Among His Names are those that are applied to Him in view of His action, such as al-Khāliq (the Creator) and ar-Rāziq (the Provider). This shows that all of His acts are pure good, containing no evil whatsoever; for if He were to do evil a Name would necessarily be derived from it, and the Names would no longer all be Most Beautiful. Evil, then, is not attributable to Him; it is not ascribed to Him either as an act or as a description. Rather, it enters only into His effects, and there is a difference between the act and the object acted upon: evil inheres in the latter, which is distinct from Him, not in His act itself.
Reflect on this, for it has remained hidden from many theologians; feet have slipped and minds strayed over the matter. Yet Allah, by His leave, has guided the people of truth concerning that over which they differed, and Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.
Tenth: The Most Beautiful Names of Allah are not confined to a set or limited by a number. Allah possesses Names and Attributes that He has kept to Himself in the unseen knowledge with Him—unknown to any near angel or commissioned prophet—as in the sound ḥadīth: “…or a Name You kept exclusive in the hidden knowledge with You” (reported by Aḥmad 3704), meaning: You alone know it.
This is also indicated by the Prophet’s words, peace and blessings be upon him, in the ḥadīth of intercession: “Then Allah will inspire me with praises of Him that I do not yet know how to utter” (al-Bukhārī 4435; Muslim 194). Likewise his statement: “I cannot enumerate the praise due to You; You are as You have praised Yourself” (Muslim 486).
Eleventh: Among Allah’s Names are those that may be used both independently and in combination with others—the majority of the Names—such as al-Qadīr (the All-Powerful), as-Samīʿ (the All-Hearing), al-Baṣīr (the All-Seeing), al-ʿAzīz (the All-Mighty), and al-Ḥakīm (the All-Wise). It is permissible to invoke Him with any of these either singly or together.
And among them are Names that may not be applied to Him on their own, but only when paired with their counterparts, such as al-Māniʿ (the Withholder), aḍ-Ḍārr (the Harmer), and al-Muntaqim (the Avenger). These must never be detached from their complements; one therefore says: al-Muʿṭī al-Māniʿ (the Giver, the Withholder), aḍ-Ḍārr an-Nāfiʿ (the Harmer, the Benefactor), al-Muntaqim al-ʿAfūw (the Avenger, the Pardoner), al-Muʿizz al-Mudhill (the Exalter, the Abaser). Perfection lies in each of these Names being paired with its opposite, for the point is to affirm that He alone possesses Lordship, manages the creation, and disposes of them,