Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 180

{And to Allah belong the Best Names, so invoke Him by them...}

Commentary

It is noteworthy that after Allah (Exalted is He) described those destined for Hellfire with the statement: {Those are the heedless}, He immediately commanded the remembrance of Allah, saying: {And to Allah belong the Best Names, so invoke Him by them}.

This serves as a reminder that the cause for entering Hell is heedlessness regarding the remembrance of Allah, while salvation from Hell's torment is achieved through the remembrance of Allah. Those with spiritual taste and insight find that this is indeed the case. When the heart is heedless of Allah's remembrance and inclines toward the world and its desires, it falls into the realm of intense craving and the bitter cold of deprivation. It continuously moves from one desire to the next, from one pursuit to another, and from one darkness to another. However, when the door of Allah's remembrance and knowledge opens upon the heart, it is freed from the fires of afflictions and the regrets of loss, and it begins to sense the knowledge of the Lord of the earth and the heavens.

There are several issues concerning this verse:

The statement {And to Allah belong the Best Names} is mentioned in four Surahs:

1. This Surah (Al-A'raf).
2. At the end of Surah Al-Isra' (The Night Journey): {Say, "Call upon Allah, or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call—to Him belong the best names"} (17:110).
3. At the beginning of Surah Taha: {Allah! There is no deity except Him. To Him belong the best names} (20:8).
4. At the end of Surah Al-Hashr: {He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names} (59:24).

Given this, we say: The "Names" (al-asmā') are words that signify meanings. They are only "best" (ḥusnā) due to the excellence of their meanings and concepts. For Allah (Exalted is He), "best" can only refer to the mention of attributes of perfection and attributes of majesty. These are confined to two categories:

1. The absence of His need for anything else.
2. The establishment of the need of everything else for Him.

We have a large, detailed book concerning the exegesis of the Names of Allah, filled with subtle points and noble realities, which we titled Bulwāmi' al-Bayyināt fī Tafsīr al-Asmā' wa al-Ṣifāt (The Shining Lights in the Exegesis of Names and Attributes). Whoever desires a comprehensive study should refer to it. Here, we will mention some glimpses and key points.

The Names of Allah can be divided in several ways:

First Way (Division based on the nature of the Name): The Name either refers to the Essence (al-dhāt), a part of the Essence, or an attribute existing outside the Essence but subsisting within it.

• Name of the Essence: This is what is meant by the Most Great Name (al-Ism al-A'ẓam). Unveiling the secrets contained within the discussions about it requires deeper insight.
• Name of a Part of the Essence: This is impossible for Allah (Exalted is He), as this concept applies only to essences composed of parts. Anything composed of parts is contingent (mumkin), whereas the Necessary Existent (wājib al-wujūd) cannot have parts.
• Name of an Attribute (al-ṣifah): The attribute is either essential (ḥaqīqiyyah), relative (iḍāfiyyah), negative (salbiyyah), or a combination of these three. There are four combinations:
  1. Essential attribute without relation: Like saying "Exists" (if existence is considered an attribute), or "One" (if oneness is a second attribute), or "Living" (ḥayy), as life is an essential attribute devoid of relations or additions.
  2. Purely Relative attribute: Like saying "Mentioned" (madhkūr) or "Known" (ma'lūm).
  3. Negative attribute: Like saying "The Holy" (al-Quddūs) or "The Source of Peace" (al-Salām).
  4. Essential attribute with relation: Like "Knowing" (ʿālim) and "Powerful" (qādir). Knowledge is an essential attribute related to the known things, and power is an essential attribute related to the things that can be done.
  5. Essential attribute with negation: Like "Ancient" (qadīm) or "Eternal" (azalī), which means an existent that has no beginning.
  6. Relative attribute with negation: Like "The First" (al-Awwal), meaning He preceded everything else, and nothing preceded Him.
  7. Essential attribute combined with relation and negation: Like "Wise" (ḥakīm). He knows the realities of things (essential attribute), this knowledge relates to the known things (relation), and He does not do what is impermissible (negation).

