22. Allah's Sifat and Theological Methodologies 9/24

Sifat (Attributes): These refer to the intrinsic qualities or attributes of Allah $(e.g.,$ Allah's knowledge, His life $.)$
Ma'ani (Predications): These are the descriptions or statements we make about Allah based on His attributes $(e.g.,$ Allah is knowledgeable, He is alive $.)$
One thing is affirming the Sifa itself $(e.g.,$ Allah's knowledge $-$ Al-'Ilm $).$ The other is affirming the Ma'na $(e.g.,$ Allah is knowledgeable $-$ Al-'Alim $).$ The Sifa are distinct from Allah's essence, yet are eternal because they are His attributes.
Examples of Sifat and their corresponding Ma'ani:
- Al-Haya (Life): Allah is Hayyun (Living).
- Al-'Ilm (Knowledge): Allah is 'Alimun (Knowledgeable).
- Al-Irada (Will): Allah is Muridun (The One who wills/intends).
- Al-Qudra (Power): Allah is Qadirun (Powerful).
- Al-Sam' (Hearing): Allah is Sami'un (Hearing).
- Al-Basar (Sight): Allah is Basirun (Seeing).
- Al-Kalam (Speech): Allah is Mutakallimun (Speaking/Possessing the ability to speak).
When stating Allah's attributes, perfection is implicitly assumed $(e.g.,$ "He is knowledgeable" implies "He is All-Knowledgeable" $.)$

Mu'tazila's Stance:
- They do not deny that Allah is knowledgeable or powerful (i.e., they affirm the Ma'ani).
- However, they deny the existence of Sifat (attributes) themselves, particularly as eternal entities distinct from Allah's essence.
- Their concern stems from a stringent interpretation of Allah's unity ( $Tawhid$ ), fearing that affirming eternal attributes separate from His essence would imply multiplicity or co-eternality with Allah, thereby compromising His oneness. They believe that attributing an eternal essence $(sifa)$ to Allah would make something other than Allah eternal.
Ahl al-Sunnah's Response:
- The Ahl al-Sunnah affirm both the Sifat and the Ma'ani.
- They argue that the eternality of Allah's attributes is predicated upon Allah's essence itself. This means Allah's knowledge is eternal because it is Allah's knowledge, not because the knowledge itself possesses a separate essence that is eternal.
- They find the Mu'tazila's attempt to conceptually separate "Allah is alive" from "Allah has life" illogical and unconvincing.
- The Ahl al-Sunnah approach prioritizes the clear assertions of the Quran and Sunnah ( $naql$ ) over pure rationalization $(aql$ when there is perceived conflict.

The Ahl al-Sunnah establish the existence of Allah's Sifat directly from the Quran, which explicitly affirms these attributes.
- For Knowledge ( $Al-'Ilm$ ):
  - Surah Al-Baqarah $(2):$ Ayat $(255)$ (Ayat al-Kursi)
  - Surah An-Nisa $(4):$ Ayat $(166)$
  - Surah Taha $(20):$ Ayat $(114)$
  - Surah An-Nahl $(16):$ Ayat $(52)$
  - Surah Al-Ahzab $(33):$ Ayat $(63)$
  - Surah Fussilat $(41):$ Ayat $(47)$
- For Will ( $Al-Irada$ ):
  - Surah Yunus $(10):$ Ayat $(26)$
  - Surah Al-Ma'idah $(5):$ Ayat $(17)$
  - Surah Ar-Ra'd $(13):$ Ayat $(39)$
  - Surah Yasin $(36):$ Ayat $(82)$
  - Surah Az-Zumar $(39):$ Ayat $(52)$
  - Surah Al-Ahqaf $(46):$ Ayat $(8)$
  - Surah Al-Fath $(48):$ Ayat $(11)$
- For Power ( $Al-Qudra$ ):
  - Surah Al-Baqarah $(2):$ Ayat $(20)$
  - Surah Al-Kahf $(18):$ Ayat $(45)$
  - Surah An-Nur $(24):$ Ayat $(43)$
  - Surah Fatir $(35):$ Ayat $(44)$
  - Surah Al-Ahqaf $(46):$ Ayat $(33)$
- For Hearing ( $Al-Sam'$ ) and Sight ( $Al-Basar$ ):
  - Surah Al-Isra $(17):$ Ayat $(1)$
  - Surah Adh-Dhariyat $(51):$ Ayat $(55)$
- For Speech ( $Al-Kalam$ ):
  - Surah An-Nisa $(4):$ Ayat $(164)$
  - Surah Al-A'raf $(7):$ Ayat $(143)$
Homework: Students are assigned to bring the listed ayat and their translations for tomorrow to understand how these Sifat are established in the Quran.

Mu'tazila's Methodological Tendency: They tend to prioritize rationality $(al-'Aql)$ in theological discussions. When clear textual evidence from the Quran or Sunnah appears to conflict with their rational conclusions, they often either dismiss the text or re-interpret it to align with their rational framework.
Ahl al-Sunnah's Methodological Tendency: They prioritize revealed texts (Quran and Sunnah) as the primary source for theological truth. Rationality is seen as a tool to aid understanding and support the texts, rather than to override them. In cases where the Quran or Sunnah provides a clear and unambiguous statement, and rationality seems to lead to a different conclusion, the text takes precedence.

PRS Assignments: Three assignments for weeks 4, 5, and 6 are due.
Midterm: Will be held after the theology section is finis
Review Plan for Next Week (Pre-Midterm):
- Tomorrow's Agenda (Tuesday): A comprehensive list of all topics covered since the beginning of the semester will be compiled.
- Student Presentations: Students will form groups and be assigned 1-2 topics from the semester's content. They will then present their notes on these topics as a review for the midterm (no new research required).
- Review methods might include interactive games like Kahoot, Slido, or Jeopardy.
Future Discussions: The Ash'ari-Maturidi divide might be covered tomorrow, depending on time.

A question was posed about why certain words related to the Sifat are in the mansub (accusative) grammatical case. This is a complex grammatical and theological point, particularly related to the word "Kawn" (meaning "to be" or "being"), which is considered an exceptional case. Solving it requires advanced knowledge. The instructor offered a reward for its correct identification by the end of the semester.hed. It will cover historical background material, which will be reviewed prior to the exam.
Quiz: Scheduled for Monday and will focus exclusively on the Sifat discussions, not historical background.