What is the explanation of the refutation of the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes)?
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The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : [They deny] the attributes of perfection.
The questioner : The attributes of perfection: the people of kalam (theology) completely attribute them to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by way of denial. This is refutation, O Shaykh. Even a weak king among people, if he speaks about himself with something he desires, he speaks about the people; the people cannot refute him. How can they refute Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), who describes Himself?
The Shaykh : He said, may Allah reward you: As for the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes), if their refutation of the true attribute is a refutation by way of ta'wil (figurative interpretation), then they may be excused in that, because in their claim they seek the truth but have strayed from it.
But if their ta'wil (figurative interpretation) is a refutation, meaning they deny it, such as saying that Allah did not rise above the Throne, that is kufr (disbelief) and riddah (apostasy) from Islam. But they do not say that He did not rise above the Throne; if they said that, they would be disbelievers without doubt. Rather, they say that Allah is above the Throne, but the meaning of istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) is mastery. They say Allah has a hand, but the meaning of the hand is grace or power. If they denied it, negating and refuting it, we would declare them disbelievers and not care about them. But because they interpret it and claim they are purifying Allah, we look at their ta'wil (figurative interpretation): is it acceptable or not? And we judge it according to what it necessitates.
The student: They judge by reason, and reason does not accept this, because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)... Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is described by them with what is in their minds, while Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) informs about Himself by Himself.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The student: And they do not see Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), to the extent that they deny Him by their expression.
The Shaykh : Yes, we say to them: Your return to reason is contrary to reason, explicitly. The point is that they judge by their minds regarding matters of the unseen. Matters of the unseen are not something a human can encompass. So their return to what is not evidence is undoubtedly contrary to reason.
The Shaykh : [They deny] the attributes of perfection.
The questioner : The attributes of perfection: the people of kalam (theology) completely attribute them to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by way of denial. This is refutation, O Shaykh. Even a weak king among people, if he speaks about himself with something he desires, he speaks about the people; the people cannot refute him. How can they refute Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), who describes Himself?
The Shaykh : He said, may Allah reward you: As for the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes), if their refutation of the true attribute is a refutation by way of ta'wil (figurative interpretation), then they may be excused in that, because in their claim they seek the truth but have strayed from it.
But if their ta'wil (figurative interpretation) is a refutation, meaning they deny it, such as saying that Allah did not rise above the Throne, that is kufr (disbelief) and riddah (apostasy) from Islam. But they do not say that He did not rise above the Throne; if they said that, they would be disbelievers without doubt. Rather, they say that Allah is above the Throne, but the meaning of istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) is mastery. They say Allah has a hand, but the meaning of the hand is grace or power. If they denied it, negating and refuting it, we would declare them disbelievers and not care about them. But because they interpret it and claim they are purifying Allah, we look at their ta'wil (figurative interpretation): is it acceptable or not? And we judge it according to what it necessitates.
The student: They judge by reason, and reason does not accept this, because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)... Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is described by them with what is in their minds, while Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) informs about Himself by Himself.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The student: And they do not see Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), to the extent that they deny Him by their expression.
The Shaykh : Yes, we say to them: Your return to reason is contrary to reason, explicitly. The point is that they judge by their minds regarding matters of the unseen. Matters of the unseen are not something a human can encompass. So their return to what is not evidence is undoubtedly contrary to reason.