The Critical Assessment of Negative Theology in the Light of the Qur'an and traditions

Out of different views about the semantic analysis of Divine Attributes, this article is going to critically assess the so-called negative theology in the light of the Qur'an and traditions. Having chronologically taken a brief look at such a view of the most significant theologians, the authors have come up with the failure of those negative theologians in their efforts to properly analyze the meaning of Divine Attributes; their failure in the precise understanding of the philosophical secondary concepts gave rise to their perplexity in the station of His Essence and that of His Attributes. Some of them have tried to remedy their philosophical error through their reference to the Qur'an and traditions. There are two sets of opposing traditions on the issue and the pro-negative theology traditions are fewer than the anti-ones. Furthermore, the context embraces merely the interpretation contrary to their preferred view. However, there some scholars who have interpreted the pro-negative theology traditions oppositely. Some negative theologians resorted to the verses and traditions just in order to excuse and justify their preferred view; nonetheless, what they did is no more than jary wa tatbiq (to apply a verse on particular situation and case).