Explaining the severity of believing that Allah the Exalted is similar to His creation in His attributes.
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The Shaykh : It is obligatory upon us in matters of creed; it is obligatory upon us to beware of—what is this beard? Leave this beard alone—it is obligatory upon us to beware of likening Allah to creation, meaning believing that Allah is similar to the creation in His attributes. We must beware of this with the utmost caution and the greatest wariness, because the one who likens the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, to creation has worshipped an idol, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the introduction to his *Al-Nuniyyah*: "The one who denies the attributes worships non-existence, the one who likens [Allah to creation] worships an idol, and the one who affirms [the attributes] worships the God of the earth and the heavens." O Allah, make us among them, O Lord of the worlds. Beware of likening Allah to creation, for Allah the Exalted denied having any like, saying: Yes. And He forbade likening Him, saying: [An-Nahl 16:74] So if we believe that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is established above His Throne, do we believe that He is a body like the bodies that are established on their thrones, like kings, for example? Is it permissible for us to believe this, or is it not permissible? It is not permissible, because Allah is not like anything. If we believe that Allah comes, do we believe that He comes as a human comes? No, we do not believe this; we deny it with the strongest denial, because Allah said: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11] What harm is there for you, and what responsibility is there for you, if you affirm for Allah the Exalted the attributes that He affirmed for Himself, without likening them to the creation? What is the matter with you? Do you have something against it, or do you have nothing against it? There is no god but Allah; you have nothing against it, my brother. This is safety. Now, did Allah affirm a Face for Himself? Who can bring me evidence?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : When did this verse pass by you?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It passed by you tonight in the tarawih prayer. May Allah reward you. Now, is it permissible, if we affirm the Face for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to believe that it is like our faces? Like our faces?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, never. We know with certainty that it does not resemble faces, and we know with certainty that it is not permissible for us to imagine the modality of this Face, because if you specify a modality, for example, whatever modality you impose, you are lying in it, because you do not know it. And at that time, you must refrain from specifying the modality, and you must believe that it is not like faces, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ash-Shuraa 42:11] And is it necessary that the faces of created beings that have faces be similar? O people!
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is not necessary. Please stand up. How is it not necessary? Is your face not like the face of this man? This is a created being. Look at him, here.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : ... But the essence of the face, they are similar. So does that mean it is necessary that if the Face is affirmed for created beings, their faces must be similar?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is not necessary. You said it is necessary.
The student: It is not necessary.
The Shaykh : No, it is not necessary? This man has two eyes, two lips, a forehead, and so on.
The student: ... not ...
The Shaykh : By Allah, it is like it; there is no difference. Was your vision weak or his vision strong, or the opposite? Rest. Faces do not resemble each other. First, they do not resemble each other within the same species. That is, we are human beings, and our faces are not similar. Some of us have oblong faces, some have round faces, some have prominent features, and some have recessed features, and so on. But I do not want this; this has a type of similarity. But does the face of a horse resemble the face of the horse rider? The horse rider, answer me, everyone.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : They do not resemble each other. So if sharing a name among created beings does not necessitate similarity and equality, how can it be between the Creator and the created? And this is clear, everyone. So if the one who denies the attributes and distorts the Book of Allah says, "Allah does not have a Face, because if we affirmed a Face for Him, similarity would be necessary," we say: What is correct is that He has a Face that does not resemble the faces of the created beings. And look at what? We say: Is it your horse or your donkey? If we say "your donkey," there is no wonder; there is no problem. If he came on a donkey, we say: Look at your donkey and look at your horse; their faces do not resemble each other. And look at your horse and your face; they do not resemble each other. So do not impose this on us. Then we say that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, affirmed that the day has a Face. The day has a Face. The day has a Face. Who can bring me the verse? Please.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Well done. May Allah reward you. Rest.[Ali 'Imran 3:72] Does the day have a Face in reality, or not? How can it not? Does the day have a Face in reality? Yes. By Allah, whoever says it does not have a Face in reality does not please us at all. How can it not have a Face? By Allah, He mentioned this Face, affirming it. We say it has a Face, but the Face of the day is not like the Face of bodies. The Face of the day is the beginning of the day, because it is the first thing that faces a person. The first thing that faces you from the day, what is it? Its beginning. In any case, I repeat, and I repeat, and I repeat, to convey this to you and to clear my conscience and to establish the proof, that it is obligatory upon us to believe in what is in the Qur'an and the Sunnah regarding the attributes of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the names of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, without distortion, meaning diverting them from their apparent meaning, and without likening [Allah to creation]. Let whoever is pleased be pleased, and let whoever is displeased be displeased, because on the Day of Resurrection, we will be asked about whom? About whom, everyone? [Al-Qasas 28:65] So let whoever is pleased be pleased, and let whoever is displeased be displeased. And if we have light, a light, we walk with it before us. We walk, and we do not care about others. And even if someone wants to tarnish the reputation, we do not care. If he tarnishes it, he tarnishes it upon himself. Did you understand, everyone? The truth is victorious in any case, as He, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Ghafir 40:51] And Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the *Al-Nuniyyah*:
"The truth is victorious and tested *** So do not be amazed, for this is the custom of the Most Merciful"
And I, O my brothers, from the various parts of the world who hear my words here or through the recordings, have made clear to you a clear explanation that it is obligatory upon us to believe in what the Book and the Sunnah indicate regarding the names of Allah and His attributes, in what manner? In the manner of reality. This is one point.
