Back to search

Is there a disagreement among the Sunnis regarding the specific, existing thing with Allah, comprising letters and meanings, being His speech and attributes and exclusive to Him? And did Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mention the existence of a dispute on this issue in Naqd al-Ta’sees or Majmoo’ al-Fatawa?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Additions to Allah are of two types: 1. Entities: Such as Allah's House (Kaaba), Allah's she-camel, Allah's servant, and Allah's spirit (Ruh Allah). These are created and owned by Allah, and the attribution here is one of honor and specificity, not an attribution of an attribute inherent in Allah's essence. 2. Attributes: Such as knowledge, power, speech, life, pleasure, and wrath. The attribution here indicates that these are attributes inherent in Allah's essence and are not created.

Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah distinguish between these two types. Allah's attributes are not created, while the created things attributed to Him are not attributes inherent in His essence.

Two groups have erred in this matter: The Mu'attilah (negators of attributes, like the Jahmiyyah): They claimed that all attributions to Allah are an attribution of ownership and are created, and they denied that Allah has attributes inherent in His essence. The Hululiyyah (incarnationists): They said that what is attributed to Allah can be an ancient, eternal attribute of His, even if it is separate from Him. Some of them erred by making created entities ancient and eternal attributes of Allah.

Ahlus-Sunnah differentiate between creatures and Allah's attributes. Allah's attributes, inherent in Him, are not created. He, Exalted be He, is described with attributes of perfection, free from imperfections. There is nothing like Him in His essence, His attributes, or His actions.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy