The Question of the Divine Attributes

Abstract

As part of his reformism, Qursawi criticized the prevailing orthodoxy regarding the divine attributes (sifat), which was one of the central issues in Sunni theology. Qursawi rejects the position, articulated by Sa‘d al-Din Taftazani, that there are seven or eight separate attributes, dependent on God and possible of existence (mumkin). Although he accepts the basic premises of the issue in post-Avicennian kalam, Qursawi argues that Taftazani’s stance makes the attributes too distinct from God, violating God’s fundamental oneness (tawhid). He focuses on the attributes’ multiplicity (ta‘addud), differentiation (mughayara), and superaddition (ziyada) as erroneous, arguing they render the attributes contingent entities, in contrast to God’s inherent necessity (as wajib al-wujud), infringing upon His transcendence (tanzih). This stance brought accusations of Mu‘tazilism against Qursawi and led to his condemnation for heresy in Bukhara. Qursawi further criticizes kalam as too based in rational speculation, leading to error and spreading incorrect beliefs.