What is the evidence from reason that the attributes of Allah are not known?
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The Shaykh : What is the evidence from reason that their modality is not known, Yahya?
The student: First, there must be a difference, meaning, it is known that there is a difference between the Creator and the created. Everyone knows this.
The Shaykh : Fine, but how do we know that reason indicates that the modality of the attributes of Allah is not known?
The student: We have not seen Him, so we cannot attribute to Allah what we do not know.
The Shaykh : One does not know the modality of the attributes of a thing except by knowing the modality of its essence, is that not so? Or by witnessing something similar to it, or by a truthful report that informs us of that modality. So, if someone told you, "The modality of so-and-so's house is such and such," and he was truthful, would you know the modality? Yes, because you were informed of it. So, it is a matter of one thing only.
The student: Because he was informed of it.
The Shaykh : Because the one who informed was truthful, so we knew the modality through his report. Then we say, let us begin the study now.
The student: First, there must be a difference, meaning, it is known that there is a difference between the Creator and the created. Everyone knows this.
The Shaykh : Fine, but how do we know that reason indicates that the modality of the attributes of Allah is not known?
The student: We have not seen Him, so we cannot attribute to Allah what we do not know.
The Shaykh : One does not know the modality of the attributes of a thing except by knowing the modality of its essence, is that not so? Or by witnessing something similar to it, or by a truthful report that informs us of that modality. So, if someone told you, "The modality of so-and-so's house is such and such," and he was truthful, would you know the modality? Yes, because you were informed of it. So, it is a matter of one thing only.
The student: Because he was informed of it.
The Shaykh : Because the one who informed was truthful, so we knew the modality through his report. Then we say, let us begin the study now.