Explanation of the author's statement: "Then they differed regarding that which the intellect does not necessitate affirming or denying, so most of them denied it and interpreted what came of it as metaphorical
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The Shaykh :"Then they differed regarding that which the intellect does not necessitate affirming or denying, so most of them denied it, and some of them suspended judgment on it", but they do not affirm it, because the fundamental principle with them is: that which the intellect does not necessitate affirming, the intellect necessitates denying, so they denied it; and that which the intellect necessitates affirming, they affirmed it.
If an attribute comes in the Qur'an or the Sunnah, and the intellect neither necessitates affirming it nor denying it, what do we do? Huh?
They differed. Most of them said it is obligatory to deny it, it is obligatory to deny it. Why? Because the intellect does not affirm it. It is not that the intellect denied it, but that the intellect does not affirm it. And if the intellect does not affirm it, then it is obligatory to deny it.
And some of them said: Since the intellect has not affirmed it and has not denied it, what is obligatory? Suspending judgment. The obligatory thing is to suspend judgment. So we say: We do not affirm it and we do not deny it. This is the principle. Now, what do we do?
He says: "And most of them denied it, and they interpreted what came of it as metaphorical, and some of them suspended judgment on it and entrusted its knowledge to Allah while denying that it indicates any of the attributes".
So they divided into two groups regarding that which the intellect does not necessitate affirming or denying. One group, and they are the majority, huh? They denied it. Their reasoning is: The intellect does not necessitate affirming it, and thus there is no evidence for it.
Now, what came in the Book and the Sunnah affirming it, how do they interpret it? As metaphorical. They say: This is a metaphor for such-and-such, this is a metaphor for such-and-such. For example, regarding "He rose above the Throne," they say: This is a metaphor for dominion. The hand is a metaphor for power or grace. And so on.
And it is known that the Asha'irah affirm seven of the attributes. They say: The intellect indicates them. And they deny the rest. They say: Because the intellect did not indicate them, or because the intellect denies them.
The seven attributes that they affirm: We asked you for a verse previously regarding their affirmation. What is it?
The student: "He has life and speech and sight *** Hearing, will, knowledge, and power".
The Shaykh :"He has life and speech and sight *** Hearing, will, knowledge, and power".
Power. They say: Because the intellect indicates it. The intellect indicates it.
How does the intellect indicate it?
Do the occurrences indicate power, or do they indicate knowledge? Do the occurrences indicate knowledge or power?
They say: The occurrences indicate power, and perfection indicates knowledge, and specification indicates will. Is that right? Okay.
And what does it mean that specification indicates will? It means that this is the sky, this is the earth, this is a star, this is the sun, this is the moon, this is a human, this is a camel. What does this indicate? It indicates will.
We have knowledge, will, and power. They say: These three do not exist except in a living being, so life is affirmed, the attribute of life.
And the living being is either hearing, seeing, and speaking, or deaf, blind, and mute. Is that right? And the second is impossible, so it is necessary that He be hearing, seeing, and speaking.
Do you understand now how they establish it by intellect? Who can repeat it for us? One, two. By Allah, one person should raise his hand and repeat it immediately. Huh?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : ... Okay.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Because what is it?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : ... And what is the benefit?
The student: ... .
If an attribute comes in the Qur'an or the Sunnah, and the intellect neither necessitates affirming it nor denying it, what do we do? Huh?
They differed. Most of them said it is obligatory to deny it, it is obligatory to deny it. Why? Because the intellect does not affirm it. It is not that the intellect denied it, but that the intellect does not affirm it. And if the intellect does not affirm it, then it is obligatory to deny it.
And some of them said: Since the intellect has not affirmed it and has not denied it, what is obligatory? Suspending judgment. The obligatory thing is to suspend judgment. So we say: We do not affirm it and we do not deny it. This is the principle. Now, what do we do?
He says: "And most of them denied it, and they interpreted what came of it as metaphorical, and some of them suspended judgment on it and entrusted its knowledge to Allah while denying that it indicates any of the attributes".
So they divided into two groups regarding that which the intellect does not necessitate affirming or denying. One group, and they are the majority, huh? They denied it. Their reasoning is: The intellect does not necessitate affirming it, and thus there is no evidence for it.
Now, what came in the Book and the Sunnah affirming it, how do they interpret it? As metaphorical. They say: This is a metaphor for such-and-such, this is a metaphor for such-and-such. For example, regarding "He rose above the Throne," they say: This is a metaphor for dominion. The hand is a metaphor for power or grace. And so on.
And it is known that the Asha'irah affirm seven of the attributes. They say: The intellect indicates them. And they deny the rest. They say: Because the intellect did not indicate them, or because the intellect denies them.
The seven attributes that they affirm: We asked you for a verse previously regarding their affirmation. What is it?
The student: "He has life and speech and sight *** Hearing, will, knowledge, and power".
The Shaykh :"He has life and speech and sight *** Hearing, will, knowledge, and power".
Power. They say: Because the intellect indicates it. The intellect indicates it.
How does the intellect indicate it?
Do the occurrences indicate power, or do they indicate knowledge? Do the occurrences indicate knowledge or power?
They say: The occurrences indicate power, and perfection indicates knowledge, and specification indicates will. Is that right? Okay.
And what does it mean that specification indicates will? It means that this is the sky, this is the earth, this is a star, this is the sun, this is the moon, this is a human, this is a camel. What does this indicate? It indicates will.
We have knowledge, will, and power. They say: These three do not exist except in a living being, so life is affirmed, the attribute of life.
And the living being is either hearing, seeing, and speaking, or deaf, blind, and mute. Is that right? And the second is impossible, so it is necessary that He be hearing, seeing, and speaking.
Do you understand now how they establish it by intellect? Who can repeat it for us? One, two. By Allah, one person should raise his hand and repeat it immediately. Huh?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : ... Okay.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Because what is it?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : ... And what is the benefit?
The student: ... .