Evaluation of the narrative evidence of Negative Theology in the Domain of Divine Attributes Semantics

The theory of “negative theology in the domain of Divine Attributes semantics” regards the positive Divine Attributes as negative, and has been admitted by some Shiite traditionists and theologians, including Thaqat al-Islām Kulaynī, Shaykh Ṣadūq, Mullā Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ Māzandarānī, ‘Allāma Majlisī, Qāḍī Sa‘īd Qumī, and Sayyid ‘Abdullāh Shubbar. This article shows that in the narrative culture, only two narrations can be used as evidence for the negative theology in the domain of Divine Attributes semantics; they have been narrated from Imām Riḍā (a) and Imām Jawād (a) respectively. Nonetheless, the examination of their content reveals that the first narration is to reject the attribution of human trait limitations to the Divine Attributes, and the second narration focuses on proving the simplicity of the Divine Essence. In fact, none of these two narrations aim at justifying the view that considers the positive Divine Attributes as negative. This theory is not only incongruent with the Twelver Shī‘a narrative culture but also has some affirmative and confirmative problems that prevent its acceptance.