Explanation of the summary of this entire chapter and the ways of refuting those who affirmed the two opposites
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The Shaykh : And it does not deviate from negating the two opposites from it. Why?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Because it is not capable of what? How do we refute them? We refute them in three ways, as Ibn al-Qayyim said. The first way is that your claim that negation and affirmation only apply to what is capable is a bare claim, a bare claim. For Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, negated life and affirmed death for the inanimate. In what? In the idols that are worshipped. The inanimate is not capable of life, which is the life of animals. No, it is not capable of that. And yet Allah negated life from it, and affirmed death, [An-Nahl 16:21] and negated sensation, even though the inanimate is not capable of sensation. It is not capable, it is not capable. All right.
Likewise, He negated death from Himself, Glorified and Exalted is He,[Al-Furqan 25:58] and it is impossible in His case. Allah does not accept death; it is impossible. Sleep, the Sunnah, and injustice, even though injustice is impossible in its essence according to you. And yet Allah negated it from Himself. So Allah negated a thing from what is not capable of it.
The second way is what? The second way is that we say: if this is correct in what you mentioned, if this is correct in what you mentioned regarding death, hearing, sight, and the things that only that which has animal life is described with, then it is not correct in the two opposites. It is not correct in the two opposites. What are the two opposites that do not coexist and do not both cease to exist? You negated entering and exiting, and they are two opposites, because what is not inside is definitely outside. They are two opposites, like existence and non-existence. What is not existent is non-existent, and this is agreed upon by all people of intellect.
Thirdly, we say: your negation of entering and exiting is like the negation of one who says, "He is not standing by Himself and not by another." He is not standing by Himself and not by another, equally. And you say that He is standing by Himself. He is standing by Himself. So if you negate that He is not inside the world and not outside it, it is like the negation of one who said, as one who said, by negating His standing by Himself and His standing by another. So you are equal in that case. We say that Allah the Exalted is able to be above the world, or with the world. But being with the world is impossible. Is it impossible or not? It is impossible. So it is established that He must be
The student: above the world.
The Shaykh : Above the world, just as it is established that He must be standing by Himself. There is no difference. If you do not bring us the difference, then
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Give the bow to its maker. We have the difference. We have the difference, and we say that Allah the Exalted is outside the world and He is above everything, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that He is standing by Himself. And by that, we refute all their doubts which they claim are rational, but are actually unknown in reality. And Allah knows best. I repeat and say that a person may say there is no need for these discussions, and in fact, for the common person, what is obligatory is that we recite this chapter of the *Buniyyah* to him and explain it. If we did that, we would have placed him, or thrown him, or cast him into a sea with no shore, and he would never come out, because he did not learn and he would drown. But students of knowledge can read such discussions because it is something that occurred, something that occurred. Yes, and do not be surprised. A book came to me before yesterday consisting of twenty pages.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Because it is not capable of what? How do we refute them? We refute them in three ways, as Ibn al-Qayyim said. The first way is that your claim that negation and affirmation only apply to what is capable is a bare claim, a bare claim. For Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, negated life and affirmed death for the inanimate. In what? In the idols that are worshipped. The inanimate is not capable of life, which is the life of animals. No, it is not capable of that. And yet Allah negated life from it,
Dead, not living
أموات غيرThey are, [in fact], dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.
أموات غير احياءLikewise, He negated death from Himself, Glorified and Exalted is He,
And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die
وتوكل على الحي الذي لا يموتThe second way is what? The second way is that we say: if this is correct in what you mentioned, if this is correct in what you mentioned regarding death, hearing, sight, and the things that only that which has animal life is described with, then it is not correct in the two opposites. It is not correct in the two opposites. What are the two opposites that do not coexist and do not both cease to exist? You negated entering and exiting, and they are two opposites, because what is not inside is definitely outside. They are two opposites, like existence and non-existence. What is not existent is non-existent, and this is agreed upon by all people of intellect.
Thirdly, we say: your negation of entering and exiting is like the negation of one who says, "He is not standing by Himself and not by another." He is not standing by Himself and not by another, equally. And you say that He is standing by Himself. He is standing by Himself. So if you negate that He is not inside the world and not outside it, it is like the negation of one who said, as one who said, by negating His standing by Himself and His standing by another. So you are equal in that case. We say that Allah the Exalted is able to be above the world, or with the world. But being with the world is impossible. Is it impossible or not? It is impossible. So it is established that He must be
The student: above the world.
The Shaykh : Above the world, just as it is established that He must be standing by Himself. There is no difference. If you do not bring us the difference, then
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Give the bow to its maker. We have the difference. We have the difference, and we say that Allah the Exalted is outside the world and He is above everything, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that He is standing by Himself. And by that, we refute all their doubts which they claim are rational, but are actually unknown in reality. And Allah knows best. I repeat and say that a person may say there is no need for these discussions, and in fact, for the common person, what is obligatory is that we recite this chapter of the *Buniyyah* to him and explain it. If we did that, we would have placed him, or thrown him, or cast him into a sea with no shore, and he would never come out, because he did not learn and he would drown. But students of knowledge can read such discussions because it is something that occurred, something that occurred. Yes, and do not be surprised. A book came to me before yesterday consisting of twenty pages.