wasifat

Wasifat, written as صفات in Arabic, is a term used to refer to attributes or descriptions. It can denote general qualities or, in linguistic contexts, a technical term for adjectives that describe nouns. The plural form wasifat (صفات) is commonly used to refer to multiple attributes or descriptive words. The root of the word is the Arabic triconsonantal root w-s-f, associated with describing or characterizing.

In Arabic grammar, wasf is the technical term for an adjective that describes a noun. A wasf generally agrees with the noun in gender, number, and definiteness. Adjectives usually follow the noun they modify, forming a noun phrase that conveys a property of the described entity, as in rajulun tayyibun, a good man. The definite status of the noun influences whether the adjective is definite or indefinite, and certain constructions may affect placement or emphasis of the wasf.

In Islamic theology, asifat or wasifat refers to the attributes of God. The study distinguishes between attributes that are affirmed of God, sometimes called sifat thubutiyya, and those denoting negation or absence in creation, sifat salbiyya. The articulation of divine attributes engages ongoing theological discussion about how to describe God without implying plurality or anthropomorphism, maintaining the principle of tawhid, or divine oneness. Different scholastic approaches interpret the nature and scope of these attributes with varying emphasis on literal versus metaphorical understandings.

Overall, wasifat covers both linguistic descriptions and theological notions of qualities, reflecting how language and belief categorize and communicate attributes.