(A Refutation of the People of Theology in Their Claim That Affirming the Attributes for Allah Is a Defect in His Right, and an Explanation of the Reality of Defect, Which Is Associating Partners with Allah and Denial of His Attributes) So by what proof did you deny this?
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The Shaykh :"So by what proof did you deny this and say— *** —that this is never possible"
The interrogative here is for negation and challenge, meaning: what proof denies that, and that it is not possible for Him to be described with the attributes? If there is such a proof, bring it forth.
"If you claim that it is a defect, then this is *** a lie, for there is no defect in that"
Yes, meaning if you say we deny the establishment of the attributes for Him because it implies that He is a composite of essence and attributes, and this is a defect, what do we say? We say this is a lie and a falsehood. What defect is there in Allah being described with the attributes? In Allah the Exalted being described with perfect attributes? The defect in reality is the removal of the attributes from Him. For this reason, he said: "Defect lies in two things: the removal of His perfection ***" or "the removal of His perfection"
Instead
"*** or partnership with the One, the Most Merciful" Yes, this is the defect. Defect lies in two things: either the removal of His perfection, as the people of denial of the divine attributes claimed, or associating partners with Him, as the people of likening Allah to creation claimed. For the people of likening Allah to creation affirm for Allah a like, and this is associating partners with Allah, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:22] Therefore, the defect is either exaggeration in affirmation, whereby one likens Him, or exaggeration in negation, whereby one denies His attributes.
The interrogative here is for negation and challenge, meaning: what proof denies that, and that it is not possible for Him to be described with the attributes? If there is such a proof, bring it forth.
"If you claim that it is a defect, then this is *** a lie, for there is no defect in that"
Yes, meaning if you say we deny the establishment of the attributes for Him because it implies that He is a composite of essence and attributes, and this is a defect, what do we say? We say this is a lie and a falsehood. What defect is there in Allah being described with the attributes? In Allah the Exalted being described with perfect attributes? The defect in reality is the removal of the attributes from Him. For this reason, he said: "Defect lies in two things: the removal of His perfection ***" or "the removal of His perfection"
Instead
"*** or partnership with the One, the Most Merciful" Yes, this is the defect. Defect lies in two things: either the removal of His perfection, as the people of denial of the divine attributes claimed, or associating partners with Him, as the people of likening Allah to creation claimed. For the people of likening Allah to creation affirm for Allah a like, and this is associating partners with Allah, as Allah the Exalted said: