Seeking Nearness to Allah the Exalted Through His Actions.
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The Shaykh : The fifth is seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted through His actions, by one of His actions. Among this is the prayer of the one praying: Riyad as-Salihin 1896 This means you say, "O Lord, just as You bestowed upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim with the blessing of prayer, so bestow upon Muhammad and his family with the blessing of prayer." So, seeking nearness to Allah is by what? By His actions. Here, one asks, or seeks nearness by an action that suits the request. Likewise, you say, "O Allah, grant me vast knowledge, just as You granted the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah." This is seeking nearness to Allah by what? But by His action, by His action and His giving, because provision is giving. Now, if we say that his saying Sahih al-Bukhari 3370 is from the category of seeking nearness, then the objection raised by some commentators of the hadith and some jurists when they explain the tashahhud is removed from us. The question they ask is: How do you liken the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the prayer upon Ibrahim and his family? The rule is that the thing likened is of a lower rank than the thing it is likened to. So if you say, "So-and-so is like the sea in generosity," which one is more generous? "So-and-so is like the sea in generosity," which one is more generous?
The student: The sea.
The Shaykh : The sea, there is no doubt, the sea. And the one who says they are equal, perhaps we will drown him one day in the sea to see which one is more generous. The sea, O man, has everything, perfect. Now, I say that some of the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) raised an objection to this, and they answered with answers, some of which are disliked and some are acceptable but not intended. The correct thing is to get rid of all of this and say that the "kaf" is not for likening, but for causation, for causation. It means: "Just as You prayed upon Ibrahim and his family, so pray upon Muhammad and his family." You are with us in seeking nearness by His actions. This is the fifth.
Suhaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, will say to them: 'Do you wish me to give you anything more?' They will reply: 'Have You not made our faces bright? Have You not brought us into Jannah and delivered us from the Hell?' And Allah will remove the Veil. The (dwellers of Jannah) will feel that they have not been awarded anything dearer to them than looking at their Rubb." [Muslim] . Allah, the Exalted, says: "Verily, those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, their Rubb will guide them through their Faith; under them will flow rivers in the Gardens of Delight (Jannah). Their way of request therein will be Subhanaka Allahumma (Glory to You, O Allah!) and Salam (peace, safety from evil) will be their greetings therein (Jannah)! and the close of their request will be: Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-'Alamin [All the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Rubb of 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)] ." (10:9,10)
اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آله محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيمas You sent Your Mercy on Abraham and on the family of Abraham
كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيمThe student: The sea.
The Shaykh : The sea, there is no doubt, the sea. And the one who says they are equal, perhaps we will drown him one day in the sea to see which one is more generous. The sea, O man, has everything, perfect. Now, I say that some of the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) raised an objection to this, and they answered with answers, some of which are disliked and some are acceptable but not intended. The correct thing is to get rid of all of this and say that the "kaf" is not for likening, but for causation, for causation. It means: "Just as You prayed upon Ibrahim and his family, so pray upon Muhammad and his family." You are with us in seeking nearness by His actions. This is the fifth.