Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
“Al-Ṭāhir” (The Pure) is not one of the Beautiful Names of Allah because it has not been reported in the revealed texts. As for “al-Muṭahhir” (The Purifier), some scholars have counted it among the Names of Allah, but the fatwa considers it more correct not to affirm it as an unrestricted divine name because it occurs in a restricted context. Nevertheless, it is permissible to state that Allah is pure, meaning that He is exalted above every impurity, and that He purifies whomever He wills among His servants. This is because the category of statements made about Allah is broader than the category of His Names and Attributes.
Allah is Al-Quddūs (The Most Holy), and one of the meanings of this Name is that He is pure and exalted above every impurity.
This meaning is established in explanations of the Name “Al-Quddūs,” but that does not make “al-Ṭāhir” an independent Name of Allah.
There is therefore a difference between explaining the meaning of an established divine Name and affirming another Name. A word may correctly explain a meaning without itself being a Name established by the revealed texts.
For this reason, the fatwa concludes that “al-Ṭāhir” is not one of the Beautiful Names because it has not been reported as such, while it remains permissible to use it when speaking about Allah with the correct meaning mentioned above.
Allah says in His address to Jesus (peace be upon him):
“Indeed, I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve.”
[Āl ‘Imrān 3:55]
Some scholars have relied on this verse in counting “al-Muṭahhir” (The Purifier) among the Beautiful Names of Allah. See: Mu‘taqad Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah fī Asmā’ Allāh al-Ḥusnā by Dr. Muhammad ibn Khalīfah al-Tamīmī (p. 248).
However, the fatwa considers it more correct not to regard it as an unrestricted Name because what occurs in the verse is: “and purify you from those who disbelieve,” which is a restricted description rather than the unrestricted use of the Name “al-Muṭahhir.”
The issue, therefore, is not a denial of what appears in the verse. Rather, it concerns whether it is valid to derive an independent divine Name from this restricted description.
The fatwa cites Ibn ‘Uthaymīn’s discussion of the name “al-Muntaqim” (The Avenger). He explained that he did not count it among the Names of Allah because vengeance is mentioned in connection with criminality, as Allah says:
“Indeed, We will take retribution from the criminals.”
[Al-Sajdah 32:22]
See: Majmū‘ al-Fatāwā (1/162).
The point is that the restriction found in the revealed text must be observed, and not every restricted description should be transformed into an unrestricted divine Name.
Ibn al-Qayyim established this distinction when he said:
“It does not necessarily follow from speaking about Him with a verb in a restricted context that an unrestricted Name should be derived for Him from it.”
See: Badā’i‘ al-Fawā’id (1/170).
On this basis, the fatwa affirms the act of purification mentioned in the text without making “al-Muṭahhir” an independent Name of Allah.
The fatwa permits saying:
“Allah Most High is pure and purifies whomever He wills among His servants.”
Here, “pure” means that He is exalted above every impurity, as previously explained regarding the meaning of “Al-Quddūs.” “Purifier” means that He purifies whomever He wills among His servants.
This is a statement conveying a correct meaning and does not require including these expressions among the Beautiful Names of Allah.
Therefore, there is no contradiction between not affirming them as divine Names and permitting their use in this context.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“What falls under the category of statements made about Allah Most High is broader than what falls under the category of His Names and Attributes.”
Among the examples he mentioned are “the existent” and “the self-subsisting”: these may be used when speaking about Allah without being regarded as part of His Beautiful Names.
See: Badā’i‘ al-Fawā’id (1/170).
He also explained that the Names and Attributes are established through revelation, whereas statements about Allah do not require every particular expression to have occurred verbatim in the revealed texts, provided that the meaning is correct.
However, the broader scope of statements about Allah does not mean that divine Names may be derived from them. The correctness of a statement made about Allah is one matter, while establishing a word as one of His Beautiful Names is another.
This distinction forms the basis of the answer to the question.
“Al-Ṭāhir” (The Pure) is not established as a Name of Allah, and according to the view preferred in the fatwa, “al-Muṭahhir” (The Purifier) is likewise not established as an unrestricted divine Name. It is permissible, however, to state that Allah is pure and exalted above every impurity and that He purifies whomever He wills among His servants, without adopting these two expressions as Names among His Beautiful Names.
And Allah knows best.