2.2.3 The Attributes Of God

Before speaking of the Divine attributes it will be necessary to warn the reader against a certain misconception as to the nature of the Divine Being. God is spoken of in the Holy Qur’an as seeing, hearing, speaking, being displeased, loving, being affectionate, grasping, controlling, etc; but the use of these words must not be taken in any sense as indicating an anthropomorphic conception of the Divine Being. For, He is plainly stated to be above all material conceptions: “Vision comprehends Him not and He comprehends all vision” (6:103). And He is not only above all material limitations but even above the limitation of metaphor: “Nothing is like Him” (42:11). To indicate His love, power, knowledge and other attributes, the same words had to be used as are in ordinary use for human beings, but the conception is not quite the same. Even the “hands” of God are spoken of in the Holy Qur’an (5:64), but it is simply to give expression to His unlimited power in bestowing His favours on whom He will. The word yad which means hand is also used metaphorically to indicate favour (ni‘ma) or protection (hifaza) (R.). Thus in 2:237 occur the words “in whose hand (yad) is the marriage tie,” where the word yad is used in a metaphorical sense. In the Nihaya, the word yad is explained as meaning hifz (protection) and difa‘ (defence) and in support of this is quoted the hadith which speaks of Gog and Magog in the words la-yadani li-ahad-in bi-qitalihim, which signify that no one shall have the power (yadan, lit., two hands) to fight with them. Hence the hands of God in 5:64 stand for His favours according to the Arabic idiom.

Another, and a greater, misunderstanding exists as to the meaning of the expression commonly translated as “uncovering of the leg” (kashf-‘ani-l-saq). Here is nothing but gross ignorance of Arabic idiom that has led some to translate it as such. The expression is used twice in the Holy Qur’an, once with regard to the queen of Sheba (27:44) and once passively without indicating the subject (68:42). It has never been used in relation to God. The word saq, which means shank, is used in the expression kashf ‘ani-l-saq in quite a different sense, for saq also means difficulty or distress, and the expression under discussion means either to prepare oneself to meet a difficulty or the disclosure of distress (TA., LL.).

God’s ‘Arsh or Throne is spoken of, yet does not signify any place, rather representing His control of things as a monarch’s throne is a symbol of his power to rule: “The ‘Arsh of Allah is one of the things which mankind knows not in reality but only in name, and it is not as the imaginations of the vulgar hold it to be … And it is taken as indicating might or power and authority and dominion” (R.). Istawa ‘ala-l-‘Arsh is the form which occurs more often in connection with the mention of ‘Arsh, and a reference to it is invariably made after mentioning the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in relation to the Divine control of creation, and the law and order to which the universe is made to submit by its great Author. Istawa followed by ‘ala means he had mastery or control of a thing or ascendency over it (R.). It is nowhere said in the Holy Qur’an that God sits on ‘Arsh; it is always His controlling power that is mentioned in connection therewith. A similar misunderstanding exists with regard to kursi (lit., throne or chair) which is also supposed by some to be a material thing, whereas no less an authority than Ibn ‘Abbas explains the word kursi as meaning ‘ilm or knowledge (Bai. 2:255), and even according to lexicologists kursi here may mean knowledge or kingdom (R.). Kursi and ‘Arsh, therefore, stand only for the knowledge and control of God.

