Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Knowing Allah’s Names and Attributes and believing in those that are established in the Quran and Sunnah is part of a servant’s knowledge of his Lord. It is not a matter without benefit.
A believer has general faith that Allah possesses the Most Beautiful Names and the highest Attributes. He then believes in detail in whatever authentic texts have reached him and been established, in a manner befitting Allah, without likening Him to creation and without asking how His Attributes are.
As for studying detailed disagreements and refutations between different theological groups, this is not required of every Muslim. It is better for a person to begin by learning the foundations of creed and the meanings of the texts that he needs, and then expand his knowledge according to his level of learning and his needs.
The more a person increases in correct knowledge of his Lord, the more he increases in faith, reverence, love, fear, hope, and reliance upon Him.
For this reason, the Quran gives great attention to teaching people about Allah, His Names, His Attributes, and His actions.
Allah, Glorified be He, says:
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.”
[Al-A‘raf: 180]
Allah Almighty also says:
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
[Ash-Shura: 11]
The latter verse combines two important principles: affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself while denying any likeness between Him and created beings.
For this reason, Ibn al-Qayyim said that knowing the One who is worshipped through His Names, Attributes, and actions is “the key to the call of the Messengers and the essence of their message,” because knowing Allah is the foundation upon which worship is built.
If Allah tells us something about Himself, or His Messenger ﷺ authentically informs us about Him, then believing that report is part of believing in revelation.
For this reason, scholars of Islamic creed throughout the centuries have given attention to mentioning the Attributes of Allah found in the revealed texts and explaining how they are to be believed in.
For example, al-Ajurri mentioned what has been reported concerning the Fingers of the Most Merciful. Al-Baghawi mentioned the Face, the Eye, the Hand, coming, arriving, descending, laughing, and rejoicing. Other scholars discussed rising over the Throne, descending, and the other matters established in the revealed texts.
The purpose of this is not to occupy the Muslim with theoretical disputes. Rather, it is to believe what has come from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
Knowledge of the Attributes is not merely theoretical information.
Whoever knows that Allah is All-Hearing will watch what he says. Whoever believes that He is All-Seeing will remain conscious that Allah sees him. Whoever knows His mercy will not despair of it. Whoever knows His power will not attach his heart to created beings. And whoever knows His wisdom will find reassurance in His decree and His law.
Likewise, believing in the revealed Attributes and Divine actions deepens a Muslim’s knowledge of his Lord and increases his belief in revelation.
A clear example is the hadith of the descent. It is authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ that Allah descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night and calls His servants to supplication and seeking forgiveness.
Believing in this hadith is therefore not limited to a theological issue. Rather, it encourages the Muslim to take advantage of this time through worship and supplication.
There is a difference between the foundation of faith and advanced scholarly study.
A Muslim believes that Allah possesses Attributes of perfection, declares Allah free of all deficiency, and believes whatever is authentically established in the Quran and Sunnah.
However, studying every detail, collecting the opinions of different theological groups, and memorizing refutations and theological debates are not obligatory upon every Muslim.
An ordinary Muslim is not required to become a specialist in matters of creed. Rather, he should learn what is necessary for his belief to be sound and what increases his faith.
If the question is asked in order to understand the revealed text and believe what Allah has informed us about Himself, then it is a beneficial question.
According to what the fatwa establishes, whatever is authentically established in revelation concerning Allah’s Face, two Hands, two Eyes, and other Attributes is affirmed for Him, while being certain that these Attributes befit Allah and do not resemble the attributes of created beings.
A Muslim should not move from understanding the meaning conveyed by the text to trying to imagine how the Attribute is, because the manner of Allah’s Attributes belongs to the unseen, about which Allah has not informed us.
What is required is faith and reverence, not forming a mental image of Allah’s Essence or His Attributes.
Learning about opposing views and how to respond to them can be beneficial knowledge, especially for a student of knowledge or someone who encounters a doubt and needs an answer to it.
However, the order in which one learns is important.
It is better for a Muslim first to learn what he should believe from the Quran and Sunnah and understand the fundamental principles concerning Allah’s Names and Attributes. After that, he may learn about opposing views according to his needs.
Entering from the beginning into lengthy debates and complicated terminology without a sound foundation may lead to greater confusion rather than increased knowledge.
Thus, the two pieces of advice can be combined: we should not neglect the subject of Allah’s Names and Attributes, but at the same time, we should not turn the Muslim’s entire life into arguments over theological disagreements.
The most beneficial approach is to begin with the Quran and authentic Sunnah, learn the meaning of each Name or Attribute and the effects that believing in it should have upon worship and conduct, while adhering to a comprehensive principle:
Affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself and what His Messenger ﷺ affirmed for Him, without distortion or denial, and without asking how or likening Him to creation.
A person should learn gradually. He begins with the clear Names and Attributes and their effects upon faith, then proceeds to more detailed matters if he needs them.
Knowing Allah’s Attributes is not knowledge without benefit. Rather, it is part of a Muslim’s knowledge of his Lord and his belief in what has come in the Quran and Sunnah. The more correct a servant’s knowledge of Allah becomes, the more his faith, reverence, and worship of Him increase.
However, not every Muslim is required to specialize in detailed disagreements between theological groups or spend his time in theological debates.
It is better to begin by knowing Allah, His Names, and His Attributes through revelation, understanding their effects upon one’s faith and worship, and then studying matters of disagreement and responses to doubts according to one’s needs and level of knowledge.
And Allah knows best.