land from the schemes of their

enemies, who direct their attacks at them successively, so as to
eliminate Islam; that great favor that Allah has bestowed upon us.
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O Youth,
Seek Allah’s help by knowledge of sharia that He taught

you, then by the wisdom of the trustworthy and honest
scholars who possess knowledge and clear proof. Seek help by
all that to protect your land from the schemes of its enemies.
You should know that the worldly life is subordinate to religion.
You should know that the favor will not be complete, nor will
the worldly life be perfect and good without faith and good
deeds. Allah Almighty says, {Whoever does righteousness,
whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely
cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their
reward according to the best of what they used to do.} [Surat
an-Nahl: 97]
Dear Brothers,
Troubles in our age are indeed numerous, and I have

chosen to speak about Allah’s Names and Attributes and Ahl-
us-Sunnah’s stance on them. Perhaps many of you are
wondering why I chose this topic in particular? Don’t we all,
especially the people of this Peninsula, believe in Allah’s Names
and Attributes as due to Him, without any distortion or denial
of their meanings?! Don’t the elderly and the young, and the
male and female among us all believe in Allah’s Names and
Attributes without any distortion or deviation in their
meanings? So why then did I choose to address this topic in
particular?
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My answer to this is that I chose this topic for two

important reasons:
First: The importance of this topic. Actually, this is an

important topic, contrary to what some people may think, and I
do not refer here to common people, but even some students
of knowledge believe that addressing this topic, i.e. Allah’s
Names and Attributes, is of no significance. In fact, this is
incorrect assumption, since knowing Allah’s Names and
Attributes and celebrating His Oneness accordingly represent
one of the three sections of Tawhīd (Allah’s Oneness). Scholars
divided Tawhīd into three sections:
First: Oneness of Lordship.
Second: Oneness of Divinity.
Third: Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes.
Hence, the topic we address is a significant element in the

subject of Tawhīd that we must have knowledge of.
Moreover, knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes is

one of the pillars of belief in Allah. Complete belief in Allah is
not achieved unless four conditions are met:
1- Belief in Allah’s existence.
2- Belief in His lordship, comprehensive dominion, and all-

powerful authority.
3- Belief in His divinity, that He alone is worthy of worship,

and that worshiping anything else besides Him is false.
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As to the fourth condition without which belief in Allah

cannot be complete, it is the topic of our lecture. It is belief in
Allah’s Names and Attributes.
I cannot imagine that anyone could worship a god whose

names and attributes he does not know. How could this be
when he stretches his hands as he implores Him saying: “O
Lord, O Lord”?! If he does not know that his god has attributes
and names by which he is called upon, how can he accept him
as a competent god, a refuge, a shelter, and a helper?! That is
the reason why Prophet Abraham said to his father, {O my
father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does
not see and will not benefit you at all?} [Maryam: 42]
Therefore, knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes is a
matter of great religious importance which one must acquire
and act according to it.
The second reason for choosing this topic is that there has
recently been much false argument about it. During our
journey for seeking knowledge, we used to regard
misconceptions about this topic as something far from our time
and place. However, we now see them in our publications and
in the text books of some educational institutions.
Hence, we have to know the stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa

al-Jamā‘ah regarding Allah’s Names and Attributes so as to be
alert and careful, knowing well how to judge what is published
or assigned in curricula. Recently, the topic of Allah’s Names and
Attributes has been subject to discussions that rarely involve
the truth and mostly involve falsehood. Therefore, it is a must
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that we present a full and verified study of this topic in order to

stay safe from personal inclinations or erroneous assumptions.
I would sum up my speech in the following points:
1- The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding

2- The texts dealing with Allah’s Names and Attributes.
3- Adopting a stance other than that of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa

al-Jamā‘ah.
4- Going to extremes in exalting Allah Almighty above some

implications of His Names and Attributes entails annulment of
the religion entirely.
5- Some of those who adopt Tahrīf (distortion) and Ta‘tīl

(negation of the function of Allah’s Names and Attributes)
accused Ahl-us-Sunnah of committing Tashbīh (likening),
Tamthīl (drawing resemblance) and Tajsīm
(anthropomorphism).
6- Those who commit Tahrīf and Ta‘tīl falsely accused Ahl-

us-Sunnah of applying allegorical interpretation of the texts so
as to force them into doing this in the rest of the texts. They
also accused them of duplicity.
In refutation of these false claims, we stress the following

points:
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The first point: The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah

regarding the Names of Allah Almighty:
The Names of Allah Almighty: They are all the names which
Allah gives to Himself in His Book, or by which His messenger
Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), the
most knowledgeable among His creation of Him, called Him.
The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah regarding these Names: They

believe that they are Allah’s Names, that He gave them to
Himself, and that they are the best names that involve no
aspect of deficiency whatsoever. Allah say, {And to Allah belong
the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave those who
practice deviation concerning His names. They will be
recompensed for what they have been doing.} [Al-A‘rāf:180]
They confirm these names to be Allah’s names and confirm

the attributes that these names imply.
For example: The All-Knowing is one of Allah’s names, so

they confirm it as a name of Allah Almighty and call upon Him
by saying: "O All-Knowing". They also confirm that knowledge is
an attribute of Allah which is indicated by His Name "The All-
Knowing". The All-Knowing is derived from knowledge. Any
name that is derived from a meaning must necessarily include
the meaning from which it is derived. This is a well known rule
in the Arabic language and all other languages as well.
They also confirm all the consequences implied by the

name if it is derived from an infinitive of a transitive verb.
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For example: the Most Merciful is one of Allah’s Names.

