(Answered by Ash-Shaikh Yahyaa Al-Hajooree –
may Allaah preserve him)

Translated by Aqeel Walker

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy

All praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all that exists. To proceed:

These are some of the well-known, published statements of the one who is called Zakir Naik, the Indian – may Allaah guide him – which we are presenting to the Shaikh, the ‘Allaamah, Abee ‘Abdir-Rahmaan Yahyaa bin ‘Alee Al-Hajooree Al-Yamaanee, for him to answer. And they are as follows:

The first question: Zakir Naik says, “You can call Allaah with any name at all, however it must be a name that is good and beautiful.”

[Translator’s note: This is my translation of the Arabic question. Please refer to the original statement of Zakir Naik, as it may not be exactly as I have translated it from Arabic but it has the same meaning. The brothers who are familiar with this man’s deviance most likely know the exact quote.]

The response of the Shaikh, may Allaah bless him:

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy. All praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Him from the evils of our own selves, and our own wicked deeds. Whoever Allaah guides, there is none who can misguide him, and whoever He leads astray, there is none who can guide him. And I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah alone, who has no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger – may prayers of blessing and peace be upon him, and upon his family, in great abundance. Thus to proceed:

So this statement, which contains in it a permission for every person that he may name Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, with what Allaah did not name Himself; this contains a cruel mistreatment of Allaah, Glory be unto Him, the Most High, and it contains fabrication of a lie against Allaah, Glory be unto Him, the Most High. And it is a statement of falsehood that is not based upon anything from the Book (Al-Qur’aan), the Sunnah, or any consensus (Ijmaa’). And indeed I have already refuted the Sufi, ‘Umar bin Hafeedh in one of his statements that is similar to this statement, and that he would supplicate to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, with names that were not confirmed (for Allaah). And here is the refutation so that we do not have to repeat what has been mentioned of evidences, and it is the refutation against this Zakir person (as well):

The Sufi ‘Umar bin Hafeedh said in his book “Khulaasat ul-Madad in-Nabawee fee Awraad Aali Baa’lawee”, pg 39, under the topic heading “Ad-Du’aa bi Asmaa’illaah il-Husnaa yaa Muqsit, yaa Naafi’, yaa Jaami’.”

The reply of Ash-Shaikh Yahyaa (hafidhahullaahu ta’aalaa):

Allaah, the Most High, says: “And unto Allaah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him with them.” (Al-A’raaf:180)

So how can he call upon Allaah with names that are not confirmed for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, like his saying, “O Naafi’,” etc.? And how can he name Allaah with that which Allaah has not named Himself, nor did His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) call Him by these names. This is from the matter of speaking about Allaah without knowledge. And if we wanted to call ‘Umar bin Hafeedh by a name other than his name, he would not be pleased with that, and he would consider it mistreating him by us calling him by other than his name. So how can this person not be pleased with this for himself, yet he is pleased with that treatment for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic?! And he, with this deed of his, has opposed the evidences, and the consensus of the Ummah (Muslim nation).

Al-Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: “Allaah, the Most High, has Names and Attributes, which His Book (the Qur’aan) has come with, and His Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has informed of. There is no room for anyone from the creatures of Allaah, the Most High, whom the proof has been established upon him, to refute (or deny) them.” (Thamm ut-Ta’weel, pg. 121)

And Al-Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said about the Attributes: “And they are not known except by what Allaah described Himself with. So He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. And those who describe him do not reach the full extent of his Attribute, and one is not to go beyond the Qur’aan and the Hadeeth (in describing Him). So we say just as He (Allaah) said, and we describe Him with what He used to describe Himself, and one is not to go beyond the Qur’aan.” (Al-Masaa’il war-Rasaa’il fil-‘Aqeedah, by Al-Imaam Ahmad, 1/277, and Ijtimaa’ ul-Juyoosh il-Islaamiyyah, pg. 83, and Al-Fataawaa, 5/26.)

And the Imaam of the Imaams, Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ishaaq said: “So we, and all of the Salaf, from the people of the Hijaaz, and Tihaamah, and Al-Yemen, and Al-‘Iraaq, and Ash-Shaam, and Misr (Egypt), our Math-hab (way) is that we affirm for Allaah what he affirmed for Himself.” (At-Tawheed, by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/26)

And Al-Imaam Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ismaa’eel, who was known as Al-Ismaa’eelee, said: “And they believe that Allaah is called by His beautiful Names, and described by His Attributes, which His Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) named and described Him with.” (I’tiqaad A’imati Ahlil-Hadeeth, pg. 35)

And Al-Imaam Abu Nasr ‘Ubaydullaah bin Sa’eed As-Sijzee said: “And indeed the Imaams have agreed that the Attributes should only be taken as Tawqeefiyyah (restricted to the texts) and it is not permissible that Allaah be described except with what He described Himself, or with what His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) described Him with.” (Ar-Radd ‘alaa man Ankar al-Harf was-Sawt, pg. 121)

Al-Imaam Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr said: “Ahlus-Sunnah are unanimously agreed in confirming the Attributes that are reported in the Book (Al-Qur’aan) and the Sunnah, and believing in them according to the literal meaning, and not as figurative meanings.” (At-Tamheed, 7/145, and Al-Fataawaa, 5/87).

