Allah’s Names & Attributes

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «إن لله تِسْعَةً، وتِسْعِينَ، اسْمًا، مِائَةً إلا واحدا مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دخل الجنة».

This Hadīth states that Allah, the Almighty, has ninety-nine names, and that whoever memorizes them all, believes in their meanings, and acts according to their implications, in matters other than those reserved exclusively for Allah, the Almighty, will enter Paradise. Making an oath by any of these names is permissible and binding. Consequently, one must offer expiation if he broke an oath sworn by one of the names of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Ever Merciful, or by one of His attributes such as His Face, Greatness, Grandeur, and Might.

صحيح البخاري، المحقق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، المحقق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. شرح رياض الصالحين، محمد بن صالح العثيمين، الناشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الطبعة: 1426 هـ. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام شرح بلوغ المرام، محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأُم إسراء بنت عرفة، المكتبة الإسلامية، القاهرة، الطبعة الأولى ، 1427هـ. توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة، الطبعة الخامسة، 1423. تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، صالح الفوزان، اعتناء عبد السلام السلمان، الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1427. منحة العلام شرح بلوغ المرام، عبد الله الفوزان، دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة الأولى، 1428. بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام، أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، تحقيق وتخريج وتعليق: سمير بن أمين الزهيري، الناشر: دار الفلق، الرياض، الطبعة: السابعة، 1424 هـ.

عن عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه عن النبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قَالَ: «لا يدخلُ الجنةَ مَن كان في قلبه مِثقال ذرةٍ من كِبر» فقال رجل: إنّ الرجلَ يحب أن يكون ثوبه حسنا، ونَعله حسنة؟ قال: «إنّ الله جميلٌ يحب الجمالَ، الكِبر: بَطَرُ الحق وغَمْطُ الناس».

Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Anyone has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise." This Hadīth conveys a stern warning, which requires a detailed explanation based on Shariah evidence. If one's arrogance involves rejection of the truth and hatred towards it, this one is a disbeliever who will abide eternally in Hellfire and will never enter Paradise. Allah, the Exalted, said: {That is because they disliked what Allah revealed, so He rendered worthless their deeds} [Sūrat Muhammad: 9]. If one's arrogance is about behaving haughtily and proudly towards people but does not prevent him from worshiping Allah, he will be subject to the warning mentioned in the Hadīth and thus will not enter Paradise with the first batch admitting it without being punished beforehand. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said this Hadīth, a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, what if one likes his clothes and shoes to look good, would this be an act of arrogance?" So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty", meaning that He is beautiful in His essence, actions, and attributes. Everything comes from Allah, the Almighty, is beautiful and not ugly in the least. "He loves beauty", means that He loves man to look beautiful in his clothes, shoes, body, and all his affairs. That is because beautification attracts people to the person and makes them love him; unlike ugliness in one's hair or clothes.

بهجة شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي. تطريز رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف فيصل آل مبارك، تحقيق د. عبدالعزيز آل حمد، دار العاصمة-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1423هـ. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين؛ للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير-دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. شرح أسماء الله الحسنى في ضوء الكتاب والسنة؛ تأليف د. سعيد القحطاني. الناشر: مطبعة سفير - الرياض. شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن-الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبدالباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. فتح الباري بشرح صحيح البخاري؛ للحافظ أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، دار المعرفة-بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ المُؤْمِنين رضي الله عنها زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ اللهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ، وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى الْعُنْفِ، وَمَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى مَا سِوَاهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), to be gentle, informing that Allah deals gently and kindly with His servants and wants ease for them, not hardship. He does not burden them beyond their capacity and loves that His servant adopts gentleness and ease in dealing with others, avoiding harshness or severity. He added that Allah Almighty grants for gentleness and kindness in this world a praiseworthy reputation, attainment of goals, and ease in pursuing one's affairs. And in the Hereafter, He grants a great reward, greater than what He gives for violence, harshness, or severity, because gentleness brings results that nothing else can bring.

• Encouraging gentleness and prohibiting violence.
• The high status of gentleness among the noble traits of character.
• The gentle person deserves beautiful praise and great reward from Allah Almighty.
• As-Sindi said: Harshness stands in opposition to gentleness. One who calls people to guidance with gentleness and kindness is better than one who calls with severity and harshness, as long as the situation responds equally to both approaches. But if the situation only responds to one of the two, then that which suits the situation becomes necessary. And Allah knows best the true reality of every situation.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2003) (2593). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 683). المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، للنووي (16/ 145).

