In His saying, the Exalted: "And Allah spoke to Moses directly," is this verse understood according to its apparent meaning, or is there another meaning?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The last question asks about His saying, the Exalted: Is this understood according to what is apparent in the verse, or is there another meaning?
The Shaykh : This verse and other verses are understood according to their apparent meanings that befit Allah, Mighty and Majestic. From this verse, we understand that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, spoke to Moses. He clarified in another verse that He spoke to him with a heard voice, saying:[Maryam 19:52] A call is made with a loud voice to one who is far away, and intimate conversation is with a soft voice to one who is near. From this, we know that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, speaks with what He wills, when He wills, and how He wills, and that His speech is with letters and heard sounds. However, it is obligatory for us to act upon the fact that the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, does not resemble the speech of humans with their voices, because Allah says in the clear text of His Book: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11] And He says in the form of a question tinged with challenge and negation: [Maryam 19:65] Meaning that He has no like, no counterpart, and no one who equals Him in all attributes of perfection. This rule, which I mean taking the apparent meaning of the Qur'an, is obligatory because Allah, the Exalted, addressed us with the Qur'an and said: [Yusuf 12:2] [Az-Zukhruf 43:3] These are two verses from the Book of Allah in which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, clarified that He revealed the Qur'an and made it in the Arabic language so that we may understand it and comprehend its meaning. Accordingly, it is obligatory for us to believe in its apparent meaning according to what the Arabic language requires, unless there is a legal proof that obligates diverting it from the linguistic requirement to the legal requirement. In that case, it is obligatory to follow what the Shari'ah indicates in that matter.
The misguidance that occurred through distant interpretations was only due to people imposing their intellects on what is obligatory for Allah, what is permissible for Him, and what is impossible for Him. Consequently, there arose in the interpretation of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah regarding the names and attributes of Allah what is known, and what entails departing from what the righteous Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them) were upon in applying the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, according to its apparent meaning and reality in the manner that befits Him, without likening Allah to creation, comparing Allah to creation, distortion of a text's meaning, denial of the divine attributes, or asking how an attribute is.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
And Allah spoke to Moses directly
وكلّم الله موسى تكليماThe Shaykh : This verse and other verses are understood according to their apparent meanings that befit Allah, Mighty and Majestic. From this verse, we understand that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, spoke to Moses. He clarified in another verse that He spoke to him with a heard voice, saying:
And We called him from the side of the mount at [his] right and brought him near, confiding [to him].
وناديناه من جانب الطور الأيمن وقرّبناه نجياThere is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصيرDo you know of any similarity to Him?"
هل تعلم له سمياIndeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.
إنا أنزلناه قرءاناً عربياً لعلكم تعقلونIndeed, We have made it an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.
إنا جعلناه قرءانا عربيا لعلكم تعقلونThe misguidance that occurred through distant interpretations was only due to people imposing their intellects on what is obligatory for Allah, what is permissible for Him, and what is impossible for Him. Consequently, there arose in the interpretation of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah regarding the names and attributes of Allah what is known, and what entails departing from what the righteous Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them) were upon in applying the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, according to its apparent meaning and reality in the manner that befits Him, without likening Allah to creation, comparing Allah to creation, distortion of a text's meaning, denial of the divine attributes, or asking how an attribute is.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.