Allah is the proper or personal name — ism dhat — of the Divine Being, as distinguished from all other names which are called asma’al-sifat or names denoting attributes. It is also known as the greatest name of God (ism a‘zam). Being a proper name it does not carry any significance, but being the proper name of the Divine Being it comprises all the attributes which are contained separately in the attributive names. Hence the name Allah is said to gather together in itself all the perfect attributes of God. The word Allah being a proper name is jamid, that is to say, it is not derived from any other word. Nor has it any connection with the word ilah (god or object of worship). It is sometimes said that Allah is a contracted form of al-ilah, but that is a mistake, for if al in Allah were an additional prefix, the form ya Allah, which is correct, would not have been permitted, since ya al-ilah or ya al-Rahman are not permissible. Moreover, this supposition would mean that there were different gods (aliha, pl. of ilah), one of which became gradually known as al-ilah and was then contracted into Allah. This is against facts, since Allah “has ever been the name of the Eternal Being” (DI.). Nor has the word Allah ever been applied to any but the Divine Being, according to all authorities on Arabic lexicology. The Arabs had numerous ilahs or gods but none of them was ever called Allah, while a Supreme Being called Allah was recognized above them all as the Creator of the universe (29:61), and no other deity, however great, was so regarded.

Among the attributive names of the Divine Being occurring in the Holy Qur’an, four stand out prominently, and these four are exactly the names mentioned in the Opening chapter (Fatihah), which by consensus of opinion, and according to a saying of the Holy Prophet, is the quintessence of the Book. The chapter opens with the proper name Allah, and then follows the greatest of all attributive names Rabb which, for want of a proper equivalent, is translated “Lord”. Its real significance, according to the best authority on Qur’anic lexicology, is the Fosterer of a thing in such a manner as to make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of completion (R.). Rabb, therefore, means the Lord Who brings all that is in this universe to a state of perfection through various stages of growth, and as these stages include the lowest and the remotest, which, as we go back farther and farther, dwindle into nothingness, the word Rabb carries with it the idea of the Author of all existence. Rabb, is thus the chief attribute of the Divine Being, and hence it is that prayers are generally addressed to Rabb, and begin with the words Rabba-na, that is, our Lord. Indeed after the proper name Allah, the Holy Qur’an has given the greatest prominence to the name Rabb.

The order adopted by the Holy Qur’an in speaking of the Divine attributes is a highly scientific one. Allah, the proper name, comes first of all in the Opening chapter, and this is followed by Rabb, the most important of the attributive names. Their relative importance is further shown by the fact that while the name Allah is found in the Holy Qur’an some 2,800 times, the name Rabb occurs about 960 times, no other name being so frequently mentioned. Next in importance to Rabb are the names Rahman, Rahim and Malik which follow Rabb in the opening chapter. These three names in fact show how the attribute of rabubiyya, or bringing to perfection by fostering, is brought into play. Rahman signifies that love is so predominant in the Divine nature that He bestows His favours and shows His mercy even though man has done nothing to deserve them. The granting of the means of subsistence for the development of physical life, and of Divine revelation for man’s spiritual growth, are due to this attribute of unbounded love in the Divine Being. Then follows the stage in which man takes advantage of these various means which help the development of his physical and spiritual life, and turns them to his use. It is at this stage that the third attribute of the Divine Being, Rahim, comes into play, whereby He rewards every effort made by man in the right direction; and since man is making constant and continual efforts, the attribute of mercy conveyed in the name Rahim is also displayed continually. This is true both as regards the physical and spiritual development of man. The Holy Prophet himself is reported to have said: “Al-Rahman is the Beneficent God Whose love and mercy are manifested in the creation of this world, and al-Rahim is the Merciful God Whose love and mercy are manifested in the state that comes after” (BM. I, p. 17).

To bring creation to perfection, however, the manifestation of yet another attribute is needed. As submission to the law results in the advancement of man which brings reward, disobedience to the law must result in retarding his progress or bringing down punishment upon him. In fact, the punishment of wrong is as necessary in the Divine scheme as is the reward of good, and punishment is really only a different phase of the exercise of the attribute of rabubiyyah (fostering); for ultimate good is still the object. Therefore, just as Rahim is needed to bring his reward to one who does good or submits to the law, there must be another attribute to bring about the requital of evil. Hence in the Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an, Rahim is followed by Maliki yaum al-din or “Master of the Day of Requital.” The adoption of the word Malik, or Master, in connection with the requital of evil is significant, as, ordinarily, it would be expected that there should be a judge to mete out the requital of evil. The essential difference between a judge and a master is that the former is bound to do justice and must punish the evil-doer for every evil, while the latter, the master, can exercise his discretion, and may either punish the evil-doer or forgive him and pass over even the greatest of his iniquities. This idea is fully developed in the Holy Qur’an, where we are repeatedly told that while good is rewarded ten times over or even more, evil is either forgiven or requited with its equivalent. In one place, indeed, the unbounded mercy of the Divine Being is said to be so great that “He forgives sins altogether” (39:53). Hence the attributive name Malik is introduced to link the idea of requital with that of forgiveness, and that is why, while the Opening chapter mentions the name Malik as the next in importance to Rahim, in the body of the Holy Qur’an it is the name Ghafur (Forgiving) which occupies that place of importance, the first two, Rahman and Rahim, along with the cognate verb forms, occurring some 560 times, and Ghafur, the next in point of frequency, occurring in its noun and verb forms about 230 times. Hence it will be seen that the Holy Qur’an gives prominence to the attributes of love and mercy in God to an extent whereof the parallel is not to be met with in any other revealed book.

From the explanations thus given of the four names Rabb, Rahman, Rahim and Malik, from the frequency of their mention in the Holy Qur’an, to which no approach is made by any other name, and from their mention in the Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an, it is clear that these four names are the chief attributive names of the Divine Being, and all His other attributes are but offshoots of these four essential attributes. On the basis of a report from Abu Hurairah, which, however, is regarded as weak (gharib) by Tirmidhi, ninety-nine names of God are generally mentioned, the hundredth being Allah; but while some of them occur in the Holy Qur’an, others are only inferred from some act of the Divine Being, as finding expression in the Holy Book. There is, however, no authority whatsoever for the practice of repeating these names on a rosary or otherwise. Neither the Holy Prophet, nor any of his Companions ever used a rosary. In the Holy Qur’an, it is said: “And Allah’s are the best names, so call on Him thereby, and leave alone those who violate the sanctity of His names” (7:180). The context shows that calling on God by His excellent names only means that nothing derogatory to His dignity should be attributed to Him; for, in the second part of the verse, those who violate the sanctity of the Divine names are rebuked, and the violation of the sanctity of the Divine names has been clearly explained to mean either ascribing to God attributes which do not befit His high dignity, or ascribing Divine attributes to that which is not Divine. Hence calling on God by His excellent names merely means that only those high attributes should be ascribed to Him which befit His dignity. The particular names of God mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are:

1. As relating to His person, al-Wahid or Ahad (the One), al-Haqq (the True), al-Quddus (the Holy), al-Samad (on Whom all depend while He does not depend on any), al-Ghani (the Self-sufficient), al-Awwal (the First), al-Akhir (the Last), al-Hayy (the Ever-living), al-Qayyum (the Self-subsisting).

2. As relating to the act of creation, al-Khaliq (the Creator), al-Bari’ (the Creator of the soul), al-Musawwir (the Fashioner of shapes), al-Badi‘ (the Originator).

3. As relating to the attributes of love and mercy, (besides Rabb, al-Rahman, and al-Rahim), al-Ra’uf (the Affectionate), al-Wadud (the Loving), al-Latif (the Benignant), al-Tawwab (the Oft-returning to mercy), al-Halim (the Forbearing), al-‘Afuww (the Pardoner), al-Shakur (the Multiplier of rewards), al-Salam (the Author of peace), al-Mu’min (the Granter of security), al-Barr (the Benign), Rafi‘ al-darajat (the Exalter of ranks), al-Razzaq (the Bestower of sustenance), al-Wahhab (the Great Giver), al-Wasi‘ (the Ample-giving).

4. As relating to His greatness and glory, al-‘Azim (the Grand), al-‘Aziz (the Mighty), al-‘Aliyy or Muta‘al (the Exalted or the High), al-Qawiyy (the Strong), al-Qahhar (the Supreme), al-Jabbar (one Who sets things aright by supreme power), al-Mutakabbir (the Possessor of greatness), al-Kabir (the Great), al-Karim (the Honoured), al-Hamid (the Praiseworthy), al-Majid (the Glorious), al-Matin (the Strong), al-Zahir (Ascendant over all), Dhu-l-jalali wa-l-ikram (the Lord of glory and honour).

5. As relating to His knowledge, al-‘Alim (the Knowing), al-Hakim (the Wise), al-Sami‘ (the Hearing), al-Khabir (the Aware), al-Basir (the Seeing), al-Shahid (the Witness), al-Raqib (the Watcher), al-Batin (the Knower of hidden things), al-Muhaimin (the Guardian over all).

6. As relating to His power and control of things, al-Qadir or Qadir or Muqtadir (the powerful), al-Wakil (the One having all things in His charge), al-Waliyy (the Guardian), al-Hafiz (the Keeper), al-Malik (the King), al-Malik (the Master), al-Fattah (the Greatest Judge), al-Hasib or Hasib (the One Who takes account), al-Muntaqim or Dhuntiqam (the Inflictor of retribution), al-Muqit (the Controller of all things).

The other names which are taken from some act or attribute of God mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are al-Qabidz (the One Who straitens), al-Basit (the One Who amplifies), al-Rafi‘ (the one who exalts) al-Mu’izz (the one Who gives honour), al-Mudhill (the One Who brings disgrace), al-Mujib (the one Who accepts prayers), al-Bai‘th (the One Who raises the dead to life), al-Muhsi (the One Who records or numbers things), al-Mubdi’ (the One Who begins), al-Mu‘id (the one Who reproduces), al-Muhyi (the One Who gives life), al-Mumit (the One Who causes death), Malik al-mulk (the Master of the kingdom), al-Jami‘ (the One Who gathers), al-Mughni (the One Who enriches), al-Mu‘ti (the One Who grants), al-Mani‘ (the One Who withholds), al-Hadi (the One Who guides), al-Baqi (the One Who endures for ever), al-Warith (the One Who inherits everything).

Of the rest of the ninety-nine names, al-Nur (the Light) is not really a name of the Divine Being — God is called Nur in the sense of being the Giver of light (24:35); al-Sabur (the Patient), al-Rashid (the One Who directs), al-Muqsit (the Equitable), al-Wali (the One Who governs), al-Jalil (the Majestic), al-‘Adl (the Just), al-Khafidz (the One Who abases), al-Wajid (the Existing), al-Muqaddim (the One Who brings forward), al-Mu’akhkhir (the One Who puts off), al-Dzarr (the One Who brings distress), al-Nafi‘ (the One Who confers benefits), may be taken from the sense of the attribute. Two more attributes falling under this head will be referred to later on because they require a detailed treatment; these are the attributes of speech and will, which are dealt with in the chapters Revealed Books and Predestination (Qadar), respectively.

It will be seen that the attributes of God given above have nothing to do with the autocracy, inexorability, vengeance and cruelty which European writers have generally associated with the picture of Him as drawn in the Holy Qur’an. On the contrary, the qualities of love and mercy in God are emphasized in the Holy Qur’an more than in any other sacred book. Not only does every chapter open with the two names Rahman and Rahim, thus showing that the qualities of love and mercy are predominant in Divine nature, but the Holy Book goes further and lays the greatest stress in explicit words on the immeasurable vastness of the Divine mercy. The following may be taken as examples:

“He has ordained mercy on Himself’ (6:12, 54). “Your Lord is the Lord of all encompassing mercy” (6:147). “And My mercy encompasses all things” (7:156). “Except those on whom thy Lord has mercy, and for this did He create them” (11:119). “O My servants who have been prodigal regarding their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely Allah forgives sins altogether” (39:53). “Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge.” (40:7).

