Chapter: What is mentioned regarding the Essence, the Attributes, and the Names of Allah. And Khayyib said: "And that is in the Essence of the Deity," so he mentioned the Essence by His Name, the Exalted.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: Chapter: What is denied regarding the Essence, the Attributes, and the Names of Allah.
Khayyib said:Sahih al-Bukhari 7402 so he mentioned the Essence by the Name of the Exalted.
The Shaykh : This means, in the sense of: Is the term "Essence" used, and is the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, an Essence devoid of attributes? No. And for this reason, al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Essence, the Attributes, and the Names of Allah." The attributes are the descriptions. So here we have the Essence, the Name, and the Attribute, and all of them are established for Allah. If I say "Allah the Creator," then "the Creator" indicates an Essence, and it is a Name of Allah, and it indicates an Attribute. Therefore, it is not possible to say that Allah, Exalted and Majestic, is an Essence devoid of attributes, as the extremists of the Jahmiyyah and others say. They said that it is not permissible to establish attributes, but only the Essence, because establishing the ancient attributes, according to their claim, necessitates establishing multiple ancient entities, and establishing multiple ancient entities is shirk (associating partners with Allah). For example, if I say, "I establish the Essence of Allah, and I establish an ancient Majesty, He has always been and will always be Majestic, and I establish His Power, and I establish His Knowledge, and I establish His Hearing, and I establish His Sight, and all of them are ancient," they say this is the shirk of the Christians. The Christians associated two partners, and you have associated more, by a large number. Therefore, it is not permissible to establish for Allah an attribute that is ancient, nor is it permissible to establish for Him an attribute that is ancient, nor is it permissible to establish for Him an attribute that is created. Because if we established a created attribute, it would necessitate that created things subsist in Him, and whatever created things subsist in, it is created. So the problem is: if we establish the ancient attribute, you say it is the multiplicity of ancient entities, and that is shirk; and if we establish a created one, you say this is created, and the created does not subsist except in the created. Yes. What do we do? It is easy. Say, "Allah has no attribute," and rest. Say, "There is in Him only an Essence devoid of attributes." And al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified that there is an Essence, and there are attributes, which are the descriptions, and there are Names, all of which are established for Allah, Mighty and Majestic: the Essence, the Name, and the Attribute. It is impossible for an Essence devoid of attributes to exist. It is impossible. If He had no attribute other than the attribute of existence, that would be sufficient, because every entity that subsists in itself must have an attribute. If you say, "I do not describe Him with existence," we say this is a calamity and shirk. What is the opposite of existence? Non-existence. So you have described Him with non-existence. If I say, "I negate existence and non-existence," we say this is impossible, because existence and non-existence are opposites, and opposites are never both negated. Every thing must have either existence or non-existence. As for saying, "Not existent and not non-existent, I do not describe with existence nor with non-existence," this is something impossible. And the wonder is that these people—may Allah keep us safe from them—when you pursue them and silence them, they go and liken Him to the impossible, which no one affirms. Because if they say, "We do not describe Him with existence nor with non-existence," what do they liken Him to? To the impossible. If only they had followed the methodology of the Salaf and said, "We believe in Allah and we affirm everything by which Allah has described Himself," they would have found peace of heart and the truth, which is easy and simple. Therefore, you do not find this deepening and this affectation among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The deepening, the affectation, the objections, and the doubts did not occur until people delved into what does not concern them.
The reader: And Khayyib said:Sahih al-Bukhari 7402 so he mentioned the Essence by His Name, the Exalted.
The Shaykh : Yes, I establish for Allah the Essence, and that is in the Essence of the Deity, so I establish the Essence by His Name. This issue will be discussed in detail, if Allah wills, in the elaboration, in that some people deny that you should say that Allah has an Essence, based on the fact that the original meaning of "Essence" in the Arabic language does not come to mean the entity, but rather comes to mean the companion. So you say "the Essence of the thing," meaning the companion of the thing. You say "a woman of beauty," "the house of spaciousness," and the like. So it means the companion, and it does not come to mean the entity that subsists in itself. But this statement is refuted by what al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said regarding the statement of Khayyib, "And that is in the Essence of the Deity." And they countered by saying that the intended meaning of "Essence" is the direction, the Essence of the Deity, meaning the direction. The discussion, if Allah wills, will come on this, more extensive than this.
