The benefits of the saying of Allah the Exalted: << إنا منزلون على أهل هذه القرية . . . . . . . . . . . . . >
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The important point is that if it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Jibril carried these cities and overturned them, then there is no further discussion. If it is not authentic, then we do not affirm it, because this contradicts the apparent meaning of the verses.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : ... He did not say "Mu'tafakah" as a passive participle for the overturned one, but rather "al-Mu'tafikah," which is the one that produced falsehood and lies. And his saying: does not indicate this either, because if it fell from above to below, then it was caused to fall. It is not a problem. The important thing is that if this matter is authentic, there is no further discussion; if it is not authentic, then there is no clear indication in the Qur'an regarding it.
Among the benefits of this noble verse is the affirmation of causes, due to His saying:[Al-Baqarah 2:59] The letter "ba" indicates causality.
Among its benefits is that open sinfulness is a cause for punishments and destruction. For this reason, Allah made sins a form of corruption on earth, as He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:59]
The affirmation of causes is a refutation of a group of innovators. Who are they?
The student: The Asha'irah.
The Shaykh : And others?
The student: The Jabriyyah.
The Shaykh : And the Jabriyyah.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : They are the Jahmiyyah, because the Jahmiyyah have three "Jims" — may Allah protect us from these Jims — among their Jims is one that is not from every Jim, and from Shaytan the Rakeeb. What are the Jims they have?
The student: Jabr (compulsion), Irja' (postponement of judgment), and the Jim of Jahm (Jahmiyyah).
The Shaykh : I think Ibn al-Qayyim says: Jabr, Irja', and the Jim of Jahm.
Three Jims, yes. They say that there is nothing, there are no effective causes, there are no effective causes. So if you throw a stone at a glass and it breaks, they say: the stone did not break it; it was not the stone that broke it; it broke in his presence, not by him. This is not reasonable. Yes, when you put a piece of paper in the fire and it burns, they say: the fire did not burn it; there are no effective causes, but this happened in the presence of the fire, not by it. If it were with you... you put it near the light, you want it to fall into the fire, it burned. If it were with them, we would say it is valid to take the stone and put it near the glass, and then it breaks. In any case, this is a view whose mere conception is sufficient to refute it. Conceiving this view is sufficient to refute it. But they want to reach something beyond that, which is that the human being is compelled to act. So if Allah the Exalted punishes him while he is disobedient to Allah, then His punishment of him is not a proof, because Allah the Exalted may punish without a cause, and causes are ineffective in their view. We agree with them that they are ineffective in themselves, is that not so? As evidenced by the fact that the burning fire became coolness and peace for Ibrahim. But we say: they are effective by the decree of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It is Allah who made it burn, so it burned. Is there anything else?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : ... He did not say "Mu'tafakah" as a passive participle for the overturned one, but rather "al-Mu'tafikah," which is the one that produced falsehood and lies. And his saying:
He caused to fall
أهوىAmong the benefits of this noble verse is the affirmation of causes, due to His saying:
because they were defiantly disobeying.
بما كانوا يفسقونAmong its benefits is that open sinfulness is a cause for punishments and destruction. For this reason, Allah made sins a form of corruption on earth, as He said:
because they were defiantly disobeying.
بما كانوا يفسقونThe affirmation of causes is a refutation of a group of innovators. Who are they?
The student: The Asha'irah.
The Shaykh : And others?
The student: The Jabriyyah.
The Shaykh : And the Jabriyyah.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : They are the Jahmiyyah, because the Jahmiyyah have three "Jims" — may Allah protect us from these Jims — among their Jims is one that is not from every Jim, and from Shaytan the Rakeeb. What are the Jims they have?
The student: Jabr (compulsion), Irja' (postponement of judgment), and the Jim of Jahm (Jahmiyyah).
The Shaykh : I think Ibn al-Qayyim says: Jabr, Irja', and the Jim of Jahm.
Three Jims, yes. They say that there is nothing, there are no effective causes, there are no effective causes. So if you throw a stone at a glass and it breaks, they say: the stone did not break it; it was not the stone that broke it; it broke in his presence, not by him. This is not reasonable. Yes, when you put a piece of paper in the fire and it burns, they say: the fire did not burn it; there are no effective causes, but this happened in the presence of the fire, not by it. If it were with you... you put it near the light, you want it to fall into the fire, it burned. If it were with them, we would say it is valid to take the stone and put it near the glass, and then it breaks. In any case, this is a view whose mere conception is sufficient to refute it. Conceiving this view is sufficient to refute it. But they want to reach something beyond that, which is that the human being is compelled to act. So if Allah the Exalted punishes him while he is disobedient to Allah, then His punishment of him is not a proof, because Allah the Exalted may punish without a cause, and causes are ineffective in their view. We agree with them that they are ineffective in themselves, is that not so? As evidenced by the fact that the burning fire became coolness and peace for Ibrahim. But we say: they are effective by the decree of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It is Allah who made it burn, so it burned. Is there anything else?