Some of the preachers say: We should not teach people the matters of the oneness of the names and attributes because they are of the ambiguous, but if they have a problem with any of them, we clarify it for them.
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The questioner : This questioner says: O esteemed Shaykh, some of the preachers say that we should not teach people the matters of the oneness of the names and attributes because they are of the ambiguous, but if they have a problem with any of them, i.e., any of the attributes, we clarify it for them. What is your opinion, may Allah bless you and your knowledge?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. I say that people in this matter, i.e., in the matter of the names and attributes of Allah, and whether it is obligatory to clarify them for people or not, are divided into three groups: two extremes and a middle. One extreme says, as this questioner mentioned about another person, that one should not clarify the names and attributes of Allah for people because they are of the ambiguous, but if they ask, answer them.
Another group, another extreme, says: Clarify the names and attributes of Allah for people, and then present to them the problems that branch out from these names and attributes, or delve into the aspect of affirmation and mention everything. Some of them even say, for example, how many fingers does Allah have? How did He rise above the Throne? Does Allah have an ear? And similar matters that one must turn away from, because they were not mentioned in the Book or in the Sunnah. If their mention had been necessary for the correct creed, Allah the Exalted would have clarified them for His servants, either in His Book or on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The third group is the middle, saying: Teach people what they need in this matter without delving too deep or burdening yourselves with what you are not obligated to know. This is the correct and stronger position: that we teach people what they need to know in this matter, and that we do not burden ourselves with knowing what we have no knowledge of, but rather we turn away from it.
For example, if a school of thought that contradicts the school of the Salaf becomes widespread among people, we must clarify the school of the Salaf in this matter. If it becomes widespread among people, for example, that the two hands which Allah affirmed for Himself are blessings, it is obligatory for us to clarify that this is an error, and that the two hands are two attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) which He affirmed for Himself, and He (Exalted and Majestic is He) clarified that His hands are outstretched, and He spends as He wills.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Allah extends His hand at night so that the wrongdoer of the day may repent, and extends His hand by day so that the wrongdoer of the night may repent.
And He informed that the hand of Allah is full, generous, night and day, and He said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 7:120.
And the Salaf of the Ummah agreed that they are two real, established hands for Allah in a manner befitting Him, but they do not resemble the hands of the created beings, so that the belief among people that is not correct is removed, namely that they are the two blessings. This is necessary.
But if we are among people who have not had this thought occur to them, and if we were to enter into detailed matters with them, it would cause them confusion or lead them into matters where they would be excessive, then here we take what came from the Salaf, especially from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "You will not tell a people a story that their minds do not reach, except that it will be a trial for some of them". And Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Tell people what they know. Do you want Allah and His Messenger to be lied about?".
As for delving into the attributes and seeking what cannot be known, this is from excessive effort and religious innovation. Therefore, when a man said to Imam Malik: O Abu 'Abdullah, "The Most Merciful rose above the Throne," how did He rise? This was a great question, and it had its effect on Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him). He lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, then he raised his head and said: "O this one, the rising is not unknown, the how is not comprehensible, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation". He meant by this, may Allah have mercy on him, that the rising is not unknown; it is known. "Rose above" means He is above it. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mu'minun 23:28] meaning He is above it and rides in it. And He said: [Az-Zukhruf 43:12-13] meaning when you are above it riding. So "rose above the Throne" means He is above it in a manner befitting His majesty and greatness. This is the meaning of his statement: "The rising is not unknown".
"The how is not comprehensible". He did not say, may Allah have mercy on him, "the how does not exist," but he said "the how is not comprehensible," meaning there is a manner in which Allah the Exalted rose, but we do not know it; our minds do not grasp it, and our religion did not bring it. The Book and the Sunnah do not contain an explanation of the manner of Allah's rising above the Throne, and our minds do not grasp this. So both the rational and the transmitted evidence are absent regarding it, and silence is obligatory. If we are asked how He rose, we say: Allah knows best.
"Belief in it is obligatory", i.e., belief in the rising is obligatory as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intended.
"And asking about it is an innovation". This is the point of our discussion. Asking about the manner is an innovation. Why? Because the Companions, who are more eager than us to know Allah and more eager than us for knowledge, when they asked, they asked the one who is more knowledgeable than us in answering. They did not ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They did not say: O Messenger of Allah, how did He rise? Even though they asked about things more subtle than this. But they (may Allah be pleased with them) knew that such matters cannot be known, so they did not ask. Otherwise, they would have asked about what is more subtle, as we will clarify, if Allah wills.
