Explanation of the author's statement: ". . . . Then likening, by which those who went astray among the people went astray, is of two types: the first is likening the created to the Creator.
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The Shaykh :"Then likening, by which those who went astray among the people went astray, is of two types: the first is likening the created to the Creator, and the second is likening the Creator to the created". Likening the created to the Creator is the path taken by the extremists regarding humans or created things. Those who worshipped al-Lat, al-'Uzza, Manat, and Hubal likened what? They likened the created to the Creator. And those who said that Allah is like people in such and such and such likened the Creator to the created. "As for likening the created to the Creator, its meaning is attributing to the created something that is specific to the Creator in terms of actions, rights, or attributes". Pay attention to the definition. Likening the created to the Creator is attributing to the created something that is specific to the Creator in terms of actions, or rights, or attributes. The first is like the action of one who associates partners with Allah in lordship, such as one who claims that there is a creator alongside Allah. Who is the one who claims that there is a creator alongside Allah? Who?
The student: The Christians.
The Shaykh : The Christians claimed that there is a creator alongside Allah. Among the extremists of the Batiniyyah, there are those who claim that their awliya (close friends of Allah) manage the universe. They call the wali who reaches a certain degree the "pole" (qutb) and say that he is the one around whom events revolve, making him a creator alongside Allah. There are also the dualists among the Zoroastrians, but they do not make the Creator the Most Merciful (Mighty and Majestic). They say that the created or the events have two creators: darkness creates evil and light creates good. Yes, we also say that these people made the created a creator. They made darkness and light, which are created, into creators, which is more severe than those who made a creator alongside Allah.
"The second is like the action of the polytheists with their idols". And what is the second? Rights. They made a counterpart for Allah in rights. "Where they claimed that they had a right to divinity, so they worshipped them alongside Allah". Or not? If you ask the polytheists who created the heavens and the earth, they say Allah. They do not say al-Lat, nor al-'Uzza, nor Manat. They only say that the Creator is Allah. But they say, "We worship these because they deserve to be worshipped." So, these people made a counterpart for Allah in what? In rights.
"The third is like the action of the extremists in praising the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or others, such as the statement of al-Mutanabbi praising 'Abd Allah ibn Yahya al-Buhturi:
"So be as you wish, O one who has no likeness, *** And as you wish, for no creation is comparable to you"
This is misguidance, or not?
The student: Misguidance.
The Shaykh : Misguidance. "O one who has no likeness." Is there anyone who has no likeness except Allah? No. But if someone were to defend al-Mutanabbi by saying he meant "O one who has no likeness among the created," we would say that this is also a lie. For this man is not equal to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor to any other of the prophets, nor to Abu Bakr, nor 'Umar, nor 'Uthman, nor 'Ali. Or not? And his statement "for no creation is comparable to you" is also a clear lie. He has... he has counterparts, such as some of them praising a king:
"You do what you wish, not what the decrees wish, *** So judge, for you are the One, the Subduer"
This is also shirk (associating partners with Allah).
"You do what you wish, not what the decrees wish, *** So judge, for you are the One, the Subduer"
I seek refuge in Allah. And the statement of al-Busiri in praising the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him):
"O noblest of creation, to whom do I take refuge *** Other than You when the general calamity befalls
For from Your generosity is the world and its neighbor *** And from Your knowledge is the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen"
This is shirk, or not? Shirk. He likened the Prophet (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) to the Lord (Mighty and Majestic). In fact, he made the Lord have no effect in creation, because he says "From Your generosity, the world and its companion". And what is left for Allah? Nothing is left for Allah, may Allah protect us. He did not leave anything for Allah. "And from Your knowledge, the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen". And from Your knowledge, is it all of Your knowledge? "The knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen". And this also is not possible except for Allah, Lord of the worlds. And Allah commanded the Prophet (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) to say[Al-An'am 6:50] How can we say that from his knowledge is the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen? And yet, this poem is considered by some of the contemporaries and also the predecessors to be among the gems of poetry, the best and greatest of them. Yes, they sing it in the innovations they invent, such as the birthday celebration, and they consider this to be the greatest expression of love for the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him).
In reality, the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) did not strive against the polytheists who strove against him except with such statements. In fact, the polytheists did not reach this... The polytheists do not claim that the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) knows the unseen, nor do they claim that the world and the hereafter are from his generosity. Like this, always. And yet, the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) fought them and made their blood, wealth, women, and children lawful. Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Oh Shaykh
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The questioner : ... exaggeration ...
The Shaykh : But is it correct to say to a person that he has no likeness?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Nor in his time. "No creation" is an indefinite noun in the context of negation.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, do not excuse him. He is one of the poets whom the deluded follow, who wander in every valley. There is no doubt. We have only the apparent meaning. This man may say this while believing something, but we are not concerned with his belief. We have only the apparent meaning. We do not judge except by what we hear. As for what is beyond what we perceive in his heart, we do not know about it. If we were to say to every person who utters a word of disbelief that he perhaps meant such and such, the polytheists, yes, they say, "We do not worship them except that they bring us closer to Allah in nearness." We make them a means to Allah, although we know that they do not deserve worship.
The questioner : ... what is the attribute of perfection ... so no creation is comparable to you.
The Shaykh : But he says "no likeness for him." "La" is a negator of the genus, and I have read it in al-Ajrumiyyah and know that it negates the entire genus. "No likeness for him" means no likeness from the Creator or from the created. Even the Creator does not reach the degree of... If we take the generality of the wording, but even if we say he meant "no likeness for him among the created," he is a liar. It does not reach the degree of shirk (associating partners with Allah) if he said "no likeness for him among the created." It does not reach the degree of shirk.
