Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Most scholars have counted “Al-Kāfī” among the Beautiful Names of Allah, as stated in the referenced fatwa.
A group of scholars have also counted “Al-Māniʿ” together with “Al-Muʿṭī” (The Giver), and “An-Nāfiʿ” together with “Aḍ-Ḍārr” (The One Who Causes Harm).
The fatwa explains that these two pairs should be mentioned together: “Al-Muʿṭī Al-Māniʿ” and “Aḍ-Ḍārr An-Nāfiʿ,” because the complete meaning becomes evident when the two are combined. Accordingly, “Al-Māniʿ” or “An-Nāfiʿ” should not be used independently as names according to this explanation.
Allah, Most High, says:
“Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?” [Az-Zumar 39:36]
Allah is thus described as being sufficient in the verse, in relation to His servant. Most scholars have counted “Al-Kāfī” among the Beautiful Names of Allah, according to what is conveyed in the fatwa.
Among the scholars who mentioned it are Al-Khaṭṭābī, Ibn Mandah, Al-Ḥalīmī, Al-Bayhaqī, Ibn Al-ʿArabī, Al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Ḥajar, As-Saʿdī, and others.
See: The Belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah Regarding the Beautiful Names of Allah, by Dr. Muḥammad ibn Khalīfah At-Tamīmī, p. 182.
It also appears in some versions of the enumeration of Allah’s Names. However, the narrations containing such enumerations are weak. Therefore, a distinction should be made between the occurrence of a word in such narrations and its establishment in an authentic hadith that enumerates the Names of Allah.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said in An-Nūniyyah:
He is Al-Ḥasīb, sufficient and protective,
And Allah is sufficient for His servant at all times.
As-Saʿdī explained the meaning of “Al-Kāfī” as the One who suffices His servants in whatever they need. He also provides special sufficiency for those who believe in Him, place their trust in Him, and ask Him for what they need in matters of their religion and worldly life.
See: Tafsīr As-Saʿdī, p. 949.
Thus, according to those who affirm this Name, it conveys the meaning that Allah suffices His servants, protects them, and provides what they need.
A group of scholars have counted “Al-Muʿṭī Al-Māniʿ” among the Beautiful Names of Allah, including Ibn Mandah, Al-Qurṭubī, and As-Saʿdī.
Among the evidence they relied upon is the narration of Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān, may Allah be pleased with them both, from the Prophet ﷺ:
“There is none who can withhold what Allah gives, and none who can give what Allah withholds; and the wealth of a wealthy person cannot avail him against Him.”
Narrated by Aḥmad in Al-Musnad (4/97–98), and Ibn Mandah in At-Tawḥīd (331). Ibn Mandah said: “This chain of transmission is authentic.”
The hadith demonstrates that no one can prevent what Allah gives, and that no one can give what Allah has withheld contrary to His decree.
The fatwa quotes Ibn Al-Qayyim as stating that “Al-Māniʿ” should be mentioned together with “Al-Muʿṭī,” because mentioning withholding alone could suggest a deficiency, whereas combining giving and withholding demonstrates the perfection of Allah’s sovereignty and control.
See: The Belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah Regarding the Beautiful Names of Allah, pp. 215, 240.
The scholars who counted “Aḍ-Ḍārr An-Nāfiʿ” among the Names used as evidence the saying of Allah, Most High:
“Say: Who has the power to prevent you from Allah if He intends harm for you or intends benefit for you?” [Al-Fatḥ 48:11]
Among those who mentioned these Names are Al-Khaṭṭābī, Al-Ḥalīmī, Al-Bayhaqī, Ibn Al-ʿArabī, Al-Qurṭubī, and others, as conveyed in the fatwa.
Here too, the principle of pairing is observed. Thus, one may say “Aḍ-Ḍārr An-Nāfiʿ” or “An-Nāfiʿ Aḍ-Ḍārr.”
Ibn Al-Qayyim included this example together with “Al-Muʿṭī Al-Māniʿ” when discussing paired Names, explaining that perfection becomes evident through the combination of the two meanings.
According to this view, neither expression should be taken independently of its counterpart when used as a Name. Rather, they are mentioned together, as stated by the scholars cited above.
The fatwa refers to an earlier answer in which it was stated that “An-Nāfiʿ” is not among the Names. It then explains that the intended meaning is that Allah should not be named by it independently; rather, it is mentioned together with its counterpart.
This distinguishes between affirming the word as an independent Name and counting it as part of a pair of Names.
Therefore, the denial of its independent use should not be understood as denying what has been transmitted from a group of scholars regarding mentioning “Aḍ-Ḍārr An-Nāfiʿ” together.
This is the detailed position adopted here, without turning the views transmitted from a group of scholars into a claim of consensus.
According to the fatwa, “Al-Kāfī” was counted by most scholars among the Names of Allah.
As for “Al-Māniʿ” and “An-Nāfiʿ,” the fatwa includes them among paired Names: “Al-Muʿṭī Al-Māniʿ” and “Aḍ-Ḍārr An-Nāfiʿ.”
Care should also be taken to distinguish between the soundness of the evidence concerning the meanings and the weakness of the narrations that enumerate the Names.
And Allah knows best.