Second, it is obligatory upon us to deny and reject every likening of Allah to His creation by anyone, because Allah informed that He is not like anything, and informed what? And forbade us to make examples for Him. Pay attention to this, everyone. It is a creed.
So do not assert similarities to Allah
فلا تضربوا لله الأمثالThere is nothing like unto Him
ليس كمثله شيءThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : When did this verse pass by you?
Every thing will perish except His Face
كل شيء هالك إلا وجهكThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : It passed by you tonight in the tarawih prayer. May Allah reward you. Now, is it permissible, if we affirm the Face for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to believe that it is like our faces? Like our faces?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, never. We know with certainty that it does not resemble faces, and we know with certainty that it is not permissible for us to imagine the modality of this Face, because if you specify a modality, for example, whatever modality you impose, you are lying in it, because you do not know it. And at that time, you must refrain from specifying the modality, and you must believe that it is not like faces, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصيرThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is not necessary. Please stand up. How is it not necessary? Is your face not like the face of this man? This is a created being. Look at him, here.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : ... But the essence of the face, they are similar. So does that mean it is necessary that if the Face is affirmed for created beings, their faces must be similar?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is not necessary. You said it is necessary.
The student: It is not necessary.
The Shaykh : No, it is not necessary? This man has two eyes, two lips, a forehead, and so on.
The student: ... not ...
The Shaykh : By Allah, it is like it; there is no difference. Was your vision weak or his vision strong, or the opposite? Rest. Faces do not resemble each other. First, they do not resemble each other within the same species. That is, we are human beings, and our faces are not similar. Some of us have oblong faces, some have round faces, some have prominent features, and some have recessed features, and so on. But I do not want this; this has a type of similarity. But does the face of a horse resemble the face of the horse rider? The horse rider, answer me, everyone.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : They do not resemble each other. So if sharing a name among created beings does not necessitate similarity and equality, how can it be between the Creator and the created? And this is clear, everyone. So if the one who denies the attributes and distorts the Book of Allah says, "Allah does not have a Face, because if we affirmed a Face for Him, similarity would be necessary," we say: What is correct is that He has a Face that does not resemble the faces of the created beings. And look at what? We say: Is it your horse or your donkey? If we say "your donkey," there is no wonder; there is no problem. If he came on a donkey, we say: Look at your donkey and look at your horse; their faces do not resemble each other. And look at your horse and your face; they do not resemble each other. So do not impose this on us. Then we say that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, affirmed that the day has a Face. The day has a Face. The day has a Face. Who can bring me the verse? Please.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Well done. May Allah reward you. Rest.
And a faction of the People of the Scripture say [to each other], "Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end
وقالت طائفة من أهل الكتاب آمنوا بالذي أنزل على الذين آمنوا وجه النهار واكفروا آخرهAnd [mention] the Day He will call them and say, "What did you answer the messengers?"
ويوم يناديهم فيقول ماذا أجبتم المرسلينIndeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand -
إنا لننصر رسلنا والذين آمنوا في الحياة الدنيا ويوم يقوم الأشهاد"The truth is victorious and tested *** So do not be amazed, for this is the custom of the Most Merciful"
And I, O my brothers, from the various parts of the world who hear my words here or through the recordings, have made clear to you a clear explanation that it is obligatory upon us to believe in what the Book and the Sunnah indicate regarding the names of Allah and His attributes, in what manner? In the manner of reality. This is one point.
Second, it is obligatory upon us to deny and reject every likening of Allah to His creation by anyone, because Allah informed that He is not like anything, and informed what? And forbade us to make examples for Him. Pay attention to this, everyone. It is a creed.