SÂNI’IYYAH - صانعية
Literally: Sâni’ is a worker. A maker. An artisan. The one who makes things with art. The one who makes artistically.
As-Sâni’ is a name of Allah which means The Creator. Who creates by art and in an artistical manner.
Sâni’iyyah: Being Sâni’. Being the Creator by skill, order and art. The attribute, the title and the haqiqah, which arises from the Name of As-Sâni’.
“Like one struck points to the striker, and a finely fashioned work of art necessitates the artist, and an offspring requires a parent, and an under surface demands a top surface, and so on... like all these relative qualities known as relative matters which are not absolute and cannot exist without each other, imkân, which is apparent in particulars in the universe as well as in it as a whole, points to wujûb1 . And the state of being acted upon which is to be seen in all of them point to an act, and the createdness apparent in all of them point to khâliqiyyah, and the multiplicity and composition to be seen in all demand wahdah. And wujûb, an act, khâliqiyyah, and wahdah clearly and necessarily require one who is not contingent, acted upon, numerous, compounded, and created, but bears the attributes of being wâjib, an agent (fâ’il), one (wâhid), and a creator. In which case, all contingency, states of being acted upon, createdness, multiplicity and composition testify to Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd, Al-Fa’âl limâ yurîd2 , Al-Khâliq of All Things, Al-Wâhid Al-Ahad.
In Short: Just as wujûb is apparent from imkân, the act from the state of being acted upon, and wahdah from multiplicity, and the existence of the former indicate the latter with certainty, in the same way, qualities like createdness and having all their needs provided for, which are to be seen in beings, clearly point to the existence of shuûn like sâni’iyyah and razzâqiyyah. In turn, the existence of these attributes points necessarily and self-evidently to the existence of a Khallâq and a Razzâq As-Sâni Ar-Rahîm. That is to say, with the language of the hundreds of attributes of this sort which they bear, every being testifies to hundreds of Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd's Asmâ Al-Husnâ. If this testimony is not admitted, it becomes necessary to deny all the attributes of this sort pertaining to beings...” The Words (709-710 )
1 Imkân is defined as: Contingent beings. The entire creation. The existence of them and non-existence of them have the same possibility. Whatever exists other than Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd. Allah, Who is Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd chooses the existence of them, through His will and Irâdah and gives them a particular essence, a specific form, a distinct identity, particular attributes, qualities with hikmah, and beneficial organs from amongst the infinite possibilities.
“Contingent beings (imkân) are equal in respect of being and non-being, there must be [a Necessary Being] who has chosen this.” Signs of Miraculousness (163)
“in the terminology of ‘Ilm al-Kalâm, contingency (imkân) is the equality on the two sides (Al-imkân musawî ad-darafayn). That is, if there is not a cause, things which are not necessary (wâjib) and unattainable but contingent and the attainment of which are possible are equal in regard to existence and non-existence, there is no difference. Few or many, big or small are the same in regard to this contingency (imkân) and equality.
Thus, creatures are contingent, and since within the sphere of contingency (imkân) their existence and non-existence are equal, it is as easy for the boundless pre-eternal qoudrah of Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd to give existence to a single contingent being as it is to give all contingent beings existence, He clothes everything in an appropriate existence, spoils the balance of non-existence. And when the being's duties are completed, He takes off its garment of external existence and sends it apparently to non-existence, but in fact, sends it to a ma’nawî existence within the sphere of ‘Ilm.” The Rays ( 625 )
Wujûb is defined as: The totality of the Ilahî essence, Shuûn, Attributes and Names.
2 (the One Who acts as He wills)