Explanation of the Author's Statement: Chapter Eleven: On the Presence of Allah. Allah has affirmed for Himself in His Book, and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), that He is with His creation.
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The questioner : ... ؟
The Shaykh : This refers to the presence of Allah with His creation. As for this presence, the people of the Qiblah have differed regarding it. By the people of the Qiblah, we mean everyone who claims affiliation with Islam. Some of them said, "The presence implies mixing, either complete mixing, such that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is in the place where you are". If you are in the mosque, He is in the mosque; if you are in the house, He is in the house; if you are in the market, He is in the market. This is the doctrine of the Jahmiyyah and others who hold to the doctrine of indwelling (hulul), and it is an invalid doctrine, as its invalidity will be explained, if Allah wills. Others said, "Allah the Exalted is with His creation in reality, but He is above them, and the presence and the being above do not contradict each other", as will be explained, if Allah wills, in the chapter following this one, which is on the possibility of combining the reality of the Highness with the reality of the Presence.
Some of them said, "The presence is a figurative expression for knowledge, victory, support, power, and the like". It will be explained, if Allah wills, what is the truth among these three possibilities. As for those who say that the presence is a mixing of the Essence with the Essence, these are disbelievers. It is not correct to attribute them to the people of the Qiblah. Those who say that Allah indwells in a specific entity or in all entities, we do not count them among the people of the Qiblah, even if they claim affiliation with it, and even if they claim affiliation with Islam, they are in no way among the people of Islam. For these people who say that Allah indwells in everything are more vile than the Christians who say that Allah indwells in a specific entity. The Christians say that Allah indwells in 'Isa, whereas these people say that Allah indwells in everything, even in donkeys and dogs, refuge is sought in Allah. And we cannot say that these people are among the people of the Qiblah or among the Muslims, even if they claim so. Yes, such as Ibn 'Arabi and his like, these people, we do not say that they are among the Muslims, and it is not permissible to say that they are among the Muslims. This is their belief regarding their Lord (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
The author said: "Allah has affirmed for Himself in His Book, and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), that He is with His creation". Look, the author made the title "The Presence," but when he wanted to speak about it, he did not say that Allah affirmed the presence for Himself; rather, he said He affirmed that He is with His creation. Because the term "presence" in this wording did not come in the texts; what came was that Allah is with His creation. This is one of the things in which a person must seek the wording of the Book and the Sunnah regarding the names and attributes of Allah, because these are reports about matters of the unseen that are not to be compared to what is observed. If that is the case, then it is a matter of etiquette for a person to express things using the wording of the Book and the Sunnah, even if he is going to express it with a term...
The Shaykh : This refers to the presence of Allah with His creation. As for this presence, the people of the Qiblah have differed regarding it. By the people of the Qiblah, we mean everyone who claims affiliation with Islam. Some of them said, "The presence implies mixing, either complete mixing, such that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is in the place where you are". If you are in the mosque, He is in the mosque; if you are in the house, He is in the house; if you are in the market, He is in the market. This is the doctrine of the Jahmiyyah and others who hold to the doctrine of indwelling (hulul), and it is an invalid doctrine, as its invalidity will be explained, if Allah wills. Others said, "Allah the Exalted is with His creation in reality, but He is above them, and the presence and the being above do not contradict each other", as will be explained, if Allah wills, in the chapter following this one, which is on the possibility of combining the reality of the Highness with the reality of the Presence.
Some of them said, "The presence is a figurative expression for knowledge, victory, support, power, and the like". It will be explained, if Allah wills, what is the truth among these three possibilities. As for those who say that the presence is a mixing of the Essence with the Essence, these are disbelievers. It is not correct to attribute them to the people of the Qiblah. Those who say that Allah indwells in a specific entity or in all entities, we do not count them among the people of the Qiblah, even if they claim affiliation with it, and even if they claim affiliation with Islam, they are in no way among the people of Islam. For these people who say that Allah indwells in everything are more vile than the Christians who say that Allah indwells in a specific entity. The Christians say that Allah indwells in 'Isa, whereas these people say that Allah indwells in everything, even in donkeys and dogs, refuge is sought in Allah. And we cannot say that these people are among the people of the Qiblah or among the Muslims, even if they claim so. Yes, such as Ibn 'Arabi and his like, these people, we do not say that they are among the Muslims, and it is not permissible to say that they are among the Muslims. This is their belief regarding their Lord (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
The author said: "Allah has affirmed for Himself in His Book, and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), that He is with His creation". Look, the author made the title "The Presence," but when he wanted to speak about it, he did not say that Allah affirmed the presence for Himself; rather, he said He affirmed that He is with His creation. Because the term "presence" in this wording did not come in the texts; what came was that Allah is with His creation. This is one of the things in which a person must seek the wording of the Book and the Sunnah regarding the names and attributes of Allah, because these are reports about matters of the unseen that are not to be compared to what is observed. If that is the case, then it is a matter of etiquette for a person to express things using the wording of the Book and the Sunnah, even if he is going to express it with a term...