al-Ṣifātiyyah (الصِّفَاتِيَّة)
العقيدة
التعريف :
A description of some of the Kulābiyyah, Ashāriyyah and Maturīdiyyah. In their classification of God’s attributes, they are of two types: 1) the Kulābiyyah and early AshꜤariyyah follow the same classification as the rest of Sunni Muslims, stating two classes: intrinsic and action attributes. However, they have their own method of confirming these. 2) Later AshꜤariyyah and Māturīdiyyah divide attributes into those of meaning, abstract, negated and intrinsic.
المعنى الاصطلاحي :
A general name for whoever affirms any of the attributes of Allah.
الشرح المختصر :
A general name for whoever affirms any of the attributes of Allah. The Sifaatiyyah are affirmers of the attributes of Allah, whether they affirm all of them or some. They stand on the opposite side of those who negate and deny the attributes of Allah from the Jahmiyyah and the Mu`tazilites. The Sifaatiyyah in terms of creed are two categories: 1. Those who affirm all Allah's attributes mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and they are Ahl-us-Sunnah Wal Jama`ah. 2. Those who affirm some of the attributes and deny some; and these are the Asha`rites, the Kullaabiyyah, the Maaturidiyyah, and the Kurraamiyyah. They are Sifatiyyah because they affirm many of the attributes related to the essence of Allah, which they call "Attributes of the meanings" and other names as well. They differ in how they affirm these attributes and in the attributes they consider affirmed.
التعريف اللغوي المختصر :
"Sifaatiyyah" comes from "sifaat", which is the plural of "sifah" which means description, distinction, and feature.