Forbidden Terms Regarding Allah and the Messenger
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Your Eminence, in recent times a riddle has become popular among the youth, which they call a riddle, and it is: What is the thing that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see, and what is the thing that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not see and did not hear of? They mean by the thing the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see: a messenger like him, and by the thing Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not see and did not hear of: a counterpart, a similar, and an equivalent. You know that this is bad manners with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So what is the ruling on this? Please inform us, may Allah guide you.
As for the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see a thing or did not hear of it, this is the case for every human being. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a human being. He would enter his house while the pot was on the fire and not know what was in it, and it was his house.And the pot: Like the pot, for he entered on his family one day and asked for food. He had seen the pot on the fire with meat in it, which had been given in charity to Barirah, a freed slave of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who was with her. They knew that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not eat charity.So they said: (Meat that was given in charity to Barirah,So he said: it is charity for her and a gift for us) I am citing this as an example to indicate that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not know the unseen.
Abu Hurayrah was with him one day, so he withdrew from him and went to take a bath.Then he returned and said to him: (Where were you?He said: I was in a state of major ritual impurity, so I disliked being with you without being in a state of ritual purity.
He said: Glory be to Allah! The believer does not become ritually impure.) Look: Abu Hurayrah was absent from him and he did not know. So the Messenger may not hear of a thing, and may not see a thing.But our saying: As for the side of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), that Allah did not hear of it and did not see it, this is a great bad conduct toward Allah. It is feared that whoever posed this question, by which some people may be led astray, will bear the sin, and I seek refuge in Allah.
The side of the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) must be magnified and feared. One must not speak regarding the side of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a way that suggests a deficiency, not from near or far.For Allah the Exalted said: [al-Nahl: 60] Every description of perfection, its highest is for Allah (Mighty and Majestic).How do you say: That Allah did not hear of it and did not see it? So beware, beware of such expressions, and beware, beware of speaking regarding the side of the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) except with what came in the Book and the Sunnah.
We must be well-mannered as the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were well-mannered. The verses would be revealed regarding the attributes of Allah, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would speak regarding the attributes of Allah. They did not raise questions or issues; they accepted them with satisfaction, submission, and acceptance, and they knew that Allah the Exalted is above what a human being imagines: [al-Shura: 11] .
As for the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see a thing or did not hear of it, this is the case for every human being. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a human being. He would enter his house while the pot was on the fire and not know what was in it, and it was his house.And the pot: Like the pot, for he entered on his family one day and asked for food. He had seen the pot on the fire with meat in it, which had been given in charity to Barirah, a freed slave of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who was with her. They knew that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not eat charity.So they said: (Meat that was given in charity to Barirah,So he said: it is charity for her and a gift for us) I am citing this as an example to indicate that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not know the unseen.
Abu Hurayrah was with him one day, so he withdrew from him and went to take a bath.Then he returned and said to him: (Where were you?He said: I was in a state of major ritual impurity, so I disliked being with you without being in a state of ritual purity.
He said: Glory be to Allah! The believer does not become ritually impure.) Look: Abu Hurayrah was absent from him and he did not know. So the Messenger may not hear of a thing, and may not see a thing.But our saying: As for the side of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), that Allah did not hear of it and did not see it, this is a great bad conduct toward Allah. It is feared that whoever posed this question, by which some people may be led astray, will bear the sin, and I seek refuge in Allah.
The side of the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) must be magnified and feared. One must not speak regarding the side of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a way that suggests a deficiency, not from near or far.For Allah the Exalted said:
For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description of evil; and for Allah is the highest attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise.
لِلَّذِينَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُWe must be well-mannered as the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were well-mannered. The verses would be revealed regarding the attributes of Allah, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would speak regarding the attributes of Allah. They did not raise questions or issues; they accepted them with satisfaction, submission, and acceptance, and they knew that Allah the Exalted is above what a human being imagines: