Asma Allah wa Sifatuhu wa Mawqif Ahl al-Sunnah Minha

Asma Allah wa Sifatuhu wa Mawqif Ahl al-Sunnah Minha (The Names and Attributes of Allah and the Stance of Ahl al-Sunnah Regarding Them) is a theological treatise and public lecture by Ibn Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE) outlining the foundational Sunni creed concerning the divine names and attributes.Asma Allah wa Sifatuhu wa…+1

Background and Purpose

The treatise originated as an oral lecture delivered to address contemporary theological misconceptions and clarify the creed of the early generations (Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah).Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1 Ibn Uthaymin identified two primary motives for choosing this topic:

1. The intrinsic importance of the subject: Divine names and attributes represent one of the three essential categories of monotheism (tawhid), alongside divine lordship (tawhid al-rububiyyah) and exclusive worship (tawhid al-uluhiyyah).Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1 Furthermore, faith in God is incomplete without four pillars: believing in His existence, His lordship, His sole right to worship, and His names and attributes.Asma Allah wa Sifatuhu wa…+1
2. The rise of contemporary theological errors: Although theological debates on divine attributes were once perceived as distant historical polemics, deviating views had begun appearing openly in modern press and school curricula, necessitating clear guidance and vigilant discernment.Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1

Structure and Core Themes

The work is organized into six structured points (‘anasir):Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1

• The stance of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah: Affirms that all names and attributes God stated for Himself or through the Prophet Muhammad must be accepted as inherently perfect names that encompass actual divine qualities, without any deficiency.Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…
• The scriptural texts on divine names and attributes: Emphasizes direct reliance on Quranic verses and authentic prophetic hadiths.Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1
• Deviation from this methodology: Examines how divergent groups deviated from the orthodox textual approach.Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1
• The danger of excessive transcendence: Argues that taking transcendence (tanzih) to rationalist extremes ultimately necessitates the nullification of the entire religion (ibtal al-din kullih).Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1
• Refutation of accusations against Ahl al-Sunnah: Rebuts the accusations made by proponents of distortion (tahrif) and denial (ta'til), who wrongly charge Ahl al-Sunnah with resemblance (tamthil), anthropomorphism (tashbih), and corporealism (tajsim).Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1
• Rebuttal of allegations regarding figurative interpretation: Refutes the claim made by opponents that Ahl al-Sunnah engaged in figurative interpretation (ta'wil) of select texts, an assertion fabricated to force Sunnis into adopting systematic metaphorical reinterpretation across all divine attributes.Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al…+1

Publication

The lecture has been published as an independent booklet, including an edition issued by Dar al-Shari'ah (1424 AH / 2003 CE).Namadhij min Taqniyat al-… It was also included in volume 5 of Ibn Uthaymin's comprehensive compendium Majmu‘ Fatawa wa-Rasa'il al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, compiled by Fahd ibn Nasir al-Sulayman.Majallat al-Bayan+1