Refuting al-Saqaf's Confusions in the Chapter of Creed.

The Shaykh : This al-Saqaf, this wicked man, takes this report and plays with it. He says that the Salafis, who narrate this report from the Imam of the Salafis in this specific point, affirm for Allah a "how" (kayf) because they say the "how" is unknown. So there is a "how." Look at how this wicked man plays with words. The "how" is unknown, not known. So these people believe that the attributes of Allah have a "how." There is no one in this era more wicked than him in terms of insinuation and misleading readers with very strange phrases. One of the strangest is when he says that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is neither inside the world nor outside it. Did you hear that? This is a major misguidance stemming from the words of scholars. They say this; Ibn al-Jawzi, unfortunately, states this explicitly in *Daf' al-Shubah*. But look, his phrase has something that draws attention; he does not assert it. He says, "It should be said that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is neither inside the world nor outside it. It should be said." Look...
Abu Malik: Meaning, he attributed the transcendence (tanzih) to such a statement.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. The point is, this al-Saqaf says that it should be described that Allah is not inside the world nor outside it, and that He is not in a place, because the place is created. And whoever says that Allah is in every place is a disbeliever. And the Mu'tazilah say that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is in every place. So this means that he declares the Mu'tazilah disbelievers. But in another place, he quotes Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari in his book *Al-Ibanah*. This is a valuable book by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, but the Asha'irah are those who engage in figurative interpretation (ta'wil), if not those who deny the divine attributes (ta'til). Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari in this book explicitly states that he established it based on the school of Imam Malik regarding the attributes, which is the school of the righteous Salaf. The point is, there he describes Allah, Mighty and Majestic, as having the attribute of Highness and that He rose above the Throne. And Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari refutes the Mu'tazilah who interpreted the rising (istiwa') as seizing power (istiwla'). This al-Saqaf quotes this and then says, "We refute Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari's refutation of the Mu'tazilah, because the truth is with them in this issue!!" So the point is, he says, "Look now how the bias and manipulation are revealed." I have an introduction that you may remember. And glory to Allah, it occurred to me recently, just a few days ago, that it should be separated and printed on its own as an introduction. Do you remember it?
Abu Malik: It is one of the greatest things written on the oneness of Allah. I wish you would add to it.

The Shaykh : This came to my mind, that it should be separated and published, especially this wicked man who is spreading the school of the Mu'tazilah. The point is, what did I say there? I said, after establishing what the righteous Salaf are upon, that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has the attribute of Superiority and Highness over all created things, I said, "But He is not in a place." The same statement he makes, but with the addition that he declares disbelievers for it. I say that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, was, and there was no place and no time. So when He created the place, He did not enter into it, as the Mu'tazilah say that Allah is in every place! So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is not in a place. The place that some may speak of and believe that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has the attribute of Superiority, is a place of non-existence (maqam 'adami). That is, like the phoenix, something imagined but having no reality. Allah was, and He was not in a place, so He is not in a place.
Abu Malik: So when He created the creatures, He became in a place!

The Shaykh : Far be it from Allah; He is the One who is free from that. Look at this wicked man; instead of seizing the opportunity and having a good opinion of this speaker whose book has his comments on *Daf' Shubah al-Tashbih*, every time he addresses me, he says "the one who ascribes a body to Allah" (mujassim), "the one who ascribes a body to Allah." Instead of thanking his Lord that his Lord guided him and he purified his Lord from being in a place, what does he say? "He affirms for Allah a place of non-existence." Exalted is Allah above what they say. Look at this wicked man. He denied the place and said that whoever says that Allah has a place is a disbeliever. And I said according to his statement here, but I added to it that Allah has the attribute of Highness above the Throne, that He rose above it. So it is a very, very strange manipulation.

The questioner : Its non-existence is relative to the created...

The Shaykh : Highness not in a place.

The questioner : Relative to the created... Highness and determination, right and left.

The Shaykh : I will tell you, my brother, a story that happened about thirty-five years ago. I was in Mina during Hajj, sitting like this in a very pleasant evening gathering with some students, discussing whatever Allah wills of knowledge. When an Azhari Shaykh entered, as you know, Mina is full of passageways and paths, people here and people there, and so on. He sat and stood for a while listening, as if he felt there was scholarly discourse here, so he sat to listen. The topic was about this issue related to the oneness of Allah. And he said, "You Wahhabis ascribe a body to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and place Him in a location." The following discussion took place between me and him, which clarifies the truth I hinted at earlier. I said to him, "O Shaykh, this is an accusation that should not be leveled at Muslims. I am asking you a question now: the place you mean, when you say the Wahhabis—meaning the Salafis—are Wahhabis—is the place you mean something existent or non-existent? Please pay attention to this now." He said, "It is something existent, not non-existent. Meaning, it is real, not imaginary." I said to him, "Well, is this real existence limited or unlimited?" He said, "Limited, because everything created is limited." I said, "Well, remember this." I said, "We are now in a place, which is the earth." He said, "Yes." "What is above us?" He said, "The lowest heaven." "A place?" He said, "A place." "Above the first heaven?" "The second." To be brief, our discussion reached the seventh heaven. We said, "What is above the seventh heaven?" He said, "The Throne." "A place?" He said, "Yes, a place." I said, "Well, what is above the Throne?" And he surprised me with the myth of the Cherubim angels. He said, "Above the Throne are the Cherubim angels." I said, ignoring him, "What are Cherubim angels? Is there a verse about these angels?" He said, "No." I said to him, "Is there a hadith?" He said, "No." "Well, where did you get this from?" He said, "This is how the scholars in the Noble Al-Azhar taught us." I said, "Strange! They establish the correct creed, yet you do not take from a sound hadith unless it is mass-transmitted (mutawatir). But if it is a sound hadith with a limited chain (ahad), you do not take creed from it. So how did you build this creed when there is no sound hadith about it?" The man was perplexed. In any case, we have a saying in Damascus: "If you don't come with me, come with me." This is a policy in speech. We said, "Suppose there are Cherubim angels above the Throne, and above the angels, what is there?" He said, "Nothing." "Well, here is misguidance. Ibn Taymiyyah said that denying the existence of Allah means..." But we are now talking about the existent place. He said, "Nothing." I said, "If you accuse us of saying that when we say Allah is above the Throne, that Allah is in a place, you have just ruled with us that there is no place. So how do you say the Salafis place Allah in a place? Do you understand the issue now? May Allah bless you."