Explanation of the author's statement: "As for the interpretation that only Allah knows, it is the realities of what Allah has informed us about Himself and about the Day of Resurrection
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :"As for the interpretation that only Allah knows, it is the realities of what Allah has informed us about Himself and about the Day of Resurrection. We understand the meaning of these things, but we do not grasp the reality of what they are in actuality".
An example of this is that we understand the meaning of Allah's rising above His Throne. What is its meaning? It is elevation and settling. But do we understand the modality of that? No, for the modality of any of the attributes of Allah is not known.
If someone claimed to know the modality of Allah's rising above His Throne, we would say he is a liar and it is impossible.
If someone claimed to know the modality of the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), we would say he is a liar.
Therefore, we say that whoever claims to know it is a liar.
Now, the fruits, honey, water, milk, and other things that Allah has informed us are in Paradise, do we know the meaning? We know the meaning. We know the meaning of milk, honey, water, intoxicants, fruits, and the like. But do we grasp the realities of these things? No.
If a person claimed, "I grasp the honey in Paradise and its modality is such and such, and its taste is such and such, and the like," we would say he is a liar, because the realities of these things are not known, as Allah the Exalted said:[As-Sajdah 32:17]. Therefore, he says: "So we understand the meaning of the fruits, honey, water, milk, and other things that Allah has informed us are in Paradise, but we do not grasp their reality in actuality, as Allah the Exalted said: [As-Sajdah 32:17]".
If one does not know the modality, then whoever claims to know it is a liar.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said:. What is the meaning of the statement? It means that the fruit exists in this world and exists in the Hereafter. The name is the same, but the reality is different.
The date palm and the pomegranate exist in this world and exist in the Hereafter, but they agree only in name. As for the reality in which they are, they do not agree.
This is the meaning of his statement:.
"With this, it becomes clear that in the Qur'an there is that whose interpretation only Allah knows, such as the realities of His names and attributes and what Allah has informed us about the Day of Resurrection.
As for the meanings of these things, they are known to us; otherwise, there would be no benefit in addressing them with them .
We brought this statement from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) to make it clear that the people of the Sunnah and the community believe that the names and attributes of Allah are known to us from one aspect and unknown to us from another aspect.
From the aspect of meaning, they are known, and from the aspect of realities and modality, they are unknown. Likewise, we say regarding the other matters of the unseen, such as what Allah has informed us about the pleasure of Paradise or the torment of the Fire. The meaning is known to us, but the reality is unknown.
And this is possible, in the sense that a thing can be known from one aspect and unknown from another aspect.
An example of this is that we understand the meaning of Allah's rising above His Throne. What is its meaning? It is elevation and settling. But do we understand the modality of that? No, for the modality of any of the attributes of Allah is not known.
If someone claimed to know the modality of Allah's rising above His Throne, we would say he is a liar and it is impossible.
If someone claimed to know the modality of the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), we would say he is a liar.
Therefore, we say that whoever claims to know it is a liar.
Now, the fruits, honey, water, milk, and other things that Allah has informed us are in Paradise, do we know the meaning? We know the meaning. We know the meaning of milk, honey, water, intoxicants, fruits, and the like. But do we grasp the realities of these things? No.
If a person claimed, "I grasp the honey in Paradise and its modality is such and such, and its taste is such and such, and the like," we would say he is a liar, because the realities of these things are not known, as Allah the Exalted said:
And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
فلا تعلم نفس ما أخفي لهم من قرة أعين جزاء بما كانوا يعملونAnd no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
فلا تعلم نفس ما أخفي لهم من قرة أعين جزاء بما كانوا يعملونIf one does not know the modality, then whoever claims to know it is a liar.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said:
There is nothing in this world of what is in Paradise except the names
ليس في الدنيا شيء مما في الجنة إلا الأسماءThe date palm and the pomegranate exist in this world and exist in the Hereafter, but they agree only in name. As for the reality in which they are, they do not agree.
This is the meaning of his statement:
There is nothing in this world of what is in Paradise except the names
ليس في الدنيا شيء مما في الجنة إلا الأسماء"With this, it becomes clear that in the Qur'an there is that whose interpretation only Allah knows, such as the realities of His names and attributes and what Allah has informed us about the Day of Resurrection.
As for the meanings of these things, they are known to us; otherwise, there would be no benefit in addressing them with them .
We brought this statement from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) to make it clear that the people of the Sunnah and the community believe that the names and attributes of Allah are known to us from one aspect and unknown to us from another aspect.
From the aspect of meaning, they are known, and from the aspect of realities and modality, they are unknown. Likewise, we say regarding the other matters of the unseen, such as what Allah has informed us about the pleasure of Paradise or the torment of the Fire. The meaning is known to us, but the reality is unknown.
And this is possible, in the sense that a thing can be known from one aspect and unknown from another aspect.