The Shaykh Khashshan's speech on the oneness of the names and attributes.

The Shaykh : Khashshan: ... , , After that:
Indeed, the best of speech is the speech of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the worst of matters are their innovations, and every innovation is a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.
It is regrettable that our Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) is not present with us in this session, but this is by the divine decree and destiny of Allah, so we are content with what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has decreed. He (may Allah preserve him) entrusted me to continue our discussion that we began in the morning regarding tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and to speak about the third point, which is tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). Before I begin with tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat, I must speak about the method of the Qur'an first.
You know that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) sent the messengers with guidance and the religion of truth, and sent them to convey the message to people and to command people to worship Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has introduced Himself to us in His Book and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Fundamentally, the first obligation upon the believer, the first obligation upon any human being, is to believe in what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. So the first thing required of a human being is belief: belief in the messages, and belief in the books of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). What is not required of a human being is to investigate first to ascertain the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and then to believe, as many of the scholars of kalam (theology) suppose. Rather, what is commanded is to believe in what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought before anything else. This is because the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) is ingrained in the fitrah (the innate natural disposition). And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in many verses and in many surahs has not clarified to us (Blessed and Exalted is He) that it is obligatory for us to investigate first to reach the existence of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). No, rather He presents verses and addresses the fitrah of man in them, because this is an established fact among all humans, even among the Arabs of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), as our Shaykh graciously mentioned and spoke about this in the morning, and even among the Christians and the Jews and all nations; they all acknowledge the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). And the one who denied the existence of the Creator, the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), who was Pharaoh (may the curse of Allah be upon him); despite that, he was certain of it in his own self, .
So affirming the Creator is ingrained in the fitrah, and we have no need to review many proofs to then reach the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). The method of the Qur'an is first to remind, to remind of the creation of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through the many verses of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) scattered throughout this universe, and it naturally begins with ourselves. So Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says regarding the creation of man many, many verses. He created man , and He also says: . This is an attention-grabber; He addresses the fitrah in it, and He addresses the intellect in it so that one may become aware of his heedlessness, and so that he may feel, and he must certainly submit before this reality, . So no person, no matter how tyrannical, and no matter how immersed in kufr (disbelief), can say that he is the one who creates this water, and that he is the one who forms it. No, he does not dare and he cannot claim that at all. And consequently, he must submit to the fact that the One who created this water and measured it and formed it is All-Knowing, Wise, and Capable; and that is Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
So the oneness of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) in terms of creation, or in terms of the existence of the sacred Self, is ingrained in the fitrah, and we are not in need of the premises that the scholars of kalam resort to. Rather, we are in need of following the method of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the method of the Book of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) in speaking about the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
And a single verse, as we say when we stand upon it, can awaken the fitrah, and can awaken and alert the intellect. It is as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: . This is a challenge from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to these tyrannical humans to become aware and to think about their origin, their original origin, and their original creation. And Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) clarifies to them in this verse that they were created from something, and they were not created from nothing. Rather, there is a power that created them and brought them into existence, . So they cannot say that they are the creators. Rather, they must submit to the fact that there is a power that created them, formed them, and originated them. This power is the power of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
And so the method of the Qur'an proceeds in addressing this topic.
And the other thing is that the messengers called people to worship Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). No messenger that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent came except to command his people to worship Allah, and that there is no god but Allah, . All the messengers came with this word, commanding people to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic), . And this is a second point as well; because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) relied on what is in the fitrah of people of acknowledgment of His existence (Blessed and Exalted is He). So He called them to worship Him. Thus, tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship) includes tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), and not the other way around. Tawhid al-rububiyyah does not include tawhid al-uluhiyyah, but tawhid al-uluhiyyah encompasses tawhid al-rububiyyah. So one does not become a servant of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)—meaning a servant who is obedient and willing—except that he acknowledges Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) in His lordship (Mighty and Majestic), and that He is the Creator of this universe. Therefore, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) clarifies to us in His Book and addresses us in many verses to turn to Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) in worship, and to single Him out in worship because He is the Creator, . So the Creator is the One who deserves to be worshipped, and other than the Creator does not deserve that we turn to Him in worship. And for that reason, we find many verses in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that speak about tawhid al-uluhiyyah more than they speak about tawhid al-rububiyyah. Why? Because tawhid al-rububiyyah, as we said, is ingrained in the fitrah. And those who denied it, even they denied it while being certain of it. And when Musa (peace be upon him) said to Pharaoh, who denied the existence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), he said to him: . He revealed these verses for the people; a guidance and a light.
So this is Pharaoh the denier. Yet how did Musa address him? He did not come with premises and proofs, but rather he addressed him and clarified to him that he is lying, and that what he is certain of in his own self, and what he knows with true knowledge, is that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) is the One who revealed these clear verses.
