Concerning the Names and Attributes of Allah

Ramlah · **Concerning the Names and Attributes of Allah -** 10-19-2007

well, it is quite well-known that there are 99 names of allah. and people makes songs about them, etc. however, concerning the mention specifically of what they are, is the problem.
The following article outlines/clarifies this subject.
I ask moderators to go through the threads/posts that contain this, and edit them.
The following is the first part of the article (there are two).
Where there is a seperate quotes such as

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means that i have ommited some paragraphs from the book, as i deemed the info irrelevant. Thus, Inshallah, you will find the following info in one quote, as no paragraphs were omitted. If you want to know what they are, let me know, and inshallah, i'll post them
The information was taken from the book "The Names and Attributes of Allah, according to the doctrine of Ahl-us-sunnah wal Jama'ah" by Shaikh 'Umar Sulaiman Al-Ashqar. btw, its a really good book.

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Chapter One

Allah's Most Excellent Names

Section One
Verification Of What Has Been Said Concerning The Number Of Allah's Names

Some scholars are of the opinion that Allah's Most Excellent Names are limited to ninety-nine Names and no more. They use as proof for their position the hadeeth in which the Messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم)) specifies this number.

Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He The Mighty, the Majestic, has ninety-nine names, one hundred and they are this Most Excellent Names. Whoever adds anything to them from himself has committed heresy with respect to His Names. They are the Names mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah.77

He cites, with its chain of narrators, the hadeeth: Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred less one. Whoever memorizes and comprehends them (‘ahsaha) enters paradise.”
Zad Hamam, narrators of the hadeeth, adds: "He is single and He loves what is odd in number." Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him, then states "It has been proven that there are only ninety~nine Names, not permissible for anyone to assert that He has any extra Names because the Prophet
عليه وسلم صلى الله)said: "One hundred less one.”78

However, the majority of the scholars do not agree that the most Excellent Names of Allah are restricted to this number. They are led to this opinion by the existence of textual evidence which indicates that the number is in fact greater.

Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “Most of the people of knowledge are of the opinion that the most of the Excellent Names of Allah are not limited to this number (ninety nine) and that there are more than this."

An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, reports that there is agreement among the scholars concerning this. His opinion is supported by the words of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم)) in a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه)), related by Ahmad and authenticated by Ibn Hibban, "I ask you with every one of Your Names with which You have named Yourself or You have revealed in Your Book or taught to anyone of Your creation or which You have kept to Yourself in the Knowledge of the unseen." Malik relates from Ka'b al-Ahbar in the chapter of supplication: "I ask You with Your Most Excellent Names, those that I know and those that I do not know." (The same hadeeth was related by at-Tabari from Qatadah).79 It is also mentioned in hadeeth: “I cannot praise You as is Your due, You are as you have praised Yourself." In addition, in the hadeeth concerning the intercession of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) )on the Day of Resurrection: "I am then inspired with a way of praising Him, the Sublime, which I am unaware of now."

The hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه)) divides Allah's Names onto three categories:

The first category: Those that Allah has revealed in His Book. Whoever, therefore, studies the verses contained therein can extract from them all the revealed Names.
The Second category: Those that Allah has taught to some of His creation and not to others. He, the Almighty, might have favoured some of His angels or favoured His angels over humanity or conferred them on some of His pious and righteous slaves (Awliya).

The third category: Those that He has kept hidden with Himself in the knowledge of the unseen. They have not been shown or taught to any angel, prophet or anyone of His creation.

Accordingly, we can see that the number of His Names is more that ninety-nine. This is because Names exist which are not possible for mankind to know since He has kept them hidden in His Knowledge or only taught them to some of his creation and He has not revealed them in His Book.

For this reason, some scholars say that the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) did not mean by his words: “Verily, Allah has ninety-nine names. Whoever memorises and comprehends them ('Ahsaha) enters paradise,” that Allah's Names are limited to this number. Rather, the meaning of the hadeeth is that whoever memorizes and comprehends these ninety-nine Names enters paradise. Therefore, what is meant is admission to paradise through the memorization of these Names and not their limitation to ninety-nine Names. 80

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Allah’s Most Excellent Names are not limited nor restricted in number because Allah, the Almighty, has Names and Attributes which He
has kept to Himself in the knowledge' of the unseen. Neither an intimate angel nor a Messenger sent knows them. 81
It might be asked: If Allah's Most Excellent Names are more than ninety-nine, what did the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) mean when he said: "Allah has ninety-nine Names, whoever memorises and comprehends them ('Ahsaha) enters paradise"?

In answer to this question, Sheikh aI-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, says: "The restriction to a number refers to those Names that have been described, in that whoever memorises these Names fulfils the condition for entering paradise."

