The Third Category of Tawheed
Tawheed al-Asma was-Sifat — singling out Allah in His names and attributes — is the third great category of Tawheed alongside Rububiyyah (Lordship) and Uluhiyyah (worship). The way of the Salaf in this matter was simple, clean, and protective: affirm what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ affirmed, in the manner that befits His Majesty, without falling into the errors of the various theological schools.
The Five Foundations
Affirm what Allah affirmed for Himself
إثبات ما أثبته الله لنفسهWe affirm every name and attribute that Allah has affirmed for Himself in the Qur'an and through His Messenger ﷺ — without distortion, denial, how-questioning, or likening Him to creation.
Without taḥrīf (distortion)
بلا تحريفWe do not change the wording or the meaning of what Allah has said. The 'Hand' of Allah remains the Hand — not 'power' as the deviants reinterpreted.
Without ta‘ṭīl (denial)
بلا تعطيلWe do not deny what Allah affirmed for Himself. He is above the Throne — really, in a manner befitting His Majesty — not metaphorically.
Without takyīf (asking how)
بلا تكييفWhen asked 'How does Allah descend?' or 'How is His Hand?' — Imam Malik's answer is the standard: 'The descent is known, the how is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is bid‘ah.'
Without tamthīl (likening to creation)
بلا تمثيلAllah said: 'There is nothing like unto Him' (42:11). His attributes are real, but they are not like the attributes of created things. He hears, but not as we hear. He sees, but not as we see.
The Foundational Verse
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
"There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." — Surah ash-Shūra 42:11
Imam Nu‘aym ibn Ḥammād said: "Whoever likens Allah to His creation has committed kufr. Whoever denies what Allah has described Himself with has committed kufr. There is no likeness in what Allah and His Messenger have described."