Can you explain the understanding of Allah’s names and attributes according to the Salaf?

The understanding of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama'ah regarding the names and attributes of Allah is based upon the understanding of the Salaf (the first three generations: Sahabah, Tabi’een, and Taba’ Tabi’een). When the scholars speak of the names and attributes of Allah and how we must understand them, they do so based on the understanding of the Salaf, even if they may not quote them directly.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen says:

"Belief in His Names and Attributes i.e., affirming the names and attributes which Allah has affirmed for Himself in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ) in a manner that befits Him, without distorting or denying the meanings, or asking how, or likening Him to His creation."[1]

Allah says:

“And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names.  They will be requited for what they used to do.”[2]

This verse indicates that the Most Beautiful names belong to Allah.  And Allah says:  “His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And He is the All‑Mighty, the All‑Wise.”[3]

This verse indicates that the attributes of perfection belong to Allah, because “the highest description” is the attribute of perfection. These two verses prove that the most beautiful Names and the most sublime attributes belong to Allah in general terms. With regard to the details of that, there is a great deal of information in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

This field of knowledge, i.e., the names and attributes of Allah, is one of the fields in which there has been a great deal of dispute and division among the ummah, and the ummah has split into various factions regarding the names and attributes of Allah.

Our attitude towards these differences is that enjoined by Allah when He said: “(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day.”[4]

We refer this dispute to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ), seeking guidance therein from the way in which the righteous salaf, the Sahabah and Tabi’een understood these verses and hadeeth, for they are the most knowledgeable of this ummah as to what Allah and His Messenger meant.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood spoke the truth when he described the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) by saying: “Whoever wants to follow a path, let him follow the path of one who has died, for there is no guarantee that the one who is still alive will not be tempted. Those are the companions of Muhammad (ﷺ), the most pure in heart of this ummah and the most deep in knowledge, the least sophisticated and complicated, people whom Allah chose to establish His religion and accompany His Prophet (ﷺ). So acknowledge their rights and adhere to their guidance, for they are following true guidance.”[5]

Everyone who deviates from the path of the salaf in this matter is erring and going astray, and is following a path other than that of the believers, so he deserves the warning issued in the verse where Allah says: “And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!”[6]

Allah has stipulated that in order to be correctly guided, we must believe what the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) believed, as He says: “So if they believe in the like of that which you believe then they are rightly guided.”[7] Everyone who deviates and wanders far from the path of the salaf is lacking in guidance to the extent that he strays from the path of the salaf.

Based on this, what we must do in this case is to affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself or what His Messenger (ﷺ) has affirmed of the divine names and attributes; we should take the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah at face value, and believe in them as the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) did, as they are the best and most knowledgeable of this ummah (may Allah be pleased with them).

However, it should be noted that there are four things to be avoided, and whoever falls into one of them has not attained true belief in the names and attributes of Allah as he is obliged to do. Belief in the names and attributes of Allah is not correct unless one avoids these four things, which are:

• tahreef (distortion),
• ta’teel (denial),
• tamtheel (likening Allah to His creation) and
• takyeef (asking or discussing how).

Hence we say that what is meant by belief in the names and attributes of Allah is “affirming the names and attributes which Allah has affirmed for Himself in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ) in a manner that befits Him, without distorting or denying the meanings, or asking how, or likening Him to His creation.”

There follows a brief explanation of these four things that are to be avoided:

(i) Tahreef (Distorting)

What is meant is changing the meaning of the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah from their true meaning, which means affirming that the most beautiful names and sublime attributes belong to Allah, to another meaning which was not intended by Allah or His Messenger (ﷺ). For example, they distort the meaning of the Hand of Allah which is mentioned in many texts and say that it refers to His blessing or power.

(ii) Ta’teel (Denying)

Ta’teel is denying the beautiful names and sublime attributes and saying that Allah does not possess them or some of them.  Everyone who denies one of the names or attributes of Allah that are proven in the Qur’an or Sunnah does not truly believe in the names and attributes of Allah.

(iii) Tamtheel (Likening Allah to His creation)

This means likening the attributes of Allah to the attributes of a human being, such as saying that Allah’s Hand is like a man’s hand, or that Allah hears as a man hears, or that Allah rose over the Throne like a man sitting on a chair, and so on. Undoubtedly, likening the attributes of Allah to the attributes of His creation is wrong and false.  Allah says: “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer.” [8]

(iv) Takyeef (Discussing how)

This means discussing how the attributes of Allah are, whereby a person tries to imagine or put into words how the attributes of Allah are. This is definitely invalid, and man cannot know this. Allah says: “But they will never compass anything of His Knowledge.”[9]

Whoever attains these four things believes truly in Allah. We ask Allah to make us steadfast in faith and cause us to die therein.

And Allah knows best.

References:

[1] The Beautiful Names & Attributes of Allah: Important Principles to Remember, by Sh. Ibn 'Uthaymeen.

[2] [al-A’raf 7:180]

[3] [al-Room 30:27]

[4] [al-Nisa’ 4:59]

[5] (Narrated by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in Jaami‘ Bayaan al-‘Ilm wa Fadluhu, 2/947, no. 1810)

[6] [al-Nisa’ 4:115]

[7] [al-Baqarah 2:137]

[8] [al-Shoora 42:11]

[9] [Ta-Ha 20:110]