Islamic Theology: Understanding Allah

Attributes of Allāh

• Every accountable person must know what absolutely must be true of Allāh, what cannot be true of Allāh, and what may be true of Allāh.
• This knowledge also applies to the Messenger, upon whom be Peace and Blessings.

Power (al-Qudra)

• Power is an eternal attribute of Allāh by which He brings what has the possibility of existence into existence, or annihilates it, according to His Will.
• He created all actions of creation, including blasphemy, belief, obedience, disobedience, sickness, and health.
• All created things fall under His Will and Power.
• His Power is related to those things which are possible to the sound intellect, but not to the impossible, which refers to propositions that involve a contradiction in terms.

Will (al-Irāda)

• Will is an eternal attribute of Allāh by which He specifies things with what is possible.
• It relates to all things that may be, whether they exist or not.
• His Will is not related to the impossible, which cannot ever be.

Blasphemy

• Saying that Allāh has a son is blasphemy because it implies a flaw in His absolute ownership of everything.
• It is incompatible with the concept of believing in one Creator who has absolute ownership of His creation.
• Saying "Allāh can have a son" or "Allāh cannot have a son" is also blasphemy, as it implies a flaw in His attribute of godhood.

Knowledge (al-Ilm)

• Allāh's Knowledge pertains to all that exists, including what must be, what cannot be, and what may be.
• Nothing is hidden from His Knowledge, including what has been, what is now, and what will be.
• His Knowledge is not limited by time or space, and is not dependent on cause and effect.

Life (al-Ĥayāt)

• Allāh's Life is not related to anything and does not have the possibility of beginning or end.
• It is not like the life of created things and is not dependent on a body or soul.

Hearing (al-Sam‘) and Sight (al-Başar)

• Allāh's Hearing and Sight pertain to all that exists and is not limited by instruments, distance, or time.
• His Hearing and Sight are not sequential, unlike created hearing and seeing.
• His attributes are not dependent on anything and are not changed by anything.

Speech (al-Kalām)

• Allāh's Speech pertains to whatever His Knowledge pertains to, and is not limited by letter or sound.
• It is an eternal attribute of Allāh that is not dependent on time or space.### al-Sanūsiyya
• The text is a translation and commentary of al-Sanūsiyya by Abū Abdullah Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Sanūsī al-Mālikī (d. 795 Hijrah)
• The book is divided into sections, including Introduction, The Sanūsiyya, The Attributes of Allāh, The Messengers of Allāh, and Conclusion

Introduction

• The author begins by praising Allāh and seeking His help and blessing
• The author declares their belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allāh and the importance of the science of belief
• The author quotes a hadith (narration) about the disappearance of knowledge in the future

The Disappearance of Knowledge

• The hadith reports that the Prophet Muḥammad was asked how knowledge can disappear when they have copies of the Qur’ān and have learned from them
• The Prophet replied that the Jews and Christians have their scriptures, but they did not learn from them what their Prophets brought them
• The author quotes Abū Ja‘far al-Ţaźāwī, who narrated from the companion of the Prophet, Shaddād ibn ‘Aws, that the first knowledge that will disappear is khushū’ (submission and humbleness to Allāh)
• al-Ţaźāwī defined khushū’ as submission and humbleness to Allāh, which appears on those who have it, as stated in the Qur’ān about the Companions of the Prophet

The Importance of the Science of Belief

• The author emphasizes the importance of the science of belief in understanding the Oneness of Allāh and the attributes of Allāh
• The author highlights the need for accountable individuals to have required knowledge about Allāh and the Messengers

Test your knowledge of Islamic theology and understand the essential aspects of Allah's unity, attributes, and the relationship between knowledge and the Messenger.