So great is the Divine mercy that it encompasses believers and unbelievers alike as the above verses show. Even the enemies of the Holy Prophet are spoken of as having mercy shown to them: “And when We make people taste of mercy after an affliction touches them, lo! they devise plans against Our messages” (10:21). The polytheists are repeatedly spoken of as calling upon God in distress, and God as removing their distress. The picture of the Divine attributes portrayed in the Holy Qur’an is, first and last, a picture of love and mercy, and while these are mentioned under many different names and repeated hundreds of times, His attribute of punishment — Exactor of retribution — occurs but four times in the whole of the Holy Qur’an. It is true that the punishment of evil is a subject on which the Holy Qur’an is most emphatic, but its purpose in this case is simply to impress upon man that evil is a most hateful thing which ought to be shunned; and, by way of set-off, not only does it lay great stress on the reward of good deeds, but goes further and declares over and over again that evil is either forgiven or punished only with the like of it, but that good is rewarded tenfold, and hundred fold, or even without measure. But at the same time it must be borne in mind that punishment itself, as described in the Holy Qur’an, is of a remedial nature, and has in it nothing of vengeance — it is the treatment of a disease which man has brought upon himself. It is still love, for its object is still to set a man on the road to spiritual progress by healing the disease. One of the names of God, included in the ninety-nine names by the later theologians, though not mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, is al-Dzarr or One Who causes distress, but this bringing about of distress is only in the limited sense that it is a punishment for wrong-doing with the underlying object of reformation: “We seized them with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves” (6:42; 7:94).

Just a belief in the Unity of God is a source of man’s uplift, making him conscious of the dignity of human nature, and inspiring him with the grand ideas of the conquest of nature and of the equality of man with man, so the numerous attributes of the Divine Being, as revealed in the Holy Qur’an, are really meant for the perfection of human character. The Divine attributes really serve as an ideal to which man must strive to attain. God is Rabb al- ‘alamin, the Fosterer and Nourisher of the worlds; keeping that as an ideal before himself, man must endeavour to make the service of humanity, even that of dumb creation, the object of his life. God is Rahman, conferring benefits on man and showing him love without his having done anything to deserve it; the man who seeks to attain to perfection must do good even to those of his fellow-men from whom he has not himself received, and does not expect to receive, any benefit. God is Rahim, making every good deed bear fruit; man must also do good for any good that he receives from another. God is Malik, requiting evil, not in a spirit of vengeance or even of unbending justice, but in a spirit of forgiveness, in the spirit of a master dealing with his servant; so must man be forgiving in his dealings with others, if he will attain to perfection.

The above are the four chief attributes of the Divine Being, and it is easily seen how they serve as ideals for man. So it is with all His other attributes. Take, for example, those of love and mercy. God is Affectionate, Loving, Kind, Benignant, Oft-returning to mercy, Forbearing, Pardoner, Multiplier of rewards, Author of peace, Granter of security, Restorer of loss, Benign, Exalter of ranks, Ample-giving, Bestower of sustenance and so on; all this man must also try to be. Again let us take His attributes of knowledge. God is Knowing, Wise, Aware, Seeing, Watcher, Knower of hidden things; man must also try to perfect his knowledge of things and acquire wisdom. In fact, where man is spoken of as having been made a vicegerent of God, his chief characteristic, that which marks him out as the ruler of creation, is stated to be a knowledge of things. And as regards wisdom, the Holy Qur’an says that the Holy Prophet was raised to teach wisdom. Then there are His attributes of power and greatness and control of all things; even the angels are commanded to make obeisance to man, showing that man is destined to exercise control over them too. Man is told again and again that everything in the heavens and in the earth has been made subservient to him. It is true that man’s love, mercy, knowledge, wisdom, and control of things are all insignificant as compared with their Divine models, but however imperfectly he may achieve it, the fact remains that he has before him the ideal of Divine morals, which he must try to imitate.