And also when Pharaoh asked , what did Musa (peace be upon him) answer him? . So he did not bring many proofs. No, rather he addressed his fitrah, and he addressed what was settled in his self, . So what did Pharaoh claim at that time? He claimed and said: "Your companion is mad." He claimed that he was mad. So at that time, Musa also responded to him and said: . So this clarifies to us Musa's insistence on the principle and on this method that addresses the fitrah and the intellect together, and not on the method of the scholars of kalam who engage in much speech, and yet it is of little blessing, and does not contain the expected benefit.
This means we must understand it so that we can distinguish the method of the Book of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) in affirming tawhid al-rububiyyah and in affirming tawhid al-uluhiyyah, and then in affirming tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So everything that is obligatory upon us is to submit and to believe in what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. The role of the intellect is to understand what came from Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and what came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not the function of the intellect to control the verses of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and to divert these verses from their meanings. No, rather the function of the intellect is to reflect upon and understand the verses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The oneness of the attributes: Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, described Himself with attributes in His Book and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, it is obligatory for the Muslim to believe in what Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, described Himself with in His Book and on the tongue of His Messenger, without figurative interpretation, without denial of the divine attributes, and without likening Allah to creation.
And the standard in this is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: . In this verse there is negation and affirmation. In this verse, the likeness and similarity of anything to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is negated: . Nothing of His creations resembles Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, in the least. There are two existences: the existence of the Creator and the existence of the created. Everything other than Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is a created thing that came into being after it was not, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is the Eternal, and He is the Necessary Existent, Glorified and Exalted is He, and everything other than Him is created.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the Muslim to affirm for Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, what He affirmed for Himself, and not to liken his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, to His creations, nor to interpret the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in a figurative way, nor to deny the attributes of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, out of fear of likening Allah to creation or ascribing a body to Him, as some people claim, especially those who deny the divine attributes.
And as we said, the measure and standard is His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He: . So He affirmed for Himself in this verse hearing and sight, and He negated for Himself, Blessed and Exalted is He, similarity and likeness to the created things and to accidents. So the one who denies the attributes of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, undoubtedly believes that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has some of these attributes; some of these people believe that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has hearing, and that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has sight; they believe in that, but they do not believe in the other attributes of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. So we must establish the argument against this person from this verse, and from his belief in the hearing and sight of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, and likewise in every attribute by which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, describes Himself.
So Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, exists, and He is a Self, and these created things also exist. So those who want to interpret and deny the attributes of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, fleeing from likening Allah to creation and fleeing from ascribing a body to Him, then it necessarily follows for them from that to deny Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, entirely. And the reality is that this is what they have fallen into! Why? Because they naturally began to describe Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, with negative attributes, with attributes where all their speech is negation, with no positive attributes at all, but only negative attributes, and by that they made Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, as if He is non-existent. And for that reason Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says about those who deny the divine attributes: "Whoever denies the attributes worships non-existence, and whoever ascribes a body to Allah worships an idol." So those who interpret the attributes worship non-existence, and those who ascribe a body to Allah worship an idol, and the true Muslim and the true believer is the one who believes in what came from Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, affirming what Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, affirmed for Himself, and negating what Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, negated for Himself.
So Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, exists, and we also exist. So the one who wants to deny the hand and the eye and the like of what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, described Himself with, and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it necessarily follows for him, or he is asked: Do you affirm an existence for Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He? He must say: Yes, he affirms an existence for Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And the human being exists; does that imply similarity and likeness? Exalted is Allah above that by a great exaltation.
Likewise, he is asked: Do you affirm for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, hearing and sight? Do you affirm for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knowledge or not? He undoubtedly affirms for Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, such attributes, and he affirms these beautiful names of Allah: Al-'Alim (The All-Knowing), Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful), Al-Hakim (The Wise), Al-Halim (The Forbearing), Al-Khabir (The All-Aware), Al-Sami' (The All-Hearing), Al-Basir (The All-Seeing). And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, described His servants with that: . And He described the human being as Al-'Alim (All-Knowing): "Al-'Alim (All-Knowing)," and He described the human being as Al-Halim (Forbearing) and as Ar-Rahim (Merciful): . So all of these are attributes by which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, described His servants, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, described Himself. He used these words; there is a verbal sharing in these attributes. Allah is Ar-Rahim (Merciful) and the human being is Ar-Rahim (Merciful); Allah is Al-'Alim (All-Knowing) and the human being is Al-'Alim (All-Knowing); Allah is Al-Qadir (All-Powerful) and the human being is Al-Qadir (All-Powerful). But this power is not like that power, and this hearing is not like that hearing, and this sight is not like that sight, and this will is not like that will. The will of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is not like any other will, and likewise His knowledge is not like any other knowledge, and His hearing is not like any other hearing, and say the same for all the attributes of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. The hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is not like hands. And for that reason the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he said: , both His hands. We affirm for Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, two hands, not one hand, but as our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, said: , He pairs, . So we must affirm for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, what He affirmed for Himself, and we say: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has a hand that is not like hands. We do not interpret it and say: The hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, here means grace; no, or it means power; no. Rather, we place it on the rule and say: The hand of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is not like hands, just as His existence is not like the existence of other created things, and just as His knowledge is not like other knowledge. This is, of course, a brief form.
