A third example is the saying of Allah the Exalted: {And Allah is not unable to do anything in the heavens or on the earth}.
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The Shaykh :"A third example is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Fatir 35:44]" to the end. The word "Allah is not unable to do" — this lam cannot be said to be for causation, nor can it be said to be for the outcome. So for what is it? It is for the affirmation of the negation. For this reason, it is called the lam of denial, meaning the negation. The lam of denial is the one that comes after a negated "kan," whether it is "ma kan" or "lam yakun." Here it is "ma kan Allah liyu'jizahu," and in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:137] we call this lam the lam of denial. The verb after it is in the accusative case. Is it because of it, or because of a hidden "an"? The Basran school or the Kufan school? The Kufan school says it is because of it, and the Basran school says it is because of a hidden "an." And "if Allah makes it easy for you," we say it is because of it itself. All right. [Fatir 35:44] Nothing defeats Him in destroying what exists or creating what does not exist. This is the causation. [Fatir 35:44] He was Knowing and Able. In the past? Is the "kan" here stripped of time? This is stripped of time, but it is brought to affirm the attribution. Yes, the attribution of the described one. Yes, to affirm the attribution of its name to what its predicate indicates. So it is for affirmation and establishment, not for time. [Fatir 35:44]
"Because the cause of inability is either ignorance of the causes of creation or the deficiency of power" Correct. If a person who does not know how to repair a radio is asked to repair it now, and he does not know, can he repair it? No. Why? Because of ignorance. And if we say to a person who has studied how to make a radio but cannot make it, he will not produce a radio. Why? Because of his inability. All right. Glory be to Allah, and Allah the Mighty and Majestic is not defeated by anything.
"And through this example, we know that a negative attribute may include more than one perfection" Just as here, the negation of inability included two things, which are: the perfection of knowledge, and the perfection of power.
But Allah is not to be caused failure by anything in the heavens or on the earth
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلا فِي الْأَرْضِnever will Allah forgive them
لم يكن الله ليغفر لهمBut Allah is not to be caused failure by anything in the heavens or on the earth
وما كان الله ليعجزه من شيء في السموات ولا في الأرضIndeed, He is ever Knowing and Competent.
إنه كان عليماً قديراًIndeed, He is ever Knowing and Competent.
إنه كان عليما قديرا"Because the cause of inability is either ignorance of the causes of creation or the deficiency of power" Correct. If a person who does not know how to repair a radio is asked to repair it now, and he does not know, can he repair it? No. Why? Because of ignorance. And if we say to a person who has studied how to make a radio but cannot make it, he will not produce a radio. Why? Because of his inability. All right. Glory be to Allah, and Allah the Mighty and Majestic is not defeated by anything.
"And through this example, we know that a negative attribute may include more than one perfection" Just as here, the negation of inability included two things, which are: the perfection of knowledge, and the perfection of power.