Third: Monotheism of the Divine Names and Attributes
Introduction
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Third: Monotheism of the Divine Names and Attributes.
We have already explained that monotheism (tawḥīd) is divided into three categories: monotheism of lordship, monotheism of worship, and monotheism of the Divine names and attributes.
Earlier we dealt with the first two, namely lordship and worship, because each of them has been denied by a particular segment of humanity.
The monotheism of lordship was denied by the negators who rejected the very existence of Allah—such as the naturalists, atheists, and, in our own era, the communists. Yet their denial is merely outward stubbornness; inwardly, in the depths of their souls, they admit it, for it is inconceivable that a creation could exist without a Creator.
The second category—monotheism of worship—has been rejected by the majority of people. It is for this purpose that Allah sent His messengers and revealed His books. The polytheists of old and of modern times have denied it, as shown by their worship of trees, stones, idols, graves, mausoleums, and by their devotion to certain Sufi shaykhs in the belief that such figures can bring benefit or good apart from Allah—practices falsely and slanderously claimed to be part of Islam.
The third category is monotheism of the Divine names and attributes. It means affirming for Allah every attribute of perfection that He has affirmed for Himself or that His Messenger has affirmed for Him, and denying every attribute of deficiency that Allah has denied for Himself or His Messenger has denied for Him, in keeping with His statement: “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”1
This category was rejected by the Jahmiyyah and their followers among the Muʿtazilah and the Ashʿarīs. In reality it falls under the monotheism of lordship, but because its deniers became numerous and spread doubts about it,