And likewise in likening Allah to creation, it is said to the one who likens, and the one who ascribes a body to our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, likening Him to His creations; this person, of course, has no proof, and he has no evidence. Rather, the Book of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) refute him. So our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, says: . This is a general negation that nothing of His creations resembles Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He.
And we have no need to intervene with the details, but only to believe that nothing resembles Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, in any of His attributes, Blessed and Exalted is He. So we then negate ascribing a body to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, and we negate similarity for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
But let no one understand from that that if we negate similarity and negate likening, and also leave off interpretation and leave off denial of the divine attributes, that we fall into confusion about our affair; no, or that that contradicts the truth; no. Rather, this is the praiseworthy way, and this is the way of the Book of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, and the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And we understand from that that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has a real existence, and a real Self with a real existence outside this universe; outside this universe. We do not say that the Creator and the created are one thing, as those who believe in the unity of existence say, and that these created things are the very essence of the Creator, and that these existents are the very essence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, and that this universe with everything in it is a Self. Rather, we affirm for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, a Self that is independent and separate from this universe, possessing all the attributes of perfection, and exalted above all the attributes of imperfection, as Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, affirmed for Himself, and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the thing I want to say or clarify is what the scholars of kalam (theology) resorted to: detailed negation, in contrast to the way of the Book of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, as we said, with general negation. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, negated with a general negation: . But the scholars of kalam resorted to detailed negation. And you will see now what the difference is between the verses of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and this knowledge they claimed is knowledge, which is the knowledge of kalam, and how you find bad manners with Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, in their expressions and in their saying?
The theologians of *kalam* say: "That Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not a body, nor a phantom, nor a corpse, nor an image, nor flesh, nor blood, nor a person, nor a substance, nor an accident, nor possessing a color, nor a smell, nor a taste, nor tangible, nor possessing heat, nor cold, nor moisture, nor dryness, nor length, nor width, nor depth, nor aggregation, nor separation, nor does He move, nor does He rest"; He does not move; even though Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says: , and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says: ; so they say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not descend!!
So.

Another questioner: Is movement derived from this? I heard from the Shaykh that descent does not necessitate [movement].

The questioner: No, we say: The descent and the coming; the descent and the coming are not like our descent and not like our coming. We do not say: movement like our movement. Rather, it is a descent befitting His Majesty (Blessed and Exalted is He), and His actions (Mighty and Majestic) befit Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), not as we imagine and as we conceive and suppose when we say from the descent that it necessitates movement; meaning: movement like our movement, meaning when one of us descends, he moves with movement; the descent of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) befits Him with His Majesty and His Perfection. And if we say: We do not want to enter into these details; because the expression of the truth must be with the prophetic Shari'ah terms, we are restricted to the term that came from Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and that came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); so we do not dare to bring a term that the Shari'ah did not bring by Book or Sunnah; so Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) affirmed for Himself a descent; so we affirm for Him the descent. He affirmed for Himself a coming; so we affirm for Him the coming, ; so Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) comes. And also in the hadith: ; so ; so Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) here affirmed for Himself a running. Do we deny to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) what He affirmed for Himself? No, Exalted is Allah above that by a great exaltation. So as long as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) described that He has a running; so we cannot do anything but affirm that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has this attribute, but a running not like our running, and a coming not like our coming, and a descent not like our descent, and an exalting not like our exalting, and so on in every attribute of the attributes of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
But here, when these people say: "That Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not a body, nor a phantom, nor a corpse, nor an image, nor flesh, nor blood, nor a person, nor a substance, nor an accident, nor possessing a color, nor a smell, nor a taste, nor tangible, nor possessing heat, nor cold, nor moisture, nor dryness, nor length, nor width, nor depth, nor aggregation, nor separation, nor does He move, nor does He rest, nor does He have parts, nor is He possessing parts and members and limbs and organs, nor is He possessing directions, nor possessing a right, nor a left, nor a front, nor a back, nor an above, nor a below, nor is He encompassed by a place, nor does time pass over Him, nor is it permissible for Him contact or separation or inhabiting places, nor is He described with any of the attributes of creation that indicate their createdness, nor is He described as finite, nor is He described with an area or extending in directions, nor is He limited, nor a father, nor a son," this is naturally, "nor do the measures encompass Him." Meaning this "nor a father, nor a son" is perhaps a phrase from the Book of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), "nor do the measures encompass Him, nor do the veils conceal Him, to the end of what Abu al-Hasan transmitted." We have no need to make ourselves in a gopher's hole and to take this path in negation, and to say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not above, nor below, nor right, nor left, nor back, not inside the world nor outside it...