My revision notes that briefly aim to summarise “The Sanusi Creed” – These aim to summarise the core Ashari beliefs of Sunni Muslims.

This encompasses the nature and attributes of God, as well as his Messengers. This is derived from what is known logically about God through reason, logic and observation.

Some of the later points are known through revelation but the majority of these points are derived logically through arguments based on contingency (and the kalaam cosmological argument).

Intro

It’s necessary for every person who is legally-accountable (in the eyes of the shariah) to understand what is the necessary truth of Allah, and what is impossible and what is possible. Similarly it’s necessary for them to know the true reality of the messengers (ﷺ).

Types of modal judgements

All statements must either be:

1. Necessary الوُجُبُ
2. Impossible اللاسْتِحَلَةُ
3. Possible الجَوَاز

If something is “Contingent” it means that it could logically have existed differently. For example I could logically exist with green hair! ‏هذا جائز

“Necessary” means that something is a logical necessity. e.g: for God’s necessary attributes, they can only logically exist in the way specified and not in another way. For example it is not logically plausible for Allah to have a beginning therefore it is necessary that he is pre eternal.

20 Necessary attributes of God:

1 intrinsic self-signifying attribute – nafsiyyah

1. Wujuud = existence = الوُجُد

5 negative attributes – salbiyya

• negative = negating attributes “Allah is not X”

1. Pre-eternality — القِدَمُ
2. The endless and everlasting – البَقاءُ
3. Completely different to all of creation and contingent beings – مُخَالَفَتُُّ
4. Self subsistence- free from need of others – قِيَامُهُ تَعَالى بِنَفسِهِ
5. Oneness – الوَحدَانِيَّةُ

7 necessary attributes- maaniyyah – المَعَانِي

• these are affirmative attributes

1. Power – omnipotence – القُدْرَةُ
2. Will over all things possible – الإِرَادَةُ
3. Knowledge of all things necessary, possible and impossible- العِلْمُ
4. Life – الحَيَاةُ
5. Hearing of all existing things- السَّمْعُ
6. Seeing of all existing things – البَصَرُ
7. Speech without sound or letter – الكَلَامُ

7 predictive attributes = sifaat manaawiyyah صِفات مَعْنَوِيَّتِ

• These are implicit/necessary from the other attributes mentioned above

1. Him being All-Powerful – كَونُهُ تَعَالى قادِراً
2. Him being Willing – مُريداً
3. Him being All Knowing – عَالِماً
4. Him being Living – حيّاً
5. Him being All Hearing – سَمِيعاً
6. Him being All Seeing – بَصِيراً
7. Him being Speaking – مُتَكَلِّماً

20 opposite (impossible) attributes

1. Non existence –  العَدَم
2. Contingency (accidental existence) is impossible for Allah – الحُدُوث
3. Having an end – طُرُوُّ العَدَمِ
4. Similarity to creation – المُماثَلَةُ لِلحَوَادِثِ
5. Impossible for him not to be self subsistent
6. Impossible for him not to be one
7. Impossible for him to be incapable of affecting anything possible.
8. Impossible for him to bring something into existence without will (e.g through accident or forgetfulness, or lack of will)
9. Impossible for him to be ignorant
10. Death
11. Deafness
12. Blindness
13. Muteness
14. Opposite of the remaining attributes are clear (I.e him lacking absolute power)

What is jaa’iz/possible for Allah

• It is possible that he is does anything that is possible — or that he chooses not to do it.

Proof of these attributes

1- Proof for existence of Him most exalted

It is the existence of the world – as its contingency necessitates a necessary being.

2 – Evidence for the contingency of creation

• is it’s inseparability from accidents and contingent events such as stillness and movement.
• These are contingent as they could have  been another way.

3 – Proof of His ancient existence

If he were not pre-eternal, he would have a beginning and be contingent — and would thus need a necessary cause.

4 – Proof of His continuation

If He could be met with non existence, then this would negate pre-externality as it would mean His existence was contingent/possible – and not ‘necessary’.

5 – Proof He is different from all created things

If he was similar to something contingent, he would also be contingent; This is impossible as we know that he is necessary and not contingent.

6 – Proof He is established bil-nafsi

If you was established requiring something contingent, then he too would be contingent as he would be reliant on that contingent thing. We know he is necessary, ergo he cannot be established by other than himself.

7 – Proof of His one-ness

If he was not one, he would be comprised of parts

• these sub-parts would be deficient
• I.e two parts agree to create something if they require each other, then there’s some impotence in one of them
• If the two parts disagreed then this would negate the omnipotence of either part and nothing could exist.
• Therefore God must be one and one cohesive part alone — there cannot be 2 sub-gods.

8- Proof of His attributes of qadr, iraada,  ilm and hayaat.

• The necessary being must have power to create otherwise we would not exist
• His power must stem from his will otherwise he would not be in control of what he created.
• He must have specification of what He created and that is his knowledge.
• If we negate him having life then we affirm death — and that would contradict the previous three attributes.

9- Proof for His necessary hearing, sight, speech

• we get this from the Koran and the sunnah, and ijma
• If he didn’t have these, he would have their opposites, and that would imply deficiency; it is impossible for Him, most exalted, to be deficient.

10 – Proof that His actions are possible – and His leaving them is jaa’iz

• If something were not possible for him to leave, then it would be mandatory for him and that is impossible, that something be mandated for Him, most exalted.

Attributes of messengers

1 Messengers – what is necessary for them

• Truthfulness
• Trustworthiness / faithfulness
• Conveying what they’re commanded with conveying to us

2 Messengers – what is impossible for them

• The opposite of the above.
• Lying
• Betrayal – by them performing a prohibited action
• Them concealing, something they were commanded to convey

3 Messengers – what is possible for them

• What is from their normal human condition – but doesn’t lower or negate their lofty status.
• E.g:

1. Increase their rank and magnify their reward through human struggles and test. Allah has dictated this is the way humans have their reward magnified.
2. Shariah – sets a precedent for laws pertaining to human behaviours
3. Solace from the dunya – comfort from loss of material wealth – e.g nice wives?
4. Demonstrate the inferiority/paltriness of this world in sight of Allah.

Proof of these attributes of messengers

1 – Messengers – proof for their truthfulness.

• We know from scripture that Allah tells us everything they do is truthful

2 – proof for their faithfulness.

• Allah tells us to follow them in word and actions
• If they did something haram/detested this would be a contradiction as Allah does not tell us to do anything haram or detested

3 – Messengers – evidence for what is allowed for them

• from the Hadith we have received reports of them doing these things

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Further Revision Notes:

Draft of the Revision Notes compiled by my cohort at ASI:

A Refined Explanation of The Sanusi Creed The Foundational Proofs:

https://sunnipubs.com/products/the-sanusi-creed

Another summary of the Sanusi Creed: https://www.firasah.org/articles/aqidah/the-sanusi-creed/