ِAhl-us-Sunnah believe that it is one of Allah’s Names and
believe in the attribute of mercy it implies, being a true
attribute affirmed to Allah as denoted by His Name "the Most
Merciful", and that it means true mercy, not tendency to
kindness or kindness itself; which are, in fact, some
consequences of such mercy.
They also believe in the effect of this mercy, which is that

Allah shows this mercy to whomever deserves it. Allah Almighty
says: {He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom
He wills, and to Him you will be returned.} [Al-‘Ankabūt: 21]
This is the rule of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding

Allah’s Names.
1- They believe that they are names that Allah gave to

Himself, so they invoke Him by those names.
2- They believe in the attribute implied by the name, since

all Allah’s names are derived, and it is known that the derived
word indicates the meaning from which it is derived.
3- They believe in the effect of the name if it is transitive,

like "the All-Knowing", "the Most Merciful", "the All-Hearing",
and "the All-Seeing".
But if the name is derived from an intransitive infinitive, its

effect does not extend to others. For example: "the Ever-Living"
is one of Allah’s names. It denotes the attribute of being alive,
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which describes the living entity itself and does not extend to
others.
Another example is the name "the Most Great"; greatness

is the attribute of "the Most Great" only without extending to
others.
Hence, Allah’s Names are of two types: transitive and

intransitive. Belief in the transitive names is not fulfilled except
by three matters: belief in the name, then in the attribute it
denotes, then in its effects.
As to the intransitive names, belief in them is not fulfilled

except by establishing two matters: the name, and the
attribute it denotes.
The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding

Allah’s Attributes is that they affirm all the attributes that Allah
ascribes to Himself, and those which His Messenger,
Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)
ascribed to Him. But, such affirmation involves neither Takyīf
(questioning their nature), nor Tamthīl (likening), nor Tahrīf
(distorting), nor Ta‘tīl (negation of function), whether the
attribute is related to Allah’s essence or actions.
If someone said: explain to us the difference between the

attributes related to Allah’s essence and those related to His
actions?
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Our answer is: the attributes related to Allah’s essence are

those intrinsic attributes that are inseparable from His essence;
i.e. they are attributed to Him eternally and permanently.
The Attributes related to Allah’s actions, on the other

hand, are those that are based upon His will, so He does them
according to His wisdom.
Example of the first type is the attribute of living. It is an

essence-related attribute because Allah has been living since
eternity and He never ceases to be living. In confirmation, Allah
Almighty says, {He is Al-Awwal (The First) and Al-Ākhir (The
Last)} [Al-Hadīd: 3] The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) explained it by saying, “You are the
First, so there is nothing before You, and You are the Last, so
there is nothing after You.” Allah Almighty says, {And rely upon
the Ever-Living who does not die, and exalt with His praise.} [Al-
Furqān: 58]
Likewise, the attributes of seeing, hearing, and

omnipotence are all essence-related attributes, and there is no
need to enumerate them since we can recognize them by way
of the relevant rule. That is, every attribute that has always
been an attribute of Allah since eternity and will never cease to
be His is one of the essence-related intrinsic attributes of Him.
Meanwhile, every attribute that is relevant to Allah’s will, that
he does according to His wisdom, is one of the action-related
attributes, such as the attribute of Allah’s Istiwā’
(establishment) over the Throne, and His descent to the
nearest heaven.
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Allah’s Istiwā’ over the Throne is one of His action-related

Attributes, because it is connected to His will. Allah Almighty
says, {Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and
earth in six days and then rose over the Throne} [Al-A‘rāf: 54] In
the verse, the verb ‘rose’ is joined to the first verb ‘created’ by
the conjunction ‘then’ that indicates the order of events.
Descent to the nearest heaven is an attribute that is

ascribed to Allah by the most knowledgeable among the
creation of Him; Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth that is authentically
reported from him by consecutive narrations: “Our Lord
descends every night to the nearest heaven in the last third of
the night and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer
him? Who asks Me so that I may give him? Who asks Me for
forgiveness so that I may forgive him?”
This Descent is one of the action-related attributes since it

is connected to Allah’s will. Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah
believe in this; however, they avoid Tamthīl or Takyīf, meaning
that they never come to think that Allah’s descent is like that of
the created beings, or that His establishment on the Throne is
like theirs, or that His coming to judge between the slaves is
like theirs. That is because they believe that: {There is nothing
like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Ash-
Shūra: 11] They know by virtue of reason the enormous
difference between the Creator and the created beings with
regard to essence, attributes, and actions.
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They would never ask themselves: How does Allah

descend? Or how did He rose over the Throne? Or how will He
come to judge between His salves on the Day of Judgment?
They never seek to know how His attributes are like, although
they believe that they occur in a certain manner, but such
manner is unknown to us. Thus, they can never imagine such
manner, nor can they utter something related to it or believe it
in their hearts. Allah says, {And do not pursue that of which you
have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the
heart – about all those will be questioned.} [Al-Isrā’: 36] And
also says: {Say: “My Lord has only forbidden immoralities –
what is apparent of them and what is concealed – and sin, and
oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that
for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say
about Allah that which you do not know.”} [Al-A‘rāf: 33]
Because Allah Almighty is far greater and more exalted than to
be encompassed by human perception, He says: {He knows
what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but they
cannot encompass Him in (their) knowledge.} [Taha: 110]
And you, if you imagine a certain nature for Allah’s

Attributes, in what form would you imagine it to be? If you
make such an attempt, then know that you are misguided
and will never reach a truth, because this is a matter that your
mind cannot encompass, and it is not for a slave to discuss it
or ask about it. For this reason, Imam Mālik (may Allah
have mercy upon him) made his statement that gained fame
among scholars when a man asked him: “O Abu ‘Abdullah,
Allah says: {The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.} [Taha: 5]
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How did He rise over?” Mālik lowered his head (in

contemplation of the question) and started to sweat profusely
due to the gravity of the question, then made his famous
statement: “The rising is known but its nature is unknown;
believing in it is obligatory; and asking about it is innovation in
religion.” It is also narrated that he said: “The rising is not
unknown but its nature is inconceivable. Believing in it is
obligatory and asking about it is innovation in religion.”
Thus, we know the meanings of Allah’s Attributes, but we

do not know their nature. It is impermissible for us to ask about
their nature or to try to imagine how they are. Likewise, it is
impermissible for us to liken or draw resemblance between
Allah’s Attributes and those of humans. Allah Almighty says:
{There is nothing like unto Him: He is the All-Hearing, the All-
Seeing.} [Ash-Shūra: 11] Whoever makes an equal to Allah with
regard to His Attributes, has, in fact, belied the Qur’an, and
harbored ill thoughts about his Lord. Moreover, he attributed a
deficiency to his Lord as he likened Him – when He is Perfect in
all aspects – to an imperfect being. This meaning is reflected in
the words of a poet who said,
Do you not see that you belittle the sword

when you say that it is sharper than a staff?!
I say this to illustrate the meaning only; otherwise, there is

a great difference between the Creator and the created beings.
It is a difference that does not exist between the created
beings.
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What matters, dear Brothers, is that we must believe in all

the attributes that Allah ascribed to Himself and the attributes
which His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon
him) ascribed to Him, whether they are essence-related or
action-related attributes, but without Takyīf and without
Tamthīl. Takyīf is forbidden because it constitutes giving
information about Allah without knowledge. Allah Almighty
says, {And do not pursue that of which you have no
knowledge.} [Al-Isrā’: 36] Tamthīl (drawing resemblance) also is
forbidden because it involves belying Allah Almighty’s
statement: {There is nothing like unto Him: He is the All-
Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Ash-Shūra: 11] It is also a statement
that does not befit Allah Almighty since it likens Him to the
created beings.
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The second point: The texts dealing with

