Names of God and His attributes in the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah

Dr. Omar Suleiman Al-Ashqar Book Index Foreword Introduction First Topic: Subject of this study and its purpose Second Topic: The way to know the names of Allah and His attributes Third Topic: The importance of knowledge of the names of Allah and His attributes Section One: Knowledge of the names of Allah and His attributes is the way to know Allah Section Two: Purification of souls and establishing them on the methodology of worshiping the One, the Unique Section Three: Knowledge of the names of Allah and His attributes is the noblest science Section Four: Knowledge of the names of Allah and His attributes is the foundation of all other knowledge Section Five: Increasing faith Section Six: The great reward for those who enumerate the names of Allah Section Seven: Glorifying Allah, magnifying Him, and supplicating to Him with His names and attributes Section Eight: Knowledge of Allah according to the Qur’anic and Prophetic methodology Fourth Topic: Claimed benefits Section One: The claim that the names have special properties and hidden secrets Section Two: Demanding resemblance with the names of Allah Chapter One: The Beautiful Names of Allah First Subsection: Establishing the number of Allah’s names Second Subsection: Determining the Beautiful Names of Allah Third Subsection: The rules and principles that determine the names of the Creator, glory be to Him First Requirement: Limiting their number to the Qur’an and Sunnah Second Requirement: Not everything mentioned in texts is necessarily among the names of Allah, glory be to Him Third Requirement: It is not permissible to derive names of Allah from His attributes and actions Fourth Requirement: It is not permissible to call the Truth by blameworthy names Fifth Requirement: The number of His names should not be less than ninety-nine Sixth Requirement: Any name that cannot be invoked is not one of Allah’s names Seventh Requirement: Names of Allah do not include those related to His attributes of action or His attributes of names Eighth Requirement: Names whose meanings agree and whose words differ are not included among Allah’s names Ninth Requirement: Names added to the circle of Allah’s beautiful names should not be excluded if they are mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah Tenth Requirement: Validity of worshiping Allah using His names Eleventh Requirement: The fixed names are not among His names Twelfth Requirement: Names that begin with “Dhu” are not among His names Thirteenth Requirement: Names that come in the form of “Afdal” (superlative) Fourth Subsection: Defining Allah’s names in light of the previous rules Part One: What is mentioned in the Qur’an Part Two: What is mentioned in the Sunnah Fifth Subsection: Categories of Allah’s names and their indications First Requirement: Categories of names and attributes Second Requirement: The indication of Allah’s names on His essence and His attributes Third Requirement: The beautiful names of Allah are synonymous and different descriptions Fourth Requirement: His names are exalted and distinguished, and the greatest name of Allah Fifth Requirement: The reality and metaphor in the names of the Creator Sixth Requirement: The relationship of Allah’s attributes to His essence Second Chapter: The creed of the people of truth regarding Allah’s names and attributes First Subsection: Introducing the people of truth, Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah Second Subsection: The principles on which the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah regarding Allah’s names and attributes is based First Principle: Affirming what Allah and His Messenger have affirmed Second Principle: Belief that all of Allah’s names are good and His attributes are complete and high Evidence for Allah’s attributes of perfection, glory be to Him The perfection of Allah’s names and attributes is that He, blessed and exalted, is characterized by them eternally and forever, and it is permissible to attribute them to the Creator, and what is not permissible Third Principle: Exalting the Creator from resemblance and analogy, and all attributes of deficiency The difference between the exaltation of prophets and their followers and the exaltation of those who deny Fourth Principle: Applying the attributes to their apparent meanings Fifth Principle: General negation and detailed affirmation Sixth Principle: Standing still regarding the names and attributes of Allah Seventh Principle: Leaving the discussion of the divine self and the attributes it deserves Eighth Principle: Avoiding deviation in the names and attributes of Allah, and types of deviation in His names and attributes Third Subsection: Evidence for what we mentioned in the previous subsection about the beliefs of the Salaf Fourth Subsection: Characteristics of the Salafi methodology Third Chapter: Those who oppose the Salafi methodology regarding Allah’s names and attributes First Subsection: Those who attribute deficiencies to the Creator Second Subsection: Those who compare Allah to His creation Third Subsection: Deniers of attributes and their groups First Requirement: The first group: Philosophers Second Requirement: The second group: Jahmiyyah The Jahmiyyah view on Allah’s attributes Third Requirement: The third group: Mu’tazilah Fourth Subsection: The doubts relied upon by those who deny attributes and the responses to them First Doubt: Doubts of deniers of attributes Second Doubt: Responses to these doubts Fourth Part: Causes of disagreement in the field of names and attributes Fifth Part: The Salafi approach in the midst of conflict First Subsection: The competition of false methodologies with what the Messenger, peace be upon him, brought Second Subsection: Evidence that the Salafi creed is the most knowledgeable, correct, and complete Third Subsection: Contradictions, confusion, and disorder among the scholars of Kalam Fourth Subsection: The stance of Salafi scholars towards their opponents Fifth Subsection: Defamation of the Salafi methodology Conclusion: The methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah must remain unique and not be mixed with others References