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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Clarification that words are molds for meanings in the chapter of creed

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The Shaykh : It is perhaps very necessary for me to mention that words are molds for meanings, meaning that words are a means of indicating a meaning. If we invalidate the meaning that the word brought, we benefit absolutely nothing from our belief in the word, as long as we have disbelieved in its meaning. If a Muslim were to say, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah," and interpret "there is no god but Allah" to mean "there is no Lord but Allah," do you know that this would be disbelief? I know that many people do not know this. If "there is no god but Allah" is interpreted to mean "there is no Lord," this is not a tawhid (the oneness of Allah) that saves its holder from eternal abode in the Fire. Rather, "no god" means "no one worthy of worship with truth except Allah," because there are very many lords in this worldly land, as that believing, advising man said to his people:
are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing? أَأَرْبَابٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ
[Yusuf 12:39]
He did not say, "Or the One Lord, the Subduer," because the Lord is the owner, and ownership varies; you are the owner of the house, and he is the owner of the real estate, and so on. But the god is the true god only; He is the one worshipped with truth. So "there is no god but Allah" means "no one worthy of worship," and it does not mean "no Lord." If this noble word is interpreted with a deficient or incomplete meaning, his testimony benefits him absolutely nothing.
(88) The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (89) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
[Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]
Source www.al-albany.com

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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