ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH

Now time has come to explain in short what is our belief concerning God. In preceding chapters almost all the aspects of our belief have been explained. It should be apparent by now that there are many attributes, which are a MUST for God, while there are others, which are beneath His dignity and cannot be found in Him.

Therefore, in our faith, the attributes of Allah have been grouped as 'positive' and 'negative'.

Sifaat-e-Thubutiyyah

The positive attributes, which are befitting Allah, are called Sifaat-e-Thubutiyyah. They are many in number, but only eight of them are usually mentioned. They are:

1. QADEEM: It means that Allah is Eternal, i.e., He has neither beginning nor end. Nothing except Allah is eternal.

2. QAADIR: It is means that Allah is Omnipotent, i.e., He has power over every thing and every affair.

3. AALIM: It means that Allah is Omniscient, i.e., He knows everything. Even our unspoken intentions and desires are not hidden from Him.

4. HAI: It means that Allah was always alive and will remain alive forever.

5. MUREED: It means that Allah has His own will and discretion in all affairs. He does not do anything under compulsion.

6. MUDRIK: It means that He is All-Perceiving, 'as-Samii' (All-Hearing), 'Baseer' (All-Seeing). Allah sees and hears everything without any need of eyes or ears.

7. MUTAKALLIM: It means Allah is the master of the word, i.e., He can create speech in anything, as He did in a tree for Hadhart Musa (a.s.) and in the "curtain of light" for our Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).

8. SADIQ: It means Allah is true in His words and promises.

It is impossible to fix any limit to His attributes. This list is not exhaustive but is essential to understand the Glory of Allah. These attributes are not acquired but are inherent in the conception of Divinity.

Sifaat-e-Salbiyyah

The negative attributes, which cannot be found in Allah because they are below His dignity, are called "Sifat-e-Salbiyyah". They are many but like "Sifaat-e-Thubutiyyah" only eight are listed here. They are:

1. SHAREEK: The world "shareek" means a colleague or partner. Allah has neither a colleague not a partner in His Divinity.

2. MURAKKAB: This world means "Compound" or "Mixed". Allah is neither made, nor composed of any material. He cannot be divided even in imagination.

3. MAKAAN: It means "Place" Allah is not in a place because He has no body, and He is everywhere because his power and knowledge is magnificently apparent everywhere.

4. HULOOL: It means "Entering" Nothing enters into Allah nor does He enter into anything or anybody. Therefore, the belief of Incarnation in any form is abhorrent to the conception of Divinity.

5. MAHALLE HAWADIS: This means "Subject to Changes". Allah cannot change.

6. MAR-I: It means "Visible". Allah is not visible. He has not been seen, is not seen and will never be seen.

7. IHTIYAJ: It means "Dependence" or "Need". Allah is not deficient in any virtue, so He does not need anything. He is All-Perfect.

8. SIFAATE ZAID: This means "Added Qualifications." The attributes of Allah are not separate from His Being. When we say that God is Omnipotent and Merciful, we do not mean that His Power and Mercy are something different from His Person. We see that a child is born without any power, and then he acquires strength day by day. It is so because power is not his person. God is not like this. He is Power Himself; Mercy Himself; Knowledge Himself; Justice Himself; Virtue Himself; Truth Himself and so on.

It will thus be seen that according to Islam ALLAH is the name of God as perceived in the light of the above Positive and Negative Attributes. In other words, ALLAH is the Creator of the Universe, Self-Existent, the source of all perfection and free from all defects.