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَبْيٌ، فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْيِ قَدْ تَحْلُبُ ثَدْيَهَا تَسْقِي، إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًّا فِي السَّبْيِ أَخَذَتْهُ، فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ، فَقَالَ لَنَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَتُرَوْنَ هَذِهِ طَارِحَةً وَلَدَهَا فِي النَّارِ؟» قُلْنَا: لاَ، وَهِيَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَلَّا تَطْرَحَهُ، فَقَالَ: «لَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا».

Some captives from the tribe of Hawāzin were brought to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Among them was a woman searching for her child. Whenever she found a child, she would take him and breastfeed him due to the pain from milk accumulating in her breast. Eventually, she found her own son among the captives, so she took him, stuck him to her chest, and breastfed him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then said to his Companions: Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire? We said: No, she would never do this willingly. He said: Indeed, Allah is more merciful to His Muslim servants than this woman to her child.

• Allah's vast mercy towards His servants, and that He wants for them goodness, Paradise, and salvation from Hellfire.
• Benefiting from events and linking them to guidance and teaching.
• A believer should have good expectations of Allah and not despair, as long as he fears Allah and remains steadfast in his religion, for Allah Almighty is the Possessor of vast mercy.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 8) (5999). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2109) (2754). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 380). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص284).

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَامَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِخَمْسِ كَلِمَاتٍ، فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا يَنَامُ، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ، يَخْفِضُ القِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ، يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ، وَعَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ، حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ -وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: النَّارُ- لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ».

The Prophet (ﷺ) stood as a preacher among his Companions and delivered five complete statements, which were: First: Allah Almighty does not sleep. Second: It is impossible for Him to sleep, due to the perfection of His Self-Subsistence and Everlasting Life. Third: Allah Almighty lowers and raises the Scales according to the deeds of His servants that ascend to Him, and according to the provisions that descend from Him to the earth. Thus, the sustenance—which is the allotted share of every creature—He decreases it for some, constricting it, and increases it for others, expanding it as He wills. Fourth: The deeds of the servants are raised to Him—the deeds done at night are lifted before the coming of the following day, and the deeds done during the day are lifted before the coming of the following night. Thus, the guardian angels ascend with the record of the night's deeds after its end at the beginning of the day, and they ascend with the record of the day's deeds after its end at the beginning of the night. Fifth: His Veil—exalted be He—is what prevents His being seen; it is light or fire. If He were to uncover it, the glory of His Face would burn everything of His creation as far as His Sight reaches. Indeed, the glory of His Face is His Light, Majesty, and Splendor. The meaning is: if He were to remove and lift the barrier that prevents seeing Him—that is, the Veil—and were to manifest Himself to His creation, the glory of His Face would burn everything His Sight reaches, which includes all creatures, as His Sight encompasses all created beings.

• Highlighting the fact that sleeping is impossible for Allah Almighty because it is an imperfection, and He is far exalted above all deficiencies.
• Allah Almighty honors whom He wills and humiliates whom He wills, and He guides whom He wills and leads astray whom He wills among His servants.
• Deeds are raised to Allah every day and every night, which encourages the servants to feel watchfulness of Allah Almighty both in their day and their night.
• The Hadīth indicates Allah's justice and His perfect management of His creations' affairs—and without a doubt, this is among the attributes of His absolute perfection, Glorified and Exalted be He.
• Affirmation that Allah Almighty has a veil—a barrier of light between Him and His creation—and were it not for this veil, they would be burned.
• Al-Ājurri said: People of the truth describe Allah Almighty with what He has described Himself and with what His Messenger (ﷺ) described Him, and with what the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) described Him, and this is the methodology of the scholars who have complied and did not innovate in religion. End of quote. So, Ahl-us-Sunnah establish for Allah what He has established for Himself of the names and attributes without Tahrīf (distortion), Ta‘tīl (negation), Takyīf (asking how), or Tamthīl (likening). They negate from Allah what He has negated from Himself and keep silent regarding what has neither been negated nor established. Allah Almighty says: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.}
• The light that is His attribute—Exalted be He—is different from the light with which He veiled Himself. The veil of light is a created light, whereas the light of Allah is a light befitting Him and His essence; there is nothing like unto Him. What the Prophet (ﷺ) saw was only the veil that exists between Allah and His servants.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 161) (179). شرح المرقاة (1/128). فتح المنعم (1/581). البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (5/ 82).