Explanation of the author's statement: ". . . So the answer is: it is not valid, and that is for several reasons, among which is"
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The Shaykh :"So the answer is: it is not valid, and that is for several reasons, among which is" The author said "among which is," meaning that there are other reasons, but he did not mention them.
"Among which is: First, if these implications are true, then they do not prevent interpreting istiwaa' in its true meaning". Why do they not prevent it? Take the implications we have passed through: if Allah truly rose above the Throne, then either the Throne is larger, or He is larger than the Throne, or smaller than it, or equal to it. And we said that if it is necessary that He is larger than the Throne, there is no harm in that; there is absolutely no harm in it, because Allah is greater than everything. So the implications, whether in this matter or in others, that these innovators impose on the people of the Sunnah: if they are true and necessary from the text, then they are true, because what is necessary from the truth is truth. And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is All-Aware of everything, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not speak from desire. So what is necessary from the speech of Allah and His Messenger is truth. This is unlike the implications from the speech of humans; the implications from the speech of humans are not considered binding on them, nor does their speech indicate them, because a person may say something without being aware of what is necessary from it. Do you understand, people? Implications mean that such and such is necessary from such and such. We say: if these implications are true with regard to the speech of Allah and His Messenger and are necessary, then they are true, and we affirm them, and there is no blame on us. But if the implications are not necessary, then we say we do not commit to them.
An example of that: these innovators and their like say, if you affirm that Allah does an action that subsists in Himself, then it is necessary that new events subsist in Him, and whatever has new events subsisting in it is a created thing. That is, if you affirm that Allah rises above the Throne in a real istiwaa', and that He descends in a real descent to the lowest heaven, and that He comes in a real coming to judge on the Day of Resurrection, and that He laughs in a real laugh, and that He speaks with a voice, and the like of that, if you say this, then it is necessary that new events subsist in the essence of Allah, and it is necessary from the subsistence of new events in the essence of Allah that He be a created thing. ... We have two implications.
The first implication is that new events subsist in the essence of Allah. What do we say about this implication? We commit to it; we say there is no impediment. There is no impediment to Allah doing what He wills, coming, descending, rising, laughing, being pleased, and the like of that. What is the impediment? It is necessary from the subsistence of new events in Him that He be a created thing. They say it is necessary from the subsistence of new events in Him that He be a created thing. We say: this is not something that you can compel us to accept. The new events are renewed actions that follow the wisdom of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, whereas the essence of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has always existed and will always exist. So the result is: if the implications are true and are necessary from the speech of Allah and His Messenger, what is obligatory for us? It is obligatory to commit to them and affirm them, because the speech of Allah is truth, and He, Mighty and Majestic, is All-Aware of what is necessary from His speech. But if they are not necessary, then we reject them and do not invalidate the speech of Allah because of them. They, may Allah protect us from that, compel themselves and the people of the Sunnah to these false implications in order to invalidate the speech of Allah thereby. They say it is not possible for Him to descend, because this is an action, and an action does not subsist in an essence unless it is a created thing, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is free from being a created thing, so we must interpret the descent as the descent of the command, for example, as the descent of the command. And so with the coming and the arrival, and all of that is based on this implication which they believed to be necessary, but it is not necessary. He says: "And if they are false, then it is not possible for them to be among the implications of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, and whoever thinks that they are necessary for them is misguided." Yes.
"Among which is: First, if these implications are true, then they do not prevent interpreting istiwaa' in its true meaning". Why do they not prevent it? Take the implications we have passed through: if Allah truly rose above the Throne, then either the Throne is larger, or He is larger than the Throne, or smaller than it, or equal to it. And we said that if it is necessary that He is larger than the Throne, there is no harm in that; there is absolutely no harm in it, because Allah is greater than everything. So the implications, whether in this matter or in others, that these innovators impose on the people of the Sunnah: if they are true and necessary from the text, then they are true, because what is necessary from the truth is truth. And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is All-Aware of everything, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not speak from desire. So what is necessary from the speech of Allah and His Messenger is truth. This is unlike the implications from the speech of humans; the implications from the speech of humans are not considered binding on them, nor does their speech indicate them, because a person may say something without being aware of what is necessary from it. Do you understand, people? Implications mean that such and such is necessary from such and such. We say: if these implications are true with regard to the speech of Allah and His Messenger and are necessary, then they are true, and we affirm them, and there is no blame on us. But if the implications are not necessary, then we say we do not commit to them.
An example of that: these innovators and their like say, if you affirm that Allah does an action that subsists in Himself, then it is necessary that new events subsist in Him, and whatever has new events subsisting in it is a created thing. That is, if you affirm that Allah rises above the Throne in a real istiwaa', and that He descends in a real descent to the lowest heaven, and that He comes in a real coming to judge on the Day of Resurrection, and that He laughs in a real laugh, and that He speaks with a voice, and the like of that, if you say this, then it is necessary that new events subsist in the essence of Allah, and it is necessary from the subsistence of new events in the essence of Allah that He be a created thing. ... We have two implications.
The first implication is that new events subsist in the essence of Allah. What do we say about this implication? We commit to it; we say there is no impediment. There is no impediment to Allah doing what He wills, coming, descending, rising, laughing, being pleased, and the like of that. What is the impediment? It is necessary from the subsistence of new events in Him that He be a created thing. They say it is necessary from the subsistence of new events in Him that He be a created thing. We say: this is not something that you can compel us to accept. The new events are renewed actions that follow the wisdom of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, whereas the essence of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has always existed and will always exist. So the result is: if the implications are true and are necessary from the speech of Allah and His Messenger, what is obligatory for us? It is obligatory to commit to them and affirm them, because the speech of Allah is truth, and He, Mighty and Majestic, is All-Aware of what is necessary from His speech. But if they are not necessary, then we reject them and do not invalidate the speech of Allah because of them. They, may Allah protect us from that, compel themselves and the people of the Sunnah to these false implications in order to invalidate the speech of Allah thereby. They say it is not possible for Him to descend, because this is an action, and an action does not subsist in an essence unless it is a created thing, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is free from being a created thing, so we must interpret the descent as the descent of the command, for example, as the descent of the command. And so with the coming and the arrival, and all of that is based on this implication which they believed to be necessary, but it is not necessary. He says: "And if they are false, then it is not possible for them to be among the implications of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, and whoever thinks that they are necessary for them is misguided." Yes.