Regarding the Names and Attributes: The hadith "If he comes to me walking, I will come to him running"—do we affirm the attribute of running for Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), or do we interpret the hadith?
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The questioner : Regarding the Names and Attributes, my Shaykh, the hadith "If he comes to me walking, I will come to him running." So, is the one who affirms the attribute of running for Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) without... or do we interpret the hadith to mean that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) accepts repentance?
The Shaykh : By Allah, I have been asked this more than once, and I do not have a definitive answer on the matter. Sometimes it appears to me this way, and sometimes I say that it is treated the same as the attributes, and there is nothing to prevent that. But in truth, I do not have a prior opinion regarding the early Imams. Do you recall Ibn Taymiyyah addressing this hadith with an interpretation or explanation?
The questioner : He mentioned in the chapter on interpreting the attributes that it is a reference to accepting repentance, hastening to accept repentance.
The Shaykh : The book of the Forty?
The questioner : I recall they asked Ibn Baz about more than one attribute. My professor, I have a question about this hadith. The hadith is "If he comes to me walking, I will come to him running." I mean, if we want to affirm that Allah (Exalted is He) comes running in this hadith, what is the benefit of affirming this running? The understanding from the hadith, as I think, is that whoever comes to me walking means he comes to me with acts of obedience, drawing near to me through repentance and acts of obedience. This is without likening Allah to creation, and Allah knows best. This is what I think. I am inquiring from...The Shaykh
The Shaykh : The Shaykh : If he had an answer, he would not have stopped.
The questioner : We will verify this, my Shaykh, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : I hope it will be made easy for me.
The questioner : Other than this, what I see is that this is not correct regarding the coming of Allah (Exalted is He). So what is the benefit of Allah (Exalted is He) coming with His essence to this created being?
The Shaykh : My brother, this statement is not said. What is the benefit? What is the benefit? What is the benefit of His saying, Exalted is He: What is the benefit?
The questioner : That is clear, my professor.
The Shaykh : What is clear?
The questioner : I mean the text is clear:
The Shaykh : You are not saying it is clear and not clear. You want to say it is clear, not clear. You want to say, as I said, it is not clear to me this way or that way. But you are saying, what is the benefit?
The questioner : I mean, since this servant came to Allah (Exalted is He) walking with acts of obedience and seeking forgiveness, what I see is that...
The benefit from Allah (Exalted is He) for this servant returns as forgiveness, repentance, and mercy.
The Shaykh : But when this person walks toward obedience, he is truly in a metaphorical sense. But do you deny walking for the servant?
The questioner : I do not deny that either. It is possible, my professor.
The Shaykh : And because it is possible, I say, by Allah, I do not know, this way or that way.
The questioner : I say, my professor, it combines this and that.
The Shaykh : By Allah, you are bolder than I am.
The Shaykh : By Allah, I have been asked this more than once, and I do not have a definitive answer on the matter. Sometimes it appears to me this way, and sometimes I say that it is treated the same as the attributes, and there is nothing to prevent that. But in truth, I do not have a prior opinion regarding the early Imams. Do you recall Ibn Taymiyyah addressing this hadith with an interpretation or explanation?
The questioner : He mentioned in the chapter on interpreting the attributes that it is a reference to accepting repentance, hastening to accept repentance.
The Shaykh : The book of the Forty?
The questioner : I recall they asked Ibn Baz about more than one attribute. My professor, I have a question about this hadith. The hadith is "If he comes to me walking, I will come to him running." I mean, if we want to affirm that Allah (Exalted is He) comes running in this hadith, what is the benefit of affirming this running? The understanding from the hadith, as I think, is that whoever comes to me walking means he comes to me with acts of obedience, drawing near to me through repentance and acts of obedience. This is without likening Allah to creation, and Allah knows best. This is what I think. I am inquiring from...The Shaykh
The Shaykh : The Shaykh : If he had an answer, he would not have stopped.
The questioner : We will verify this, my Shaykh, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : I hope it will be made easy for me.
The questioner : Other than this, what I see is that this is not correct regarding the coming of Allah (Exalted is He). So what is the benefit of Allah (Exalted is He) coming with His essence to this created being?
The Shaykh : My brother, this statement is not said. What is the benefit? What is the benefit? What is the benefit of His saying, Exalted is He:
And your Lord will come, and the angels in rows.
وجاء ربك والملك صفاً صفًاThe questioner : That is clear, my professor.
The Shaykh : What is clear?
The questioner : I mean the text is clear:
And your Lord will come, and the angels in rows.
وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفًاThe Shaykh : You are not saying it is clear and not clear. You want to say it is clear, not clear. You want to say, as I said, it is not clear to me this way or that way. But you are saying, what is the benefit?
The questioner : I mean, since this servant came to Allah (Exalted is He) walking with acts of obedience and seeking forgiveness, what I see is that...
The benefit from Allah (Exalted is He) for this servant returns as forgiveness, repentance, and mercy.
The Shaykh : But when this person walks toward obedience, he is truly in a metaphorical sense. But do you deny walking for the servant?
The questioner : I do not deny that either. It is possible, my professor.
The Shaykh : And because it is possible, I say, by Allah, I do not know, this way or that way.
The questioner : I say, my professor, it combines this and that.
The Shaykh : By Allah, you are bolder than I am.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.