Belief Regarding the Noble Attributes and Unique Characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
Question:
What should be the belief regarding the noble attributes (ṣifāt jalīlah) and unique characteristics (khaṣāʾiṣ ʿāliyyah) of the Prophet ﷺ?
Answer:
The noble attributes and unique characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ are mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is obligatory to believe in them, and it is not permissible to reject them. The special characteristics of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ cannot be invented by anyone; rather, they are tawqīfī (established only through divine revelation). Thus, authentic evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and consensus of the Ummah is required for affirming them.
❀ ʿAllāmah Ibn Ḥajar al-Haythamī رحمه الله (d. 974H) said:
إن وصفه صلى الله عليه وسلم بغير صفته تكذيب له؛ ويؤخذ منه أن كل صفة أجمعوا على ثبوتها له يكون إنكارها كفرا.
"To describe the Prophet ﷺ with a quality that does not belong to him is to deny him. From this it is also understood that denying any attribute upon which there is consensus among scholars regarding its affirmation for him amounts to disbelief."
(Al-Zawājir ʿan Iqtirāf al-Kabāʾir: 1/47)
The pious predecessors (salaf) explained the noble attributes of the Prophet ﷺ in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah. Those inclined towards exaggeration continue to invent attributes for him that are neither mentioned in the Qur’an or Sunnah nor known to the salaf. The falsity of such claims is evident, for had these truly been from the attributes of the Prophet ﷺ, the salaf—being the most loving towards him and the most knowledgeable of Sharīʿah—would certainly have affirmed them.
❀ Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله (d. 1420H) said:
خصوصياته صلى الله عليه وسلم إنما تثبت بالنص الصحيح، فلا تثبت بالنص الضعيف ولا بالقياس والأهواء...
"The special characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ are only established through authentic texts. They are not established through weak reports, analogy, or desires. In this matter, people are on two extremes: some deny many authentic characteristics because, in their view, they are not mutawātir, or they do not align with their reasoning; while others affirm for him attributes that are not established at all, such as claiming he was the first creation, that he had no shadow, that his footsteps left no marks on sand but did on rock, and other such falsehoods. The balanced approach is to say: the Prophet ﷺ was human, as proven by Qur’an, Sunnah, and consensus of the Ummah, and he is to be affirmed only with those attributes and characteristics that are proven through authentic texts. Once a quality or characteristic is established, it is obligatory to accept it."
(Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 1/158)