Given this classification, we note that negations (al-sulūb) are infinite, and relations (al-iḍāfāt) are also infinite. For example, being the Creator of creatures is a relative attribute. Being the Giver of life and death are specific relations. Being the Provider (rāziq) is another specific relation.

Because of these two types of considerations (negations and relations), there result an infinite number of Names for Allah (Exalted is He), as His capabilities (maqdūrāt) are infinite. Since there is no way to know the essence of His Self, and the only way to know Him is through knowing His actions, whoever has a greater grasp of the secrets of His wisdom in His creation will have a greater knowledge of Allah's Names. Since this ocean has no shore and no end, so too is the knowledge of His Best Names limitless.

Second Way (Division according to theological possibility): This is what the theologians stated: The attributes of Allah (Exalted is He) are of three types: those that are obligatory (wājib), those that are permissible (jā'iz), and those that are impossible (mustaḥīl) for Him. Allah has specific Names corresponding to each of these three categories.

Third Way (Division based on the nature of the attribute): The attributes of Allah are either essential (dhātiyyah), conceptual (ma'nawiyyah), or attributes of action (ṣifāt al-af'āl).

Fourth Way (Division based on permissibility of application): The Names of Allah are either permissible to apply to others besides Allah, or not permissible.

• Permissible: Names like "The Generous" (al-Karīm), "The Merciful" (al-Raḥīm), "The Mighty" (al-ʿAzīz), "The Kind" (al-Laṭīf), "The Great" (al-Kabīr), "The Creator" (al-Khāliq). These words can be applied to servants, although their meaning in relation to Allah is different from their meaning in relation to servants.
• Not Permissible: Names like "Allah" (Allāh) or "The Most Merciful" (al-Raḥmān).
  • Refinement: The first category (permissible) becomes restricted to Allah alone when qualified by specific restrictions, such as saying: "O Most Merciful of the merciful," "O Most Generous of the generous," or "O Creator of the heavens and the earths."

Fifth Way (Division based on independent mention): Some Names of Allah can be mentioned alone, such as: "O Allah," "O Most Merciful," "O Living," "O Wise." Others cannot be mentioned in isolation, such as "The Causer of Death" (mumīt) or "The Harmful" (ḍārr). It is not permissible to mention these alone; rather, one must say: "O Giver of Life, O Causer of Death," or "O Beneficent, O Harmful."

Sixth Way (Division based on the order of knowledge): The first thing known about Allah's attributes is His being the originator (muḥdith) of things and the determiner (murajjiḥ) of their existence over non-existence. This is because we only know His existence through inference from the existence of contingent beings. When evidence shows that this sensible world is contingent in existence and non-existence by its nature, the intellect necessitates a determiner that favors its existence over its non-existence—and that determiner is none other than Allah (Exalted is He). Thus, the first thing known about Him is that He is the Determiner and the Effective Agent (mu'aththir).

We then consider: Does this determination occur by necessity (wujūb) or by correctness (ṣiḥḥah)? The former is false, because if it were necessary, the world would persist eternally with Him, which is false. Therefore, it must be that He determined existence by correctness. Being a determiner by correctness is nothing other than being Powerful (Qādir). Thus, what is known after knowing Him as the Determiner is that He is Powerful.

Next, we infer from the perfection and precision of His actions that He is Knowing (ʿĀlim). Once we know He is Powerful and Knowing, and we know that a Powerful, Knowing being cannot be anything other than Living (Ḥayy), we deduce His being Living from His being Powerful and Knowing.

This shows that knowledge of His attributes and Names is not acquired simultaneously; rather, the knowledge of them is sequential, with some derived from others.

The statement {And to Allah belong the Best Names} implies confinement (ḥaṣr). It means that the Best Names belong only to Allah (Exalted is He). Rational proof supports this meaning.

Existence is either necessarily existent by itself (wājib al-wujūd bi-dhātih) or contingent by itself (mumkin al-dhāt). The Necessary Existent is only the One, who is Allah (Exalted is He). Everything other than this One is contingent by itself. Every contingent being is in need, in its essence, its existence, and all its essential, relative, and negative attributes, of the creation (takwīn) of the Necessary Existent. Were it not for Him, it would remain in pure non-existence and mere negation.