The conflict between Ahl-us-Sunnah and the advocates of
Bid‘ah (innovation in religion) concerning these texts is a
conflict that clearly highlights the massive difference between
the people of sunnah and the people of bid‘ah. That is because
the people of Sunnah affirm the texts based upon their true
apparent meaning without applying Tahrīf or Ta‘tīl. This is the
path taken by Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah.
We chose the term Tahrīf (distortion) rather than Ta’wīl

(allegorical interpretation), because Tahrīf is invalid in all cases,
and Allah Almighty dispraised the one who does it in His saying,
{they distort words from their [proper] usages} [An-Nisā’: 46]
Ta’wīl, on the other hand, may include what is valid and what is
invalid and unacceptable. The invalid and unacceptable is what
is referred to as Tahrīf.
That is the reason why Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may

Allah have mercy upon him) chose the term Tahrīf rather than
Ta’wīl in his book Al-‘Aqīdah Al-Wāsitiyyah which summarizes
the beliefs of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah. Though many
books on creed use the term Ta’wīl, they mean by it Tahrīf
(distortion); meaning such Ta’wīl that lacks proof. Rather, proof
is contrary to it. So it is, in fact, Tahrīf.
Ahlu-sunnah wal-Jamā‘ahh say: we believe in these verses

and Hadīths without distorting their meanings because doing so
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is a form of saying about Allah what one has no knowledge

about from two aspects.
This is clearly shown in Allah’s saying: {And your Lord has

come and the angels, rank upon rank.} [Al-Fajr: 22] Ahl-us-
Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah say: {And your Lord has come} means
that He Himself comes; however, this takes place in a manner
that befits His Grandeur and Majesty. It is a coming that does
not resemble that of humans and that can in no way be subject
to Takyīf (questioning its nature). We must ascribe the action to
Allah just as He ascribed it to Himself. So, we say that Allah
Almighty comes on the Day of Judgment in the true sense of
the word; He Himself comes.
On the other hand, the people of Tahrīf say: the verse

means that the command of your Lord has come. This is a
violation against the text from two aspects:
The first aspect: negating its apparent meaning, as whence

do they know that Allah Almighty does not intend the apparent
meaning of what He ascribed to Himself, although Allah
Almighty says about the Qur’an that it was revealed in a clear
Arabic language?! So, we have to employ the implications of
that term according to what is entailed by the clear Arabic
language. How can we claim that Allah Almighty did not intend
the apparent meaning of the term? In fact, negating the
apparent meaning of the text is saying something about Allah
without knowledge.
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The second aspect: affirming a meaning that is not

denoted by the apparent indication of the term. Do they have
knowledge that Allah Almighty intended the meaning to which
they referred the apparent indication of the term?! Do they
have knowledge that Allah meant in the verse the coming of His
command?! Perhaps it is something ascribed to Him other than
His command.
Hence, anyone who distorts the meaning of the text by

interpreting it beyond its apparent meaning without a valid
sharia evidence has said something about Allah without
knowledge from two aspects:
First: negating the apparent meaning of the text.
Second: affirming a meaning other than that apparent

meaning.
That is why Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah always disavowed

Tahrīf and believed it to be a violation of texts, and that it is not
possible that Allah says something to us while He intends a
meaning other than the apparent one without clarifying that to
us. Allah Almighty has sent down the Book as a clarification to
all things, and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon him) explained to the people what was sent to them from
their Lord by His permission.
As for Tamthīl, it is obvious that applying it involves belying

of the Qur’an, since Allah Almighty says, {There is nothing like
unto Him: He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Ash-Shūra: 11]
Therefore, the way of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah concerning
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the texts of Allah’s Attributes, whether verses or Hadīths, is to

affirm them based on their true and apparent meaning as befits
Allah, without Tahrīf or Ta‘tīl.
Ibn ‘Abdul Barr reported the consensus of Ahl-us-Sunnah

on that matter in his book At-Tamhīd, and Ibn Taymiyyah
quoted this consensus from him. Also, it was reported that Al-
Qādi Abu Ya‘la said: “Ahl-us-Sunnah unanimously agreed that it
is forbidden to indulge in applying Ta’wīl to the verses and
Hadīths (about the Names and Attributes of Allah), and that it is
obligatory to keep their apparent indications.”
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The third point: adopting a stance other

than that is considered extremism that falls
between excess and negligence:
Adopting a stance other than that of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-
Jamā‘ah is extremism that is either in the form of excess or
negligence, because people have gone in three ways in this
issue: two extreme ways and a moderate one. One group went
to extremes in exaltation until they negated what Allah has
affirmed to Himself, while another group went to extremes in
affirmation, until they affirmed what Allah has negated from
Himself. Some of the people of Bid‘ah affirmed the apparent
meaning of the texts, yet they interpreted them in a way that
implied resemblance between Allah and His creation. So, they
affirmed aspects of imperfection to their Lord by likening Him
to the imperfect creation. They were mistaken in believing that
the apparent meaning indicated resemblance. They affirm the
attribute of hearing, the face, the eye, and the hand, but they
likened Him to humans in this regard. So, they went to
extremes in affirmation until it led them to apply Tamthīl.
Nu‘aym ibn Hammād al-Khuzā‘i, the tutor of Al-Bukhāri, said:
“Whoever likens Allah to His creation is a disbeliever.” There is
no doubt that he is a disbeliever, and Allah Almighty does not
intend in these texts that apparent meaning that such a person
claims.
Someone might say: what proof supports your claim that

Allah does not intend this meaning?
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I say that there is textual and logical proof.
As for the textual proof, there are several verses that

negate Allah’s likeness to His creation; the most explicit and
clearest thereof is Allah’s statement, {There is nothing like unto
Him} [Ash-Shūra: 11]
As for the logical proof, it is absolutely impossible that the

