Attributes of Allah(SWT)

Attributes Of Allah (SWT)
All the above explanations have made it very clear that Allah (SWT) is:
􀂃 One, Unique with Absolute attributes
􀂃 The Creator of this splendid Universe and everything in it
􀂃 The One with Power over everything.
In order to understand Tawheed further, we also need to know what the attributes
of Allah (SWT) are.
These Attributes of Allah (SWT) have been grouped as positive and negative.
The positive attributes which are befitting Allah (SWT) are called
Sifaat al-Subutiyya.
The negative attributes which can NEVER be found in Allah (SWT) because
these are below His Dignity are called Sifaat al-Salbiyyah.

Sifaat al-Subutiyya
Sifaat al-Subutiyya are the positive attributes which are befitting Allah (SWT).
These are many in number but eight of them are usually listed. They are:
1. QADEEM
􀃆 Allah (SWT) is ETERNAL. He has neither a beginning nor an end. Unlike us,
there was a time we weren’t there, then we were born and one day we will die.
He was always there, and will always remain.
2. QAADIR
􀃆 Allah is OMNIPOTENT. He has power over everything, and everyone.
Hence, when we are afraid of something or someone, we should pray to Allah
(SWT) for help, and not turn to someone like Superman who isn’t real.
3. AALIM
􀃆 Allah is ALL KNOWING. Nothing can be kept a secret from Allah (SWT).
He knows what you shout, what you whisper, even what you think without
saying out loud. He knows when you are good and when you are bad.
He knows if you are telling the truth and when you are lying. He knows when
you are happy and when you are sad. He knows when you need help and He
helps you. He knows everything.
4. HAYY
􀃆 Allah (SWT) is ALIVE and will remain alive forever. Without Allah (SWT),
nothing can survive in this world. He looks after everything and everyone. He
makes sure everything works properly. When we die, we will return to Him.
5. MUREED
􀃆 Allah (SWT) is FREE and has His own discretion in all affairs. He does not
do anything under compulsion. He made everything, and everything belongs to
Him. He can do whatever He likes without having to ask anyone.
6. MUDRIK
􀃆 Allah (SWT) is ALL SEEING and ALL HEARING although He has neither
eyes nor ears. There is nowhere that you can hide where He can not see you.
There is nothing that you can say which He cannot hear, even if you whisper it
ever so softly.
7. MUTAKALLIM
􀃆 Allah (SWT) is the MASTER of the WORD. He can create speech in
anything as He did in the tree for Prophet Musa and in the ‘curtain of light’ for
the Holy Prophet (S).
8. SADIQ
􀃆 Allah is TRUTHFUL. He never lies and He always keeps His Promises.

Sifaat al-Salbiyyah
Sifaat al-Salbiyyah are the negative attributes that can not be found in Allah
(SWT).
Some of these Negative Attributes of Allah (SWT) are:
1. SHAREEK
Allah (SWT) has neither a COLLEAGUE nor a PARTNER. We recite in Sura
Ikhlas that there is only One God. He is totally independent. He has no parents or
children. A person who believes that Allah has a partner is called a Mushrik.
2. MURAKKAB
COMPOUND or MIXED. Allah (SWT) is not made of anything. He can not be
divided even in the imagination.
3. MAKAAN
It means PLACE. Allah (SWT) is not confined to a particular place for he has no
body. He is not at a fixed place. He is everywhere.
4. HULOOL
Meaning ENTERING. Nothing can enter Allah (SWT) nor does He enter
anything or anybody. Thus, what the Christians believe about Jesus is wrong.
5. MAHALE HAWADIS
SUBJECT to CHANGE. Allah (SWT) never changes. He has no body and so
He has no need to change.
6. MAR’I
VISIBLE. Allah (SWT) is not visible. He has not been seen nor will He ever be
seen because He has no body.
7. IHTIYAJ
DEPENDENCE or NEED. Allah (SWT) does not depend on anybody. He does
not need anything. He is totally Independent (Samad).
8. SIFAAT ZAID
ADDED QUALIFICATION. The attributes of Allah are not separate from His
Being. For instance, when we say that Allah (SWT) is Aalim, it does not mean
that His knowledge is separate from His Existence. There has never been a time
when Allah (SWT) has had less knowledge.
The following anecdote illustrates further the Nature of Allah (SWT).

Anecdote: Bahlul vs. Abu Hanifa
Abu Hanifa was once giving lessons to his disciples and disclosed to them his
disagreement on three things which Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A) had been teaching:
Firstly:
Satan would go to hell. How this could happen when Satan himself was created
from fire and how could fire burn fire?
Secondly:
Allah (SWT) is not to be seen. Why can we not see Allah (SWT) when
everything in existence can be seen?
Thirdly:
Every person is responsible for his actions and not Allah (SWT). Experience
shows the opposite that every action of man is caused by Allah (SWT); man has
no control over it.
When Bahlul heard of this, he picked up a lump of mud and threw it at the
forehead of Abu Hanifa. He then tried to quickly run away from the scene but the
disciples of Abu Hanifa managed to arrest him. They dragged him before the
Caliph and lodged their complaint of what he had done.
Before the case was to be convened, Bahlul requested that Abu Hanifa should
also be present in the court. When he arrived, Bahlul put forward to him the
following question.
Bahlul: “What injury did you receive from me?”
Abu Hanifa: “My head hurts as a result of the lump of mud you threw at me.”
Bahlul: “Show me the pain.”
Abu Hanifa: “How can the pain which is invisible be shown?”
Bahlul: “But you had yourself argued before your disciples that what is in
existence is possible to be seen with naked eyes. And also the fact that the lump
of mud injured you is also untrue because according to your belief, how could
something made of earth and mud injure and cause pain to man, who is made of
earth?”
Bahlul concludes: “You had also argued that whatever actions committed by
man are caused by Allah (SWT). Therefore, why complain against me for hitting
you?”
On hearing these words from Bahlul, Abu Hanifa was ashamed and
dumbfounded. He had no choice but to withdraw from the court.
In this manner, Bahlul adequately replied and solved the three objections raised
by Abu Hanifa before his disciples.
The practical lesson taught by Bahlul to Abu Hanifa was so profound and logical
that it dumbfounded him. Indeed it was a lesson of pure Tawheed, as expounded
by the Ahl al Bayt (A) of the Holy Prophet (S), but presented in a practical form
by Bahlul – the intelligent companion of the 6th Imam (A).
􀃆 Who was Bahlul?
Bahlul was the common name of Wahab bin Amr, the student of the 6th Imam (A)
and also a companion of the 7th Imam (A). He lived during the time of the Caliph
Harun al-Rashid. Bahlul was a well known judge and scholar who came from a
wealthy background.
Becoming Bahlul
Harun had begun a crackdown against the followers of Imam al-Kadhim (A),
who was at that time in prison. Wahab and a few others met the Imam (A) and
sought advice.
The Imam replied with the simple Arabic letter ‘Jeem’. Each of these
companions took their own interpretation of the letter: Jala ul watan (Exile), Jabl
(Refuge in the mountains), and in the case of Bahlul Junoon (Insanity).
The next day he left his wealthy life, and wearing rags and came into the streets.
He played in the streets with little kids using sticks and other objects. He was
soon given the name Bahlul by the people of Baghdad.
Who was Abu Hanifa?
Abu Hanifa was a student of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A). He was once asked the
question: How old are you? and he replied that he was 2 years. The person asking
him told him that he had certainly been around for more than 2 years. Abu Hanifa
replied: ‘My age is that which I spent under Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A).’ He had
studied under the guidance of 6th Imam (A) for two years.