Therefore, Allah (Exalted is He) is perfect by Himself. The perfection of everything else is achieved through His generosity and bounty. Thus, every perfection, majesty, and honor belongs to Him by His Essence, for His Essence, and within His Essence. For everything else, it is borrowed (ʿāriyah). What belongs to others besides Him, in relation to their essence, is poverty, need, deficiency, and non-existence. This clear proof establishes that the Best Names belong only to Allah, and the Best Attributes belong only to Allah, and everything else is drowned in the sea of annihilation and deficiency.

This verse indicates that Allah's Names and Attributes must be described by goodness (ḥusn) and perfection. This implies that any name that does not signify an attribute of majesty and perfection cannot be applied to Allah (Exalted is He).

Based on this, it is reported that Jahm ibn Safwan said: "I will not apply the name 'thing' (shay') to the Essence of Allah." He argued that the name 'thing' applies to the most base, most contemptible things, and those furthest from degrees of honor. If this is the case, it must be concluded that it does not signify honor, rank, or majesty for the named entity.

If this is established, then according to this verse, Allah's Names must denote honor and perfection. Since the name 'thing' does not signify this, it is impermissible to call Allah "a thing." He said: "May Allah forbid that this be a dispute over whether He is, in Himself, a reality, an essence, or an existent. The dispute is only over the mere word: is it permissible to name Him with this word or not?"

However, saying He is the "Originator of things" (munshi' al-ashyā') is a name signifying praise, majesty, and honor, so applying this name to Allah is correct.

He further reinforced this argument with other types of evidence:

First Proof: The verse {There is nothing like unto Him} (Ash-Shura: 11). This means there is no likeness to Him. Undoubtedly, the essence of a thing is a likeness to its own essence. Since reason proves that everything has a likeness to itself, and the Quranic evidence shows that there is no likeness to Allah, this is an explicit statement that He is not named by the word "thing." No one can claim that the letter 'Kāf' in {laysa ka-mithlihi} is superfluous, as attributing futility or absurdity to the speech of Allah is far-fetched.

Second Proof: The verse {The Creator of all things} (Al-An'am: 102, Ar-Ra'd: 16, Ghafir: 62). If Allah were included under the name "thing," it would necessitate that He is the Creator of Himself, which is impossible. One might argue that this is a general statement that requires specification (takhṣīṣ). We respond that this requires further discussion. It is established by common usage that people often treat the majority as encompassing the whole, and the rare exception as non-existent. If the overwhelming majority exists, and the rare exception is seldom encountered, they equate that majority with the whole and treat the rare exception as non-existent, applying the term "all" to it.

If we accept this, then if Allah were called "a thing," He would be the greatest of all things. Applying specification to such a named entity would be a form of lying. Therefore, it must be believed that Allah is not named "a thing" to avoid this contradiction.

Third Proof: This name ("thing") is not mentioned in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger. We have not seen any of the early Muslims supplicating, "O Thing." Therefore, applying it is prohibited. The evidence that it is not in the Book of Allah is that the verse often cited as containing this name, {Say, "What is greatest in testimony?" Say, "Allah is witness between me and you"} (Al-An'am: 19), does not support the intended meaning, as we explained in the exegesis of Surah Al-An'am.

If someone asks: "What about our saying: 'Existent' (mawjūd), 'Mentioned' (madhkūr), 'Essence' (dhāt), or 'Known' (ma'lūm)? These are words that do not denote majesty and honor. Therefore, you must say it is impermissible to apply them to Allah."

We reply: The truth in this matter requires detail. We ask: What do you mean by saying He is a "thing," "essence," or "reality"?

• If you mean that He is, in Himself, an essence, a reality, established, existent, and a thing, then this is so without doubt or ambiguity.
• If you mean: Is it permissible to call upon Him with these words? Then we say: No, it is not permissible. We observed the early Muslims saying: "O Allah, O Most Merciful, O Most Compassionate," and other noble Names. We have not seen or heard anyone say: "O Essence," "O Reality," "O Concept," or "O Known One." Therefore, abstaining from such words in the context of invocation and supplication is obligatory for Allah (Exalted is He). And Allah knows best.