Creator could be similar to the created beings in any attribute,
given the enormous difference between them in terms of
essence, attributes, and actions.
Some of the advocates of Bid‘ah have distorted the texts

away from their apparent meaning and negated their indication
that befits Allah. Those distorters fall into three groups:
First group: those who have gone to enormous extremes

to the extent of negating both the attribute and its opposite by
saying: “Do not say that Allah is existent, and do not say that He
is nonexistent. For, if you say that He is existent, you liken Him
to the existent beings, and if you say He is nonexistent, you
liken Him to nonexistent beings.”
This is certainly unacceptable by all intellects, since it is

impossible to negate one of the two opposites. Existence and
nonexistence are two contradictory opposites that can neither
be true together nor untrue together.
Second group: those who say: we affirm the attributes that

imply negation of any aspect of imperfection but we do not
affirm attributes of perfection. That is, we do not ascribe to
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Allah any positive attributes, but we ascribe to Him attributes

based on Sulūb (absolute negation) and Idāfāt (contradictories).
Also, we affirm His Names aside from their meanings. This is
the approach of most of the Jahmiyyah and Mu‘tazilah.
The third group: Those who say: we affirm some attributes

that are proved by reason and deny other attributes since they
are not proved by reason. Some of them say: because reason
denies such attributes.
All three groups, despite the variance in their distance from

the truth, are incorrect. They have all gone to extremes.
The moderate approach is that of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-

Jamā‘ah. It is to affirm the attributes that Allah affirms for
Himself in a way that involves neither Takyīf nor Tamthīl. By so
doing, we act upon the sharia texts from both aspects, without
focusing on one aspect and neglecting the other.
By so doing, we observe due politeness with Allah and His

Messenger, as we do not put forward our opinion before them.
Instead, we adhere to ultimate politeness; we hear, believe,
obey and affirm for Allah attributes that He affirmed for
Himself and those that His Messenger affirmed for Him.
Similarly, we negate what Allah negated from Himself and what
His Messengers negated from Him, and we remain silent
regarding what Allah has made no mention of.
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The fourth point: Going to extremes in

exalting Allah Almighty above some
implications of His Names and Attributes
entails annulment of the religion entirely.
We mentioned that there are people who exaggerate in
exalting Allah Almighty above some implications of His Names
and Attributes until they eventually deny the attributes or
some of them, or deny the positive attributes, or the positive
and negative altogether. Actually, exaggeration in exaltation in
all of its forms leads to the annulment of the entire religion.
Example: If the exalter affirms some attributes and denies

others, we ask him: on what basis do you affirm or deny?
He replies: I affirm the attributes that are proved by

reason, and I deny those which are not proved by reason, or
those that reason proved that they should be negated.
Others would say to him: we deny all the attributes

because they are not proved by reason or because reason
proved that they are to be negated.
The first person would fail to answer them, because if he

says that it is reason that affirms or denies such-and-such
attribute, he will be answered that what is proved by his reason
may not be proved by other people’s reason. So, as long as
reason is the reference, anyone may deny what his own reason
does not prove.
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However, this does not stop at the subject of Attributes.

Rather, there are the people of Takhyīl (those who adopt
deviant philosophic doctrines) who deny the Last Day, the
divine messages communicated by the messengers, and even
deny the existence of Allah in principle – we seek refuge with
Allah from that. They say that their minds do not accept the
idea of reviving the bones of the dead after they are decayed,
nor the idea of Paradise and Hell. They base their argument on
reason, just as the others did.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon
him) said: “Affirming Allah’s Attributes is more recurrent in the
Qur’an and the Sunnah than affirming the resurrection. Anyone
who denies Allah’s Attributes will have no argument whereby
he refutes the claim of those who deny the resurrection.
Undoubtedly, denying the resurrection and the legislations
invalidates the entire religion.”
Salvation from all that is to follow the safe way by affirming
the Names and Attributes that Allah affirms for Himself and
negating the attributes He negates from Himself, and remaining
silent concerning what He makes no mention of. Thereby, no
one can prove us wrong, because we say that these are matters
related to the unseen that can be learned only through texts of
Shariah and the statements reported from the infallible
Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon
him). Minds are variant and different. Each one of those who
advocate reason as a reference claims to be necessary what
another claims to be impossible, or just possible to exist but not
necessary.
25
The fifth point: Some of the people of

Tahrīf and Ta‘tīl say that Ahl-us-Sunnah
apply Tashbīh, Tajsīm, and Tamthīl:
It is strange that one is accused of believing in what he
actually denies. In fact, Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah deny
Tashbih and Tamthīl. They even hold that whoever likens Allah
to His creation is a disbeliever. So, how could they be claimed
to uphold what they openly deny?! This is absolute aggression.
Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah rather say: we do not apply

Tashbīh or Tamthīl; rather, we affirm what Allah affirms for
Himself and what His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) affirms for Him without Tamthīl or
Takyīf. So, why do you tarnish our approach by accusing us of
applying Tamthīl and Tashbīh?!
It is not strange, however, that Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-

Jamā‘ah be subjected to such accusations because casting
accusations at the people of the truth is a hereditary habit of
the enemies of the prophets (peace be upon them). Prophets
were accused of being magicians and of being madmen.
{Similarly, there came not to those before them any messenger
except that they said, “A magician or a madman.”} [Adh-
Dhāriyāt: 52] But, would the truth ever diminish by such
accusations? No. Instead, it overflows and becomes stronger
and clearer, praise be to Allah. Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah
disavow such faults which those who distort words from their
proper usage accuse them of.
26
They also accuse Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah of applying

Tajsīm! How could this be? What is the meaning of Tajsīm? In
fact, you will never come across the term Tajsīm if you read the
whole Qur’an and reviewed the tradition of the Prophet (may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in full. You will not
find the term Jism (body) affirmed for Allah or negated from
him, neither in the Book of Allah nor in the Sunnah of His
Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Why
then do we tire our minds and thoughts by trying to
communicate a negative image for those who affirm for Allah
the attributes of perfection according to the way that Allah
wills?!
Since the term Jism is not mentioned in the Qur’an or the

