ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Discursive Theology Volume 1 Lesson 12: The Attributes of God Name (ism) and Attribute (ṣifah) The word ism has different applications. In its broadest function, it means any word which implies certain meanings. In this application, ism is synonymous with kalimah (word) and it also includes ḥarf (particle) and fi‘l (verb) in the parlance of the Arabic grammarians.

The second application of ism is that which is used in Arabic syntax, and it is one of the types of kalimah , ḥarf and fi‘l being the other types. Its third application is that which is intended in the parlance of the theologians ( mutakallimūn ) and it means any word which indicates the very quiddity ( māhiyyah ) or essence ( dhāt ) of an attribute ( ṣifah ) without considering its qualification ( ittiṣāf ); examples are the words samā’ (heaven), arḍ (earth), rajul (man), and jidār (wall).

The word ṣifah has also different applications. The theosophers ( ḥukamā’ ) call the origins of derivatives ( mushtaqqāt ) as ṣifah and the derivatives as ism . According to them, ‘ilm (knowledge) and qudrah (power) are ṣifah while ‘ālim or ‘alīm (knowledgeable) and qādir or qadīr (powerful) are ism . Meanwhile, the theologians call the derivatives as ṣifāt ( ṣifah s or attributes) and the origins of derivatives as ma‘nā (concepts).

For this matter, ‘ilm and qudrah are ma‘nā while ‘ālim or ‘alīm and qādir or qadīr are ṣifāt . In other words, whenever we take into consideration the essence or quiddity in the sense that it is qualified by a specific quality ( waṣf ) or meaning, the word ṣifah is used.[^1] اَلصِّفَةُ هِيَ الإسْمُ الدّالُّ عَلىٰ بَعْضِ أحْوالِ الذّاتِ، وَ ذٰلِكَ نَحْوَ طَويلٍ وَ قَصيرٍ وَ عاقِلٍ وَ غَيْرِها.

“ Ṣifah (attribute) is an ism (noun) which indicates some states of the dhāt (essence), in the case of ṭawīl (long), qaṣīr (short), ‘āqil (intelligent), and the like.”[^2] إنَّ الصِّفَةَ فِي الْحَقيقَةِ ما أنْبَأَتْ عَنْ مَعْنى مُسْتَفادٍ يَخُصُّ المَوْصوفَ وَ ما شارَكَهُ...

“In reality, ṣifah refers to the meaning which is exclusive to the qualified ( mawṣūf ) and what shares with it [in the said description ( waṣf )].”[^3] It must be noted that such technicalities are not much observed in practice, and they ( ism and ṣifah ) are used interchangeably. The only word which has no descriptive meaning and is known as the exclusive Name of God is His Name of Glory ( ism jalāluh ), i.e.

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