And in the report of ‘Iyād ibn Himār, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The people of Paradise are of three kinds: a chaste person who gives charity, an equitable ruler, and a merciful man whose heart is tender towards every relative and Muslim.”

Abū Mūsā narrated this to us, saying: Muhammad ibn ‘Adī narrated to us, saying: Sa‘īd ibn Abī ‘Arūbah narrated to us, from Qatādah, from Mutarrif, from ‘Iyād ibn Himār al-Mujāshi‘ī, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say this.

Abū Bakr said: This is so even though “the Equitable” is one of the names of our Lord, Majestic and Exalted. Our Creator is the Forbearing—exalted is our Lord—and Allah called Abraham, peace be upon him, forbearing, saying:

“Indeed, Abraham was forbearing, tender-hearted, and ever turning to Allah.” [Hūd: 75]

He also informed us that our Prophet Muhammad, the Chosen One, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ⦗70⦘ is compassionate and merciful, saying of him:

“Deeply concerned for you, compassionate and merciful towards the believers.”

Allah is the Appreciative, and He described some of His servants as appreciative, saying:

“And few of My servants are truly grateful.” [Saba’: 13]

Thus, Allah described a few of His servants as grateful. Allah is the Most High, and in passages of His Book He says of Himself, Mighty and Majestic:

“Indeed, He is Most High, All-Wise.” [al-Shūrā: 51]

Many human beings have been given this name. We have never heard any learned, scrupulous, ascetic, virtuous jurist—or even an ignorant person—object to anyone naming his son ‘Alī. Nor has any of them disliked this name for human beings. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, by his name when he sent for him, saying:

“Call ‘Alī for me.”

Allah is the Great, and all Muslims apply the designation “great” to numerous created things. They apply it to an elderly man, to a leader, and to whatever is great or abundant among living creatures and other things. Allah mentioned what Joseph’s brothers said to the king:

“He has a father who is very old.” [Yūsuf: 78]

The woman from Khath‘am ⦗71⦘ said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Allah’s obligation upon His servants has reached my father when he is very old.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not object to her describing her father as kabīr (old), nor did he tell her: “The Great is one of the names of Allah Most High.” And in the account of Shu‘ayb:

“And our father is very old.” [al-Qasas: 23]

Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, is the Generous, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, applied the designation karīm (noble) to a number of prophets, saying:

“Indeed, the noble one, son of the noble one, son of the noble one, is Joseph son of Jacob son of Isaac son of Abraham.”

⦗72⦘ And He, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“And We caused every noble kind to grow therein.” [Luqmān: 10]

Thus, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called each of these prophets noble. Allah is the All-Wise, and He described His Book as wise, saying:

“Alif Lām Mīm. These are the verses of the wise Book.” [Luqmān: 2]

The people of the qiblah call Luqmān “the Wise,” since Allah informed us that He had given him wisdom, saying:

“And We certainly gave Luqmān wisdom.” [Luqmān: 12]

Likewise, scholars say, “One of the wise men said,” and, “So-and-so is a wise man.” Allah, Majestic and Exalted, is the Witness, and He called those who testify concerning rights witnesses, saying:

“And call upon two witnesses from among your men.” [al-Baqarah: 282]

He also said:

“So how will it be when We bring a witness from every nation and bring you as a witness against these?” [al-Nisā’: 41]

Allah, Mighty and Majestic, then His chosen Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and all those who observe the prayer have called someone killed in Allah’s cause a shahīd (martyr). Allah is the Truth. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“The truth—and the truth I speak.” [Sād: 84]

And He said:

“Exalted is Allah, the True King.” [Tā Hā: 114]

And He, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“Those who have been given knowledge see that what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth.” [Saba’: 6]

And He said:

“With the truth We sent it down, and with the truth it descended.” [al-Isrā’: 105]

And He said:

“And those who ⦗73⦘ believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down to Muhammad—and it is the truth from their Lord.” [Muhammad: 2]

And He said:

“And those who believe follow the truth from their Lord.” [Muhammad: 3]

And He said:

“And so that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord.” [al-Hajj: 54]

And He said:

“True sovereignty on that Day will belong to the Most Merciful.” [al-Furqān: 26]

And He said:

“They never bring you an argument without Our bringing you the truth.” [al-Furqān: 33]

And He said:

“It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth.” [al-Tawbah: 33]

And He, Majestic and Exalted, said to His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Indeed, We have sent down to you the Book in truth so that you may judge between people by what Allah has shown you.” [al-Nisā’: 105]

Thus, everything correct and just in judgement, action, or speech falls under the designation haqq (truth). Although “the Truth” is one of the names of our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, no scholar among the people of the qiblah forbids applying this designation to everything just and correct.