Sunnah, Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah follow their own
approach regarding it. They remain silent regarding it. So, they
say: we do not affirm the attribute of Jism but we also do not
deny it literally. Rather, we scrutinize its meaning by asking the
speaker: what do you mean by Jism? If you mean the true
essence that possesses the perfect attributes that befit it, then
indeed, Allah Almighty has been and will always be Living, All-
Knowing, Omnipotent, and possessing the attributes of
perfection that befit Him. But, if you mean something else, like
the corporal nature of humans, where each part of the body
needs the other parts and needs nourishment necessary for its
survival, then this is a meaning that does not befit Allah, the
Exalted and Glorified. In this way, we have dealt with the
meaning properly.
27
As for the term itself, we are not allowed either to affirm or

negate it. But we remain silent about it, because if we affirm it,
we will be asked to present our proof, and if we negate it, we
will also be asked to present our proof. Therefore, we should
remain silent regarding the term, but when it comes to the
meaning, we should follow the approach that we have
mentioned above in detail.
28
The sixth point: The people of Tahrīf and

Ta‘tīl claim that Ahl-us-Sunnah apply Ta’wīl
to some texts, in order to force them to do
the same in the rest of the texts or, at least,
relax their strict stance in this regard.
This is a claim that aims at producing confusion and doubt.
It was published by some newspapers. The writer said: “You,
Ahl-us-Sunnah, criticize us by saying that we apply Ta’wīl, when
you yourselves do the same. So, why are you blaming us for
something that you do?!”
In fact, this argument, if true, would be a strong one. It is

not for anyone to control when Ta’wīl can be done, cannot be
done, or must be done. However, Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah
say that this claim aims at spreading confusion and doubt. We
have never adopted the approach they claimed. You accuse us
of it either to force us into adopting Ta’wīl just as you did or to
force us to remain silent in response to your distortion and
compromise. Yet – with Allah’s help – we will never remain
silent before such false accusations, of which we are innocent.
In response to that claim which some of the advocates of

Ta’wīl made and accused Ahl-us-Sunnah of, we have two
answers :
First: We refuse the claim that the way adopted by Ahl-us-

Sunnah is Ta’wīl, since Ta’wīl means, according to the later
29
generations –which is the meaning those claimants intend –

interpreting terms beyond their apparent meanings.
Ahl-us-Sunnah state that the apparent meaning of speech

is what is understood from it based on the context or the
speaker’s condition. Words do not have an intrinsic meaning
for which they were created and cannot be used otherwise;
rather, their meaning appears through the context and the
state of the speaker.
As we studied rhetoric, we learned that the interrogative

form denotes different meanings, and prepositions as well. So,
what is the criteria for determining these meanings? Is it not
the context? Then, the true meaning of speech is that indicated
by its context, and its apparent meaning is that indicated by its
context as well, based on the structure of the speech and the
state of the speaker.
This is a general answer, that we say that we do not assert

that the apparent meaning is other than what is indicated by
the context or the speaker’s state. Rather, what is indicated by
the context is the true and apparent meaning of the speech,
even if this term is used in another place to indicate a different
meaning. Using the term in this place to denote the meaning
indicated by the context is, actually, its true meaning. This is
the first answer.
The second answer: If we take it for granted that a term is

interpreted beyond its apparent meaning, then Ahl-us-Sunnah
never do this without supportive proof from the Qur’an or
30
the Sunnah, whether part of the same context or not. I

challenge anyone to provide any proof from the Qur’an or the
Sunnah that deals with Allah’s Names and Attributes which Ahl-
us-Sunnah interpret beyond its apparent meaning, unless they
have proof of that from the Qur’an or the Sunnah of the
Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
In that case, if the new meaning (not the apparent one) is

supported by proof from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, then, in
reality, they do not interpret the term away from the meaning
that Allah wills, since they have known from other proof the
meaning that Allah intended. Praise be to Allah, they never
interpret texts beyond what is said to be their apparent
meanings. There is not a single one among Ahl-us-Sunnah who
employs his reason to reach a conclusion that negates what
Allah affirms for Himself or to affirm something that is not
understood from the speech’s apparent indication – praise be
to Allah. If you wish, you may review their books to examine
this fact.
We will present some examples here, not all the examples.

For, if we address all the examples where Ahl-us-Sunnah are
accused of applying Ta’wīl by interpreting terms beyond their
apparent meanings, it would take us a long time indeed, but we
will mention some examples:
First example: The people of Ta’wīl say: You, Ahl-us-

Sunnah, apply Ta’wīl to Allah’s saying: {Then He [istawa]
directed Himself to the heaven} [Al-Baqarah: 29] So you said
that Istiwā’ here means intention and will. While you say that
31
the meaning of Istiwā’ in Allah’s saying: {then He [istawa] rose

over the Throne.} [Al-A‘rāf: 54] is highness and elevation. This is
but Ta’wīl applied to one of the two texts, which you cannot
clear yourselves of. It is known that the verb "istawa" in the
second verse obviously denotes being high over something,
then when you say that the same verb "istawa" in the first
verse implies intention and direction, then you interpreted the
term "istawa" beyond its apparent meaning.
Our answer to this is as follows: the meaning of the term

"istawa" is determined according to the words to which it is
joined. For instance, "istawa over the Throne" indicates rising
high over it in a way that befits His Majesty, and in no way
resembles the highness of a created being over another created
being. However, in ‘istawa to the Heaven’, the preposition
joined to it is ‘to’ which denotes destination, not highness.
Being so, then the verb implies a meaning that indicates
destination, and that meaning is the intention and will.
This is the choice of some of Ahl-us-Sunnah, as they say

that ’istawa to the Heaven’ means ‘qasad’ (aimed at/intended).
When the ‘qasd’ is perfect, it is expressed as ’istiwā’’, The root
of the word "istiwā’" in Arabic denotes perfection, as shown in
Allah’s saying: {And when he attained his full strength, and
[istawa] was perfect (in manhood)} [Al-Qasas: 14]
Another answer is that we can say that ’istawa to the

Heaven’ means rose high. Al-Baghawi said: “This statement is
reported from Ibn ‘Abbās and the majority of scholars of
Tafsīr.”
32
However, we must not believe that the attribute of

