Is the tafwid (delegation) of the attributes of Allah the Exalted regarding the *kayf* (how) or the *ma'na* (meaning)? And do the disjointed letters at the beginnings of some surahs fall under tafwid?

The questioner : We know that the creed of the people of the Sunnah regarding the attributes is to define the meaning and reject the *kayf* (how). In the Qur'an, the disjointed letters appeared; we do not understand a meaning from them. Some say, "You reject or do not delegate the meaning, and in this you delegate in the attributes, and you delegate in these letters." We say: We delegate the meaning to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). As for the rest of the attributes, we know their meanings. We seek clarification, and may Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : We say, as you said, and we continue to say, and we hope to live upon that and die upon it: that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) revealed the Qur'an in a clear Arabic language, and that He made Himself known to His servants by describing Himself so that they may know Him in a clear Arabic language. Every phrase and every sentence in the Qur'an and the Sunnah undoubtedly has an Arabic meaning, based on the fact that the Qur'an is Arabic and this sentence has a meaning intended by the Lord of the Worlds. It is impossible that it is not intended, as the *mufawwidin* (those who delegate) and their like do in every age. However, this does not address the issue you raised just now, because these letters with which some of the Qur'anic surahs began are not, first of all, Arabic sentences, nor are they known words in the language of the Arabs such that they would be required to understand them. These letters are entirely outside the scope of the subject matter. Is that clear?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Another thing: When our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) says , every Arab understands that this is not an Arabic word with a known meaning to them. So if one says, "I do not understand the meaning of this word," that is the correct position, contrary to claiming that one understands it, as some people today claim, who use, for example, the letters of the prepositions. And the reverse is the case: when the Lord of the Worlds says , if one says, "I do not understand this sentence, I delegate its matter to Allah, just as I delegate my understanding of Alif-Lam-Mim and its like," that person is ignorant. He is analogizing the known to the unknown linguistically. The wisdom is not hidden from this Qur'anic usage in opening some surahs with what you heard, and with Kaf, Ha-Ya, 'Ayn, and Sad. It draws the attention of the Arabs, who undoubtedly assert that this Qur'an is in their language, and at the same time assert that it came to them with some usages they had not previously known in their language, including these disjointed letters . The wisdom of this is that the pure Arab, when he hears this new construction, lends a listening ear: what is behind this speech? Therefore, some of the later scholars say that such letters are like the *istiftah* (opening device) in the Arabic language.
"Why do you not teach yourself, O man who teaches others? Why is there no such teaching for yourself?"
"Ala, ala," what is in it? It means: pay attention. is like it and more eloquent than it. This undoubtedly attracts full attention.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, and therefore this doubt does not deserve to be mentioned. Is that clear?

The questioner: Yes.
Al-Halabi : Rather, it is for us.

The Shaykh : It is for us, without doubt. Yes, I know that this group is thirsty, O Abu al-Harith.
Al-Halabi : May Allah reward you with good, may Allah bless you.
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