✦ The Importance of Allah’s Names and Attributes in Attaining Divine Knowledge ✦
Derived from: Fatawa of the Scholars of Hadith, Volume 9
How can one attain the knowledge (maʿrifah) of Allah?
The knowledge of Allah ﷻ is most effectively attained through understanding His Names and Attributes (Asma wa Sifat). Recognizing who Allah is by learning His Names develops love, reverence, and fear of Him in the heart of the believer, deeply influencing one’s behavior and deeds.
✔ Human Analogy:
When we learn that a person is immensely generous and grants to anyone who asks, we are drawn to such a person and admire them.
Likewise, knowing that a ruler governs with justice makes people honor his laws and benefit from his system.
✔ Knowing Allah’s Attributes:
When a believer learns that Allah is the Owner of the universe, the Most Merciful, the Most Just, it instills both love and awe of Allah in the heart.
﴿مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّـهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾
“They did not appraise Allah with true appraisal. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, Almighty.”
(Surah Al-Hajj: 74)
﴿وَلِلَّـهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ﴾
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His Names.”
(Surah Al-A‘raf: 180)
✔ His Throne and Footstool:
Our knowledge about Allah is limited. It is narrated that the seven heavens, compared to Allah’s Kursi (Footstool), are like seven coins in a large shield.
﴿الرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ﴾
“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.”
(Surah Taha: 5)
✔ Limitations of Human Knowledge:
﴿وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ﴾
“And they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 255)
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
(Surah Ash-Shura: 11)
Allah’s Attributes are incomparable and cannot resemble those of the creation.
✔ Allah has introduced Himself through His Names and Attributes, and belief in them is obligatory.
✔ However, understanding the exact nature of His Attributes is beyond human capacity.
﴿وَلِلَّـهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا﴾
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.”
(Surah Al-A‘raf: 180)
Whoever learns and acts upon these 99 Names will be worthy of Paradise.
✔ The human intellect can recognize the existence of Allah,
✘ but it cannot grasp His true essence.
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ﴾
“There is nothing like unto Him.”
Understanding and believing in the Names and Attributes of Allah is essential for attaining true knowledge (maʿrifah) of Him. This knowledge enhances our deeds and draws us closer to our Creator.
We must avoid all forms of distortion or misinterpretation of His Names, and we should invoke Him through them, as He has commanded.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Derived from: Fatawa of the Scholars of Hadith, Volume 9
❖ Question:
How can one attain the knowledge (maʿrifah) of Allah?
❖ Answer:
The knowledge of Allah ﷻ is most effectively attained through understanding His Names and Attributes (Asma wa Sifat). Recognizing who Allah is by learning His Names develops love, reverence, and fear of Him in the heart of the believer, deeply influencing one’s behavior and deeds.
❖ Significance of Knowing His Names and Attributes:
✔ Human Analogy:
When we learn that a person is immensely generous and grants to anyone who asks, we are drawn to such a person and admire them.
Likewise, knowing that a ruler governs with justice makes people honor his laws and benefit from his system.
✔ Knowing Allah’s Attributes:
When a believer learns that Allah is the Owner of the universe, the Most Merciful, the Most Just, it instills both love and awe of Allah in the heart.
❖ Guidance from the Qur'an:
﴿مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّـهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾
“They did not appraise Allah with true appraisal. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, Almighty.”
(Surah Al-Hajj: 74)
❖ Prohibition of Altering the Names and Attributes:
﴿وَلِلَّـهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ﴾
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His Names.”
(Surah Al-A‘raf: 180)
❖ Means of Gaining Knowledge of Allah ﷻ:
✔ His Throne and Footstool:
Our knowledge about Allah is limited. It is narrated that the seven heavens, compared to Allah’s Kursi (Footstool), are like seven coins in a large shield.
﴿الرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ﴾
“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.”
(Surah Taha: 5)
✔ Limitations of Human Knowledge:
﴿وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ﴾
“And they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 255)
❖ No Likeness to the Creation:
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
(Surah Ash-Shura: 11)
Allah’s Attributes are incomparable and cannot resemble those of the creation.
❖ Belief in the Divine Essence:
✔ Allah has introduced Himself through His Names and Attributes, and belief in them is obligatory.
✔ However, understanding the exact nature of His Attributes is beyond human capacity.
❖ Al-Asma al-Husna (The Beautiful Names of Allah):
﴿وَلِلَّـهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا﴾
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.”
(Surah Al-A‘raf: 180)
Whoever learns and acts upon these 99 Names will be worthy of Paradise.
❖ Some Notable Names of Allah ﷻ:
- ٱلْوَاحِد (Al-Wāḥid): The One
- ٱلْأَحَد (Al-Aḥad): The Indivisible
- ٱلصَّمَد (Aṣ-Ṣamad): The Self-Sufficient
- ٱلرَّحْمَٰن (Ar-Raḥmān): The Most Merciful
- ٱلرَّحِيم (Ar-Raḥīm): The Continuously Merciful
- ٱلرَّزَّاق (Ar-Razzāq): The Provider
- ٱلْعَلِيم (Al-ʿAlīm): The All-Knowing
- ٱلْعَزِيز (Al-ʿAzīz): The Almighty
❖ Intellect and the Knowledge of Allah ﷻ:
✔ The human intellect can recognize the existence of Allah,
✘ but it cannot grasp His true essence.
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ﴾
“There is nothing like unto Him.”
❖ Conclusion:
Understanding and believing in the Names and Attributes of Allah is essential for attaining true knowledge (maʿrifah) of Him. This knowledge enhances our deeds and draws us closer to our Creator.
We must avoid all forms of distortion or misinterpretation of His Names, and we should invoke Him through them, as He has commanded.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