Highness did not belong to Allah Almighty when He created the
earth; rather, Allah Almighty has always been and will forever
be High because Highness is an intrinsic essence-related
attribute of Him. It is true that istiwā’ here means rising high;
however, we do not know how it takes place. This is another
answer about the verse.
In short, if we interpret "istawa to the Heaven" to mean
directed Himself to it in a way that befits His Perfection, then
we do not go beyond the apparent meaning of the term. And
we explained that this variance resulted from the difference in
the prepositions used in the two verses.
If, however, we adopt the second view which is attributed
to Ibn ‘Abbās and most of the scholars of Tafsīr that istawa
means rose high, then we may not hold the false supposition
that Allah has never been high before.
The second example: the people of Ta’wīl say: “You, Ahl-
us-Sunnah, explained Allah’s saying {Sailing in Our Eyes} [Al-
Qamar: 14] to mean ‘sailing under our observation’, which is
contrary to the apparent meaning of that statement.”
In reply, we ask them: “What do you understand from this
statement?” Can anyone understand that the preposition ‘in’ in
this verse denotes place, whereby the meaning is that the Arc
of Noah (peace be upon him) sails ‘in’ the Eye of Allah?! This is
impossible. No one would understand the statement as such. It
is probable that the Arabic preposition ‘bi’ could denote a place
in some cases, but never in this one.
33
Hence, we would never concede that the apparent

meaning of this verse is what you claim it to be.
Those who interpreted the verse as {Sailing under Our

observation} did so by way of interpreting a term based on its
lāzim (a meaning associated with it), and this is correct and is
not considered going beyond the apparent meaning. That is
because the dilālah (signification) of a term has three cases:
dilālat mutābaqah (identical signification), dilālat tadammun
(partial signification), or dilālat iltizām (associative signification:
a signification not explicitly reflected by the term but is
necessarily associated with it). All three cases do not take the
term away from its apparent indication.
I will explain these three types of dilālah with the following

example: The term ‘house’. It refers to the whole house by way
of dilālat mutābaqah (identical signification). That is, it means a
building consisting of chambers, rooms, halls, and so on. The
term also refers to each room or chamber or hall of that house
by way of dilālat tadammun (partial signification), and denotes
that that house necessarily has a builder who built it by way of
dilālat iltizām (associative signification).
We say that Allah Almighty sees it with His Eye and takes
care of it, so it, actually, is {Sailing under Our observation}
which is a correct meaning.
We may answer differently by saying that the meaning is

that it (the Arc) sails while visible by Our Eyes.
34
What matters is that we affirm from this verse that Allah

Almighty has Eye that does not resemble the eyes of created
beings, and it is beyond our minds to visualize its nature. Thus,
we do not go beyond the term’s apparent indication.
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) interpreted the

saying of Allah Almighty: {that you would be brought up under
My eye} [Taha: 39] to refer to the real eye. The meaning is that
Moses (peace be upon him) is raised under Allah’s Eyes.
The third example: The people of Ta’wīl say: “You, Ahl-us-

Sunnah apply Ta’wīl to Allah’s saying: {And We are nearer to it
than you} [Al-Wāqi‘ah: 85] as you say that it means: We are
nearer by Our angels.” This is Ta’wīl, because if we consider the
apparent meaning of the words, then the pronoun ‘we’ refers
to Allah Almighty, and ‘nearer’ is a predicate that is linked to
the subject "Allah". Then, nearness is attributed to Allah.
However, you, Ahl-us-Sunnah, do not believe in that. You do
not hold that Allah Almighty draws near to the dying person
until He is present with him because this can never be, since it
agrees with the advocates of Hulūl (incarnation) who deny that
Allah Almighty is High above His creation. Instead, they say that
Allah is present with his own Self everywhere; the statement
that you, Ahl-us-Sunnah strictly disapprove.
So, what do you say about that, O Ahl-us-Sunnah?! Do you

not say that the meaning is that Allah is nearer to the dying
person through His angels. In other words, the angels come to
the dying person and seize his soul. Isn’t this Ta’wīl?!
35
The answer is simple – praise be to Allah. Indeed, it is the

angels that come to the dying person, {until when death
approaches one of you, Our Messengers (angel of death and his
assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty.} [Al-
An‘ām: 61] {And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are
in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend
their hands, [saying], “Discharge your souls! } [Al-An‘ām: 93] It
is the angels who come to the dying person.
In the same verse, there is an indication that what is meant

is not the nearness of Allah Almighty Himself, as He says: {And
We are nearer to him than you, but you do not see.} [Al-
Wāqi‘ah: 85] This denotes that the entity that is near the dying
person is present, but we cannot see it. That is because the
angels belong to the realm of the unseen where invisibility is
the principle state.
Then, we do not go beyond the apparent meaning of the

verse since there is a word in the verse that explicitly indicates
the intended meaning. We wholeheartedly accept whatever is
supported by a proof from the Qur’an or the Sunnah.
The fourth example: The people of Ta’wīl say: “You, Ahl-

us-Sunnah, apply Ta’wīl to Allah’s saying: {and He is with you
wherever you are.} [Al-Hadīd: 4] as you say that it means: He is
with you with His Knowledge. This is Ta’wīl, since Allah
Almighty says: {and He is with you} and the pronoun ‘He’ refers
to Allah. So, you, Ahl-us sunnah, applied Ta’wīl to this verse and
you said that He is with you with His Knowledge. So, why do
you blame us for applying Ta’wīl?
36
Our answer: we did not apply Ta’wīl; rather, we interpreted

the verse based on its lāzim (associative signification) which is
here knowledge. That is because no reasonable person, who is
aware of Allah’s greatness, would ever think that He is present
everywhere with His creation wherever they are. This is
impossible. How could Allah be with you at home, with another
in the mosque, with a third on the road, with a fourth on land,
with a fifth in the air, with a sixth in the sea, etc...?! How many
gods would there be in this case?! If we hold this view, then it
entails that Allah Almighty should have either a multiple or
divisible nature – Exalted Is He above that claim – which is
undoubtedly impossible.
Therefore, we say that whoever understands the verse this

way is misguided, and whoever believes this is misguided if he
imitates others in this respect. He is also a disbeliever if he
received knowledge about that, yet he insisted on his opinion.
Anyone who ascribes to the Salaf (earlier Muslim generations)
that they said that the apparent indication of the verse means
that Allah is with them by His self wherever they are, then he is
a liar without doubt.
Hence, Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah say: we believe that

