What is the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah Wa’l Jamaa‘ah concerning the Names and Attributes of Allaah The Almighty?

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 is His slave and Messenger.

Ahlus-Sunnah Wa’l Jamaa‘ah (the main stream of the followers of Sunnah) affirm the Names and Attributes of Allaah The Almighty that He affirms for Himself and those that His messenger affirmed - without distorting their wordings or meanings, nor denying them, nor asking how they are, nor drawing any resemblance between Allaah and any of His creation.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42:11] The part where Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him} refutes any endeavor to describe the nature of a Divine Attribute or to compare it to any of the creatures’ attributes. The second part where Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {and He is the Hearing, the Seeing} refutes any attempt to distort the wordings or meanings of Divine Attributes or to negate any of them. The righteous predecessors affirmed what has been established in the Sharee‘ah texts in detail, and likewise they negated what has been generally negated in them.

This is clear in the previously-mentioned verse where Allaah The Almighty establishes His attributes in detail by specifying each on its own. He The Almighty Says (what means): {and He is the Hearing, the Seeing} thus, mentioning ‘the Hearing’ and ‘the Seeing’ individually. On the other hand, Allaah The Almighty generally negates the existence of any resemblance between Him and any of His creation, meaning it is a general negation that includes all the attributes that contradict His holy perfection. He The Almighty Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him}. [Quran 112:4]

Allaah Knows best.