Is it permissible for a Muslim to describe Allah with cunning or mockery?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding the names and attributes, specifically regarding the attributes that contain blame, such as His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:15] and His saying: [Ali 'Imran 3:54]? So, is it permissible to describe Allah with cunning, or do we not utter it, or what?
The Shaykh : First, your saying that they contain blame is an incorrect expression. Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, because some of the attributes...
The Shaykh : My brother, I asked you, do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : And you often give reasons in inappropriate places. Leave the reasoning aside. We say as Allah, the Exalted, said:[Ali 'Imran 3:54] [Al-Baqarah 2:15] But we do not derive from that an active participle name. So we do not say that Allah is a schemer (makkar) or a mocker (mustahzi') or the like. Perhaps you understood me.
The questioner : Yes, I understood.
The Shaykh : Do you have anything else?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Please proceed.
[But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly.
اللهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَAnd the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned
وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللهُThe Shaykh : First, your saying that they contain blame is an incorrect expression. Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, because some of the attributes...
The Shaykh : My brother, I asked you, do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : And you often give reasons in inappropriate places. Leave the reasoning aside. We say as Allah, the Exalted, said:
And the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned
وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللهُ[But] Allah mocks them
اللهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْThe questioner : Yes, I understood.
The Shaykh : Do you have anything else?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Please proceed.