Commentary on the preceding verses, refuting the Karramiyyah who hold that the action of Allah is an accident contingent upon His will, but that it is an accident that came into existence after it did not exist.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) intended this passage to refute the group that agrees with the people of the Sunnah and the community except in ... Who are they?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, my brother.
The student: The Maturidiyyah.
The Shaykh : The Maturidiyyah, who said that the action of Allah the Exalted is an accident contingent upon His will, but that it was initially impossible; it was initially impossible, then it became possible. The Karramiyyah, the Karramiyyah, yes, it is not them, the Maturidiyyah. The Karramiyyah said: His action is an accident contingent upon His will, but it is an accident that came into existence after it did not exist. Settle down, everyone. An accident that came into existence after it did not exist. So it was initially impossible, then it became an accident. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) refuted them with these verses, and there is some repetition in them, but for the sake of clarification. He said:
"The will of the Most Merciful is essential to Him *** And so is the power of our Lord, the Most Merciful"
This means that Allah has always been willing, always intending things, and always capable of them. By the consensus of all, power is not an accident, and will is likewise not an accident. Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) provided evidence that Allah has always been and continues to be an Actor, based on what Allah created in the servants, which is that Allah is constant in His kindness. Constancy necessitates a sequence in the eternal past and a sequence in the future. "In the eternal past" means in the past, and in the future. As long as He is constant, it necessitates that He is an Actor who has always been acting in the past, just as He continues to be acting in the future.
"Or do you not hear the saying of every monotheist *** O You who are constant in good deeds and sovereignty"
"Or do you not hear?" This interrogative is for affirmation. Is the answer yes or no? Yes, yes, we hear. Every one of the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) says, "O You who are constant in good deeds and sovereignty." Constancy necessitates a sequence in the past and a sequence in the future; otherwise, He would not be constant.
And the ancient, abundant kindness, and the constant generosity, and the ancient, abundant kindness.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) intended this passage to refute the group that agrees with the people of the Sunnah and the community except in ... Who are they?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, my brother.
The student: The Maturidiyyah.
The Shaykh : The Maturidiyyah, who said that the action of Allah the Exalted is an accident contingent upon His will, but that it was initially impossible; it was initially impossible, then it became possible. The Karramiyyah, the Karramiyyah, yes, it is not them, the Maturidiyyah. The Karramiyyah said: His action is an accident contingent upon His will, but it is an accident that came into existence after it did not exist. Settle down, everyone. An accident that came into existence after it did not exist. So it was initially impossible, then it became an accident. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) refuted them with these verses, and there is some repetition in them, but for the sake of clarification. He said:
"The will of the Most Merciful is essential to Him *** And so is the power of our Lord, the Most Merciful"
This means that Allah has always been willing, always intending things, and always capable of them. By the consensus of all, power is not an accident, and will is likewise not an accident. Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) provided evidence that Allah has always been and continues to be an Actor, based on what Allah created in the servants, which is that Allah is constant in His kindness. Constancy necessitates a sequence in the eternal past and a sequence in the future. "In the eternal past" means in the past, and in the future. As long as He is constant, it necessitates that He is an Actor who has always been acting in the past, just as He continues to be acting in the future.
"Or do you not hear the saying of every monotheist *** O You who are constant in good deeds and sovereignty"
"Or do you not hear?" This interrogative is for affirmation. Is the answer yes or no? Yes, yes, we hear. Every one of the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) says, "O You who are constant in good deeds and sovereignty." Constancy necessitates a sequence in the past and a sequence in the future; otherwise, He would not be constant.
And the ancient, abundant kindness, and the constant generosity, and the ancient, abundant kindness.