المعنى الاصطلاحي

Demonstrating the manner and condition of the authentic attributes of Allah, the Almighty, or inquiring about their essence.

الشرح المختصر

“Takyeef” (describing manner and nature) is the belief that the attributes of Allah, the Almighty, have such-and-such manner and condition, without ascribing them to something similar. This belief is false, based on textual evidence as well as reason. As for the textual evidence, it includes the verse that says: {But they do not encompass Him in knowledge.} [Surah Taahaa: 110] Another verse reads: {And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart - about all those, [one] will be questioned.} [Surat-ul-’Israa: 36] Indeed, it is a clear fact that we do not possess knowledge about the essence of the attributes of our Lord, for He informed us of them, yet not of their manner and nature. Hence, if we described their essence, this would fall under speaking about Allah without knowledge and about something we cannot comprehend. As for the mental reason, we say: the nature of the attributes of something cannot be realized until the nature of its very essence is grasped, its equal counterpart is known, or we are given authentic information about it. All these means are non-existent when it comes to the nature of the divine attributes. So describing their manner and nature is something wrong and void. Moreover, whatever the manner and nature a person may envision about the attributes of Allah, the Almighty, our Lord is surely greater and more exalted than that. It is noteworthy here that it is the description of the essence of the divine attributes that is deemed false and void, not the very essence. Indeed, every attribute has a certain nature and essence that is unknown to us.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر

“Takyeef”: Describing the manner, form, or condition of something, like its length, width, and size. It is derived from “kayf”, which means manner, form, and essence.

التعريف

To assign the practical case to the topic under which it comes so as to ascertain its ruling, after due consideration of meeting the necessary conditions and the absence of any preventive element.