Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterThe names of Allaah are not created
Question
As-Salamu alaikum, I know that we say that Names and Atrributes of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala are not created, while we say that names of attributes of creatures are created, but what we say for names such as Abdullah, Abdurrahman and names like these two, because these names contain also beautiful names of Allah. Maybe this obscurity is waswasah of shaytan, but how can I explain this. May Allah bless you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is known, as you mentioned, that the Names and Attributes of Allaah are not created. Ibn Abu Zayd Al-Maaliki said in Ar-Risaalah: “To Allaah belongs the Beautiful Names and Highest Attributes. He has always had all His Attributes and Names. He is exalted above having created attributes and names.” [End of quote]
If a person is named 'Abdullaah or 'Abdur-Rahmaan, these are compound names composed of two parts: the first part is ‘Abd, which means created and owned, and the second is the Lord, the Creator, the Owner.
As regards the words that we say, the Noble Name (e.g. the name Allaah or Ar-Rahmaan) is not created, but the action of people, their voice and their pronunciation are created, as Allaah says (what means): {While Allaah created you and that which you do.} [Quran 37:96]
Al-Bukhari's "Khalq Af'aal Al-'Ibaad" reads: “Al-Bukhari said: I heard 'Ubaydullaah ibn Sa‘eed say: I heard Yahya ibn Sa‘eed (i.e. Al-Qattaan) say: I still hear our associates say that the actions of the slaves are created. Al-Bukhari said: Their movements, their voices, their works and their writing are created. But the Quran, which is recited, explained and affirmed in the Mus-haf, which is recorded, written and memorized, is the word of Allaah, not created. He said: Is-haaq ibn Ibraaheem (i.e. Ibn Raahawayh) said: As for the things that contain (the Quran), who doubts that they are created (i.e. nobody doubts that they are created)? ..... Al-Bukhari said: The ink, paper and the like are created, and you write the word Allaah, while Allaah is the Creator, and your handwriting is from your action and it is created, because everything besides Allaah is created by Him.” [End of quote]
Allaah Knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