Allah is the Trustee, as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“And He is Trustee over all things.” [al-An‘ām: 102]

The Arabs have no objection among themselves to applying the designation wakīl (agent) to someone who acts on behalf of another human being. In the report of Jābir, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him:

“Go to my agent in Khaybar.”

And in the reports of Fātimah bint ⦗74⦘ Qays, when she addressed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informing him that her husband had divorced her, she said: “He instructed his agent to give me something.” She considered what her husband’s agent gave her to be too little. Non-Arabs likewise apply the designation “agent” to someone who acts on behalf of another human being, exactly as the Arabs do.

Allah informed us that He is the Protector of those who believe, saying:

“That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, whereas the disbelievers have no protector.” [Muhammad: 11]

And He, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“For everyone We have appointed heirs to what parents and close relatives leave behind.” [al-Nisā’: 33]

Thus, He applied the designation mawālī to agnatic heirs. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever has me as his mawlā, ‘Alī is his mawlā.”

⦗75⦘ I have dictated these reports in my account of the virtues of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him. When Ja‘far, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, and Zayd ibn Hārithah disputed over Hamzah’s daughter, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Zayd ibn Hārithah:

“You are our brother and our mawlā.”

Thus, he also applied the designation mawlā to the freedman, just as he applied it to the patron who freed him. Every emancipator may be called a mawlā, and the emancipated person may also be called a mawlā. In the report of ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Any woman who marries without her guardian’s permission, her marriage is invalid.”

Thus Allah, then His Messenger, then all Arabs and non-Arabs have applied the designation mawlā to some created beings. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the Protector, and Allah called His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a protector, saying:

“Your protector is only Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe, who establish prayer.” [al-Mā’idah: 55]

And so the verse continues. Allah thus also called these believers whom He described in the verse protectors of the believers. Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, also informed us that believers are allies of one another, saying:

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another.” [al-Tawbah: 71]

And He, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“The Prophet has a greater claim over the believers than they have over themselves.” [al-Ahzāb: 6]

⦗76⦘ Allah, Majestic and Exalted, is the Ever-Living. The designation “living” may also apply to a being possessing a soul, before its soul is taken and its spirit departs, before death. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:

“He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living.” [Yūnus: 31]

The designation “living” may also apply to inanimate things. Allah Most High said:

“Allah sends down water from the sky and thereby revives the earth after its death.” [al-Nahl: 65]

And Allah Most High said:

“And We made every living thing from water.” [al-Anbiyā’: 30]

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever revives dead land, it belongs to him.”

Allah is the One. Yet, among all living and inanimate things that can be numbered, the designation “one” may apply to each individual member of a kind. When counting them, one says, “One, two, three,” until the count reaches its end. When there is a single member of that kind, one says, “This is one.” Likewise, one says, “This one has such-and-such a quality.” The Arabs have no objection to applying the designation “one” as I have explained.

Our Lord, Majestic and Exalted, is the Governor. Every person who has authority over some aspect of the Muslims’ affairs is called a governor by all Arabs who observe the prayer. ⦗77⦘ Our Creator, Majestic and Exalted, is the Accepter of Repentance. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful.” [al-Nisā’: 16]

Allah has also described everyone who repents of sins as tawwāb (oft-repentant), saying:

“Indeed, Allah loves those who constantly repent, and He loves those who purify themselves.” [al-Baqarah: 222]

Every believer understands that this name, which is a name of Allah, does not have the same meaning as the designation Allah gave to those who repent. Allah informed us that He loves those who repent—that is, of sins and transgressions. Our Lord is far too exalted and mighty for His name “the Accepter of Repentance” to bear the meaning intended when He said that He loves the oft-repentant among the believers.

