Attributes of Allah

From the book "Radiance of Faith" by Ibn Qudamah,

The attribute of “Face” is among the essential attributes and it clearly confirmed by this verse whereby it is attributed directly to Allaah in a possessive construction. What is attributed to Allaah is either

1. a thaat [something actually existing] or
2. a meaning or concept (ma‘naa).

The thaats can either exist by themselves as in the case of “Allaah’s camel” and “Allaah’s house” or they cannot as in the case of “Allaah’s face” or “Allaah’s hand”, etc. i.e., faces and hands do not exist by themselves without an owner.

An example of a meaning is that of mercy and pleasure in the phrases “Allaah’s mercy” and “Allaah’s pleasure”.

The rule is: If something, which can exist by itself, is attributed to Allaah, it is an
attribution of honor as in the case of “Allaah’s camel” or “His house”. On the other hand, if the existing being cannot exist by itself, like “Allaah’s Face” or “Allaah’s hand”, its attribution to Allaah implies a description and not something of honor. The people of innovation claim that “Face” here means “the Divine Essence”, i.e., “And the Face of your Lord remains” means “And your Lord remains”. The deviants claim that “face” means “reward”.