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Does Allah have the attributes of a side, a waist, light, and a smell?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The methodology of the Salaf regarding the chapter of Names and Attributes is to believe in everything that has been authentically reported about Allah in the two revelations (Qur'an and Sunnah), and to understand it according to the Arabic language. The chapter of narrations is broader than the chapter of attributes. It is authentically established in the Qur'an that Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth, and "side of Allah" (janb Allah) is mentioned, and it is authentically established in the Hadith that the womb (rahim) clung to the loincloth of the Most Merciful. As for "smelling" (ash-shamm), it has not been explicitly established as an attribute of Allah, and the Hadith "The smell of the fasting person's mouth is more pleasing to Allah than the scent of musk" may be interpreted as referring to its great value or reward. "In the side of Allah" (fi janb Allah), among the Arabs, means what is attributed to His path, His pleasure, and His obedience. The majority of Muslims have affirmed the Name "An-Noor" (The Light) for Allah the Almighty.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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