Also, "Asking about it is an innovation" is a characteristic of the people of innovation, because the people of innovation are those who put the people of the Sunnah in a difficult position regarding the mention of the manner. They say: How did He rise? How does He descend to the lowest heaven? They put them in a difficult position so that they will say He rose in such-and-such a manner, or deny the rising, or say He descended in such-and-such a manner, or deny the descent. So it is a characteristic of the people of innovation. Asking about the manner of the attributes is a characteristic of the people of innovation.
Moreover, asking about the manner of the attributes is excessive effort in the religion of Allah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is it to you and the manner?" Believe in what the texts brought from the matters of the unseen, and do not ask about what is beyond what was mentioned to you, because you will not reach anything. And if you ask about what was not mentioned to you from the matters of the unseen, perhaps you will be among those who ask about things they have no need for, and indeed you are among them. And perhaps you will fall into labyrinths from which you are unable to escape.
And our statement that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked about what is less than that is supported by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mentioned that the Dajjal will emerge and remain in the earth for forty days. The first day is like a full year, meaning twelve months, the second day is like a month, the third day is like a week, and the rest of his days are like our days. So when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) heard:, they said: O Messenger of Allah, is one prayer sufficient for us in that day which is like a year? He said: Sunan Abi Dawud 4321Sahih (Al-Albani). You will find that they asked about this because they are obligated to perform the five prayers at their known times, and this day will be long, it will be twelve months. Will five prayers be sufficient in it? So they asked. If they did not ask the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the attributes of Allah, then they are the best Salaf for us to follow. We do not ask about the manner of the attributes of Allah, nor do we ask about what has not reached us of knowledge regarding these attributes, nor about other matters of the unseen. The proper conduct in all matters of the unseen is for a person to restrict himself to what has reached him and be silent about what has not reached him, because if there were good in its explanation, Allah and His Messenger would have explained it.
As for the questioner's statement: "Do not inform the common people of them because they are of the ambiguous," we say to him: O my brother, what do you mean by the ambiguous? If the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and the texts coming regarding them are of the ambiguous, what remains clear? The verses of the attributes are among the clearest verses, and the hadiths of the attributes are among the clearest hadiths. And there is no ambiguity in them, praise be to Allah. All of their meaning is known, all of their meaning is understood by the requirement of the clear Arabic language by which the Qur'an was revealed. How would Allah reveal to us something related to His names and attributes while we are ignorant of it and unable to reach it? This is impossible.
So we say that the verses of the attributes and their hadiths are from the known and are not from the ambiguous. Does anyone find it ambiguous when Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:[Al-A'raf 7:54]? Does anyone not know the meaning of "created"? Does anyone find it ambiguous when Allah the Exalted says: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11], that its meaning is the negation of likeness and the affirmation of hearing and seeing? The verses of the attributes and their hadiths are not from the ambiguous.
Yes, if the one who says "from the ambiguous" means that we are unable to grasp its modality and its essence, then this is correct. We do not know the modality of what Allah described Himself with, nor its essence, but its meaning is clear. And if its meaning were not clear, we would not have been able to call upon Allah by His names. And He the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:180].
So the important point is that this term which some scholars used for the verses of the attributes and their hadiths, saying that they are from the ambiguous, we say to him: if you mean that they are ambiguous in meaning, then no. But if you mean that they are ambiguous in their essence and reality, and that we do not grasp their modality or the reality of their essence, then this is the truth.
It is not strange that we know the meaning of a thing but do not grasp its reality and its modality. We know the meaning of the soul that is between our sides, which when it departs from the body, the person dies. We know its meaning, but do we grasp its reality and its modality? Never. We know what Allah mentioned about Paradise, that in it are pairs of every fruit, and dates and pomegranates and the like, but do we grasp the reality of that and its essence? No, because Allah says:[As-Sajdah 32:17], and He, Mighty and Majestic, says in the Holy Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 7498.