Allah Almighty is on His Throne, that none of His creation can
encompass Him, and that He is with His creation as He said in
His Book, but we also believe that He is High above the
creation.
Being with His creation cannot be something other than

encompassing them by His Knowledge, Omnipotence, Authority,
37
Hearing, Seeing, Managing of affairs, and other implications of

lordship. But, to mean that He is present with them wherever
they are, or that His nature is mixed with theirs, as claimed by
the advocates of Hulūl and Ittihād (incarnation/indwelling and
unity) doctrine, then this is an invalid belief that can never be
the apparent indication of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
Hence, we did not apply Ta’wīl to the verse, nor did we

interpret it beyond its apparent indication. For, although Allah
Almighty says about Himself {and He is with you} [Al-Hadīd: 4]
He also says about Himself: {And He is the Most High, the Most
Great.} [Al-Baqarah: 255] and {He is the subjugator over His
servants.} [Al-An‘ām: 18]
This means that Allah is High above His slaves. It is

impossible that He is with them in the places where they are;
yet He is with them, encompassing them with His Knowledge,
Omnipotence, Authority, Management of affairs, and so on.
Allah being with those of His Messengers and their followers
who deserve support entails that, in addition to His
encompassing them with His Knowledge and Omnipotence, He
encompasses them with His Help and Support.
By Allah’s favor, we do not go beyond the apparent

indication of the words so that they should insistingly accuse us
of doing that. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have
mercy upon him) explained in his brief and elaborate books
that there is no contradiction between the true meaning of
Ma‘iyyah (Allah being with His slaves) and His Highness over His
creation. He said: “That is because there is nothing like unto Him
38
with respect to all His Attributes. Indeed, He is High in His

Descent and is Near in His Highness.”
He added: “People would normally say: ‘we kept walking

with the moon with us.’ Even though the moon is in the sky,
they say: with us. If this can be acceptable with regard to a
created being, then it is acceptable with regard to the Creator
with greater reason.”
What matters here is that we, Ahl-us-Sunnah, never said

and will never say that the apparent indication of the verse is
what you have understood, and that we interpret it beyond its
apparent indication. Rather, we say that it means that Allah
Almighty is with His creation in a way that befits Him. He
encompasses them with His Knowledge, Omnipotence,
Authority, Management of affairs, and so on. In fact, the texts
of Ma‘iyyah (Allah being with His salves) and those of ‘Uluww
(Allah being High over His creation) cannot be reconciled
except in the way that we have explained. Verily, Allah’s speech
explains itself by itself.
The fifth example: the people of Ta’wīl say that it is

authentically reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) said: “Allah Almighty said: ‘I will declare
war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshiper of
Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes
nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave
keeps on coming closer to Me through performing
supererogatory acts of worship till I love him. When I love him, I
become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which
39
he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his leg with which
he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if
he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him.’” So, do you, Ahl-
us-Sunnah, believe that Allah becomes the hearing, seeing,
hand, and leg of whoever He loves in the true sense of the
words? If not, then you have interpreted the Hadīth beyond its
apparent indication, since Allah says: “I become his hearing
with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand
with which he seizes, and his leg with which he walks.”
Our reply is: none would understand that this is what is

indicated by the apparent meaning of the Hadīth, i.e. that Allah
becomes the hearing of that person, his seeing, leg, and hand in
the true sense of the words. None can understand it this way
except a dimwit, or someone whose heart is darkened by
imitation or invalid claims.
The Hadīth does not imply that man’s hearing, seeing, leg,
and hand are Allah, Exalted and Glorified. It can in no way
indicate that meaning. Read it again: “I will declare war against
him who shows hostility to a pious worshiper of Mine. And the
most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is
what I have enjoined upon him.” So, the Hadīth confirms that
there is a worshiper and a worshiped god, and one who comes
nearer and one whose nearness is sought. “and My slave keeps
on coming closer to Me through performing supererogatory
acts of worship till I love him.” So, it confirms that there is one
who loves and one who is loved. “and if he asks (something)
from Me, I give him,” So, it confirms that there is one who asks
40
and one who is asked, and one who gives and one who is given.
“and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him”. Finally, it
confirms that there is one who seeks refuge and one whose
refuge is sought. It is known that each of these two parties is
not the other without doubt.
Once this is confirmed, then how can someone understand

that this Hadīth Qudsī: “I become his hearing” means that Allah
Almighty becomes a part of this created being which comes
nearer to Him, seeks His refuge, and asks Him for what he
needs?! This could never be understood from the context of
the Hadīth.
In this way, the meaning of the Hadīth that actually agrees

with its apparent meaning is that Allah Almighty rectifies the
hearing, seeing, and actions of that person. Thus, he hears by
Allah’s help and for His sake, sees by Allah’s help and for His
sake, seizes by Allah’s help and for His sake, walks by Allah’s
help and for His sake. This is the exact and true meaning of the
Hadīth that agrees with its apparent indication, without
involving any trace of Ta’wīl.
Sixth example: The people of Ta’wīl say: You, Ahl-us-

Sunnah, apply Ta’wīl to the saying of Allah’s Messenger (may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “Verily, the hearts of
the sons of Adam are between two fingers of the Fingers of the
Most Compassionate.” You said that the intended meaning is
that Allah Almighty controls the hearts, and it is not possible
that the hearts are between two Fingers of the Hand. This
41
statement entails the concept of Hulūl, and that Allah’s Fingers

are there in the chest of every person.
We say: This is lying about the Salaf who never applied

such Ta’wīl, nor did they say that the Hadīth is a metaphor for
Allah’s authority and His control of the hearts. Rather, they
said: we affirm that Allah Almighty has fingers, and that every
human heart is between two fingers of Allah truly. This,
however, never entails the concept of Hulūl. Being in a position
between two things does not necessarily entail touching and
direct contact. Consider Allah’s saying, {and the clouds
controlled between the heaven and earth} [Al-Baqarah: 104]
Does this statement entail that the clouds are sticking to the
heaven and earth? It does not. The hearts of all mankind are –
as said by our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon him) who is the most knowledgeable of Allah – between
two fingers of the Fingers of the Most Merciful. This does not
mean that there is physical contact. Instead, we say as our
Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said.
We also emphasize that this is a truth that involves no Ta’wīl.
Along with this, we affirm that Allah Almighty directs these

hearts as He wills as mentioned in the Hadīth. Therefore, we
say: “Oh Allah, Who directs the hearts, direct our hearts toward
obeying You.”
The seventh and last example: “The Black Stone is Allah’s

