Important questions about the beliefs of Ahl as-Sunnah concerning the names and attributes of Allah
Question

                Are all the attributes of Allah similar to one another or are there several different attributes, each of one is different from another? Similarly, do His names have the same meaning or similar meanings, or does each name have a meaning that is different to others? Is it permissible to say that the attributes of Allah are infinite, and so are His names, or are they finite and limited, and that Allah knows them?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    There is no doubt 
    that the attributes of Allah are different with regard to their meanings. 
    The attribute of power is not the same as the attribute of might, which is 
    not the same as the attribute of knowledge. No rational person would say 
    that they are similar to one another in terms of meanings. We will explain 
    that further below. 

    Secondly: 

    The belief of Ahl 
    as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah concerning the names of Allah is that they are the 
    same in that they refer to His Essence, may He be glorified and exalted, and 
    are different with regard to their meanings.  

    To explain that 
    further, we say: His names al-Qadeer (the Powerful), al-‘Aleem (The 
    All-Knowing), al-‘Azeez (the Almighty), al-Hakeem (the Wise) – for example – 
    all point to one Essence, which is the holy Essence of Allah. So in this 
    regard they are the same and not different. But at the same time, the 
    attributes of power, knowledge, might and wisdom differ from one another. So 
    in this sense they differ from one another. 

    So the beautiful 
    names of Allah are synonymous in that they refer to one Essence, but the 
    attributes referred to in those names differ from one another. 

    Shaykh al-Islam 
    Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    Allah, may He be 
    glorified, has told us that He is All-Knowing, Powerful, All-Hearing, 
    All-Seeing, Forgiving, Most Merciful, and other names and attributes. We 
    understand the meaning of that, and we can differentiate between knowledge 
    and power, between mercy and hearing and vision; we know that all the names 
    agree in that they refer to the Essence of Allah. Even though they have 
    different meanings, they are in agreement and are the same with regard to 
    His Essence, different with regard to His Attributes. 

    Majmoo‘ 
    al-Fataawa, 
    3/59 

    Shaykh Muhammad 
    ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    The names and 
    attributes of Allah, may He be exalted, are names in that they refer to His 
    Essence and they are attributes with regard to the meanings contained in 
    these words. In the first regard they are the same because they refer to one 
    Essence, namely Allah, may He be exalted and glorified, and in the second 
    regard they are different because each one has a different meaning. 

    So al-Hayy (the 
    Ever-Living), al-‘Aleem (the All-Knowing), al-Qadeer (the Powerful), 
    as-Samee‘ (the All-Hearing), al-Baseer (the All-Seeing), ar-Rahmaan (the 
    Most Merciful), ar-Raheem (the Most Compassionate), al-‘Azeez (the 
    Almighty), al-Hakeem (the All Wise) are all names of one named entity, who 
    is Allah, may He be exalted, but the meaning of al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) is 
    different from the meaning of al-‘Aleem (the All-Knowing), and the meaning 
    of al-‘Aleem (the All-Knowing) is different from the meaning of al-Qadeer 
    (the Powerful), and so on. 

    Rather we say that 
    they are names and attributes because the Qur’aan refers to that, as Allah, 
    may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “And He is the 
    Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”

    [Yoonus 10: 10]

    “And your Lord 
    is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy”

    [al-Kahf 18:58].

    The second verse 
    indicates that the Most Merciful is the One Who has the characteristic of 
    mercy. There is consensus among linguists and the way people understand the 
    language that no one can be called ‘aleem (knowing) except one who has 
    knowledge; no one can be called samee‘ (hearing) except one who has hearing; 
    no one can be called baseer (seeing) except one who has sight. This matter 
    is too clear to need any proof. 

    Al-Qawaa’id 
    al-Mathla fi Sifaat Allah wa Asma’ihi al-Husna, 
    p. 8 

    The same may be 
    said about the names of the Qur’aan, the names of the Prophet (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) and the names of the Last Day. In each case they 
    all refer to one thing – the Qur’aan or the Messenger or the Last Day – but 
    at the same time they differ in that each of these names refers to an 
    attribute that is different from others, so the names carry different 
    meanings.  

