Divine Oneness and the Attributes of Allah

Imam Abu Hanifa opens Al-Fiqh al-Akbar with the most foundational assertion in Islamic theology: Allah is one, without any partner, associate, or rival. This affirmation of tawhid is not merely a verbal formula but a comprehensive doctrinal commitment. Allah is not composed of parts, not subject to division, and not dependent on anything outside Himself. His oneness is absolute, admitting no qualification or degree. The text states directly that nothing resembles Him and He resembles nothing, grounding this claim in the Quranic declaration: 'There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing' (42:11). For Abu Hanifa, this verse is the cornerstone of creedal affirmation, and he returns to its implications throughout the text.

The Imam affirms that Allah has always existed and will always exist, that His attributes are eternal alongside His essence, and that He did not acquire them at any point in time. This eternal subsistence of the divine attributes was a central concern for early Sunni theologians, since any suggestion that the attributes came into being after non-existence would imply imperfection or change in the divine nature. Abu Hanifa insists on the full reality of the attributes without any analogy to creaturely qualities. When we say Allah knows, we do not mean His knowledge resembles our knowledge. When we say He lives, we do not mean He lives as living creatures live. The attributes are real and affirmed, but their nature transcends anything we experience.

Abu Hanifa also addresses the question of how believers should speak about Allah. He teaches that one must affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself and deny of Him what He has denied for Himself. One should not go beyond what the Quran and the transmitted reports indicate. This methodological restraint was characteristic of the early scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah: they affirmed the attributes mentioned in revelation without adding to them and without stripping them of meaning through allegorical reinterpretation. The early generations were cautious about using philosophical terms that did not appear in the sources, preferring to stay close to the language of the Quran and Sunnah.

The opening chapter of Al-Fiqh al-Akbar thus establishes the theological framework that governs all subsequent discussion. Tawhid is not simply the belief that there is one God rather than many. It is the recognition that this one God is utterly unique, possessing all attributes of perfection in a manner befitting His majesty, free from every deficiency, and wholly unlike His creation. Abu Hanifa's brevity in this text is deliberate: the foundational affirmations are clear, and elaboration beyond what is necessary risks importing philosophical speculation into a domain where revelation is the guide. The scholar who grasps this opening chapter has grasped the heart of Sunni creedal theology as understood in the Hanafi tradition.