The word 'creator' has both an exclusive and inclusive sense Fatwa No: 252391
- Fatwa Date:10-6-2014
Asalam o Alaikum!!! If someone use the names and attributes of Allah which Allah and human beings don't share such as khaliq (saying man can create other humans.As many people and parents use to say it no not denying the reality the Allah creates us) which type of shirk it constitutes major or minor. Please explain me rightly as I didn't get the clear cut answer from the previous fatwa you referred to me
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.
The Arabic attribute 'Khaaliq', i.e. 'creator', is used in two senses:
First, in the sense of bringing things into existence from nothing. This sense is used exclusively to refer to the Lord of the Worlds; 'Al-Khaaliq', i.e. 'the Creator', in this sense is a unique attribute of Allaah and no created thing shares in His unique characteristics. Therefore, it is impermissible for a Muslim to use this attribute in this sense referring to any created being. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 88517.
Second, attribute 'creator', may be also used in a broader linguistic sense to refer to measuring and proportioning (or making). In this sense, it may be used to refer to created beings. Al-Qurtubi wrote, “The attribute 'creator', can be used to refer to human beings in the sense of ‘making’; however, it cannot be used to refer to originating and bringing things into existence from nothing.” [Tafseer Al-Qurtubi]
In this linguistic sense of the word 'creator', the attribute may be shared by both Allaah and human beings. Allaah, The Exalted, has associated this attribute to the created beings; He says (what means): {…So blessed is Allaah, the best of creators.}[Quran 23:14]
Ash-Shawkaani wrote, “The Arabic word ‘Khalq’, i.e. creating or creation, may be used in the sense of measuring and portioning.
It may be said, 'I measured the tanned skin,' in order to cut it. The concluding sentence of the verse ‘blessed is Allaah, the best of creators,’ means, that Allaah is the best and most skilled of makers who create and measure things in proportion.” [Fat-h Al-Qadeer]
Allaah Knows best.