The statement {And to Allah belong the Best Names, so invoke Him by them} indicates that Allah possesses beautiful Names, and that it is obligatory for a person to invoke Allah by them. This implies that the Names of Allah are Tawqīfī (based on divine revelation/prescription) and not conventional (iṣṭilāḥiyyah).

This is further confirmed by the fact that it is permissible to say, "O Generous (Yā Jawād)," but not permissible to say, "O Munificent (Yā Sakhī)," nor is it permissible to say, "O Rational (Yā ʿĀqil)," "O Physician (Yā Ṭabīb)," or "O Jurist (Yā Faqīh)." This demonstrates that the Names of Allah are prescribed by revelation, not by convention.

The verse indicates that the Name is distinct from the Named Entity (al-ism ghayr al-musammā). This is because the verse states that Allah has "Names" (al-asmā'), which is a plural form implying three or more. Thus, the Names of Allah are numerous, while Allah Himself is undoubtedly One. This necessitates the conclusion that the Name is distinct from the Named Entity.

Furthermore, the phrase {And to Allah belong the Best Names} implies an attribution of the Names to Allah. Attributing a thing to itself is impossible. If it were said: "And to Allah belong the Essences (al-dhawāt)," it would be false. But since it is said: {And to Allah belong the Names}, it is true, which indicates that the Name is distinct from the Named Entity.

The statement {And to Allah belong the Best Names, so invoke Him by them} indicates that a person should not supplicate his Lord except by these Best Names. This invocation is only meaningful if one knows the meanings of those Names and has established through proof that he has a Lord, Creator, described by these noble and sanctified attributes. Only then is it appropriate to call upon his Lord by these Names and Attributes.

This invocation has many prerequisites, detailed exhaustively in the book Al-Minhāj by Abū ʿAbdillāh al-Ḥalīmī. The best aspect of this is that the supplicant must keep two things present in his mind:

1. The glory of Lordship (ʿizzat al-rubūbiyyah).
2. The humility of servitude (dhillat al-ʿubūdiyyah).

Only then is the supplication appropriate, and the significance of that remembrance is magnified. Otherwise, it yields little benefit.

I will provide an example for this meaning: When someone intends to say Allāhu Akbar (Allah is Greater) in the opening Takbīr of his prayer, he must strive to bring to mind, in his intention, all that he can of the knowledge of the signs of Allah's wisdom in creating himself, his body, his rational faculties, his sensory powers, and his movements. Then, he moves from himself to contemplating the signs of Allah's wisdom in creating all people, all animals, all types of plants and minerals, and the celestial phenomena like thunder, lightning, and bolts that occur across the world.

Next, he contemplates the signs of Allah's power in creating the earths, mountains, seas, and deserts. Then, the signs of His power in creating the lower and upper elemental layers. Then, the signs of His power in creating the vast and immense celestial spheres, and in creating the luminous bodies, both fixed and wandering stars. Then, the signs of His power in creating the Footstool (al-Kursī) and the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntahā). Then, the signs of His power in creating the Great Throne (al-ʿArsh al-ʿAẓīm), which encompasses all these existents. Finally, he contemplates the signs of His power in creating the angels, the bearers of the Throne and the Footstool, and the armies of the spiritual realm.

He continues to contemplate these degrees and ranks to the furthest extent reachable by his understanding, intellect, memory, thought, and imagination. Then, upon contemplating all these spiritual and physical beings, with their varying degrees and differing stations, he says Allāhu Akbar.

By saying Allāh, he refers to the Existent who created these things, brought them forth from non-existence into existence, and ordered them with their attributes and descriptions. By saying Akbar (Greater), he means that nothing among these things resembles His Majesty, His Might, His Glory, His Transcendence, or His Self-Sufficiency. Rather, He is greater than to be described as being greater than these things.

Once you understand this single example, compare it to the remembrance achieved through true knowledge and awareness. At that point, a breeze of the secrets hidden under the statement {And to Allah belong the Best Names, so invoke Him by them} will open upon your intellect.

