What is the meaning of "the leg" in the saying of Allah the Exalted: "The Day when the leg is uncovered"? And how do we take the verses of the attributes at their apparent meaning?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Qalam 68:42] The interpreters always mention the hadith in al-Bukhari that clarifies the noble verse, that our Lord uncovers His leg, or as it came in the hadith. But at the same time, they rely on the hadith with the interpretations of Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, and Mujahid, that the uncovering of the leg here is the Day of Distress, or the removal of the distress, or the severity, as came in the interpretation of the language of the Arabs?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And here, how is the reconciliation to be in the issue of taking the texts of the attributes at their apparent meaning, especially since many people use this verse and the interpretation of Ibn Abbas of this verse to refute the people of the Sunnah in many issues?
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.
The questioner : And you.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for every student of knowledge that his starting point in understanding and in jurisprudence be based on the scientific and usuli principles.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Whether they relate to the principles of hadith or the principles of jurisprudence, it is not knowledge for any of the scholars to oppose the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with the saying of anyone else who is not infallible. And consequently, it is not knowledge to attempt to reconcile the marfu' hadith with the mawquf statement. There is no need to exert the mind in the way of reconciling the marfu' hadith with the mawquf statement. So if the statement of Ibn Abbas is authentic,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : it should not be that the saying of the Messenger (peace be upon him)
The questioner : (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : then the problem ends. Why do you think you need to address an issue that is not itself a problem?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You want to reconcile between his saying (peace be upon him) and the saying of Ibn Abbas. This is not what should be done.
If Hudhami speaks, believe her, for the truth is what Hudhami says.
So when the Messenger says something, we should not turn to anyone else. This is not a problem for the people of the Sunnah and the people of innovation, and among them are the fanatics of the madhahib.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is the problem between us and them? We say, Allah said, the Messenger said. They say, the Imam said. This is a problem. This is not a problem for us, but for them, and they are the ones who prioritize the saying of the Imam over the saying of the Master of the Messengers.
The questioner : (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : Let alone the Ummah. It is a problem for them, but for us, there is absolutely no issue in that. Perhaps you have obtained the answer!
The questioner : May Allah reward you. But some of them argue by saying that the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community and the Shari'ah texts are from the mouths of the scholars according to the understanding of the scholars. So some say, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and the scholars from the Tabi'un like Ikrimah and Mujahid, we take the understanding of the verse according to their understanding!
The Shaykh : When the issue is a matter of understanding, the statement is correct. But when it is a matter of a text that does not accept another understanding and does not accept disagreement, then at that time the issue is, as we said earlier, "The Day when the leg is uncovered" means His leg (Blessed and Exalted is He), not according to the books of understanding. But when it is a matter that allows two aspects in terms of Arabic style, there is no doubt that the reference in that is to the scholars.
The Day the shin will be uncovered
يوم يكشف عن ساقThe Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And here, how is the reconciliation to be in the issue of taking the texts of the attributes at their apparent meaning, especially since many people use this verse and the interpretation of Ibn Abbas of this verse to refute the people of the Sunnah in many issues?
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.
The questioner : And you.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for every student of knowledge that his starting point in understanding and in jurisprudence be based on the scientific and usuli principles.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Whether they relate to the principles of hadith or the principles of jurisprudence, it is not knowledge for any of the scholars to oppose the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with the saying of anyone else who is not infallible. And consequently, it is not knowledge to attempt to reconcile the marfu' hadith with the mawquf statement. There is no need to exert the mind in the way of reconciling the marfu' hadith with the mawquf statement. So if the statement of Ibn Abbas is authentic,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : it should not be that the saying of the Messenger (peace be upon him)
The questioner : (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : then the problem ends. Why do you think you need to address an issue that is not itself a problem?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You want to reconcile between his saying (peace be upon him) and the saying of Ibn Abbas. This is not what should be done.
If Hudhami speaks, believe her, for the truth is what Hudhami says.
So when the Messenger says something, we should not turn to anyone else. This is not a problem for the people of the Sunnah and the people of innovation, and among them are the fanatics of the madhahib.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is the problem between us and them? We say, Allah said, the Messenger said. They say, the Imam said. This is a problem. This is not a problem for us, but for them, and they are the ones who prioritize the saying of the Imam over the saying of the Master of the Messengers.
The questioner : (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : Let alone the Ummah. It is a problem for them, but for us, there is absolutely no issue in that. Perhaps you have obtained the answer!
The questioner : May Allah reward you. But some of them argue by saying that the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community and the Shari'ah texts are from the mouths of the scholars according to the understanding of the scholars. So some say, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and the scholars from the Tabi'un like Ikrimah and Mujahid, we take the understanding of the verse according to their understanding!
The Shaykh : When the issue is a matter of understanding, the statement is correct. But when it is a matter of a text that does not accept another understanding and does not accept disagreement, then at that time the issue is, as we said earlier, "The Day when the leg is uncovered" means His leg (Blessed and Exalted is He), not according to the books of understanding. But when it is a matter that allows two aspects in terms of Arabic style, there is no doubt that the reference in that is to the scholars.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.