(Explanation that the fact that Allah has not denied the attribute of Highness from Himself, despite its widespread acceptance, is evidence for affirming it; and that it is not a deficiency, because He has denied from Himself every deficiency)
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The Shaykh :"This, and the two views are never a statement *** Victorious in any place or time"
This means that no one followed this statement except a few individuals, whereas the attribute of Highness is affirmed by all people; every natural disposition testifies to it. Therefore, it is a victorious statement in every time and place. For this reason, he said:
"But the statement that He is above the people *** And the Throne, and He is distinct from the creations"
"It has spread throughout the East and West of the lands *** And it has become established for those with intellects"
"So for what reason did He not purify Himself *** Glorified is He, in the clear Qur'an"
"From the holder of this statement, despite the severity of its matter *** And its appearance in all religions"
It is clear now. So the establishment of this proof is to say: Is the essential Highness, in your view, an attribute of what?
The student: It is an imperfection.
The Shaykh : A deficiency. And if it is an attribute of deficiency, given its prominence and spread, and that it has covered the earth from East to West, why did Allah not purify Himself from it? Yet He, Glorified and Exalted is He, purifies Himself from the defect that was mentioned, the defect that the sects mentioned, and the defect that only a few individuals mentioned; He purifies Himself from all of them. So why did He not purify Himself from the Highness? Rather, yes, by agreement, by the multitude, by the many, he said:
"Rather, He constantly displays to us its affirmation *** And repeats it with the proofs of clarification"
He displays to us the affirmation of the Highness and repeats it in various ways.[Al-A'la 87:1] [Al-Baqarah 2:255] [Al-An'am 6:18] [Fatir 35:10] [Ash-Shuraa 42:17] The proofs are varied in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. How does He display and repeat the affirmation of this attribute, which, in your claim, is a deficiency, while attributes of deficiency are denied by Him from Himself, even those that were not mentioned, out of fear that they might circulate in the minds?
This means that no one followed this statement except a few individuals, whereas the attribute of Highness is affirmed by all people; every natural disposition testifies to it. Therefore, it is a victorious statement in every time and place. For this reason, he said:
"But the statement that He is above the people *** And the Throne, and He is distinct from the creations"
"It has spread throughout the East and West of the lands *** And it has become established for those with intellects"
"So for what reason did He not purify Himself *** Glorified is He, in the clear Qur'an"
"From the holder of this statement, despite the severity of its matter *** And its appearance in all religions"
It is clear now. So the establishment of this proof is to say: Is the essential Highness, in your view, an attribute of what?
The student: It is an imperfection.
The Shaykh : A deficiency. And if it is an attribute of deficiency, given its prominence and spread, and that it has covered the earth from East to West, why did Allah not purify Himself from it? Yet He, Glorified and Exalted is He, purifies Himself from the defect that was mentioned, the defect that the sects mentioned, and the defect that only a few individuals mentioned; He purifies Himself from all of them. So why did He not purify Himself from the Highness? Rather, yes, by agreement, by the multitude, by the many, he said:
"Rather, He constantly displays to us its affirmation *** And repeats it with the proofs of clarification"
He displays to us the affirmation of the Highness and repeats it in various ways.