Continuation of the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Indeed, Allah was All-Knowing, Wise”
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
And His saying: [An-Nisa 4:11] So we say He is All-Knowing of what is before it comes to be, of what is when it comes to be, and of what is after its non-existence in all states. This has passed before us many times, and we explained that it is derived from wisdom (hikmah) and judgment (hukm) from wisdom and judgment, and that the judgment of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is cosmic and legislative, and that wisdom is also of two types: purposive and formal. What does formal mean? It does not mean the form only, but that the thing is in this form is wisdom, and its purpose is another wisdom. If that is the case, how many categories are there? Four. Yes, we see a judgment that includes wisdom in its form and its purpose, a cosmic judgment, a legislative judgment that includes wisdom in its form and in its purpose. [An-Nisa 4:11] And here is a difficulty in his saying [An-Nisa 4:1] because it is known that the past thing has passed; “He was All-Knowing,” does this imply that He is not All-Knowing now? No, why?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, that is not it. Because “was” (kana) can be stripped of time, and it is intended to mean the attribution of its name to its predicate and the realization of that attribution without observing time in it, did you understand? And whenever it comes with regard to Allah the Exalted and His names and attributes, it is in this category, what is it? That it signifies the realization of the attribution of the described, which is its name, to its attribute, which is its predicate, regardless of time. So we say that the verb here is stripped of time, meaning He has not ceased and does not cease to be All-Knowing, Wise. Is knowledge and wisdom from the essential attributes or the action attributes? Hmm?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : From the essential attributes, because Allah has not ceased and does not cease to be All-Knowing, and He has not ceased and does not cease to be Wise. And Allah knows best.
And in the wording[An-Nisa 4:11] [An-Nisa 4:94]. “They do not work” according to the copy I have.
Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًاWise
حَكِيمًاIndeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًاIndeed Allah
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَThe student: ...
The Shaykh : No, that is not it. Because “was” (kana) can be stripped of time, and it is intended to mean the attribution of its name to its predicate and the realization of that attribution without observing time in it, did you understand? And whenever it comes with regard to Allah the Exalted and His names and attributes, it is in this category, what is it? That it signifies the realization of the attribution of the described, which is its name, to its attribute, which is its predicate, regardless of time. So we say that the verb here is stripped of time, meaning He has not ceased and does not cease to be All-Knowing, Wise. Is knowledge and wisdom from the essential attributes or the action attributes? Hmm?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : From the essential attributes, because Allah has not ceased and does not cease to be All-Knowing, and He has not ceased and does not cease to be Wise. And Allah knows best.
And in the wording