Is it permissible to speak of Allah, may He be exalted, as a “Being”?

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

In
the answers to questions no. 84270 and
177221 we stated that speaking of Allah, may He be
exalted, is broader in scope than just the divine names and attributes.

Secondly:

It
is permissible to speak of Allah, may He be exalted, in terms that do not
suggest shortcomings; as for that which suggests shortcomings or may be
interpreted in such a manner, it is not permissible to speak of Allah, may
He be exalted, in such terms.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

There is a difference between calling upon Him in supplication and speaking
of Him. He should not be called upon except by His most beautiful names. As
for speaking of Him, that should not be done by using any bad name, but it
may be done by using good names or names that are not bad but are also not
regarded as sublime, such as the words “Thing”, “Essence” and “Existent”.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (6/142)

Thirdly:

It
is good to speak of Allah, may He be exalted, in terms in which it is
permissible to speak of Him when there is a need to do so, such as when
refuting innovators or when stating something for the sake of argument, or
to explain the meaning of the divine attributes, and the like. But one
should not expand upon that unnecessarily, because that may lead him to
speak of Allah in a manner that is not befitting.

Al-Bukhaari (7418) narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased
with him) that some people from Yemen entered upon the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: We have come to you to learn about
the religion and to ask you what the beginning of the universe was. He said:
“There was Allah and there was nothing before Him, and His Throne was over
the water. Then He created the heavens and the earth, and He wrote in the
Book all things.”

According to another report: “There was Allah and there was nothing besides
Him.” And in yet another report: “There was nothing with Him.”

See: al-Fath (6/289)

If
what the one who says that means is to speak of the existence of Allah, may
He be exalted, from eternity and that He has always existed and will always
exist, and it is impossible for Him to be absent from His sovereignty and
power, and it is impossible for there ever to have been a time in past
eternity when He did not exist, just as it is impossible that there will
ever come a time in future eternity when He will not exist, rather all
things will perish save His Countenance as Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): “La
ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Everything
will perish save His Face. His is the Decision, and to Him you (all) shall
be returned” [al-Qasas
28:88] and “Whatsoever
is on it (the earth) will perish, And the Countenance of your Lord full of
Majesty and Honour will abide forever” [ar-Rahmaan 55:26-27]; and as it
is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used
to say in his du‘aa’ (supplication): “O Allah, to You have I submitted, in
You have I believed, in You have I put my trust, to You have I turned in
repentance, with Your help have I fought my adversaries. O Allah, I seek
refuge in Your glory – there is no god but You – from Your sending me
astray, for You are the Ever-Living Who does not die, but jinn and men die.”
Narrated by Muslim (2717)…

–
If what is meant is in this sense, then there is nothing wrong with speaking
of Allah in these terms and describing Him as a Being or Existent or
Eternal, may He be glorified and exalted.

Similar things were said by the early generations (the salaf).

It
was narrated by Imam Ahmad (10957) and by al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma’
wa’s-Sifaat (1/40) via Ja‘far ibn Burqaan, from Yazeed ibn al-Asamm,
that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The people will ask
you about everything, until they ask you: ‘Allah created all things, but who
created Allah?’” Ja‘far said: Another man told me from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) – Ja‘far said: He used to attribute it to the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “If you are asked then
say: ‘Allah existed before all things and created all things, and He will
exist after all things.’”

It
was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Some men will go so far as
to say: ‘Allah created the universe, but who created Him?’”

Ma‘mar used to narrate this hadith with a mawsool isnaad and say: “Allah
created all things, and He existed before all things, and He will exist
after all things.”

Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf (11/244); he attributed
this additional phrase (“He will exist…”) to the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Da‘eef

Ibn Abi Haatim narrated in his Tafseer (15664) with a saheeh isnaad
from Muhammad ibn Hamzah ibn Yoosuf ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Salaam that when Moosa
(peace be upon him) reached the sea, he said: “O You Who existed before all
things, and brought all things into being, and will exist after all things,
grant us a way out.”

Imam Ahmad narrated in az-Zuhd (345) that Wahb said: Moosa (peace be
upon him) said: “O Lord, they are asking me how You began?” Allah said:
“Tell them that I existed before all things, brought all things into being,
and will exist after all things.”

See also : Madaarij as-Saalikeen (3/183)

But if this wording is applied to Allah, may He be exalted, and the context
may suggest some shortcoming or some lack of respect towards Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, that is haraam. It is haraam to say anything that
may give the impression of any shortcoming when speaking of Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted. But that, as we have said, does not have to do with
the original meaning of the word, rather it has to do with what it means in
a specific context and what people usually understand from it.

For more information, please see the answer to question no.
48964

And Allah knows best.