Explanation of the author's statement: "… But because the term 'body' can imply what is true and what is false with respect to Allah, using the term becomes a denial"
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The Shaykh :"But because the term 'body' can imply what is true and what is false with respect to Allah, using the term becomes a denial or an affirmation that is impossible for Allah", because any term that implies a false meaning cannot be affirmed; it cannot be affirmed except in a general sense, it cannot be affirmed except in a general sense, and it cannot be denied in a general sense. From this is the attribute of deception, for example. If you say, "Is Allah a deceiver?" If you say yes, you are wrong; if you say no, you are wrong; and if you say, "He deceives those who He deceives and His messengers," you are correct. Yes.
He said: "These implications mentioned by the people of innovation to reach the denial of what Allah has affirmed for Himself of attributes of perfection—these implications—are of two types: The first: Valid implications that do not contradict what is obligatory for Allah of perfection; these are true, and it is obligatory to affirm them and clarify that they are not impossible for Allah". Yes, for example, if they say that it is implied by His rising above the Throne that He is a distinct entity that rises and descends, and the like. What do we say about this implication? We say this implication is true; this implication is true. If they say that it is implied by the speech of Allah the Exalted, if you say it is with letters and sound, that it must be heard, that this speech must be heard coming from His essence? This is true. What prevents it? They say this is impossible because it implies that accidents subsist in the essence of Allah, and the subsistence of accidents in the essence of Allah is impossible. So we say regarding these implications: if these implications do not contradict what is obligatory for Allah of attributes of perfection, then we commit to them, and there is no blame.
"The second: Defective implications that contradict what is obligatory for Allah of perfection; these—what?—are false, and it is obligatory to deny them and clarify that they are not implied by the texts of the Book and the Sunnah", and so on. If they mention implications, we say this implication is false, so we clarify to them that this implication is not implied by what Allah has affirmed for Himself, because any meaning that is not befitting for Allah cannot be implied by anything of what Allah has informed us about Himself. Do you understand? For example, if they say that it is implied by affirming the attributes that He is a body, and bodies are similar. What do we say? We say this is not implied, because some things are an attribute and are described as an attribute. Are they described as an attribute or not? You say, "Today the heat is intense." Is heat an attribute or an essence? It is an attribute. So it is not implied by an attribute that it does not subsist except in a body. Then we say to them: even if it is assumed that it does not subsist except in a body, who says that bodies are similar? Yes. So every implication that is false cannot be implied by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The reason is "because the Book and the Sunnah are truth and their meanings are truth, and truth can never imply falsehood."
He said: "These implications mentioned by the people of innovation to reach the denial of what Allah has affirmed for Himself of attributes of perfection—these implications—are of two types: The first: Valid implications that do not contradict what is obligatory for Allah of perfection; these are true, and it is obligatory to affirm them and clarify that they are not impossible for Allah". Yes, for example, if they say that it is implied by His rising above the Throne that He is a distinct entity that rises and descends, and the like. What do we say about this implication? We say this implication is true; this implication is true. If they say that it is implied by the speech of Allah the Exalted, if you say it is with letters and sound, that it must be heard, that this speech must be heard coming from His essence? This is true. What prevents it? They say this is impossible because it implies that accidents subsist in the essence of Allah, and the subsistence of accidents in the essence of Allah is impossible. So we say regarding these implications: if these implications do not contradict what is obligatory for Allah of attributes of perfection, then we commit to them, and there is no blame.
"The second: Defective implications that contradict what is obligatory for Allah of perfection; these—what?—are false, and it is obligatory to deny them and clarify that they are not implied by the texts of the Book and the Sunnah", and so on. If they mention implications, we say this implication is false, so we clarify to them that this implication is not implied by what Allah has affirmed for Himself, because any meaning that is not befitting for Allah cannot be implied by anything of what Allah has informed us about Himself. Do you understand? For example, if they say that it is implied by affirming the attributes that He is a body, and bodies are similar. What do we say? We say this is not implied, because some things are an attribute and are described as an attribute. Are they described as an attribute or not? You say, "Today the heat is intense." Is heat an attribute or an essence? It is an attribute. So it is not implied by an attribute that it does not subsist except in a body. Then we say to them: even if it is assumed that it does not subsist except in a body, who says that bodies are similar? Yes. So every implication that is false cannot be implied by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The reason is "because the Book and the Sunnah are truth and their meanings are truth, and truth can never imply falsehood."