And the important point is to draw attention to this phrase that is circulated regarding the term "ambiguous" with respect to the names of Allah and His attributes, whereby the people of denial of the divine attributes arrive at the point of us following a bad path in that, such that we delegate the knowledge of the meaning of the names of Allah and His attributes. As some of the later scholars claimed that the madhab of the Salaf is tafwid, meaning delegating the statement regarding the names of Allah and His attributes to Allah, and that we do not speak of any of its meaning. And this statement, namely the statement of tafwid in this manner, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said about it that it is one of the worst statements of the people of innovation and deviation. As for delegating the reality and the essence, that is something that is necessary, and it does not harm us if we know the meaning, but we do not know the essence and the reality of that which is named or described. Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. I say that people in this matter, i.e., in the matter of the names and attributes of Allah, and whether it is obligatory to clarify them for people or not, are divided into three groups: two extremes and a middle. One extreme says, as this questioner mentioned about another person, that one should not clarify the names and attributes of Allah for people because they are of the ambiguous, but if they ask, answer them.
Another group, another extreme, says: Clarify the names and attributes of Allah for people, and then present to them the problems that branch out from these names and attributes, or delve into the aspect of affirmation and mention everything. Some of them even say, for example, how many fingers does Allah have? How did He rise above the Throne? Does Allah have an ear? And similar matters that one must turn away from, because they were not mentioned in the Book or in the Sunnah. If their mention had been necessary for the correct creed, Allah the Exalted would have clarified them for His servants, either in His Book or on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The third group is the middle, saying: Teach people what they need in this matter without delving too deep or burdening yourselves with what you are not obligated to know. This is the correct and stronger position: that we teach people what they need to know in this matter, and that we do not burden ourselves with knowing what we have no knowledge of, but rather we turn away from it.
For example, if a school of thought that contradicts the school of the Salaf becomes widespread among people, we must clarify the school of the Salaf in this matter. If it becomes widespread among people, for example, that the two hands which Allah affirmed for Himself are blessings, it is obligatory for us to clarify that this is an error, and that the two hands are two attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) which He affirmed for Himself, and He (Exalted and Majestic is He) clarified that His hands are outstretched, and He spends as He wills.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Allah extends His hand at night so that the wrongdoer of the day may repent, and extends His hand by day so that the wrongdoer of the night may repent.
And He informed that the hand of Allah is full, generous, night and day, and He said:
Have you seen what has been spent since the creation of the heavens and the earth? It has not... what is in His right hand
أرأيتم ما أنفق منذ خلق السماوات والأرض فإنه لم ... ما في يمينهAnd the Salaf of the Ummah agreed that they are two real, established hands for Allah in a manner befitting Him, but they do not resemble the hands of the created beings, so that the belief among people that is not correct is removed, namely that they are the two blessings. This is necessary.
But if we are among people who have not had this thought occur to them, and if we were to enter into detailed matters with them, it would cause them confusion or lead them into matters where they would be excessive, then here we take what came from the Salaf, especially from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "You will not tell a people a story that their minds do not reach, except that it will be a trial for some of them". And Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Tell people what they know. Do you want Allah and His Messenger to be lied about?".
As for delving into the attributes and seeking what cannot be known, this is from excessive effort and religious innovation. Therefore, when a man said to Imam Malik: O Abu 'Abdullah, "The Most Merciful rose above the Throne," how did He rise? This was a great question, and it had its effect on Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him). He lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, then he raised his head and said: "O this one, the rising is not unknown, the how is not comprehensible, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation". He meant by this, may Allah have mercy on him, that the rising is not unknown; it is known. "Rose above" means He is above it. Allah the Exalted said:
And when you have boarded the ship, you and those with you
فإذا استويت أنت ومن معك على الفلكand has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount. (13) That you may settle yourselves upon their backs and then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled upon them
وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِنَ الفُلكِ وَالأَنعامِ ما تَركَبونَ * لِتَستَووا عَلى ظُهورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذكُروا نِعمَةَ رَبِّكُم إِذَا استَوَيتُم عَلَيهِ"The how is not comprehensible". He did not say, may Allah have mercy on him, "the how does not exist," but he said "the how is not comprehensible," meaning there is a manner in which Allah the Exalted rose, but we do not know it; our minds do not grasp it, and our religion did not bring it. The Book and the Sunnah do not contain an explanation of the manner of Allah's rising above the Throne, and our minds do not grasp this. So both the rational and the transmitted evidence are absent regarding it, and silence is obligatory. If we are asked how He rose, we say: Allah knows best.
"Belief in it is obligatory", i.e., belief in the rising is obligatory as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intended.
