Explanation of the Book of Tawhid-03a

The reciter: Abdan narrated to us from Abu Hamzah from al-A'mash from Sa'id ibn Jubayr from Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .

The Shaykh : Then the author cited the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . There is a problem with the two forms: "Asbr" (more patient) and "Asbara." If we say "ma ahad asbru," this is the language of Tamim. If we say "ma ahad asbara," this is the language of Quraysh, because Quraysh make the negative "ma" function like "laysa" under known conditions, whereas the people of Tamim consider it not to function that way. The poet said:
"And I said to the one with the swaying camel: 'State your lineage,' and he replied: 'The lover has not killed the forbidden.'"
It became Tamimi, why? Because he did not say "the lover has not killed the forbidden" with the accusative case. If he had said "ma qatal al-muhibb haraman," it would have been Qurayshi. His saying: It affirms that harm reaches Allah the Exalted; that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is harmed. But is patience a defect or a perfection? There is no doubt that it is a perfection, and that a person is praised for his patience, and the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, is praised for His patience. Is being harmed by what causes harm a defect? No, it is not a defect, because harm does not necessarily imply damage. Therefore, we say that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is harmed, but He is not damaged, as Allah the Exalted said: This is in the Qur'an. And in the Holy Hadith: But He said in the Qur'an: And in the Holy Hadith: Harm does not indicate weakness in the one who is harmed, for a man may be harmed by a foul smell, but it does not damage him, nor does it indicate his weakness; rather, it may indicate his perfection if he is truly harmed by what harms him. He says: Ascribing a son to Allah the Exalted entails two things: The first is lying to Allah the Exalted, for Allah the Exalted has denied having a son and has purified Himself of that: The second is describing Allah with deficiency, for only one who is deficient needs a son to help him in his tasks and to preserve his lineage after him. For if a person dies without offspring, he is forgotten and no mention is made of him, except for knowledge, ongoing charity, or the like. In any case, these people have harmed Allah the Exalted by ascribing a son to Him, and yet He heals them and provides for them. And were it not for His patience, Blessed and Exalted is He, He would have destroyed them: So the point of this hadith is His saying: He heals them in their bodies from diseases, and He heals them in their reputations from being violated, and He provides for them as well, along with health, with sustenance. In this hadith, among the attributes, is the affirmation of the attribute of patience for Allah, due to His saying: Is it real? The answer is yes, it is real, but it does not resemble the patience of the created, for the created may be patient, but with irritation and restlessness. As for the Lord, Exalted and Majestic is He, no, nothing befalls Him from His patience as befalls the created from their patience. And it affirms that Allah provides and heals, due to His saying: Do we derive a name from "He provides for them"? No, but the name has come: "Indeed, Allah is the Provider." Do we derive a name from "He heals"? No, and therefore Allah is not called "The Healer," but it is reported of Him that He heals from cardiac and physical diseases: .

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Forbearance is not hastening to punish, even though He is able to not be patient. But patience is enduring. We say this regarding ourselves: a person endures and does not think of punishment. The forbearing one thinks of punishment but does not hasten to it.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : "The Possessor of Power" is not among the names of Allah, but it is said, "O Possessor of Majesty and Honor," "O Possessor of Power," yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Allah the Exalted said: This name must not admit of deficiency in any way. And we have mentioned to you the four previous categories, so let them be kept in mind by you.