❖ Do Attributed (ʿAṭāʾī) Attributes Fall Under Shirk? Qurʾānic and Ḥadīth-Based Analysis
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Bāb: Bayān ʿAqāʾid, Vol. 1, p. 62
If a person says:
“If Allāh grants any of His attributes to someone, it will not be shirk, because such an attribute will be ʿaṭāʾī (granted), whereas Allāh possesses His attributes inherently (dhātī).”
For example, Allāh inherently possesses the knowledge of the unseen (ʿilm al-ghayb), and the Prophet ﷺ knows the unseen through a granted (ʿaṭāʾī) knowledge.
Is this correct in light of the Qurʾān and Ḥadīth? Does an ʿaṭāʾī attribute also count as shirk or not?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
If someone claims:
“If Allāh grants one of His attributes to someone, it will not be shirk,”
— the foundation of this statement rests on the assumption that Allāh can and has granted one of His own attributes to another being.
Therefore, the first and foremost question to ask such a person is:
◈ Has Allāh really granted one of His exclusive attributes — for example, ʿilm al-ghayb — to anyone else?
◈ Is there any evidence for this claim from the Qurʾān or the authentic aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ?
The question of whether such an attribute constitutes shirk comes later. The primary matter is to establish — based on clear Qurʾānic or authentic Ḥadīth evidence — whether Allāh has actually shared any of His exclusive, inherent attributes with anyone.
Conclusion:
Without explicit evidence from the Qurʾān or authentic Ḥadīth, it is unacceptable and incorrect to ascribe any of Allāh’s inherent attributes to anyone else, or to claim that Allāh has made someone a partner in His exclusive attributes.
Allāh knows best what is correct.
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Bāb: Bayān ʿAqāʾid, Vol. 1, p. 62
Question:
If a person says:
“If Allāh grants any of His attributes to someone, it will not be shirk, because such an attribute will be ʿaṭāʾī (granted), whereas Allāh possesses His attributes inherently (dhātī).”
For example, Allāh inherently possesses the knowledge of the unseen (ʿilm al-ghayb), and the Prophet ﷺ knows the unseen through a granted (ʿaṭāʾī) knowledge.
Is this correct in light of the Qurʾān and Ḥadīth? Does an ʿaṭāʾī attribute also count as shirk or not?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
If someone claims:
“If Allāh grants one of His attributes to someone, it will not be shirk,”
— the foundation of this statement rests on the assumption that Allāh can and has granted one of His own attributes to another being.
Therefore, the first and foremost question to ask such a person is:
◈ Has Allāh really granted one of His exclusive attributes — for example, ʿilm al-ghayb — to anyone else?
◈ Is there any evidence for this claim from the Qurʾān or the authentic aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ?
The question of whether such an attribute constitutes shirk comes later. The primary matter is to establish — based on clear Qurʾānic or authentic Ḥadīth evidence — whether Allāh has actually shared any of His exclusive, inherent attributes with anyone.
Conclusion:
Without explicit evidence from the Qurʾān or authentic Ḥadīth, it is unacceptable and incorrect to ascribe any of Allāh’s inherent attributes to anyone else, or to claim that Allāh has made someone a partner in His exclusive attributes.
Allāh knows best what is correct.
