Qawāʿid al-Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā - Ibn al-Qayyim - (23)

that they be indicative of a positive reality; such as al-Aḥad (the One), which implies that He alone possesses Lordship and the right to be worshipped, and al-Salām (the Flawless), which implies His freedom from every defect that would contradict His perfection. In the same way, any statement about Him couched in terms of negation is made only1 because that negation contains an affirmation, as in His words: “Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him”⦗2⦘ (Qur’an 2:255), which implies the perfection of His life and His self-subsistence; and His words: “No weariness touched Us”⦗3⦘ (50:38), which imply the perfection of His power; and His words: “Not even the weight of an atom is hidden from your Lord”⦗4⦘ (10:61), which imply the perfection of His knowledge; and His words: “He begets not, nor was He begotten”⦗5⦘ (112:3), which imply the perfection of His ṣamadīyah (absolute self-sufficiency) and richness; and His words: “Nor is there any equal to Him”⦗6⦘ (112:4), which imply His uniqueness in perfection and that He has no peer; and His words: “Vision cannot encompass Him”⦗7⦘ (6:103), which imply His magnificence and that He is far exalted above being grasped so as to be encompassed. This rule applies across all the negations with which He has described Himself.

(1) The term “innama” (only) has been added on the authority of Lawamiʿ al-Anwar. (2) Quran, Surah al-Baqara, 2:255. (3) Quran, Surah Qaf, 50:38. (4) Quran, Surah Yunus, 10:61. In manuscript ʿKhaʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾʾ and in the printed edition the reading is “la yaʿzubu” (nothing escapes). (5) Quran, Surah al-Ikhlas, 112:3. (6) Quran, Surah al-Ikhlas, 112:4. (7) Quran, Surah al-Anʿam, 6:103.

أن تكون متضمنةً لثبوتٍ؛ كالأحد المتضمن لانفراده بالربوبية والإلهية، والسلام المتضمن لبراءته من كل نقص يضاد كماله، وكذلك الإخبار عنه بالسلوب إنما١ هو لتضمنها ثبوتًا كقوله تعالى: ﴿لا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ﴾ ٢ فإنَّه متضمنٌ لكمال حياته وقيوميته، وكذلك قوله تعالى: ﴿وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ﴾ ٣ متضمنٌ لكمال قدرته، وكذلك قوله: ﴿وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْ رَبِّكَ مِنْ مِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ﴾ ٤ متضمنٌ لكمال علمه، وكذلك قوله: ﴿لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ﴾ ٥ متضمنٌ لكمال صمديته وغناه، وكذلك قوله: ﴿وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ﴾ ٦ متضمنٌ لتفرده بكماله وأنه لا نظير له، وكذلك قوله تعالى: ﴿لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ﴾ ٧ متضمنٌ لعظمته وأنَّه جلَّ عن أن يُدرك بحيث يحاط به، وهذا مطردٌ في كلِّ ما وصف به نفسه من السلوب.

١ "إنما"زيادة من لوامع الأنوار. ٢ سورة البقرة، الآية: ٢٥٥. ٣ سورة ق، الآية: ٣٨. ٤ سورة يونس، الآية: ٦١. وقع في (خ) و (المطبوعة) : "لا يعزب ". ٥ سورة الإخلاص، الآية: ٣. ٦ سورة الإخلاص، الآية: ٤. ٧ سورة الأنعام، الآية: ١٠٣.