Chapter: The distinction between what is ascribed to Allah as one of His attributes and what is ascribed to Him as one of His possessions
Whatever is linked to Allah falls into two categories. It is either
- an attribute that does not subsist on its own—such as knowledge, power, speech, and life; or
- an entity that subsists on its own.
The first category involves attributing a quality to Him, as in His words:
“And they encompass nothing of His knowledge” (Qur’an 2:255),
“Surely Allah is the Provider, the Possessor of might, the Ever-Strong” (Qur’an 51:58),
and
“Have they not seen that Allah, who created them, is mightier than they are in strength?” (Qur’an 41:15).
Likewise, in the authentic hadith on the prayer of seeking guidance (istikharah), the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“When any one of you is concerned about a matter, let him pray two units of prayer other than the obligatory ones and then say: ‘O Allah, I seek the best from You through Your knowledge, I seek ability from You through Your power, and I ask You of Your bounty…’”