Regarding the continuation: {And abandon those who deviate in His Names...}

There are several issues concerning this statement:

Hamzah read it as {yalḥidūn} (with a hamza), and 'Āṣim and Al-Kisā'ī agreed with him in Surah An-Nahl. Al-Farrā' stated that {yalḥidūn} and {yalḥadūn} are two linguistic variations; one says laḥada and the other alḥada.

The linguists define al-ilḥād as deviating from the intended path. Ibn al-Sikkit said: The mulḥid is one who deviates from the truth and introduces into it what is not part of it. It is said: He alḥada or laḥada in the religion. Abū ʿAmr, a linguist, said: Al-ilḥād is deviation from straightness and inclining away from it. From this comes al-laḥd, the niche dug into the side of the grave. Al-Wāḥidī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The reading of the majority (al-ʿāmma) is superior due to the verse: {And whoever intends therein deviation [by turning away from the truth]...} (Al-Hajj: 25), and the form al-ilḥād is more common in their speech, as they say mulḥid, and Arabs rarely say lāḥid.

The scholars of verification state that deviation (al-ilḥād) in the Names of Allah occurs in three ways:

1. Applying Allah's pure and sanctified Names to others: For example, the disbelievers used to name their idols as "gods" (ālihah). This includes naming their idols Al-Lāt, Al-ʿUzzā, and Manāt. Al-Lāt is derived from al-Ilāh, Al-ʿUzzā from al-ʿAzīz, and Manāt from al-Mannān. Musaylimah the Liar named himself Al-Raḥmān.
2. Naming Allah with what is impermissible to name Him with: Such as the Christians who call Him "Father" (Ab) and say He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Also, the Karāmiyyah sect applies the term "Body" (jism) to Allah (Exalted is He) and names Him by it. Similarly, the Mu'tazilah, in the course of their speech, might say: "If the Exalted did such and such, He would be foolish and deserving of blame"—these words imply poor etiquette. Our scholars state that not everything whose meaning is sound is permissible to utter regarding Allah. It is proven by evidence that He is the Creator of all bodies, yet it is not permissible to say: "O Creator of worms, monkeys, and lice." Rather, it is obligatory to purify Allah from such mentions and say: "O Creator of the earths and the heavens, O Forgiver of slips, O Merciful to those who weep," and other beautiful and noble mentions.
3. A servant mentioning his Lord with a word whose meaning he does not know and whose referent he cannot conceive: Because what is referred to might be something unsuitable for Allah's majesty. These three categories constitute deviation in the Names.

If someone asks: Does the application of the first type (applying His Names to others) necessitate that all derived words from that Name must also be applied to Him?

We reply: In my view, this is not necessary, neither for Allah (Exalted is He), nor for the angels or prophets. The reasoning is: The word "Knowing" (ʿālim) is mentioned regarding Allah in verses such as: {And He taught Adam the names, all of them} (Al-Baqarah: 31), {And He taught you what you did not know} (An-Nisā': 113), {We taught him knowledge from Us} (Al-Kahf: 65), {The Most Merciful. He taught the Qur'an} (Ar-Raḥmān: 1-2). Yet, it is not permissible to say regarding Allah (Exalted is He): "O Teacher" (Yā Muʿallim). Also, the verse {He loves them, and they love Him} (Al-Mā'idah: 54) is mentioned, yet I do not permit saying: "O Lover" (Yā Muḥibb).

As for the prophets, it is mentioned regarding Adam (peace be upon him): {And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred} (Ṭā-Hā: 121), yet it is not permissible to say that Adam was a disobedient erring one. It is mentioned regarding Moses (peace be upon him): {One of them said, "Indeed, I was hired by you..."} (Al-Qaṣaṣ: 26), yet it is not permissible to say that he was a hired laborer. The principle is that in these potentially misleading words, one must restrict oneself to what is explicitly mentioned. Expanding by applying derived words is, in my view, forbidden and impermissible.

Then Allah says: {They will be recompensed for what they used to do}. This is a threat and a warning to those who deviate in Allah's Names. The Mu'tazilah argue that this verse proves the establishment of free will for the servant and that the recompense is contingent upon his action and deed.

{And among those We created is a community that guides by the truth and thereby establishes justice.} (Al-A'rāf: 181)