And Abul-Qaasim Al-Qushayree said: “The Names are to be taken as Tawqeef (restricted) from the Book (Al-Qur’aan) and the Sunnah, and the Consensus (Ijmaa’).” (Al-Fath, 11/226)

And Abul-Hasan Al-Qaabisee said: “The Names of Allaah, and His Attributes are not known except by the Tawqeef (restrictive texts) from the Book (Al-Qur’aan) and the Sunnah, or the Consensus (Ijmaa’), and one is not to enter into them with analogy (Qiyaas).” (Al-Fath, 11/220)

And Ibn Mundah said: “And the Names of Allaah, and His Attributes are Tawqeefiyyah (restricted to the texts), and Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah do not affirm for Allaah anything but what He affirmed for Himself in His Book (Al-Qur’aan), or what has been authenticated from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).” (At-Tawheed, by Ibn Mundah, 2/135).

And Ibn Hazm said: “So it is correct that it is not permissible that Allaah be named with any name except what He named Himself with.” (Al-Muhallaa, 8/31)

And Al-Imaam Al-Baghawee said: “The Names of Allaah, the Most High, are taken as Tawqeef (restricted to the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah).” (Ma’aalim ut-Tanzeel, 3/307)

And As-Safaareenee said in Lawaami’ ul-Anwar:
“But they are in reality Tawqeefiyyah,   We have with this proofs that are reliable.”
(These are two lines of poetry)

Then he explained that, so he said: “We have – O people of the Sunnah and following the Salaf – in considering the affirmation of Tawqeef (restriction) regarding the Names of Al-Baaree (Allaah), the Magnificent and Exalted, from the Legislator, reliable, lofty proofs, that fulfill the goal, because whatever is not confirmed from the Legislator, it should not be taken in unrestricted reliance upon it. And the basic principle (Asl) is prohibition (regarding issues of belief) until a proof of allowance is established. So if it is confirmed, then it is Tawqeefee (within the restriction of the texts).” (Lawaami’ ul-Anwar, 1/124-125)

And Shaikh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: “And the conglomerate of statements regarding the affirmation of the Attributes is the statement that the Salaf of the Ummah were upon and its Imaams, and it is that Allaah is described by what He described Himself with, and by what His Messenger described Him with. And that is to be safeguarded from At-Tahreef (distortion of meaning), At-Tamtheel (likening with the creation), At-Takyeef (describing how they are), and At-Ta’teel (denial of them). ‘There is nothing like Him.’ (Ash-Shooraa:11) These (At-Tahreef, At-Tamtheel, At-Takyeef, and At-Ta’teel) are not to be applied to His Self, His Attributes, nor to His Actions.” This concludes what was wanted of his statement. (Majmoo’ ul-Fataawaa, 6/515)

And his student, Al-Imaam Ibn ul-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said in the principles that he mentioned regarding the Attributes of Allaah: “The seventh is that whatever is used to refer to Him, and regarding the matter of the Names and Attributes, then this is Tawqeefee (restricted to the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah).” (Badaa’i’ul-Fawaa’id, 1/162)

Based upon this, it is not permissible to affirm a name of Allaah, nor any attribute for Him, without an authentic proof conveyed from a textual evidence (i.e. the Qur’aan or authentic hadeeths). This is due to Allaah, the Most High’s, statement: “And unto Allaah belong the most beautiful Names, so call upon Him with them. And leave off those who deviate regarding His Names. They will be punished for what they used to do.” (Al-A’raaf:180)

And affirming Attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, without an authentic evidence to support it, is considered speaking about Allaah without knowledge. And indeed Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, mentioned speaking about Allaah without knowledge along with the major Shirk (associating partners with Allaah). So He, the Most High, said: “Say (O Muhammad): ‘(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawâhish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.), whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allâh for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allâh of which you have no knowledge.’” (Al-A’raaf:33)

And Allaah, the Most High, said: “And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not, or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one’s saying: ‘I have seen,’ while in fact he has not seen, or ‘I have heard,’ while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allâh).” (Al-Israa:36)

And the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to say, “I seek refuge with You, from You. I cannot enumerate the praises upon You. You are just as You have praised Yourself.”