What is the validity of this rule regarding the names and attributes: “The agreement of names does not necessitate the agreement of the named things”?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, some people state a rule regarding the names and attributes, which is that the agreement of names does not necessitate the agreement of the named things. Is this rule sound and comprehensive?
The Shaykh:
First of all, who mentioned this rule? Did the scholars mention it before? I have told them more than once: do not speak of something you have not been preceded to, do not establish rules or set criteria that you have not been preceded to. You have been sufficient, and praise be to Allah, you have been sufficient, and praise be to Allah. Do not innovate anything in this matter, because this matter is a slip of the feet and a veil of understanding. Hold fast to what the righteous Salaf were upon; they are sufficient for you in the burden, they have explained it to you, and they have outlined the sound methodology for you. Do not establish things from yourselves, and do not set criteria from yourselves. Yes, and what does he say?
The questioner:
He says: Some people state a rule, and it is regarding the names. He says: The agreement of names does not necessitate the agreement of the named things. Is this rule sound and comprehensive in the matter of the names and attributes?
The Shaykh:
First of all, who established this rule? I tell you, we do not want to innovate anything or delete anything. Second, if his intention is that agreement in the wording of the name does not necessitate agreement in its meaning, this is correct. The name of Allah and the name of the created being agree in wording, but they differ in meaning and reality. The name of Allah is fitting for Him, and the name of the created being is fitting for it. Therefore, agreement in the names does not necessitate agreement in the named things.
The scholars have mentioned what indicates this. They stated that it is not necessary that describing Allah or naming Allah with a name that matches the name of the created being, or an attribute that matches the attribute of the created being, necessitates similarity between the Creator and the created.
Allah has hearing. Take the rule: Allah has hearing. The created being is also hearing, is it not? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is Seeing. The created being is Seeing. Does this necessitate that the sight of Allah is like the sight of the created being?
And that the hearing of Allah is like the hearing of the created being. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has two hands, and the created being has two hands. Does this necessitate similarity? No. Allah has a face. The created being has a face. Does this necessitate similarity? No. It does not necessitate it. Agreement in the name and wording does not necessitate agreement in the meaning and reality. Yes.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, some people state a rule regarding the names and attributes, which is that the agreement of names does not necessitate the agreement of the named things. Is this rule sound and comprehensive?
The Shaykh:
First of all, who mentioned this rule? Did the scholars mention it before? I have told them more than once: do not speak of something you have not been preceded to, do not establish rules or set criteria that you have not been preceded to. You have been sufficient, and praise be to Allah, you have been sufficient, and praise be to Allah. Do not innovate anything in this matter, because this matter is a slip of the feet and a veil of understanding. Hold fast to what the righteous Salaf were upon; they are sufficient for you in the burden, they have explained it to you, and they have outlined the sound methodology for you. Do not establish things from yourselves, and do not set criteria from yourselves. Yes, and what does he say?
The questioner:
He says: Some people state a rule, and it is regarding the names. He says: The agreement of names does not necessitate the agreement of the named things. Is this rule sound and comprehensive in the matter of the names and attributes?
The Shaykh:
First of all, who established this rule? I tell you, we do not want to innovate anything or delete anything. Second, if his intention is that agreement in the wording of the name does not necessitate agreement in its meaning, this is correct. The name of Allah and the name of the created being agree in wording, but they differ in meaning and reality. The name of Allah is fitting for Him, and the name of the created being is fitting for it. Therefore, agreement in the names does not necessitate agreement in the named things.
The scholars have mentioned what indicates this. They stated that it is not necessary that describing Allah or naming Allah with a name that matches the name of the created being, or an attribute that matches the attribute of the created being, necessitates similarity between the Creator and the created.
Allah has hearing. Take the rule: Allah has hearing. The created being is also hearing, is it not? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is Seeing. The created being is Seeing. Does this necessitate that the sight of Allah is like the sight of the created being?
And that the hearing of Allah is like the hearing of the created being. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has two hands, and the created being has two hands. Does this necessitate similarity? No. Allah has a face. The created being has a face. Does this necessitate similarity? No. It does not necessitate it. Agreement in the name and wording does not necessitate agreement in the meaning and reality. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [394 -1024] ما صحة هذه القاعدة في الأسماء والصفات: اتفاق الأسماء لا يستلزم اتفاق المسميات؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.