Part of Concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah (series completed)
· Lesson 71 of 1251
Summary of Sunni concepts | Concept (69) | The importance of knowing the beautiful names of God and His highest attributes
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
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The importance of knowledge regarding the beautiful names and sublime attributes of Allah.
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There is no doubt that the nobility of a branch of knowledge is derived from the nobility of its subject matter.
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Since the subject matter studied in the names and attributes is Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
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this knowledge is the most noble of all sciences.
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And if the preceding concepts have clarified the foundations of the oneness of the names and attributes,
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as well as those who oppose these foundations, their schools of thought, their misconceptions, and the refutations against them,
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then all of this serves as necessary introductions to understanding this noble science.
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It clears the rust and the dust of the skeptics' misconceptions from the heart of the believing servant,
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thereby preparing him to believe in these sublime attributes,
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with a sound and complete faith,
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and to realize the effects of that faith.
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This is the primary and fundamental purpose of knowing the names and attributes:
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to worship Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, through them,
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and to act in accordance with their implications.
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As the Almighty said:
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“Allah's are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names. They will be requited what they do.” (7:180)
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"And leave those who deviate concerning His names."
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“Allah's are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names. They will be requited what they do.” (7:180)
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Reflect on how the verse explicitly commands calling upon Allah by His beautiful names,
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for that is the essence of worship.
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And note how it commands, at its end, to abandon those who deviate in this matter,
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and to distance oneself from their misguided methodologies for which they will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection.
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In what follows are matters, in addition to what has preceded,
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that clarify the importance and nobility of this science.
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First: Knowledge of the names and attributes of Allah is the foundation of all knowledge,
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the basis of faith, and the first of all obligations.
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As the Almighty said:
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"So know that there is no god but Allah."
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When people truly know their Lord,
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they fulfill His worship in the correct manner,
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and they realize the reality of this world and what is required of them within it.
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Allah, the Glorified, has described Himself
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as possessing both creation and command.
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Every known thing other than Allah
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is either a creation or a command.
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The verse clarifies that the source of creation and command
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is Allah, the possessor of the beautiful names and sublime attributes.
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Therefore, enumerating the attributes
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is the foundation for enumerating all known things,
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because all information is linked to the attributes and follows from them.
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Second:
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One infers from what is known of the attributes of Allah, the Almighty,
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the nature of what He decrees and the laws He legislates.
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For the decrees and laws of Allah revolve between justice and grace,
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wisdom and mercy.
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Whoever knows this about his Lord
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will not harbor evil thoughts about Him, the Glorified,
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nor will he object to His decrees or His laws.
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Third:
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The close connection between the attributes of Allah, the Almighty,
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and the outward and inward acts of worship they necessitate.
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For every attribute, there is a specific form of servitude
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that is among the requirements of knowing it and realizing that knowledge.
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As will become clear in the fruits of knowing the names and attributes.
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Fourth:
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Contemplating the meanings of the names of Allah and realizing His attributes, the Almighty and Majestic,
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assists in contemplating the Book of Allah, the Almighty,
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which we are commanded to do in more than one of His verses.
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As the Almighty said:
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"A blessed Book which We have revealed to you, that they might reflect upon its verses,"
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"and that those of understanding would be reminded."
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Fifth:
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A servant's lack of knowledge regarding the names and attributes of Allah
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results in evil effects and dire consequences in his life.
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Sixth:
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True knowledge of the names and attributes of Allah
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is the fundamental building block of Islamic upbringing,
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as the young Muslim is raised upon the belief that Allah is the Creator, the Originator,
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the Provider, the Giver of benefit, the Bringer of harm,
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the Giver of life, the Bringer of death, the Master of the Day of Judgment and Recompense, and so on.
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This has immense fruits in the heart of the believer, his worship, his conduct, and his character.