It is among His names. He is the First (al-Awwal) and the Pre-eternal (al-Qadīm) Allah. He has neither a beginning nor an end. Pre-eternity (azaliyyah) is also one of His attributes. (Luma, 440)
Eternity (abad) and everlastingness (abadiyyah) are among the attributes of the Exalted Allah. The difference between pre-eternity (azaliyyah) and eternity (abadiyyah) is that pre-eternity means having no prior state or beginning, while eternity means having no end or subsequent state. (Luma, 441)
Pre-eternity (azal) is that which has no beginning.
Eternity (abad), on the other hand, is that which has no end. (Hujwīrī, 468)
Pre-eternity (azal) is a negative attribute, meaning the absence of a beginning. When we say 'the First' (al-awwal) concerning divinity (ulūhiyyah), we do not mean anything other than a rank or station. (Futūḥāt, I, 83)
Although the 'instant' (ān) is considered time, in reality it is the boundary between past and future. It is like the hypothetical point on the circumference of a circle used to designate its beginning and end. Thus, pre-eternity (azal)...