"And asking about it is an innovation". This is the point of our discussion. Asking about the manner is an innovation. Why? Because the Companions, who are more eager than us to know Allah and more eager than us for knowledge, when they asked, they asked the one who is more knowledgeable than us in answering. They did not ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They did not say: O Messenger of Allah, how did He rise? Even though they asked about things more subtle than this. But they (may Allah be pleased with them) knew that such matters cannot be known, so they did not ask. Otherwise, they would have asked about what is more subtle, as we will clarify, if Allah wills.
Also, "Asking about it is an innovation" is a characteristic of the people of innovation, because the people of innovation are those who put the people of the Sunnah in a difficult position regarding the mention of the manner. They say: How did He rise? How does He descend to the lowest heaven? They put them in a difficult position so that they will say He rose in such-and-such a manner, or deny the rising, or say He descended in such-and-such a manner, or deny the descent. So it is a characteristic of the people of innovation. Asking about the manner of the attributes is a characteristic of the people of innovation.
Moreover, asking about the manner of the attributes is excessive effort in the religion of Allah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The excessive ones have perished, the excessive ones have perished, the excessive ones have perished.
هلك المتنطعون هلك المتنطعون هلك المتنطعونAnd our statement that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked about what is less than that is supported by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mentioned that the Dajjal will emerge and remain in the earth for forty days. The first day is like a full year, meaning twelve months, the second day is like a month, the third day is like a week, and the rest of his days are like our days. So when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) heard:
A day like a year
يوم كسنّةNo, you must make an estimate of its extent
لا اقدروا له قدرهAs for the questioner's statement: "Do not inform the common people of them because they are of the ambiguous," we say to him: O my brother, what do you mean by the ambiguous? If the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and the texts coming regarding them are of the ambiguous, what remains clear? The verses of the attributes are among the clearest verses, and the hadiths of the attributes are among the clearest hadiths. And there is no ambiguity in them, praise be to Allah. All of their meaning is known, all of their meaning is understood by the requirement of the clear Arabic language by which the Qur'an was revealed. How would Allah reveal to us something related to His names and attributes while we are ignorant of it and unable to reach it? This is impossible.
So we say that the verses of the attributes and their hadiths are from the known and are not from the ambiguous. Does anyone find it ambiguous when Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
Allah, who created the heavens and earth
الله الذي خلق السماوات والأرضThere is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصيرYes, if the one who says "from the ambiguous" means that we are unable to grasp its modality and its essence, then this is correct. We do not know the modality of what Allah described Himself with, nor its essence, but its meaning is clear. And if its meaning were not clear, we would not have been able to call upon Allah by His names. And He the Exalted said:
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them
ولله الأسماء الحسنى فادعوه بهاSo the important point is that this term which some scholars used for the verses of the attributes and their hadiths, saying that they are from the ambiguous, we say to him: if you mean that they are ambiguous in meaning, then no. But if you mean that they are ambiguous in their essence and reality, and that we do not grasp their modality or the reality of their essence, then this is the truth.
It is not strange that we know the meaning of a thing but do not grasp its reality and its modality. We know the meaning of the soul that is between our sides, which when it departs from the body, the person dies. We know its meaning, but do we grasp its reality and its modality? Never. We know what Allah mentioned about Paradise, that in it are pairs of every fruit, and dates and pomegranates and the like, but do we grasp the reality of that and its essence? No, because Allah says:
And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
فَلا تَعلَمُ نَفسٌ ما أُخفِيَ لَهُم مِن قُرَّةِ أَعيُنٍ جَزاءً بِما كانوا يَعمَلونَI have prepared for My righteous slaves (such excellent things) as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of.
أعددت لعبادي الصالحين ما لا عين رأت ولا أذن سمعت ولا خطر على قلب بشرAnd the important point is to draw attention to this phrase that is circulated regarding the term "ambiguous" with respect to the names of Allah and His attributes, whereby the people of denial of the divine attributes arrive at the point of us following a bad path in that, such that we delegate the knowledge of the meaning of the names of Allah and His attributes. As some of the later scholars claimed that the madhab of the Salaf is tafwid, meaning delegating the statement regarding the names of Allah and His attributes to Allah, and that we do not speak of any of its meaning. And this statement, namely the statement of tafwid in this manner, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said about it that it is one of the worst statements of the people of innovation and deviation. As for delegating the reality and the essence, that is something that is necessary, and it does not harm us if we know the meaning, but we do not know the essence and the reality of that which is named or described. Yes.