The Doctrine of Pantheism
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Fatwa No. ( 21120 )
All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the translated question and the answer issued in response to it, as published in the monthly magazine Al-Madinah, issued from Dhaka in the Bengali language, issue number five, year (35), August 1999 CE, and Rabi al-Thani 1420 AH. The text of the question, from one of the members of the Bangladeshi community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , is: (We used to believe that Allah exists everywhere and is devoid of form. But here in Saudi Arabia, in one of the cooperative offices, a Bangladeshi translator gave a lesson and said in it: that Allah is not present everywhere, and that He is described as having a hand, an eye, and so on, and that whoever does not believe in this creed is not a believer. My question: What is your opinion of this statement? I ask that this be clarified in light of
the Book and the Sunnah
The respondent said: Whoever says such a thing is either ignorant of a compounded ignorance, or he is insane, and it is not unlikely that he is an agent for one of the misguided sects, for Allah the Exalted is devoid of form, and He is present in everything and everywhere, and His power encompasses everything. And the mention of Allah the Exalted as being described with such attributes has come in many verses of the Qur'an and in the noble Prophetic hadiths. So do not listen to such nonsense until it corrupts your faith. The answer ends. And since this answer is a false answer that contradicts the Book and the Sunnah, and the consensus of the people of the Sunnah, both the Salaf and the Khalaf, and the correct creed; because it entails the doctrine of pantheism—that is, that Allah is present in every place, even in filthy places, and Allah is exalted above that with a great exaltation—and it also entails the denial of Allah of His great attributes with which He described Himself and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) described Him, such as His rising above His creation, and His rising above His Throne, and that He is distinct from His creation, Blessed and Exalted is He, there is nothing of His essence in His creation, nor anything of His creation in His essence, and that He is described as having a hand, a leg, a foot, and a shin, and that He has a face, two hands, and two eyes, and so on of His attributes of perfection
that are essential and active, as established in the Book and the Sunnah. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:255], and Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Mulk 67:16-17], and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 4351, and Allah the Exalted said: [Taha 20:5] in seven places in His Book. And Allah the Exalted said: [Ar-Rahman 55:27], and Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Qasas 28:88], and Allah the Exalted said to Iblis: [Sad 38:75], and Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:64], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 5695, and in a narration: Sahih Muslim 2848c. And Allah the Exalted said to His speaker Moses (peace be upon him): , and Allah the Exalted said: , and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2241Sahih (Darussalam), and Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Qalam 68:42], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained that by saying that Allah the Exalted will uncover His shin on the Day of Resurrection, and when the believers see Him, they will prostrate to Allah the Exalted in magnification, and the hypocrites will want to prostrate at that time but they will not be able to. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 725, and he said: Sahih Muslim 2612e. And so on of the texts of the attributes that came in the Book and the Sunnah. The doctrine of the people of the Sunnah and the community is to believe in them and to affirm what they indicate, without likening Allah to creation or comparing Allah to creation, as Allah the Exalted said: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11]. And the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , having clarified this, it is obligatory for the editor-in-chief of (Al-Madinah)
monthly magazine, issued from Dhaka in Bangladesh , the shaykh Muhyi al-Din Khan , to publish this fatwa, and to ask the owner of the aforementioned answer to retract it, and to announce his retraction in the same magazine, for returning to the truth is a virtue, and the truth is the lost property of the believers, and because of what is in that of guiding people to the truth and turning them away from falsehood. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Mishkat al-Masabih 158Sahīh (Zubair `Aliza'i). And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the translated question and the answer issued in response to it, as published in the monthly magazine Al-Madinah, issued from Dhaka in the Bengali language, issue number five, year (35), August 1999 CE, and Rabi al-Thani 1420 AH. The text of the question, from one of the members of the Bangladeshi community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , is: (We used to believe that Allah exists everywhere and is devoid of form. But here in Saudi Arabia, in one of the cooperative offices, a Bangladeshi translator gave a lesson and said in it: that Allah is not present everywhere, and that He is described as having a hand, an eye, and so on, and that whoever does not believe in this creed is not a believer. My question: What is your opinion of this statement? I ask that this be clarified in light of
the Book and the Sunnah
The respondent said: Whoever says such a thing is either ignorant of a compounded ignorance, or he is insane, and it is not unlikely that he is an agent for one of the misguided sects, for Allah the Exalted is devoid of form, and He is present in everything and everywhere, and His power encompasses everything. And the mention of Allah the Exalted as being described with such attributes has come in many verses of the Qur'an and in the noble Prophetic hadiths. So do not listen to such nonsense until it corrupts your faith. The answer ends. And since this answer is a false answer that contradicts the Book and the Sunnah, and the consensus of the people of the Sunnah, both the Salaf and the Khalaf, and the correct creed; because it entails the doctrine of pantheism—that is, that Allah is present in every place, even in filthy places, and Allah is exalted above that with a great exaltation—and it also entails the denial of Allah of His great attributes with which He described Himself and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) described Him, such as His rising above His creation, and His rising above His Throne, and that He is distinct from His creation, Blessed and Exalted is He, there is nothing of His essence in His creation, nor anything of His creation in His essence, and that He is described as having a hand, a leg, a foot, and a shin, and that He has a face, two hands, and two eyes, and so on of His attributes of perfection
that are essential and active, as established in the Book and the Sunnah. Allah the Exalted said:
And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ(16) Do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven would not cause the earth to swallow you and suddenly it would sway? (17) Or do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven would not send against you a storm of stones?
أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الأَرْضَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَمُورُ (16) أَمْ أَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًاDon't you trust me though I am the truth worthy man of the One in the Heavens
ألا تأمنوني وأنا أمين من في السماءThe Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىAnd there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلالِ وَالإِكْرَامِEverything will be destroyed except His Face
كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلا وَجْهَهُwhat prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands?
مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّRather, both His hands are extended
بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِHell will continue to have people thrown into it and ask if there are any more[*] till the Lord of might puts down His foot on it
لا تزال جهنم يلقى فيها وهي تقول: هل من مزيد حتى يضع رب العزة فيها رجلهin and some of its part would draw close to the other and it would say: Enough, enough
قدمه فينزوي بعضها إلى بعض وتقول: قطٍ قطٍAnd it is made before My eyes
وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِيIt moves by Our eyes
تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَاIndeed your Lord is not blind in one eye
إن ربكم ليس بأعورThe Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able,
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلا يَسْتَطِيعُونَI saw my Lord in the most beautiful form
رأيت ربي عز وجل في أحسن صورةfor Allah created Adam in His own image
إن الله خلق آدم على صورة الرحمنThere is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُmonthly magazine, issued from Dhaka in Bangladesh , the shaykh Muhyi al-Din Khan , to publish this fatwa, and to ask the owner of the aforementioned answer to retract it, and to announce his retraction in the same magazine, for returning to the truth is a virtue, and the truth is the lost property of the believers, and because of what is in that of guiding people to the truth and turning them away from falsehood. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If anyone summons others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those of the people who follow him without their rewards being diminished in any respect on that account; and if anyone summons others to follow error the sin of which he is guilty will be equivalent to those of the people who follow him without their sins’ being diminished in any respect on that account
من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه إلى يوم القيامة، لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئًا، ومن دعا إلى ضلالة كان عليه من الإثم مثل آثام من تبعه إلى يوم القيامة، لا ينقص ذلك من آثامهم شيئًا
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.