صِفَاتُAttributesاللَّهِof Allah
The Attributes of Allah
لَاNoهُوَHeهُوَHe
No, He is not, He is not.
صِفَتُهُHis attributeلَاdoes notوَلَاand notغَيْرَهُanotherعَلَىinمَعْنَىthe senseأَنَّهُthat Heلَاdoes notيَزَايِلُهُseparate from himكَوْنُthe existenceالشَّيْءِof a thingعَيْنٌthe essenceالشَّيْءِof a thingوَلَاand notهُوَHeغَيْرُهُanotherوَلَمْAnd notنَرِيدwe meanبِهِby itالشَّبِيهَthe similarوَإِنَّمَاbut ratherأَرَدْنَاwe wantedبِهِby itلُطْفَthe kindnessالْكَلَامِof speech
His attributes do not separate from Him in the sense that He does not separate from the existence of a thing, nor is He another, and we do not mean the similar, but we wanted by it the kindness of speech.
وَسُئِلَAnd it was askedأَبُوAbuمَنْصُورٍMansourعَنْaboutصِفَاتِthe attributesاللَّهِof Allahتَعَالَىthe Exalted
And it was asked to Abu Mansour about the attributes of Allah, the Exalted.
مَاWhatهِيَare؟
What are they?
قَالَHe said:لَاNoهُوَHeوَلَاand notغَيْرُهُanotherقِيلَIt was said to himلَهُto him:وَلَاand notهُوَHeوَلَاand notغَيْرُهُanotherمَاWhatهُوَis He?؟
He said: No, He is not and not another. It was said to him: And not He, and not another, what is He?
قَالَHe said:صِفَاتُهُHis attributesلَاdo notمُجَاوِزَةٌsurpassعَنْbeyondهَذَاthisثُمَّThenيَجُوزُit is permissibleأَنْtoيُقَالَsayعَالِمٌknowledgeableبِعِلْمِهِby His knowledgeوَقَادِرٌand capableبِقُدْرَتِهِby His abilityوَكَذَلِكَand similarlyفِيinجَمِيعِallصِفَاتِهِof His attributesالذَّاتِيَّةِessence
He said: His attributes do not surpass this. Then it is permissible to say knowledgeable by His knowledge, and capable by His ability, and similarly in all of His essential attributes.
لِأَنَّbecauseصِفَاتِهِHis attributesالذَّاتِيَّةِthe essenceكَمَاas
Because His attributes of essence, as they were eternal without any disagreement.
لَمْthere was notفِيinهَذَاthisالْلَّفْظِtermجِدَالٌdebateوَأَمَّاAs forفِيinصِفَاتِهِHis attributesالْفِعْلِيَّةِthe actions
There was no debate in this term, and as for His attributes of action,
فَلَاit is not permissibleيَجُوزُit is permissibleأَنْtoيُقَالَsayخَالِقٌcreatorبِخَلْقِهِby His creationلِتَمْكِنِto avoidاخْتِلَافٍthe disagreementأَصْحَابِthe followersالأَهْوَاءَthe desiresفِيهِin itلِكَيْso thatلَاnotيَقَعَfallفِيinالشَّبَهَاتِambiguities
It is not permissible to say creator by His creation, in order to avoid the disagreement of the followers of desires, so that ambiguities do not arise.
وَاخْتَلَفَتِAnd the scholars differedمَشَائِخُthe scholarsسَمَرْقَنْدَof Samarkandاحْتِرَازًاin avoidanceعَنْfromهَذَاthisأَيْضًاalsoقَالُواthey said:عَالِمٌknowledgeableهُوَHe isوَلَهُand to Himعِلْمٌknowledgeوَمَوْصُوفٌand describedبِهِby itفِيinالأَزَلِthe eternity,وَقَادِرٌand capableوَلَهُand to Himقُدْرَةٌabilityوَهُوَand He isمَوْصُوفٌdescribedبِهِby itفِيinالأَزَلِthe eternity,وَمُتَكَلِّمٌand speakerوَلَهُand to Himكَلَامٌspeechوَهُوَand He isمَوْصُوفٌdescribedبِهِby itفِيinالأَزَلِthe eternity
And the scholars of Samarkand differed in avoidance of this too. They said: He is knowledgeable, and He has knowledge that is described in eternity, and He is capable, and He has ability that is described in eternity, and He is a speaker, and He has speech that is described in eternity.
قَالُواThey saidلِأَنَّbecauseالْبَاءِthe letter 'b'تُوَهِّمُmay implyالْآلَةَthe toolsكَمَاasيُقَالُit is saidقَاطِعٌto cutبِالسَّكِّينِby knife,وَضَارِبٌand to strikeبِالسَّيْفِby sword,ثُمَّThenهَاهُنَاhereاخْتِلَافٌis a disagreementآخَرُanotherفِيinأَنْthatالْكَلَامَspeechمُحْدَثٌis newوَلَمْAnd notيُطْلِقُواthey calledعَلَيْهِto itاسْمٌa nameالْخَلْقِthe creationوَلَاand notفَرَّقُواthey differentiatedبَيْنَbetweenالْلَّفْظَيْنِthe two terms
They said: because the letter 'b' may imply the tools, as it is said to cut by knife and to strike by sword. Then here is another disagreement that speech is new.
احْتَجُّواThey arguedبِقَوْلِهِwith His wordsتَعَالَىthe ExaltedإِنَّاIndeedجَعَلْنَاهُwe made itقُرْآنًاa Qur'anعَرَبِيًّاin Arabic,فَالْجَعْلُthen the makingفِيinالْخَلْقِthe creationإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatهَذَاthisهُوَit isمِنْfromالْقَدَرِيَّةِthe Qadaritesوَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِand the Mu'tazilaلِأَنَّbecauseفِيinالْجَعْلِthe makingلَاnotيُنَبِّئُit indicatesعَنْaboutالْخَلْقِthe creationأَلَاindeedتَرَىdo you seeإِلَىtoقَوْلِهِHis sayingتَعَالَىthe Exaltedمُخْبِرًاinformingعَنْaboutإِغَاثَةِa reliefالضُّعَفَاءof the weak
They argued with His saying, the Exalted: Indeed, we made it a Qur'an in Arabic; then the making in creation is except that it is from the Qadarites and the Mu'tazila because the making does not indicate creation. Indeed, do you see to His saying, the Exalted, informing about the relief of the weak?