Ruling on a questioner raising doubts in the creed to a scholar for the sake of learning
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Is it permissible for a questioner, when he asks a scholar, to raise some doubts regarding the creed in order to know the answer and the refutations of them?The Shaykh: This is an important question.
For example, a person said: Indeed, Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He rose above the Throne,So he asked him, and he said: "Rose above the Throne" means: He elevated Himself above it, Mighty and Majestic, in a manner befitting His majesty and greatness,He was convinced that the meaning is: "Rose above the Throne" means: He elevated Himself above the Throne; there is no problem with this. However, he intended to raise doubts against the one who issued the fatwa, fearing that someone among the people might raise these doubts against him and he would not know the answer. Do you understand? This is correct, this is good and fine.
For example: If he said to him: "He rose above the Throne,"Then a person came and said: No, "He rose above the Throne,"Meaning: "He took possession of the Throne"; because rising above a thing is only for a body or such, and he brought up doubts; this is good,In order for you to tell us: "He rose above the Throne in a manner befitting His majesty,"I am not saying: "He rose above the Throne as a person rises above a bed or a mount, in a manner befitting His majesty, and that is the end. And if doubts are raised against him, I say: these doubts are refuted against him;Because these doubts only exist if we say: by saying that the rising of Allah above the Throne is like the rising of a person above a bed or a camel or a ship,But if we say: in a manner befitting His majesty, Mighty and Majestic. There is no problem with this, and this is good.
I also advise every student of knowledge who does not have a strong foundation with which he can debate: to raise as many doubts as possible against one who is more knowledgeable than him in order to get an answer to them. Then, I also advise the scholar who has knowledge, if such doubts are raised against him—because some scholars, if these doubts are raised against them, might think that the questioner wants to debate with them. I also advise the scholars—to be broad-minded. Perhaps the one who raised the doubts is doing so because they were raised against him before and he wants to resolve them, or he fears they might be raised against you in the future and he wants to know the answer.
In conclusion: That this is an important and good question, and I agree that it is necessary for us to raise everything that could be a doubt, whether it was raised against him before or he fears it might be raised in the future.
And Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (The rising is known, the how is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation) And this is the truth.
Interjection: Why does he not answer regarding the how?The Shaykh: He said: The how is unknown.
The rising is known: It is the elevation above a thing with a specific attribute. Is this attribute, which is the manner, known? No. So it is not permissible for us to speak about it or discuss it, and it is not permissible for us to compare it to our rising above a camel or a bed or a ship,And Allah said: [Al-Zukhruf: 12-13] ,If someone said to you, for example: A person rose above a camel,He speaks and says: Then so-and-so tethered his camel and rose above it, and you do not know how he rose. Is it possible for you to describe the manner of his rising above his camel when you have not seen him?The questioner: If you heard about it.
The Shaykh: I told you: In the street now, a camel is standing and its owner has risen above it, just as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-Zukhruf: 12-13] Its owner rose above it and walked. Can you describe the manner of his rising above it when you have not seen him?The questioner: No.
The Shaykh: No, if we do not know the manner of the creation's rising above the camel, and he is of our kind but absent from us, how can we not know the manner of the Creator's rising, Mighty and Majestic?!! And therefore, the manner of the rising is unknown. And this is a sound answer.
For example, a person said: Indeed, Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He rose above the Throne,So he asked him, and he said: "Rose above the Throne" means: He elevated Himself above it, Mighty and Majestic, in a manner befitting His majesty and greatness,He was convinced that the meaning is: "Rose above the Throne" means: He elevated Himself above the Throne; there is no problem with this. However, he intended to raise doubts against the one who issued the fatwa, fearing that someone among the people might raise these doubts against him and he would not know the answer. Do you understand? This is correct, this is good and fine.
For example: If he said to him: "He rose above the Throne,"Then a person came and said: No, "He rose above the Throne,"Meaning: "He took possession of the Throne"; because rising above a thing is only for a body or such, and he brought up doubts; this is good,In order for you to tell us: "He rose above the Throne in a manner befitting His majesty,"I am not saying: "He rose above the Throne as a person rises above a bed or a mount, in a manner befitting His majesty, and that is the end. And if doubts are raised against him, I say: these doubts are refuted against him;Because these doubts only exist if we say: by saying that the rising of Allah above the Throne is like the rising of a person above a bed or a camel or a ship,But if we say: in a manner befitting His majesty, Mighty and Majestic. There is no problem with this, and this is good.
I also advise every student of knowledge who does not have a strong foundation with which he can debate: to raise as many doubts as possible against one who is more knowledgeable than him in order to get an answer to them. Then, I also advise the scholar who has knowledge, if such doubts are raised against him—because some scholars, if these doubts are raised against them, might think that the questioner wants to debate with them. I also advise the scholars—to be broad-minded. Perhaps the one who raised the doubts is doing so because they were raised against him before and he wants to resolve them, or he fears they might be raised against you in the future and he wants to know the answer.
In conclusion: That this is an important and good question, and I agree that it is necessary for us to raise everything that could be a doubt, whether it was raised against him before or he fears it might be raised in the future.
And Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (The rising is known, the how is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation) And this is the truth.
Interjection: Why does he not answer regarding the how?The Shaykh: He said: The how is unknown.
The rising is known: It is the elevation above a thing with a specific attribute. Is this attribute, which is the manner, known? No. So it is not permissible for us to speak about it or discuss it, and it is not permissible for us to compare it to our rising above a camel or a bed or a ship,And Allah said:
and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount. (13) That you may settle yourselves upon their backs
وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ * لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَى ظُهُورِهِThe Shaykh: I told you: In the street now, a camel is standing and its owner has risen above it, just as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount. (13) That you may settle yourselves upon their backs
وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ * لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَى ظُهُورِهِThe Shaykh: No, if we do not know the manner of the creation's rising above the camel, and he is of our kind but absent from us, how can we not know the manner of the Creator's rising, Mighty and Majestic?!! And therefore, the manner of the rising is unknown. And this is a sound answer.