Blessings of Tawheed Asma wa al-Siffat

Tawheed can be broken down into three categories: Rububiyyah (Affirmation of Lordship), Asma wa al-Siffat (Names and Attributes), and Uloohiyyah (Worship).  Some of my earlier posts focused on Tawheed focused on Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah.  Now, insha’Allah, I will try to write several posts dealing with Tawheed Asma wa al-Siffat.  Before those posts, I thought it would be nice that we could understand why it is important to study such an important matter.  The blessings of Tawheed Asma wa al-Siffat include:

• It is half of the basis of Tawheed
• It is the most noble of all sciences and knowledge
• It is one of the purposes that mankind was created
• We are commanded to learn it as the Holy Quran states, “Proclaim (or Read in other translations)!  And thy Lord is Most Bountiful”  (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 96:3)
• The knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes gives life to the heart
• Every single Name and Attribute gives life to a certain type of consciousness and humility in man
• A love of this field of Islam is based on the love of Allah (SWT) as Jarir bin Abdullah al-Bajali reported that some of the Sahabah were with Rasoolullah (SAW) when Rasoolullah (SAW) looked at the full moon and said, “You will see your Lord in the Hereafter as you see this moon having no difficulty in seeing it.  So try your best to perform your prayers before the rising of the sun and that before its setting” (narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
• It is the basis of all other sciences, as everything in the creation returns either to the command of Allah, or His Words as the Holy Quran states, “Lo! your Lord is Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days then mounted He the Throne.  He covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and hath made the sun and the moon and the stars subservient by His Command.  His verily is all creation and commandment.  Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!” (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 7:54)
• It is the fundamental building block of our iman as once Rasoolullah (SAW) appointed a man to lead the prayer for a group of the Sahaba when the group when traveling. The Sahabah complained to Rasoolullah (SAW) that the appointed man would always finish his recitations with Surat al-Ikhlas. Rasoolullah said, “Ask him why he does so.” The Sahaba asked the man and he responded, “I do so because it mentions the qualities of the Beneficent, and I love to recite it (in my prayer).” Rasoolullah (SAW) said to the Sahaba, “Tell him that Allah loves him” (this story can be found in Bukhari and Muslim).  Therefore, Allah (SWT) loved a person because this person loved reciting an surat that described Allah (SWT).
• Knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes is the spiritual food of the soul as the Holy Quran states, “Who have believer and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah.  Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!” (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 13:28) which is why Allah (SWT) calls the one who does not worship Him as dead (spiritually).
• Hadith of the 99 names as Abu Hurairah reported Rasoolullah (SAW) said, “Verily to Allah belongs ninety-nine names, one-hundred less one.  Whoever encompasses (memorizes and understands) them will enter paradise” (narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
• Understanding deviancy as much of today’s deviancy occurs within Tawheed Asma wa al-Siffat. 

May Allah (SWT) guide us all.  Wa assalamu alaykum.