The Role of God's Names and Attributes in Semantic Degrees of Divine Promises and Threats

Document Type : علمی پژوهشی

Authors

• A‘ẓam Parcham
• Sumayya ‘Imādī Andādī

10.22067/philosophy.v42i1.11238

Abstract

Among the ways of stating God's actions in the Qur'an is the causal inference (ta‘līl) of any one of them by Divine names and attributes. Promise and threat as God's actions is not an exception in this regard. According to the verses of the Qur'an, Divine names and attributes have a basic role in issuing promise and threat for human beings. Sometimes, it is done directly, that is to say, it is stated along with the promise and threat of a name or an attribute of God, and sometimes, the concept of Divine attributes is implied from the content of the verses of promise and threats in interpreters' statements.

This research is intended to find an answer to the question as to whether the content of promise and threat through God's attributes contains different semantic degrees in human beings.
The present article seeks to examine one or two proper names in different degrees of promise and threat in relation to human beings; for instance: the relation of the two names "The Forgiving, The Merciful" in various human degrees has a significant role in achieving perfection, since each one of them enjoys differently from these two names. Thus, other names of God, such as: The Creator, The Originator, The Sustainer, The Form-giver, etc. cannot substitute these two names, as the concept of expansion and perfection fully exists in the word Mercy. Therefore, the Prophets have a higher enjoyment of Divine Mercy than others (Q. 7: 23). On the next level (degree) are the believers and strivers (mujāhids) who are hopeful of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness, and God, in turn, forgives their probable blunders and submerge them in His Mercy and Forgiveness (Q. 2: 218). On another level, the sinners who have awakened and repented to God enjoy from his Mercy and Forgiveness according to their capacity (Q. 2: 86-89). Yet on another level, Divine Mercy toward the sinners who have persisted in their sinfulness is in such a way that they still have a chance remained for them to repent and not undergo the torments of desperation (Q. 18: 57 & 58).
Keywords: the Most Beautiful Names of God, promise and threat,
The Wise, The Forgiving, The Merciful, The Mighty, The Self-Sufficient.

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