(Explanation of the Karramiyyah's view on the actions of Allah) Or is the action of the Lord the very essence of His perfection?*** Is that impossible for the Bestower of Grace, from eternity until it became what has no beginning?***
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The Shaykh :"Or is the action of the Lord the very essence of His perfection?*** Is that impossible for the Bestower of Grace"
The answer: No, it is not impossible. If the action of Allah is the very essence of His perfection, then He has always been perfect, from eternity until it became what it is.
"Is that impossible for the Bestower of Grace
from eternity until it became what has no beginning?*** becoming capable, while the action is one of possibility"
Whose view is this? It is the view of the Karramiyyah. They say: Allah was in eternity not capable of action, then He became capable. Why? Because they fear that if they say He has always been an Actor, it would necessitate an infinite regress of events in the past, and that this would imply that this universe has no Creator. This is an error, because we say: even if we affirm the pre-existence of the action, does the acted-upon come after the actor or with him? After him, certainly. That is to say: if we say that the created things have always existed in the past, but we only know of the heavens and the earth, it does not necessitate that they are as ancient as Allah, because it is known that the action does not occur except after the actor, and the acted-upon does not occur except after the action. So how do you say that this is impossible?
He says: "By Allah, the minds of the people have gone astray" Who?
The student: The Karramiyyah.
The Shaykh : The Karramiyyah, "when*** they said this statement" meaning: that at first the action was impossible, then it became possible, "this statement of falsehood".
The answer: No, it is not impossible. If the action of Allah is the very essence of His perfection, then He has always been perfect, from eternity until it became what it is.
"Is that impossible for the Bestower of Grace
from eternity until it became what has no beginning?*** becoming capable, while the action is one of possibility"
Whose view is this? It is the view of the Karramiyyah. They say: Allah was in eternity not capable of action, then He became capable. Why? Because they fear that if they say He has always been an Actor, it would necessitate an infinite regress of events in the past, and that this would imply that this universe has no Creator. This is an error, because we say: even if we affirm the pre-existence of the action, does the acted-upon come after the actor or with him? After him, certainly. That is to say: if we say that the created things have always existed in the past, but we only know of the heavens and the earth, it does not necessitate that they are as ancient as Allah, because it is known that the action does not occur except after the actor, and the acted-upon does not occur except after the action. So how do you say that this is impossible?
He says: "By Allah, the minds of the people have gone astray" Who?
The student: The Karramiyyah.
The Shaykh : The Karramiyyah, "when*** they said this statement" meaning: that at first the action was impossible, then it became possible, "this statement of falsehood".