Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-Adhkar - Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr - (1/128)

Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-AdhkarAbd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr

23 / Knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes and the Methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah in This Regard

Among the lofty stations and exalted ranks of religion is knowledge of the perfection of the Most Generous Lord, and of His magnificent attributes and His most beautiful and noble names, as revealed in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). Through these names and attributes, He has praised Himself, and His servant and Messenger Muhammad (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) has praised Him. Indeed, this knowledge and faith constitute one of the fundamental principles of religion, one of the pillars of monotheism, and one of the foundations of belief.

For this reason, in many passages of the Noble Quran, Allah has urged, encouraged, and exhorted His servants to learn the Lord’s names and attributes and to know them soundly and correctly, without deviating from their proper meanings or diverting them from their intended sense through distortion, negation, assigning a specific modality, likening them to those of creation, or anything similar.

Allah Most High says: “To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so invoke Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His names. They will be repaid for what they used to do.” 1

He Most High also says: “Say: Invoke Allah or invoke the Most Merciful—whichever name you invoke, to Him belong the most beautiful names.” 2

And He Most High says: “He is Allah, besides whom there is no deity, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. He is Allah, besides whom there is no deity: the King, the Most Holy, the Source of Peace, the Giver of Security, the Overseer, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supremely Great. Glory be to Allah above all that they associate with Him. He is Allah: the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner. To Him belong the most beautiful names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.” 3

And He Most High says:

(1) Surah al-A‘rāf, verse 180. (2) Surah al-Isrā’, verse 110. (3) Surah al-Hashr, verses 22–24.

٢٣ / العلمُ بأسماء الله وصفاته ومنهج أهل السنة في ذلك إنَّ من مقامات الدين الرفيعة ومنازله العالية العظيمة، العلم بكمال الربّ الكريم، وما يجب له من صفاته العظيمة وأسمائه الحسنى الكريمة الواردة في كتابه وسنة رسوله ﷺ، والتي أثنى بها على نفسه وأثنى عليه بها عبدُه ورسولُه محمد ﷺ، بل إنَّ هذا العلم والإيمان أصلٌ من أصول الدين، وركنٌ من أركان التوحيد، وأساسٌ من أُسُسِ الاعتقاد. ولهذا ندب الله عباده وحثّهم ورغّبهم في مواطن كثيرة من القرآن الكريم على تعلّم أسماء الرب وصفاته، ومعرفتها معرفةً صحيحةً سليمةً، دون مَيْل بها عن وجهها، أو صرفٍ لها عن مقصودها بتحريف أو تعطيل أو تكييف أو تمثيل أو نحو ذلك. يقول الله تعالى: ﴿وَللهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ ١، وقال تعالى: ﴿قُلِ ادْعُوا اللهَ أَوْ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَنَ أَيّاًمَّا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الحُسْنَى﴾ ٢، وقال تعالى: ﴿هُوَ اللهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ هُوَ اللهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ المَلِكُ القُدُّوسُ السَّلاَمُ المُؤْمِنُ المُهَيْمِنُ العَزِيزُ الجَبَّارُ المُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللهَ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ هُوَ اللهُ الخَالِقُ البَارِئُ المُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ﴾ ٣، وقال تعالى:

١ سورة الأعراف، الآية: (١٨٠) . ٢ سورة الإسراء، الآية: (١١٠) . ٣ سورة الحشر، الآيات: (٢٢ ـ ٢٤)