Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Among the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah regarding the Names and Attributes of Allah is that they affirm what Allah تعالى affirmed for Himself, or what His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم affirmed for Him, in a manner befitting Allah’s majesty, without likening, comparing, asking how, or denying them.
They do not say that the meanings of the Attributes are unknown. Rather, they affirm their meanings as indicated by the Arabic language and the religious context, while entrusting the manner and reality of the Attribute, which only Allah تعالى knows, to Him.
It has been reported from Ibn al-Majishun, Imam Ahmad, and others among the early scholars:
“We do not know the manner of what Allah has informed us about Himself, even though we know its explanation and meaning.”
This is the important distinction between meaning and manner.
The meaning may be known, whereas the manner in which Allah تعالى possesses the Attribute is something whose knowledge Allah has kept to Himself.
For this reason, the scholars said regarding istiwa’:
“The istiwa’ is known, its manner is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation.”
The intended meaning is that the meaning of istiwa’ in the Arabic language is known, but how Allah تعالى performed istiwa’ is not known to human beings.
When Allah تعالى informs us of an Attribute belonging to Him, we affirm it according to its true meaning in a manner befitting Him, without changing its meaning into another meaning that the text does not indicate.
For example:
Affirming an Attribute does not mean knowing its manner.
Likewise, knowing that Allah تعالى exists does not mean that we comprehend His Essence سبحانه, and knowing the meaning of His Attributes does not mean that we know how He possesses them.
The term tafwid (consigning) may be used in two different senses, and they must be distinguished:
First meaning: Consigning the manner.
This means that we affirm the wording and the meaning, and then say: We do not know how this Attribute is, and Allah تعالى knows best about it.
This is a correct meaning and is part of the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah.
Second meaning: Consigning the meaning.
This means saying: We affirm the words used for the Attributes, but we do not know what they mean at all.
This is not the correct methodology, because Allah تعالى revealed the Qur’an in clear Arabic and addressed His servants with words whose meanings they could understand. What they do not know is the manner of Allah’s Attributes and their reality in a way befitting His Essence سبحانه.
Therefore, we should not confuse saying:
“We know the meaning of the Attribute but do not know its manner,”
with saying:
“We do not know the meaning of the Attribute at all.”
The first is what is intended according to Ahl al-Sunnah, whereas the second is not what is intended by the methodology of the early generations in this matter.
No.
The fact that the same word may be used for Allah تعالى and for created beings does not mean that the reality is identical in every respect.
For example, Allah تعالى is All-Hearing, and a human being also hears, but Allah’s hearing is not like the hearing of a created being.
Allah تعالى is All-Knowing, and a human being may possess knowledge, but Allah’s knowledge is not like the knowledge of a created being.
Allah تعالى is Living, and a human being is also living, but Allah’s life is perfect, eternal, without beginning or end, whereas the life of a created being is limited, preceded by nonexistence and followed by death.
The same applies to all other Attributes.
The sharing of names in the basic meaning does not entail similarity in reality or manner.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿There is nothing whatsoever like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.﴾ [Ash-Shura: 11]
The verse combines affirmation and transcendence: it affirms hearing and sight for Allah تعالى while negating any likeness between Him and His creation.
Because knowing the manner concerns the reality of the Attribute and how the Essence possesses it, and human beings have no means of comprehending this fully.
We know that Allah تعالى has a real Essence and believe in its existence, but we do not encompass its reality or manner.
Likewise, regarding His Attributes, we know from the texts their meanings, effects, and what follows from them in terms of rulings, faith, and servitude, but we do not know how those Attributes are.
For this reason, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله stated, in meaning, that discussion concerning Allah’s Attributes follows the discussion concerning His Essence: just as we affirm the existence of His Essence سبحانه without claiming to comprehend its manner, we likewise affirm His Attributes without claiming knowledge of their manner.
Thus, the believer knows that Allah تعالى is All-Knowing of everything, Powerful over everything, All-Hearing and All-Seeing, Merciful to His servants, and possesses the Attributes He has informed us about, but he does not claim to comprehend the manner of any of them.
The fact that Arabs use words describing Attributes when speaking about created beings does not mean that knowing their basic meaning necessarily leads to likening Allah to creation.
The language gives us the basic meaning, while the manner in which the one described possesses that meaning differs according to the one being described.
We understand the basic meanings of hearing, sight, knowledge, mercy, power, and other Attributes, while knowing with certainty that Allah’s Attributes تعالى befit His majesty and are not like the attributes of His creation.
As for attempting to imagine the manner based on the attributes of created beings, this is what leads to the prohibited comparison.
The believer’s position regarding the Names and Attributes of Allah is based on clear principles:
The comprehensive principle is:
We know the meaning of the Attribute, affirm it for Allah تعالى in a manner befitting Him, and do not know its manner or compare it to the attributes of created beings.
Thus, the believer combines affirmation and transcendence: he neither denies what Allah affirmed for Himself nor likens Allah to His creation.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿There is nothing whatsoever like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.﴾
And Allah تعالى knows best.