Khayyib said:
for that is for the sake of Allah's very Self
وذلك في ذات الإلهThe Shaykh : This means, in the sense of: Is the term "Essence" used, and is the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, an Essence devoid of attributes? No. And for this reason, al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Essence, the Attributes, and the Names of Allah." The attributes are the descriptions. So here we have the Essence, the Name, and the Attribute, and all of them are established for Allah. If I say "Allah the Creator," then "the Creator" indicates an Essence, and it is a Name of Allah, and it indicates an Attribute. Therefore, it is not possible to say that Allah, Exalted and Majestic, is an Essence devoid of attributes, as the extremists of the Jahmiyyah and others say. They said that it is not permissible to establish attributes, but only the Essence, because establishing the ancient attributes, according to their claim, necessitates establishing multiple ancient entities, and establishing multiple ancient entities is shirk (associating partners with Allah). For example, if I say, "I establish the Essence of Allah, and I establish an ancient Majesty, He has always been and will always be Majestic, and I establish His Power, and I establish His Knowledge, and I establish His Hearing, and I establish His Sight, and all of them are ancient," they say this is the shirk of the Christians. The Christians associated two partners, and you have associated more, by a large number. Therefore, it is not permissible to establish for Allah an attribute that is ancient, nor is it permissible to establish for Him an attribute that is ancient, nor is it permissible to establish for Him an attribute that is created. Because if we established a created attribute, it would necessitate that created things subsist in Him, and whatever created things subsist in, it is created. So the problem is: if we establish the ancient attribute, you say it is the multiplicity of ancient entities, and that is shirk; and if we establish a created one, you say this is created, and the created does not subsist except in the created. Yes. What do we do? It is easy. Say, "Allah has no attribute," and rest. Say, "There is in Him only an Essence devoid of attributes." And al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified that there is an Essence, and there are attributes, which are the descriptions, and there are Names, all of which are established for Allah, Mighty and Majestic: the Essence, the Name, and the Attribute. It is impossible for an Essence devoid of attributes to exist. It is impossible. If He had no attribute other than the attribute of existence, that would be sufficient, because every entity that subsists in itself must have an attribute. If you say, "I do not describe Him with existence," we say this is a calamity and shirk. What is the opposite of existence? Non-existence. So you have described Him with non-existence. If I say, "I negate existence and non-existence," we say this is impossible, because existence and non-existence are opposites, and opposites are never both negated. Every thing must have either existence or non-existence. As for saying, "Not existent and not non-existent, I do not describe with existence nor with non-existence," this is something impossible. And the wonder is that these people—may Allah keep us safe from them—when you pursue them and silence them, they go and liken Him to the impossible, which no one affirms. Because if they say, "We do not describe Him with existence nor with non-existence," what do they liken Him to? To the impossible. If only they had followed the methodology of the Salaf and said, "We believe in Allah and we affirm everything by which Allah has described Himself," they would have found peace of heart and the truth, which is easy and simple. Therefore, you do not find this deepening and this affectation among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The deepening, the affectation, the objections, and the doubts did not occur until people delved into what does not concern them.
The reader: And Khayyib said:
for that is for the sake of Allah's very Self
وذلك في ذات الإلهThe Shaykh : Yes, I establish for Allah the Essence, and that is in the Essence of the Deity, so I establish the Essence by His Name. This issue will be discussed in detail, if Allah wills, in the elaboration, in that some people deny that you should say that Allah has an Essence, based on the fact that the original meaning of "Essence" in the Arabic language does not come to mean the entity, but rather comes to mean the companion. So you say "the Essence of the thing," meaning the companion of the thing. You say "a woman of beauty," "the house of spaciousness," and the like. So it means the companion, and it does not come to mean the entity that subsists in itself. But this statement is refuted by what al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said regarding the statement of Khayyib, "And that is in the Essence of the Deity." And they countered by saying that the intended meaning of "Essence" is the direction, the Essence of the Deity, meaning the direction. The discussion, if Allah wills, will come on this, more extensive than this.