And on this basis, whatever is affirmed for Allah the Exalted in the Book or the Sunnah must be affirmed.
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The Shaykh :"And on this basis, whatever is affirmed for Allah the Exalted in the Book or the Sunnah must be affirmed" So whatever is affirmed in the Book and the Sunnah must be affirmed.
His statement: "So whatever is affirmed" means that it is affirmed in a sound manner with respect to the Sunnah. This is why the author had to mention this condition, because a weak hadith may come in the Sunnah affirming one of the names of Allah, and we are not obligated to affirm it. Therefore, the condition of soundness is necessary for what comes in the Book, and for what comes in the Sunnah? For what comes in the Sunnah, because it must be sound. The word I did not find it with this wording, "Sateer," but what I found in *Al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith* is "Sater" like "Sami'." Therefore, we ask those among you who specialize in hadith to establish for us that the wording that came is "Sateer." Yes.
The student: I heard Shaykh Ibn Baz say it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Even if he said it, it is not a proof, because the author of *Al-Nihayah* is a scholar in language and hadith, and he said it is "Sater." I do not deny that in the language, the form "Fa'il" can mean intensification; the language may be broad, with "Fa'il" meaning intensification. But for us to affirm this name for Allah Mighty and Majestic without certainty, and this is not possible except through the verification of someone trusted in their verification, or through oral transmission, is why we ask you, and I specifically address those who care about hadith, to verify this issue: is it "Sateer" or "Sater"? Because it has even come from my own tongue, where I say "Sateer," but a few days ago, in the chapter on ghusl from janabah, the reciter read it as "Sater," so I returned to the books of strange hadith and found them saying "Sater" on the pattern of "Fa'il," and they said it is an intensification of "Sater" like "Sami'." Who among you will volunteer for this? Fawad, yes, yes, show it to us.
So, whatever is affirmed of the names and attributes of Allah in the Book and the Sunnah, and the intended meaning is the sound Sunnah, it must be affirmed. And whatever is denied in them must be denied, along with affirming the perfection of its opposite. We must qualify the denial with affirming the perfection of its opposite. And whatever is neither affirmed nor denied in them, meaning in the Book and the Sunnah, "one must suspend judgment regarding its wording, so it is neither affirmed nor denied, because neither affirmation nor denial has come regarding it. As for its meaning, it is to be distinguished: if what is intended by it is a truth befitting Allah Mighty and Majestic, it is acceptable. And if what is intended by it is a meaning that does not befit Allah Mighty and Majestic, it must be rejected" This is the utmost of justice, the utmost of etiquette with Allah and His Messenger. We say that the thing for which neither affirmation nor denial has come, it is not permissible for us to affirm it or deny it. Is that clear, O brothers? Why? Give the reason. Because neither its affirmation nor its denial has come, and we do not have the right to precede Allah and His Messenger by affirming what has not come and denying what has come. But the meaning...
Know that the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, did not resort to this distinction except because the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes) forced them to do so in the issue of body, direction, occurrence, and limitation, and the like. Otherwise, we are in no need of this. But when they forced them to speak about this, it became obligatory for the people of the Sunnah to do what? To enter the arena and speak. Otherwise, silence regarding what has not come is safer. But "If nothing remains but the ship, what is the recourse of the desperate but to board it?" We cannot leave them the arena to trade in it while we are silent.
So, what is our position regarding that which neither its denial nor its affirmation has come? As for the wording, we suspend judgment, and we have the right to suspend judgment and say, "You do not obligate us to affirm or deny it, because it has not come." But if we are forced, or if the situation necessitates it, we say we distinguish regarding the meaning. If what is intended by it is a truth, it is acceptable. The meaning, note, means the meaning that settles in our hearts. But do we affirm the wording or not? No. And if what is intended by it is a meaning that does not befit Allah Mighty and Majestic, it must be rejected.
His statement: "So whatever is affirmed" means that it is affirmed in a sound manner with respect to the Sunnah. This is why the author had to mention this condition, because a weak hadith may come in the Sunnah affirming one of the names of Allah, and we are not obligated to affirm it. Therefore, the condition of soundness is necessary for what comes in the Book, and for what comes in the Sunnah? For what comes in the Sunnah, because it must be sound. The word
“Indeed, Allah is Haya (modest) and Sitir (concealing).”
إن الله حيي ستيرThe student: I heard Shaykh Ibn Baz say it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Even if he said it, it is not a proof, because the author of *Al-Nihayah* is a scholar in language and hadith, and he said it is "Sater." I do not deny that in the language, the form "Fa'il" can mean intensification; the language may be broad, with "Fa'il" meaning intensification. But for us to affirm this name for Allah Mighty and Majestic without certainty, and this is not possible except through the verification of someone trusted in their verification, or through oral transmission, is why we ask you, and I specifically address those who care about hadith, to verify this issue: is it "Sateer" or "Sater"? Because it has even come from my own tongue, where I say "Sateer," but a few days ago, in the chapter on ghusl from janabah, the reciter read it as "Sater," so I returned to the books of strange hadith and found them saying "Sater" on the pattern of "Fa'il," and they said it is an intensification of "Sater" like "Sami'." Who among you will volunteer for this? Fawad, yes, yes, show it to us.
So, whatever is affirmed of the names and attributes of Allah in the Book and the Sunnah, and the intended meaning is the sound Sunnah, it must be affirmed. And whatever is denied in them must be denied, along with affirming the perfection of its opposite. We must qualify the denial with affirming the perfection of its opposite. And whatever is neither affirmed nor denied in them, meaning in the Book and the Sunnah, "one must suspend judgment regarding its wording, so it is neither affirmed nor denied, because neither affirmation nor denial has come regarding it. As for its meaning, it is to be distinguished: if what is intended by it is a truth befitting Allah Mighty and Majestic, it is acceptable. And if what is intended by it is a meaning that does not befit Allah Mighty and Majestic, it must be rejected" This is the utmost of justice, the utmost of etiquette with Allah and His Messenger. We say that the thing for which neither affirmation nor denial has come, it is not permissible for us to affirm it or deny it. Is that clear, O brothers? Why? Give the reason. Because neither its affirmation nor its denial has come, and we do not have the right to precede Allah and His Messenger by affirming what has not come and denying what has come. But the meaning...
Know that the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, did not resort to this distinction except because the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes) forced them to do so in the issue of body, direction, occurrence, and limitation, and the like. Otherwise, we are in no need of this. But when they forced them to speak about this, it became obligatory for the people of the Sunnah to do what? To enter the arena and speak. Otherwise, silence regarding what has not come is safer. But "If nothing remains but the ship, what is the recourse of the desperate but to board it?" We cannot leave them the arena to trade in it while we are silent.
So, what is our position regarding that which neither its denial nor its affirmation has come? As for the wording, we suspend judgment, and we have the right to suspend judgment and say, "You do not obligate us to affirm or deny it, because it has not come." But if we are forced, or if the situation necessitates it, we say we distinguish regarding the meaning. If what is intended by it is a truth, it is acceptable. The meaning, note, means the meaning that settles in our hearts. But do we affirm the wording or not? No. And if what is intended by it is a meaning that does not befit Allah Mighty and Majestic, it must be rejected.