"Following the Quran and Sunnah as understood by the Salaf of this Ummah"

  • Latest News

    Proofs of Tawhīd al-Asmā wa al-Sifāt from the Quran and Sunnah

    Proofs of Tawhīd al-Asmā wa al-Sifāt from the Quran and Sunnah

    First Rule

    The Quranic proofs in this regard, and precisely, as related to the first of the rules which we discussed in Oneness of Allah Regarding His Names and Attributes (Tawhīd al-Asmā wa al-Sifāt) include:
    There is nothing like unto Him, He is the Hearing, the Seeing. [Quran (42):11]
               This verse deplores resemblance of any kind between the Creator and what He has created, and yet ascribes hearing and sight to Him. The import therefore is that, although means creatures likewise possess the sense of hearing and the ability to see, in no circumstances could the Hearing or Sight of Almighty Allah be similar to those of His creatures. This is also applicable to all other Attributes of Allah, the Exalted. One may read, for instance, the following verse where Allah, the Exalted, says:
    Allah has heard the speech of the one who argues (i.e. pleads) with you concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue: Indeed, Allah hears and sees [all things]. [Quran (58):1]
               In his commentary on this ayah, Ibn Kathir mentioned a remark made by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) [which is reported by Bukhari (in the Book of Tawhid) and Ahmed (in  his Musnad)] who had said, 
    "Praise be to Allah whose hearing covers every voice. That women [referred to in the ayah above] has spoken to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while I was just in a corner of the house but could not hear their conversation. Yet Allah, the Exalted, revealed a revelation which says, "Allah has heard the speech of the one argues with you concerning her husband...". [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
    Another Quranic proof in this regard is:
    So do not coin similitude's for Allah. [Quran (16):74]
    Tabari said, i.e. 
    Do not assert similarities to Allah, nor set up equals for Him. Definitely, nothing is similar or identical to Him.
    Allah, the Exalted, has also said:
    Do you know of any who is similar to Him? [Quran (19):65]
    That is to say, according to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him),
    Do you know any co-equal or peer for the Lord?
    In another verse, Allah, the Exalted, says,
    And there is no any equivalent to Him. [Quran (112):4]
    According to Tabari, this verse means,
    Nothing resembles Him, and neither has He got an equivalent nor anything comparable to Him.

    Second Rule

    As for the proofs concerning the second  rule, (i.e. Believing in any Name or Attribute ascribed to Allah either by Himself or by His Messenger), Allah, the Exalted, says,
    Allah -there is no deity worthy of worship but He, the Ever-Living, Who sustains and protects all beings. Neither drowsiness overtakes him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [Quran (2):255]
    He [Allah] is the First and the Last, the Predominant and the Intimate, and He knows all things. [Quran (57):3]
    He is Allah besides whom there is no deity worthy of worship, the One who knows the invisible and the visible, and He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. He is Allah besides whom there is no deity worthy of worship, the Sovereign, the Holy, Who is free from defects, the Keepers of Faith, The Watcher over His creatures, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supreme; glory be to Allah [Exalted is He] above what they associate [with him]. He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Maker of all shapes, His are the best Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Almighty, All-Wise. [Quran (59):22-24]
                     Proofs in this regard from the Sunnah include a narration by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be please with Him), He said, The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) used to command us to recite the following prayer whenever we are about to sleep:
    O' Allah! The Lord of the heavens, the earth and the magnificent Throne. Our Lord and the Lord of all things; the Splitter of the grain of the grain of corn and the date stone; The Revealer of the Torah, the Injil (Gospel) and the Criterion (i.e. the Quran). I seek refuge in You from the evil of every living thing that You take hold of its forelock. O Allah! You are the First, nothing is before You; You are the Last, after You there is nothing; You are predominant, and nothing is above You; You are the Intimate, and nothing is closer than You. Remove for us the burden of debt and relieve us from want. [Sahih Muslim (2713)]
    There are many other textual proofs in this regard.

    Third Rule

                     Concerning the third rule (To have no Aspiration of comprehending the actual condition of Allah's Attributes), the proofs include Almighty Allah's saying:
    He [Allah] knows all that is before them and all that is behind them, while they do not encompass Him in knowledge. [Quran (20):110]
    A Muslim scholar has explained the meaning of this ayah by saying,
    Human knowledge cannot envelop the Lord of the heavens and the earth; all sorts of comprehension regarding how exactly the Qualities of Allah could be, should therefore be refuted.
    Some other Quranic proofs in this respect include:
    No vision perceives Him, but He perceives all vision. [Quran (6):103]
    Another scholar says in his remark on the meaning of this verse,
    This shows how perfect is Allah's perfect is Allah's Majesty, and that He is greater than all things. It further clarifies that, owing to the perfection of His Sublimity, He cannot be perceived in an encompassing manner. An encompassing manner, just as one could know Him, but could never have a total knowledge of Him.
                       Every right-minded person should therefore realize that the extent the human intellect could go has a limit, just as ones hearing and seeing abilities are not unlimited. Caring to know whatever is beyond human comprehension, such as the actual condition of Allah's Attributes, is like taking upon oneself the desire to see what is behind a wall or to hear voices coming from a very far distance, using ones natural faculties of hearing and sight.

    • Blogger Comments
    • Facebook Comments

    0 Comments:

    Post a Comment

    Item Reviewed: Proofs of Tawhīd al-Asmā wa al-Sifāt from the Quran and Sunnah Rating: 5 Reviewed By: Unknown
    Scroll to Top