The 13 Attributes of Allah

02. October 2012 Basics, Creed 0

Knowing these 13 Attributes is of the basics for us to know about Allah.
The later scholars took special care explicitely mentioning this obligation (to know these 13 Attributes), such as Sunusiyy, who is the author of the Sunusiyy Creed, which is called al ^Aqidah as Sunusiyy, and also Al Faddaliyy (a malikiyy scholar), and ash Sharnubiyy (also a malikiyy scholar) and others among those later scholars.Among the heads of the scholars of the Salaf who explicitely named these attributes and indicated that it was obligatory upon every accountable muslim to know them, was Imaam Abu Hanifa, he mentioned this in his book “al Fiqhu l-Akbar”.

  • 1.Al-Wudjûd, (al-Wujood), The Existence, surat Ibrahim, Aayah10, which means; {there is no doubt of the existence of Allah.}

Allah exists and His Existence is not similar to the existence of His creation. Allah’s Existence is without a beginning and without an end, and without a place. Surah Ibrahim, Aayah 10 means: “The existence of Allah is indubitable””. It means Allah exists without a doubt. One can also say Surah Ibrahim, Aayah 10, which means: Of the Existense of Allah there is no doubt”

  • 2.Al-WaHdaaneeyyah, Oneness (al-WaHdaniyyah), Allah is One, and He does not have a partner in His godhood. Allah is One, meaning He does not have a partner with Him in godhood.

Allah, said, what means: Had there been gods (for the heavens and earth)other then Allah, they (heaven and earth) would not have existed. Surat al- Ambiyaa’, Aayah 22.

  • 3.Al-Qidem, al-Ezeliyyah, Eternity (al-Qidam, i.e., al-‘Azaliyyah), There is no beginning to His Existence, He has Existed since before the creation, His existence was not preceded by non-existence. Allah said in Surat Al-Hadeed, verse 3 which means: {Allah is the One Whose existence is without a beginning and without an end. }

Allahs Existence is without a beginning, this means His Existence was not preceeded by non-existence.

  • 4. Al-Baqaa’, Everlastingness (al-Baqa’), Allah is everlasting, Allah’s existence does not have an end. He does not perish, he does not seize to exist. Surat al-Hadid, Aayah 3, which means: Allah is the One Whose Existence is without a beginning and without an end.

 

  • 5. Al-Qiyamoe bin-nafs, Non-neediness of others. (al-Qiyamu bin-nafs)

Allah is not in need of anything, and everything else needs Allah. Surat aal^Imraan, Aayah 97 Allah said, which means: “Allah does not need any of the worlds.” When we say (^Alamîn) worlds here, we mean everything in creation.

  • 6. Al-Qudrah, Power (al-Qudrah), Allah has Power over (all the creations) everything, Allah is not Powerless over anything, surat l-Baqarah , Aayah 109, which means, Allah has the Perfect Power over all things.

 

  • 7 Al-Iraadah, Will (al-‘Iradah), The Will, everything that Allah Willed in the eternity for it to exist must come into existence at the time which Allah willed for it to exist, nothing will exist unless Allah Willed it to exist. Suratu l-Takwîr, Aayah 29, which means: “you do not will anything, except by the Will of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. “ This is a very important point, everything that Allah Willed to exist shall come into existence. Some people say that Allah actually willed for a boy to be a girl, this is kufr, Allah willed for a boy to be a boy and not to be a girl. It is kufr, for what they say means that Allah willed something but it did not came into existence as He willed, or it could mean that they mean that Allah was Powerless over what He willed, a^uthu bilLaah. If Allah willed our lesson to start at 14 oClock this will start at 14 oClock and not a minute earlier or later.

Whatever Allah willed must happen and it will not change, and it happens at the exact time Allah Willed for it to happen. Nothing will exist if Allah did not Willed for it to exist.

  • 8. Al-^Ilm, Knowledge (al-^Ilm), Allah knows everything and nothing is hidden for Allah, Allah knows about everything before it happened. Surat l-Anfaal, Aayah75, which means: “Allah has the perfect Knowledge of everything.”

 

  • 9. As-Sema^, Hearing (as-Sam^), Allah hears all hearable things without an organ, surat ash-Shûrah, Aayah11, which means: Allah does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Allah is attributed with hearing and sight.( Laysa kamithlihi shay’ wahoewa as-Sami’^ l-BaSîr)

Allah hears all hearable things without an ear on any other instrument. No hearable thing is hidden from Him.

  • 10. Al-BaSar, Sight (al-BaSar), Allah sees all seeable things without a pupil or an eye, or light or any other organ, and nothing is hidden for Allah tabaraka wa ta’aala, surat ash-Shûrah, Aayah11, which means: Allah does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Allah is attributed with hearing and sight. ( Laysa kamithlihi shay’ wahoewa as-Sami’^ l-BaSîr)

Allah sees all see able things without the need of a pupil or an eye. Allah is not in need of anything like that. Nothing is hidden from Him.

  • 11. Al-Hayaat, Life (al-Hayah), Allah’s Live is without a beginning and without an end, without bones, without a combination of a body and a soul, it is not like our life, Surat al-Baqarah , Aayah 255, (very important Aayaat ul kursie for the tenzih, and very usefull and beneficial after our prayers), which means: no one is God but Allah, the One Who is attributed with life and He is not in need of anything.

Allahs Live is not similar to our live, Allah His Live is eternal and everlasting and is not a combination of body and a soul.

  • 12. Al-Kalaam, Speech (al-Kalaam), an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allah, and it is not a letter, sound or any language whatsoever, also without a lip, without a tongue, and His Speech does not resemble the speech of the humans. Allah attributed Speech in the Qur’aan, surat an-Nisaa, Aayah 164, which means: { Allah spoke to Musa with His Speech(Kalaam).} Which means: {Allah spoke to Musa with His Eternal Speech.}

 

  • 13. Al-MuKhaalafatoe lil-Hawaadith, Non-resemblance to the creation (al-Mukhalafatu lil-Hawaadith). the non-resembles of the Creations, Allah is non resembling of any attribute of the creations, the creations are in need of a Creator. Surat ash-Shûrah, Aayah11, which means: {Nothing resembles Allah in any way Allah is attributed with hearing and sight.} [Laysa kamithlihi shay’ wahoewa as-Sami’^l-Baseer.]

Memorise this Aayaat and memorise the saying of Dhu n-Nun al Misriyy and Imaam AHmed.. Mahma taSaw-warta bi baalik, fa l-Laahu bi khilaafi dhaalik.. Whatever you imagine in your mind, Allah is different from it. This Aayah is a muHkaam Aayah, it is a very clear Aayah. Abu Bakr as SiddiQ, went to war with people who misinterpretated an Aayah, but this had to do with the rules, he did not judge them as kafir, but he had to fight them cause they were alot of them, they misinterpreted the Aayah thinking they were not obligated to pay zakah.
If a meaning of an Aayah is not clear, the scholars take it back to the clear (MuHkam) Aayahs.