The orientalists' perspective on the problem of God's attributes

Objective: The problem of attributes is not a discussion of how the relationship between the divine essence and its attributes should be. It is a reference point, particularly in the works of Orientalists, for explaining the emergence of Islamic theology. Material and Method: Based on the specified names, this study attempts to reveal the aspects of the problem of God's attributes as presented from the perspective of Orientalists. Findings: Wolfson discusses this issue in his work, suggesting that Muslims were influenced by Christians. He specifically notes the significant impact of the Trinity doctrine on Muslims. Watt discusses the existence of attributes called essential and inherent. He compares the understanding of attributes held by the Mu'tazilites and the Ahl al-Sunnah. Ess states that the phrase "God is all-powerful" is incorrect and should be "God is all-knowing." Wensinck; He preferred to deal with the attributes of God and emphasized how they should be understood. He stressed the importance of interpretation. Gardet and Anawati state that the Mu'tazilites held radical ideas. Murata and Chittick state that God uses various names and attributes in the Quran. They argue that describing God with attributes allows us to distinguish Him from other beings. Conclusion: This study attempts to reveal the aspects of the problem of God's attributes that have been highlighted by Orientalist perspectives. In this respect, our research aims to contribute to the evaluation of the classical Kalam heritage and to open a discussion on the effects of modern academic readings on Islamic thought. Keywords: Attributes of God, Christianity, Islam, Kalam, Orientalism, Problem of attributes