There are 5 attributes known as the "Negating Attributes" (الصفات السلبية al-Siffat al-Salbiya) which creation has come to know about God through revelation. These attributes are called "Negating attributes" because they negate the false images of God that we put in our minds.
These false images we have in our minds are a result of us being created beings that are used to seeing certain rules/laws apply to everything that exists. Although these laws we see around us are completely true with regards to creation, they are completely false with regards to the Divine.
The 1st Negating Attribute is God being "Beginlessly Eternal" (القدم al-Qidam).
God has no beginning since God has always existed. This attribute negates the understandings we have in our minds regarding God having a beginning. Everything we have ever seen in our life has always had a beginning, everything around us did not exist but then was brought into existence. This attribute is about the exact opposite. God has no beginning and was never preceded by non-existence.
The 2nd Negating Attribute is God being "Eternal"(بقاء baqa')
God has no end, even though everything around us has an end. God shall always exist.
The 3rd Negating Attribute is God's "Oneness" (الوحدانية al-wahdaniyah)
Everything around us in creation is composed of different pieces put together, while God is not. God is not composed of limbs put together, He is indivisible and He is not made up of various parts. This attribute negates what our minds have gotten used to seeing, it puts an end to us using our imagination to visualizing God in terms of sizes and dimensions.
Everything that is composed of parts needs space in order for the parts to exist. These parts have a beginning and an end. Both of those descriptions contradict the Divine. God has no needs and has no beginning or end.
God is only one, there are no multiple Gods. God is unique and His attributes are unique, no thing shares God in His attributes and essence.
God is only one in His actions and effects. Nothing has any effect in and of itself. This is something that most people do not reflect on properly enough. Many people think that food is what satiates hunger, and drinking quenches thirst, and knives cut by an ability God has given each of these things. This is false, nothing has any effect on it's own. The Divine is the only One that makes causes and effects. Causes and effects are by God and God alone.
God is one in every meaning of the word.
The last 2 Negating Attributes will be mentioned in the next post, God willing.
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