    Thirdly: 

    The belief of Ahl 
    as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah concerning the beautiful names of Allah – according 
    to the correct view – is that they are not limited to a specific number and 
    the same may be said concerning His attributes. Allah, may He be exalted, 
    has names that He has kept to Himself in the knowledge of the unseen with 
    Him, and these names refer to attributes. So His names and attributes are 
    not limited to a specific number. 

    Among the evidence 
    for this belief is the following: 

    -1-

    It was narrated 
    that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no-one who is afflicted by 
    distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn 
    amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. 
    As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi 
    kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm 
    il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ 
    huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, 
    son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me 
    is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name 
    belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your 
    Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the 
    knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my 
    heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a 
    release for my anxiety),’ but Allaah will take away his distress and grief, 
    and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, should we 
    learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it.” 

    Narrated by Ahmad, 
    3704; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in as-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 
    199.  

    Ibn al-Qayyim (may 
    Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    The beautiful 
    names of Allah are not limited and are innumerable. Allah, may He be 
    glorified and exalted, has names and attributes that He has kept to Himself 
    in the knowledge of the unseen with Him. They are not known to any Angel who 
    is close to him or any Prophet who was sent, as it says in the saheeh 
    hadeeth: “…. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named 
    Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your 
    creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You…” 

    So His names may 
    be divided into three types: 

    (i)
    Those by which he called Himself and taught them to whomever 
    He willed of His Angels or others, but He did not reveal them in His Book.

    (ii)
    Those that He revealed in His Book and taught them to His 
    slaves.

    (iii)
    Those that He kept to Himself in the knowledge of the unseen, 
    so none of His creation knows them. Hence the du‘aa’ says: “You have 
    preserved” i.e., only You know them; it does not mean that He is the only 
    one who is called by them, because the names that are proven to be only for 
    Him include names that Allah revealed in His Book.

    Badaa’i‘ 
    al-Fawaa’id, 
    1/174-176 

    Ibn Katheer (may 
    Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    It should be noted 
    that the beautiful names of Allah are not limited to ninety-nine. 

    Tafseer Ibn 
    Katheer, 
    2/328 

    See also 
    Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyah, 22/482-486 

    -2-
It was narrated 
    that ‘Aa’ishah said: I noticed that the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) was not in the bed one night, so I looked for 
    him, and my hand fell on the sole of his foot. He was in the mosque, with 
    his feet held upright, and he was saying, “O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your 
    pleasure from Your wrath, in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek 
    refuge in You from You. I cannot praise You enough; You are as You have 
    praised Yourself.” 
Narrated by Muslim, 
    486 
The attributes – as 
    we have mentioned – are connected to the names. Every name that is proven to 
    be a name of Allah refers to an attribute as befits His Majesty, may He be 
    glorified and exalted. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn 
    Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
He (the Prophet 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that praise of Allah 
    cannot be limited; if he knew all His names he would know all His attributes 
    and thus be able to praise Him sufficiently, because His attributes are only 
    expressed through His names. 
Dar’ Ta‘aarud 
    al-‘Aql wa’n-Naql, 3/332, 333 
Some of them 
    thought that the names of Allah, may He be exalted, were limited to a 
    specific number, which is ninety-nine! An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on 
    him) narrated that the scholars are unanimously agreed that the names of 
    Allah are not limited to this number. In the answer to question no. 41003 we 
    have quoted the evidence to show that they are not limited to this number, 
    as well as quoting the opinions of the scholars in refutation of those who 
    thought that the names of Allah, may He be exalted, were limited to this 
    number. 
To sum up: the 
    names, attributes and actions of Allah, may He be exalted, have no limit. No 
    one will doubt this who studies the evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, 
    examines the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, and bases his belief in 
    the names and attributes of Allah on proper rules and guidelines. 
And Allah knows best.