Tawhid Al-Asma’ Was-Sifat
Tawhid Al-Asma’ Was-Sifat
(Islamic Monotheism of Allah’s Names and Qualities)
Tawhid Al-Asma’ Was-Sifat (Islamic Monotheism of Allah’s Names and Qualities) is to perform Monotheism for Allah in His Names and Descriptions, and this should happen by confirming what He has confirmed among Names and Descriptions for Himself in His Book, or what His Messenger has confirmed to Him as well; without any Tahrif (distortion) or Ta’til (suspension), or Takyif (adaptation), or Tamthil (likening). And what follows are the Rules of Names and Qualities.
First Rule: Names of Allah are all Best Names, and His descriptions are all Superior and Perfect, He says, -meaning- “ ..to Allah applies the highest similitude.”, and He says, -meaning- “The most beautiful Names belong to Allah: so call on Him by them”.
Second Rule: Names and Descriptions of Allah are all Tawkifiah (suspended in word and meaning as they were descended nothing more and nothing less), and the reference in them is just the Noble Book of Allah and the Sunnah; and they are not limited to a certain number, but rather some of them only were known. Allah (swt) said, -meaning- {Say (O Muhammad (saw): The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are shameful deeds, whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah, for which He has given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.} And said, -meaning- {And pursue not that of which you has no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing, or of (feeling in) the heart will be inquired into (on the Day of Reckoning) }.
Third Rule: It is forbidden to confirm a Name or a Description to Allah by likening, for Allah (swt) said, -meaning- {There is nothing whatever like unto Him is the All-Seer All-Hearer}, and He said, -meaning- {Invent not similitudes for Allah: for Allah knows, and you know not}.
Likewise, it is forbidden to deny a Name or a Description to Allah which is already found in the Qur’an or in the Sunnah because this is Ishrak (Polytheism) with Allah and Taateel (suspension) to His Names and Descriptions, the matter that leads to distort Divine Scriptures, or may lead to its denial and assimilation of Allah with His creatures.
Fourth Rule: the meanings of Allah’s Names and Descriptions are well known but no body knows their manner of action except Allah. Allah (swt) said, -meaning- {But they shall not compass it with their knowledge}.
Fifth Rule: Similarity of names does not mean at all the similarity of the named. This is because Allah has named Himself with Names, which could be applied to some of His creatures, and so as to descriptions like hearing and seeing, but not the hearer is like the Hearer and not the seer is like the Perceiver.