Therefore, the clause "whoever memorises them enters paradise" is an adjectival clause, which describes the number 'ninetynine'. It is not a main clause and the meaning therefore is, Allah has Names, whoever memorises of them this 'number (ninety-nine), enters paradise. In the same way, someone might say, "I have one hundred slaves which I have prepared in order to free them", or "I
have put aside one thousand dirhams for Hajj." What is limited by number is what is described by the adjective or adjectival clause not that the thing described merits or necessitates that particular number. He did not say: Verily, the number of Allah's Names is ninety-nine.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says: The words of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) ''Allah has ninety-nine Names, whoever memorises them enters paradise" is one sentence. His words, "whoever memorises them enters paradise" is an adjectival clause and not a single independent main clause. Therefore, the intended meaning is: He, the Almighty, has a number of Names, part of their virtue is that whoever memorises them enters paradise. This does not negate the fact that He has other Names besides them. In the same way, you might say, "So and so has one hundred slaves who he has prepared for jihad. This does not negate the fact that he has other slaves who he has prepared for tasks other than jihad. There is no dispute about this amongst the scholars.82

However, it might be asked: If Allah's Names are many and not limited, what is the meaning of limiting the memorisation and comprehension of them to ninety-nine Names only?
In reply we say that those scholars who say that their number is greater than ninety-nine have two opinions about the matter:

The first: That the Names, which if memorised and comprehended by someone allow them to enter paradise, are specific, limited Names which are to be found scattered amongst a much larger number of Names. In view of the fact that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) did not specify these names and there is not any authentic hadeeth from him doing so either, people cannot obtain this immense reward unless they memorise all the most Excellent Names of Allah which have been mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is in order that someone might be sure that he has incorporated the ninety-nine Names whose memorisation earns a person paradise as a reward.

Ibn al-'Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: These ninety-nine Names have been hidden within the totality of all the names in order that we might supplicate Him with all of them, thereby incorporating those specific Names about which the promise has been made.83

Ibn al-'Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, also says that those ninety-nine Names of Allah, whose memorisation allows a person to enter paradise, are concealed in the Qur'an and Sunnah in the same way that the hour when supplication on Friday is answered and the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) in Ramadan are both hidden. Ibn al-'Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says concerning this matter, "My advice to you is to seek the ninety-nine Names in the Qur'an and Sunnah because they are concealed within them in the same way that the hour when supplication is answered is hidden within a day -Friday, and the Night of Decree is hidden within a month Ramadan, in order that yearning for them increase. In the same way, knowledge as to which exactly are the major sins, has been kept hidden in order that fear might be increased. Consequently, worship continues throughout the day and month and all sins are avoided. Likewise, these Names, in their entirety, have been concealed so that we supplicate Him with all of them and thereby include those about which the promise has been made."

Al-Fakhr ar-Raazi, may Allah have mercy on him, quoting from Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, says the same: "What is intended by not specifying them is that people persist in supplication by using all the Names which have been mentioned, in the hope that they include those specific Names. In the same way, the hour on Friday, the Night of Decree and the middle prayer (salatul-wusta) have been obscured."

Accordingly, Ibn al'Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, when enumerating Allah's Names in his excellent book "'Ahkam alQur'an" arrived at one hundred and forty-six Names and mentioned
that thirty of His Names remained which had been included in the book "al-'Amad".84

Ibn Hajr, may Allah have mercy on him, says AI-Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, relates from some scholars that Allah has one thousand Names. Ibn al-'Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says, "That is an underestimation.85

The Second: What is meant by this number, i.e. ninety-nine is that any ninety-nine names from the total number of His Names, must be memorised. Therefore, whoever memorises this number of His Names deserves the reward. Therefore, they are ninety-nine Names, which are neither specified nor fixed.

Sheikh al-Islam in clarifying these two opinions of the scholars says: "Those who have compiled a list of Allah's Names believe, as do others, that the Names of Allah which if memorised by someone earn him entry into paradise, are not specific Names. Rather, whoever memorises ninety-nine of Allah's names enters paradise. Or, if they are specific Names, two Names having the same meaning, such as al-Ahad and al-Wahid (the One) and al-Mu'tee and al-Mughnee (the Endower), take the place of each other."86

--------------------------------------------------------------
77 "AI-Muhalla" by Ibn Hazrn 1/30
78 "Al-Muhalla" by Ibn Hazrn 1/30
79 "Fath ai-bari" 11/220
80"Fath ai-Sari" Il/220
81 "Bada'i al-Fawaa'id" 1/166
82 "Bada'j al-Fawaa'id" 1/167
83 "Ahkam al-Qur'an" 2/794
84 "Ahkam al-Qur'an" 2/805
85 "Fath ai-Sari" 11/220
86 "Majmu' al-Fataawa" of Sheikh al-Islam

Ramlah · 07:16 AM

here's part 2.....

