alSifat

alSifat is a term that can refer to several different concepts, primarily within Islamic theology and Arabic language. In Islamic theology, alSifat (often translated as "attributes") refers to the divine attributes of Allah. These are understood to be perfect and eternal qualities that describe God's nature and actions. Examples of these attributes include merciful, all-knowing, and all-powerful. There is extensive theological discussion within Islam regarding the nature and interpretation of these attributes, with different schools of thought offering varying perspectives on how they should be understood and their relationship to God's essence.

In the context of the Arabic language, alSifat is the plural of "sifah," which means "adjective" or "description." In Arabic grammar, a sifah is a word that modifies or describes a noun (al-mawṣūf). For instance, in the phrase "al-bayt al-kabīr" (the big house), "al-kabīr" is the sifah describing the noun "al-bayt." The rules for adjective agreement in Arabic are complex, with the sifah typically agreeing with the mawṣūf in terms of gender, number, definiteness, and case. Understanding alSifat is fundamental to comprehending Arabic sentence structure and meaning.