The questioner : A creation comparable to him.
The Shaykh : It does not reach the degree of... to the degree of shirk, but he is a liar in this. He is a liar in this, even if he meant "no likeness for him among the created." We say that you are a liar. It is not correct. Although "no creation is comparable to you" means that the created do not approach you. And we do not know anyone whom the created do not approach except Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He is the one whom the created do not approach in His attributes. Yes.
The student: The Christians.
The Shaykh : The Christians claimed that there is a creator alongside Allah. Among the extremists of the Batiniyyah, there are those who claim that their awliya (close friends of Allah) manage the universe. They call the wali who reaches a certain degree the "pole" (qutb) and say that he is the one around whom events revolve, making him a creator alongside Allah. There are also the dualists among the Zoroastrians, but they do not make the Creator the Most Merciful (Mighty and Majestic). They say that the created or the events have two creators: darkness creates evil and light creates good. Yes, we also say that these people made the created a creator. They made darkness and light, which are created, into creators, which is more severe than those who made a creator alongside Allah.
"The second is like the action of the polytheists with their idols". And what is the second? Rights. They made a counterpart for Allah in rights. "Where they claimed that they had a right to divinity, so they worshipped them alongside Allah". Or not? If you ask the polytheists who created the heavens and the earth, they say Allah. They do not say al-Lat, nor al-'Uzza, nor Manat. They only say that the Creator is Allah. But they say, "We worship these because they deserve to be worshipped." So, these people made a counterpart for Allah in what? In rights.
"The third is like the action of the extremists in praising the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or others, such as the statement of al-Mutanabbi praising 'Abd Allah ibn Yahya al-Buhturi:
"So be as you wish, O one who has no likeness, *** And as you wish, for no creation is comparable to you"
This is misguidance, or not?
The student: Misguidance.
The Shaykh : Misguidance. "O one who has no likeness." Is there anyone who has no likeness except Allah? No. But if someone were to defend al-Mutanabbi by saying he meant "O one who has no likeness among the created," we would say that this is also a lie. For this man is not equal to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor to any other of the prophets, nor to Abu Bakr, nor 'Umar, nor 'Uthman, nor 'Ali. Or not? And his statement "for no creation is comparable to you" is also a clear lie. He has... he has counterparts, such as some of them praising a king:
"You do what you wish, not what the decrees wish, *** So judge, for you are the One, the Subduer"
This is also shirk (associating partners with Allah).
"You do what you wish, not what the decrees wish, *** So judge, for you are the One, the Subduer"
I seek refuge in Allah. And the statement of al-Busiri in praising the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him):
"O noblest of creation, to whom do I take refuge *** Other than You when the general calamity befalls
For from Your generosity is the world and its neighbor *** And from Your knowledge is the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen"
This is shirk, or not? Shirk. He likened the Prophet (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) to the Lord (Mighty and Majestic). In fact, he made the Lord have no effect in creation, because he says "From Your generosity, the world and its companion". And what is left for Allah? Nothing is left for Allah, may Allah protect us. He did not leave anything for Allah. "And from Your knowledge, the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen". And from Your knowledge, is it all of Your knowledge? "The knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen". And this also is not possible except for Allah, Lord of the worlds. And Allah commanded the Prophet (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) to say
Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me."
قل لا أقول لكم عندي خزائن الله ولا أعلم الغيب ولا أقول لكم إني ملك إن أتبع إلا ما يوحى إليّIn reality, the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) did not strive against the polytheists who strove against him except with such statements. In fact, the polytheists did not reach this... The polytheists do not claim that the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) knows the unseen, nor do they claim that the world and the hereafter are from his generosity. Like this, always. And yet, the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) fought them and made their blood, wealth, women, and children lawful. Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Oh Shaykh
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The questioner : ... exaggeration ...
The Shaykh : But is it correct to say to a person that he has no likeness?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Nor in his time. "No creation" is an indefinite noun in the context of negation.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, do not excuse him. He is one of the poets whom the deluded follow, who wander in every valley. There is no doubt. We have only the apparent meaning. This man may say this while believing something, but we are not concerned with his belief. We have only the apparent meaning. We do not judge except by what we hear. As for what is beyond what we perceive in his heart, we do not know about it. If we were to say to every person who utters a word of disbelief that he perhaps meant such and such, the polytheists, yes, they say, "We do not worship them except that they bring us closer to Allah in nearness." We make them a means to Allah, although we know that they do not deserve worship.
The questioner : ... what is the attribute of perfection ... so no creation is comparable to you.
The Shaykh : But he says "no likeness for him." "La" is a negator of the genus, and I have read it in al-Ajrumiyyah and know that it negates the entire genus. "No likeness for him" means no likeness from the Creator or from the created. Even the Creator does not reach the degree of... If we take the generality of the wording, but even if we say he meant "no likeness for him among the created," he is a liar. It does not reach the degree of shirk (associating partners with Allah) if he said "no likeness for him among the created." It does not reach the degree of shirk.
The questioner : A creation comparable to him.
The Shaykh : It does not reach the degree of... to the degree of shirk, but he is a liar in this. He is a liar in this, even if he meant "no likeness for him among the created." We say that you are a liar. It is not correct. Although "no creation is comparable to you" means that the created do not approach you. And we do not know anyone whom the created do not approach except Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He is the one whom the created do not approach in His attributes. Yes.