The One we worship, exalted is His majesty, is the Self-Sufficient. He Most High said:

“Allah is the Self-Sufficient, while you are the needy.” [Muhammad: 38]

The designation ghanī (rich) may also apply to anyone whom Allah Most High has enriched with wealth. He, Majestic and Exalted is His mention, said:

“Let those who cannot afford marriage remain chaste until Allah enriches them from His bounty.” [al-Nūr: 33]

And He said:

“Blame falls only upon those who ask your permission while they are wealthy. They are content to remain with those who stay behind.” [al-Tawbah: 93]

When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent Mu‘ādh to Yemen, he said:

“Inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them a charity to be taken from their wealthy and distributed among their poor.”

⦗78⦘ Dimām ibn Tha‘labah said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Did Allah command you to take charity from our wealthy and distribute it among our poor?” He replied: “Yes.”

Our Lord, Majestic and Exalted, is the Light. Allah has also called some of His creation light, saying:

“The likeness of His light is that of a niche containing a lamp.” [al-Nūr: 35]

And He said:

“Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills.” [al-Nūr: 35]

And He said:

“Their light will shine before them and on their right. They will say, ‘Our Lord, perfect our light for us.’” [al-Tahrīm: 8]

And He said:

“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light shining before them and on their right.” [al-Hadīd: 12]

Abū Bakr said: A long time ago I was informed that someone who claimed knowledge and understood this subject maintained that it was impermissible to recite:

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” [al-Nūr: 35]

Instead, he would recite: “Allah illuminated the heavens and the earth.” So I sent some of ⦗79⦘ my companions to him with this question: “Why do you object to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, having a name by which He also calls some of His creation? We have indeed found that Allah has called some of His creation by names that are His names.” I sent him some of what I have dictated in this section, and told the messenger: “Tell him that there is a report from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a chain of transmission that no scholar of reports would reject, establishing that Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” I referred to the report of Tāwūs, from Ibn ‘Abbās, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to supplicate:

“O Allah, to You belongs all praise. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and all who are in them. To You belongs all praise. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all who are in them.”

I have dictated the entire hadith in the Book of Supplications and also in the Book of Prayer. The messenger returned with his reply: “I do not deny that Allah Most High is Light.” I also subsequently heard that he had retracted his position.

Abū Bakr said: Anyone who understands Allah’s address knows that these names belonging to Allah ⦗80⦘ Most High—which Allah has made clear in His Book and through the words of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and which He has also applied to some created beings—do not imply likening the creature to the Creator. Names may be the same while their meanings differ. Although “the Light” is a name of Allah, the designation “light” may also apply to some created things. The meaning of “the Light” as a name of Allah is not the same as the meaning of the light that Allah has created. Allah, Majestic and Exalted, said:

“Allah guides to His light whom He wills.” [al-Nūr: 35]

Know also that the people of Paradise have a light that shines before them and on their right. Allah has applied the designation “light” to different things.

Our Lord, Majestic and Exalted, is the Guide, and He has called some of His creation guides. He, Mighty and Majestic, said to His Prophet:

“You are only a warner, and every people has a guide.” [al-Ra‘d: 7]

Thus, He called His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a guide, even though “the Guide” is a name of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Allah is the Inheritor. Allah Most High said:

“And You are the best of inheritors.” [al-Anbiyā’: 89]

Allah also called someone who inherits a deceased person’s wealth an heir, saying:

“And the heir bears a similar obligation.” [al-Baqarah: 233]

Understand, then, O people of reason, what I have explained in this section, so that you may know with certainty that our Creator, Mighty and Majestic, has names that may also apply to some of His creation in wording, but not in meaning, as I have explained in this section from the Book, the Sunnah, and the language of the Arabs ⦗81⦘.

If the scholars of transmitted reports—who describe Allah as He described Himself and as has been related through the words of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—are people who liken Allah to His creation, as the Jahmiyyah who deny His attributes claim, then all the people of the qiblah would likewise be people who liken Allah to His creation whenever they read Allah’s Book, believe in it through verbal affirmation and conviction in the heart, call Allah by these names which He has declared to be His names, and call these created beings by the names Allah has given them.

The ultimate implication of their position is that those who affirm Allah’s oneness must disbelieve in the Quran, abandon faith in it, reject it in their hearts, and deny it with their tongues. How vile a doctrine! How ugly these positions of theirs! May Allah’s curses be upon them and upon anyone who denies everything with which Allah has described Himself in His definitive revelation and disbelieves in everything established concerning the attributes of the Creator, Majestic and Exalted, from our chosen Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through upright transmitters with a continuous chain reaching him.