It is attributed to you that you say: Allah has eyes?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : It is attributed to you that you say Allah has eyes?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : We want to answer this...
The Shaykh : This is also one of the things...
The questioner : that clarifies for people...
The Shaykh : What we do not say, our brothers; we do not attribute to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) anything except what is established in the Book and the Sunnah, following the methodology of the righteous Salaf. The verse that says: our scholars interpreted it to mean that you are under our supervision and our knowledge. It is not permissible for anyone to attribute to us that we interpret every verse as they assume we do not engage in figurative interpretation. In reality, we do not engage in figurative interpretation; but there are some texts where they call the apparent meaning figurative interpretation, and we do not call it that; rather, it is the truth itself. This verse means nothing but that you are under our supervision, our observation, our knowledge, our support, our care, and similar meanings and attributes by which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is described.
For example, His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) in Surat Yusuf:[Yusuf 12:82] When they interpret this verse, they say: This is metaphorical, a metaphor of omission, and its implied meaning is: Ask the people of the town. This is a correct interpretation, but we do not call it metaphorical, nor do we call it figurative interpretation; rather, this is the truth. The meaning of this verse is what every Arab understands without figurative interpretation. The meaning that comes to mind from the Arabic language is the true meaning. Even if scholars or some later scholars agreed to call such speech metaphorical, the early Arabs did not know this type of metaphor; because metaphor, by the admission of those who hold to the truth and the metaphor, is leaving the apparent indication—that is, departing from the truth—due to a circumstance that compelled them to speak of metaphor or figurative interpretation. But here, when the Arab hears: he does not understand from it that meaning they called metaphorical; that is, he understands only the correct meaning; which is: Ask the people of the town.
Similarly, for example, "the river flowed." The river in language is the trench in which the water flows. They say: This is metaphorical. But this is a convention; because when the Arab hears "the river flowed," he does not understand that the trench flowed alone without the water in it, but he understands the opposite; namely, the water flowed in this trench, and the trench is fixed. And so are many, many examples. But some people impose on us, through their independent legal reasoning, whatever they wish, and they forbid themselves from exercising independent legal reasoning in what is obligatory for them to do. When they hear that we do not hold to metaphor, they say: Then you must hold to the apparent meaning of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): And we say what the exegetes said, as we explained to you earlier.
This is what I am able to say on the matter.
The questioner : O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Does this mean we do not use this verse as evidence in establishing the eye?
The Shaykh : We do not use it in establishing the eye; the eyes.
The questioner : The eyes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Yes.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : We want to answer this...
The Shaykh : This is also one of the things...
The questioner : that clarifies for people...
The Shaykh : What we do not say, our brothers; we do not attribute to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) anything except what is established in the Book and the Sunnah, following the methodology of the righteous Salaf. The verse that says:
Indeed, you are under Our eyes
فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَاIndeed, you are under Our eyes
فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَاFor example, His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) in Surat Yusuf:
And ask the city in which we were and the caravan in which we came - and indeed, we are truthful,"
وَاسْأَلِ القَرْيَةَ الَّتِي كُنَّا فِيهَا وَالعِيرَ الَّتِي أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَAnd ask the town
وَاسْأَلِ القَرْيَةَSimilarly, for example, "the river flowed." The river in language is the trench in which the water flows. They say: This is metaphorical. But this is a convention; because when the Arab hears "the river flowed," he does not understand that the trench flowed alone without the water in it, but he understands the opposite; namely, the water flowed in this trench, and the trench is fixed. And so are many, many examples. But some people impose on us, through their independent legal reasoning, whatever they wish, and they forbid themselves from exercising independent legal reasoning in what is obligatory for them to do. When they hear that we do not hold to metaphor, they say: Then you must hold to the apparent meaning of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
Indeed, you are under Our eyes
فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَاThis is what I am able to say on the matter.
The questioner : O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Does this mean we do not use this verse as evidence in establishing the eye?
The Shaykh : We do not use it in establishing the eye; the eyes.
The questioner : The eyes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.