Quote:

Section Two
Enumeration Of Allah's Most Excellent Names

The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) with his promise of paradise for anyone who memorises Allah's Most Excellent Names, stimulated and aroused the believing souls to memorise and seek them, in the hope that they would achieve that promise.

Allah's Most Excellent Names According To The Narration Related By At-Tirmidhi

There is a hadeeth, which has been related by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, which enumerates His Names. In "Sunan at-Tirmidhi" it is narrated from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه)) that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, whoever memorises and comprehends them ('Ahsaha) enters paradise. He is Allah, there is none worthy of worship except Him, the Merciful (ar-Rahman), the Beneficent (Ar-Raheem), the Sovereign (al-Malik) the Holy (al-Quddus) the Perfect (As-Salam), the Granter of Security (al-Mu'min), the Guardian (al-Muhaymin), the Mighty (al-Azeez), the Compeller (aI-Jabbar), the Proud (Mutakabbir), the Creator (al-Khaliq), the Originator (al-Bari), the Fashioner (al-Mausawwir), the Oftforgiving (al-Ghaffar), the Irresistible (AI-Qahhar), the Bestower (al-Wahhab), the Provider (ar-Razzaq), the Judge (al-Fattah), the All-Knowing (al-'Aleem), the Constrictor (al-Qahid), the Munificent (al-Basit), the One who lowers (al-Khafid), the One who raises (ar-Rafi'), the Honourer (al-Mu'iz), the Abaser (al-Mudhil), the All-Hearing (as-Samee'), the All-Seeing (al-Baseer), the Arbiter (al-Hakam), the Justice (al-'Adl), the Subtile (al-Lateef), the All-Cognisant (al-Khabeer), the Forbearing (al-Haleem), the Immense (al-Adheem), the Forgiving (al-Ghafur), the Appreciative (ash-Shakur), the Most High (al-'Alee), the Great (al-Kabeer), the Preserver (al -Hafidh), the Overseer (al-Muqeet), the Reckoner (al-Haseeb), the Sublime (al-Jaleel), the Generous (al-Kareem), the Ever Watchful (ar-Raqeeb), the Responder (al- Mujeeb), the Vast (al-Wasee’, the Wise (al-Hakeem), the Loving (al Wadood), the Glorious (al-Majeed), the Resurrector (al-Baa'ith), the Witness (ash-Shaheed), the Truth (al-Haq), the Trustee (al-Wakeel), the All Powerful (al-Qawee), the Firm (al-Mateen), the Protector (al-Walee), the Praiseworthy (al-Hameed), the Enumerator (al-Muhsee), the Producer (al Mubdee), the Reproducer (al-Mu'eed), the Giver of life (al-Muhyee), the Life-Taker (al-Mumeet), the Living (al-Hayy), the Sustainer (al-Qayyum), the Entire (al-Wajid), the Eternally Besought of all (as-Samad), the Able (al-Qadir), the Omnipotent (al-Muqtadir), the Advancer (al-Muqaddim), the Retarder (al-Mu'akhkhir), the First (al-Awwal), the Last (al-Akhir), the Evident (adh-Dhahir), the Immanent (al-Batin), the Governor (al- Walee), the Most High (al-Muta'alee), the Benign (al-Barr), the Relenting (at-Tawwab), the Vengeful (al-Muntaqim), the Pardoner (al-'Afu), the Most Kind (ar-Ra’oof), the Owner of Sovereignty (al-Maalik al-Mulk), Possessor of Majesty and Honour (Dhu alJalal wa al-Ikram), the Equitable (al-Muqsit), the Gatherer (al-Jaamij, the Self-Sufficient (al- Ghanee), the Endower (al-Mughnee), the Withholder (al-Mani’), the One who Harms (ad-Dar), the Benefactor (an-Nafij), the Light (an-Nur), the Guide (al-Hadee), the Originator (al-Bade’), the Eternal (al-Baqee), the Inheritor (al-Warith), the Discerning (ar-Rasheed), the Patient (as-Sabur).87

The Strength Of Those Ahadeeth (traditions, plural of hadeeth)
Which Specify The Names Of Allah

If those ahadeeth which specify Allah's Most Excellent Names were authentic they would be sufficient for whoever wanted to memorise the names of the Creator, the Blessed, the Exalted. However, the scholars of hadeeth have judged that these ahadeeth are weak and have criticised them with respect to both their chains of narrators and their content.