Right Hand on the earth.” The people of Ta’wīl say: You apply
Ta’wīl to this Hadīth, since you cannot say that the Stone is
Allah’s Hand.
42
We say: this is true, for none can claim that the Black Stone
is the Hand of Allah, the Exalted and Glorified. But, before we
answer this, we have to clarify that this Hadīth is false, as it is
not authentically attributed to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace
and blessings be upon him). Ibn Al-‘Arabi said about it: This is a
false Hadīth. Ibn Al-Jawzi also said in his book Al-‘Ilal Al-
Mutanāhiyah: This Hadīth is not authentic. Also, Shaykh al-
Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “It
is reported from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings
be upon him) with an inauthentic chain of narrators.”
Therefore, the Hadīth is not accepted by Ahl-us-Sunnah

wal-Jamā‘ah for it is not authentically attributed to the Prophet
(may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). But Shaykh al-
Islam added: The Hadīth is known to be attributed to Ibn
‘Abbās; nevertheless, it does not denote the meaning
suggested by those people: that the Black Stone is Allah’s Right
Hand. That is because he said: “Allah’s Right Hand on the
earth.” So, this is a qualified statement . Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “Qualified
speech is not like unqualified speech. He did not say that it is
Allah’s Right Hand without any qualification; rather, he added
the qualifying words: ’on the earth’. It is quite known that
Allah’s Right Hand is not on the earth.”
He also said in the same Hadīth – as reported by Ibn

Taymiyyah –: “So whoever touches it, it is as if he shakes hand
with Allah.” The simile indicates that they are not the same
thing, but that they are separate entities.
43
In conclusion: By Allah’s favor, it is impossible that Ahl-us-

Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah interpret the speech beyond its apparent
meaning, because the apparent and true meaning of the
speech is what is indicated by the context, and it varies
according to the context and situations.
If someone, however, insists on interpreting a term

literally, then we say that Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah never
admit such literal interpretation unless there is evidence from
the Qur’an and Sunnah to support this. Whenever the Qur’an
and Sunnah prove something, it is obligatory to adopt it,
whether or not it agrees with what is said to be the apparent
indication of the term.
We all pursue what Allah said about Himself and what His
Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said
about Him. For example, Allah Almighty says in an authentic
Hadīth reported in Sahīh Muslim: “O My slave! I was hungry,
but you did not feed Me...O My slave! I was sick, but you did
not visit me... so he says: ‘How can I feed You when You are the
Lord of the worlds?! How can I visit You when You are the Lord
of the worlds?!’ Allah then says: ‘Did you not know that my
slave was hungry, but you did not give him food, and that he
was sick, but you did not visit him?’” This Hadīth explicitly
indicates that whatever attributes Allah ascribes to Himself in
the Qur’an and the Sunnah is true as understood from its
apparent meaning, unless explained otherwise by a text
reported from Allah or His Messenger, in which case we adopt
the explanation reported from Allah and His Messenger.
44
This last Hadīth is a crystal clear proof of the banning of

Ta’wīl that lacks proof from the Qu’ran and the Sunnah, and
perhaps it is suitable to suffice with these examples for the
sake of brevity.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May Allah’s

peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his
family, and all his Companions.
45
Table of Contents
Allah’s Names and Attributes ................................................................ 3

The first point: The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah regarding the Names
of Allah Almighty: ............................................................................... 9
The second point: The texts dealing with Allah’s Names and
Attributes. ........................................................................................17
The third point: adopting a stance other than that is considered
extremism that falls between excess and negligence: ....................21
The fourth point: Going to extremes in exalting Allah Almighty above
some implications of His Names and Attributes entails annulment of
the religion entirely. .........................................................................24
The fifth point: Some of the people of Tahrīf and Ta‘tīl say that Ahl-
us-Sunnah apply Tashbīh, Tajsīm, and Tamthīl: ............................26
The sixth point: The people of Tahrīf and Ta‘tīl claim that Ahl-us-
Sunnah apply Ta’wīl to some texts, in order to force them to do the
same in the rest of the texts or, at least, relax their strict stance in
this regard. ......................................................................................29
46

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Series of the Writings of His Eminence The Shaykh (7)

Allah’s Names and Attributes

By His Eminence Shaykh

Muhammad ibn Sālih Al-‘Uthaymīn

Allah’s Names and Attributes

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful,

Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help and

I remind myself and you of the blessing of Islam which

his mission as he was sent to all the people; rather, to all

This land from which Islam started and to which it shall

This great blessing may soon vanish if we fail to show

This land, due to this great blessing of Islam, has been a

I address them to protect their land from the schemes of their

Seek Allah’s help by knowledge of sharia that He taught

Troubles in our age are indeed numerous, and I have

My answer to this is that I chose this topic for two

First: The importance of this topic. Actually, this is an

First: Oneness of Lordship.

Second: Oneness of Divinity.

Third: Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes.

Hence, the topic we address is a significant element in the

Moreover, knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes is

1- Belief in Allah’s existence.

2- Belief in His lordship, comprehensive dominion, and all-

3- Belief in His divinity, that He alone is worthy of worship,

As to the fourth condition without which belief in Allah

I cannot imagine that anyone could worship a god whose

Hence, we have to know the stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa

that we present a full and verified study of this topic in order to

1- The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding

2- The texts dealing with Allah’s Names and Attributes.

3- Adopting a stance other than that of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa

4- Going to extremes in exalting Allah Almighty above some

5- Some of those who adopt Tahrīf (distortion) and Ta‘tīl

6- Those who commit Tahrīf and Ta‘tīl falsely accused Ahl-

In refutation of these false claims, we stress the following

The first point: The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah

The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah regarding these Names: They

They confirm these names to be Allah’s names and confirm

For example: The All-Knowing is one of Allah’s names, so

They also confirm all the consequences implied by the

For example: the Most Merciful is one of Allah’s Names.

They also believe in the effect of this mercy, which is that

This is the rule of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding

1- They believe that they are names that Allah gave to

2- They believe in the attribute implied by the name, since

3- They believe in the effect of the name if it is transitive,

But if the name is derived from an intransitive infinitive, its

Another example is the name "the Most Great"; greatness

Hence, Allah’s Names are of two types: transitive and

As to the intransitive names, belief in them is not fulfilled

The stance of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding

If someone said: explain to us the difference between the

Our answer is: the attributes related to Allah’s essence are

The Attributes related to Allah’s actions, on the other

Example of the first type is the attribute of living. It is an

Likewise, the attributes of seeing, hearing, and

Allah’s Istiwā’ over the Throne is one of His action-related

Descent to the nearest heaven is an attribute that is