Sharh Al-Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah (Islamic book) -A muslims foundation of beliefs

11. Description of the Attributes of Allah

Description of the Attributes of Allah

Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah do not deviate from those things which have been brought by the Prophets (peace be upon them). The Straight Path is the path of those on whom Allah bestowed His Favor, that is, the path of the Prophets, the truthfulness, the martyrs and the virtuous people. It is in this collection of the Attributes which includes those ones also which Allah has mentioned in Surah al-Ikhlas (the Sincerity) which is equivalent to one-third of the Quran. Allah states: "Say: (O Muhammad (peace be upon him) 'He is Allah, (the) One. (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks. He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none coequal or comparable unto Him." (Surah Al-lkhlas, 112).

Whatever the Messengers of Allah brought with them, that alone is real. It is obligatory to obey it and forbidden to deviate from it, for this alone is the Straight Path which has no curves.

The Straight Path is only one and whoever deviates from it, he strays into the wrong path and injustice.

"And verily, this (i.e. Allah's Commandments mentioned in the above two verses 151 and 152) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path" (Sarah Al-An 'am, 6: 153).

The Straight Path is the path of a just and the best Ummah (nation) which lies between two extremes. That is why Allah has commanded us and taught us to recite in each Rak'ah of the prayer a supplication to Him to guide us on the Straight Path. That is, He should tell us and help us how to obey Him. This is the path of those who were favored by Allah, that is, the Prophets, the truthfulness, the martyrs, and the virtuous peoples; and it is these who are best for keeping company.

Now we are discussing those texts of the Quran and the Hadith which mention these names and Attributes, and to have faith in that is necessary. It begins from the Surah Al-Ikhlas for the reason that it contains this matter in such a way that other Surah do not have it. The reason why this has been named Surah Al-Ikhlas is that the concept of Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) has been explained in it by separating and purging it from polytheism and idolatry.

Ubai bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates the context of the revelation of this Surah, as the polytheists said:

'O Muhammad! Tell us the genealogy of your Lord.' Allah thereupon revealed this Surah (Musnad Imam Ahmad).

It is proved from authentic Ahadith that this Surah is equal to one third of the Quran. The Ulama have made several statements in this connection and among these, the statement copied by Sheikhul-lslam from Ibn Abbas, is the most authentic. The substance of this statement is that the Quran consists of three fundamental objectives:

1. Those dos and don'ts which comprise the commandments and the practical ways, and these form the

subject matter of the discipline of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and ethics.

2. The tales and the narratives which include the stories of the Messengers of Allah and their communities. Such disasters have also been described which befell those who denied the Messengers of Allah; they also mention the promises, the rewards and the dooms.

3. The knowledge of Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism) and the description of those matters which relate to the Names of Allah and His Attributes and to believe in them is necessary for the worshippers of Allah. This is the most important among all the three.

Surah Al-Ikhlas comprises this third objective and gives a general description of it. It is therefore correct to say that this Surah is equal to one-third of the Quran.

A question is raised regarding how this Surah contains comprehensively the entire knowledge of Tauhid and its principles which form the center of the belief and rationality in one Allah.

The answer to this lies in the fact that Allah's Command (Allah is One) negates partnership with Him in every sense, whether it concerns His Self or His Attributes, or His Deeds. It likewise demonstrates the distinctiveness of Allah in greatness, perfection, magnificence and majesty. That is why the word Ahad will not be used in affirmation for anyone except Allah. This word is more emphatic than Waahid.

Ibn Abbas has done the explanation of this phrase Allah-us-Samad (Allah the Eternal, the Absolute) with his statement which is as follows:

The Master Who is the perfect in His mastery; the Great One Who is the perfect in His greatness; the Tolerant Who is the perfect in His toleration, the Omnipotent Who is the perfect in His omnipotence; the All-Knowing Who is the perfect in His knowledge; the One Who is perfect in all types of nobility and greatness -- that Self is only Allah -- the Most Revered and the Most Powerful. He Alone has these qualities for they do not apply to anyone else except Him. No one is equal to Him, and no one is like Him.

The explanation of As-Samad has also been done as follows: The One Who has no fear; toward Whom all the creatures turn; and Whom they seek after in all their needs and works.

Affirmation of Oneness for Allah includes negation of polytheism and similitude. And the affirmation of all the meanings of Samad includes all the noblest names and the most exalted Attributes. This is called the Tauhid of affirmation.

The other type, that is the Tauhid of purity has been derived from the statement of Allah: "He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none coequal or comparable unto Him."

Moreover, this interpretation can also be derived in a general sense from 'He is Allah, the One,' that is, nothing came out of Him nor has He come out of anything; and that He has no equal, no likeness and no similarity.

Please see how this Surah denominates the concept of the Oneness of Allah in belief and recognition of Allah; the affirmation of Oneness for the Lord which is absolutely contradictory to polytheism; and His characteristic of being 'Eternal and Absolute', which proves all the Attributes for Him that He cannot suffer from any defect, that negation of the relationship of father and son which is one of the implications that of His being in no need, all is characterized by Samadiyah. Then there is the negation of an equal which includes negation of similarity, resemblance and likeness. This Surah denominates all those matters. A Surah which comprehends all these issues is rightly deserving of being called equal to one-third of the Quran.