from the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) to one of the attendees regarding a Shaykh named al-Badri, and the Shaykh’s inquiry into his position on the ongoing dispute concerning the chapter of the unseen, specifically the chapter of the Names and Attributes.

The questioner : ... Have you not read the book? The book was found with you.

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : This book was found to be with you.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : The divine hadiths mentioned by the brother Sabri.

The Shaykh : Does it say "a group of scholars" on it?

The questioner : ... Unknown.

The Shaykh : Ah, unknown. Show it to me so I can see.

The questioner : What is its number? ...

The Shaykh : I mean, its location is not indicated.

The questioner : It is indicated only that it is in Dar al-Hadith, in three books: one by this Shaykh al-Adawi, and one by al-Mulla 'Ali al-Qari ...

The Shaykh : It is known: "There is no god but Allah."

The questioner : Was he giving official lessons or not?

Another questioner : Al-Badri.

Another questioner : What were his lessons like?

The Shaykh : Who is it?

Another questioner : The lessons, he used to say when he attended...The Shaykh : Al-Badri was giving official, meaning regular, lessons in the mosque where he was.

The Shaykh : Yes.

Another questioner : I mean, regular lessons; he was not giving tafsir (exegesis).

Another questioner : ... Books of 'aqidah (creed).

The Shaykh : I mean, was he improvising or from a book?

Another questioner : He was improvising.

The Shaykh : He was improvising. Have you attended his gatherings? You must have heard the dispute that has arisen among the scholars of the Muslims regarding 'aqidah, and especially regarding the unseen matters, and more specifically regarding the divine Names and Attributes. Some say the methodology of the Salaf is safer, and some say no, the methodology of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable and more wise. Some are suspended, saying neither this nor that. Have you heard anything of this from...The Shaykh : ... al-Badri?

The questioner : The Shaykh : Al-Badri, in 'aqidah, used to divide it into lessons. I believe I heard a lesson from the Shaykh, because the nature of my work did not allow me to attend the lectures regularly. I may have heard him one day speaking on 'aqidah. I believe he is a person of sound 'aqidah, if Allah wills. As the scholars have divided 'aqidah, as you know, into three sections of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), when he was teaching tawhid, he would divide it into three sections: tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship), tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). He spoke about tawhid al-rububiyyah, and likewise about tawhid al-uluhiyyah, and he spoke about tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat. So when I heard the Shaykh saying that one should describe Allah (Mighty and Majestic) as He has described Himself, or as His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has described Him, and that one should deny of Him what He has denied of Himself and what His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has denied of Him, without takyif (asking how an attribute is) or tamthil (comparing Allah to creation) in that.

The Shaykh : Yes, this is known, but I asked something else. I mean, my question was: Have you ever heard him...The Shaykh : ... mention that some scholars say the knowledge of the Salaf is safer, but the knowledge of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable and more wise? So these are two groups, and between them there is a middle group that stands, saying neither this nor that. So...The Shaykh : ... al-Badri, have you heard his position on these three statements?

The questioner : To specify a position? I have not heard.

The Shaykh : Because the issue you mentioned just now, I do not think any Muslim would say otherwise, but when entering into the details, the disagreement becomes apparent, and it becomes clear who is on the right or who is on the wrong. Did he give you an example, for instance, to clarify what you mentioned just now? And if my question is about the reality you mentioned in the Muslim world, where some are like this and some are like that, and some are neither of these nor those, did he mention to you or to the group present his lessons as an example that we can...