The chains of narrators are weak because of the weakness of those narrators and the contents are weak because of contradiction and variations in them. After relating the hadeeth that we cited previously, at-Tirmidhi says: "This hadeeth is ghareeb.88 More than one narrator narrated it to us from Safwan ibn Saalih and we do not know this hadeeth except from him. He is reliable and trustworthy according to the scholars of hadeeth. Various narrations of this hadeeth have been transmitted from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and we do not know of any narration that has a sound chain of narrators, and mentions the Names of Allah, except for this one."89

Ibn Hajr, may Allah have mercy on him, in his examination of the hadeeth says: "There are various narrations of this hadeeth. Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban, at-Tirmidhi and aI-Hakim report it as related by al-Waleed from Shu'ayb from Abu az-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurairah(رضي الله عنه) and in the hadeeth al-Waleed lists Allah's Names. The hadeeth is also related by Adam ibn Abi 'Iyyas with a different chain of narrators from Abu Hurairah( رضي الله عنه) Adam mentions the Names but the chain of narrators is not sound."

Quote:

The narration which at-Tirmidhi gives is related by al- Hakim in "al-Mustadrak" as related by 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn al-Husayn from both Ayyub and Hisham ibn Hassan from Muhammad ibn Seereen from Abu Hurairah(رضي الله عنه). In it there are also additional Names and omissions.

Ibn Hajr, may Allah have mercy on him, goes on to say: "The reliable narration from Ayyub and Hishamis the one that does not enumerate the Names."

Hakim says: '" Abd al-'Azeez is reliable." However, I say that it is agreed that he is weak. AI-Bukhari judged him to be weak as did Muslim and Ibn Ma'een. Al-Bayhaqi said: He is considered weak by the scholars of hadeeth. He continues: it is possible that the interpretation as to which are the ninety-nine names of Allah and their inclusion in the hadeeth was by some of the narrators of the hadeeth. It was because of this possibility that neither al-Bukhari nor Muslim related the hadeeth in their "Saheeh".

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Ibn Hajr, may Allah have mercy on him, says: "The proof for this, i.e. that the specific Names of Allah were included by one or more of the narrators, is that different Names are mentioned in different narrations of the hadeeth; even though the hadeeth narrated by al-Waleed is the most sound with respect to the chain of narrators."

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Ibn 'Atiyyah says: "The hadeeth related by at-Tirmidhi is not mutawatir.90 There are also irregularities (shadhudh) in some of the names mentioned in the hadeeth. It is also reported that the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would supplicate: "0 Compassionate!" (Hannan), "0 Benefactor!" (Mannan) and the hadeeth related by atTirmidhi includes neither of these."91

Al-Hafidh ibn Hajr, may Allah have mercy on him, makes a more in depth investigation of the hadeeth in "Fath al-Bari". He clarifies the various narrations of it, which are found in Kutub as-Sunnah (the authentic books of the prophetic tradition) and explains the weakness in it. He then says: "Its weakness, according to alBukhari and Muslim, is not simply that it was only narrated by al Waleed but also the differences and contradictions contained in the various narrations and the possibility of tadlees92 and aI-'Idraj.” 93 94

Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, was one of the scholars who were certain that all the ahadeeth which specify the ninety-nine Names are weak. He said: "No authentic hadeeth has been reported from the Prophet( صلى الله عليه وسلم) that specifies the ninety nine Names of Allah.”

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One of the proofs that this hadeeth is not sound is that it fails to include many names which are mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah, such as the Lord (ar-Rabb), the Creator (al-Khallaq), the Strong and Able (al-Qadir) and the Near (al-Qareeb). In contrast to this, the hadeeth contains numerous Names which are neither mentioned in the Qur'an nor in the Sunnah, such as the Patient (as. Sabur), the Reckoner (al-Muhsee), the Discerning (ar-Rasheed) and the Eternal (al-Baqee).

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87 "Sunan at-Tirmidhi" 5/530 Hadeeth No. 3507
88 Ghareeb: Literally means strange or unusual. In the terminology of the scholars of hadeeth, it isa hadeeth which has been transmitted by only one narrator on at least one of the levels of narrators going back to the Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him.
89 "Sunan at-Tirmidhi" 5/530 Hadeeth no. 3507
90 Mutawatir: A hadeeth that is mutawatir should have sufficient narrators in each IIcneration of narrators so that it could not have been possible for them to have agreed upon a lie.
91 "Talkhees al-Habeer" 4/172
92 Tadlees: Literally: deceit or fraud. In the terminology of the scholars of hadeeth it is when the chain of narrators is related in a way that makes that chain seem other than it actually is.
93 Idraj: Literally: insertion. When connected with the content of the hadeeth, it means
that one of the narrators has included his own words into the hadeeth without making that clear.
94 "Fath al-Bari" 11/215
95 "Majmu' al-Fataawa" Sheikh aI-Islam 22/482

Thought · **Re: Concerning the Names and Attributes of Allah -** 11-08-2007

good topic

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Thought Limited Member Status: Offline Posts: 47 Reputation: 53 Rep Power: 0 Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Concerning the Names and Attributes of Allah - 11-08-2007 good topic