Discussion of the verse: ((If they submit, then they have been guided...)).
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The Shaykh :[Ali 'Imran 3:20] The guidance of Allah, why is it connected with the particle "fa" (then)?
The student: Because the past tense with "qad" (indicating certainty) requires the "fa" to be attached to it.
The Shaykh : Well done, perfect. There is a famous verse in poetry regarding the sentences that must be connected with "fa" when they serve as the answer to a condition. Do you remember, Mهند?
Nominal sentences of request, and with "jāmid" (invariable nouns), and with "ma" and "qad" and "lan" and with "tamyīz" (specification). This is "qad".
The Shaykh : Okay, it says:[Ali 'Imran 3:20] What is meant by guidance here?
The student: Guidance of success (tawfīq).
The Shaykh : Okay, can you give me an example containing guidance of indication (dalālah) and guidance of success?[Fussilat 41:17] This is "hudā" (guidance), what is it?
The student: Guidance of indication.
It is derived from this verse: that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is not responsible for guiding people, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ali 'Imran 3:20]. Does this ruling apply to those who inherited from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) among the scholars? Yes, so they are responsible for conveying the message, but not for the guidance of success. Yes. Some scholars used this verse as evidence for the well-known rule in the principles of jurisprudence: it is not permissible to delay clarification until the time of need. How is that, Abdullah?
The student: His saying: indicates restriction.
The Shaykh : What is the aspect of its evidence for their statement that it is not permissible to delay clarification until the time of need?
The student: "Upon you" and "upon" indicate obligation, and conveying the message is obligatory. If this matter becomes apparent, his saying:
The Shaykh : Meaning, if he did not clarify it at the time of need, he would not have conveyed it, and he would not have neglected this obligation. Is that clear? Okay. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent about a condition, and the need calls for its clarification, if it were a condition, could it be used as evidence that it is not a condition? I mean, the issue that some scholars made a condition for the validity of worship, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent about it, in a situation where the need calls for its clarification if it were obligatory. Could we use that as evidence that it is not a condition?
The student: Yes,
The Shaykh : From this verse?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : From this verse, because if it were a condition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have conveyed it. His saying:[Ali 'Imran 3:15] Ghannam, is the meaning of "basīr" (seeing) the sight of vision or the sight of knowledge?
The student: The sight of knowledge.
The Shaykh : Why did you restrict it in this verse to the sight of knowledge? His saying: He knows what the servants do, and it is not possible that He is seeing their actions by seeing them? The context indicates knowledge. What is the aspect of the context? He said: [Ali 'Imran 3:15] If so, it includes the sight of vision and the sight of knowledge.
The Shaykh : Is there evidence that Allah sees with the sight of vision?
The student: The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The Shaykh : So he affirmed for Allah a sight by which He sees, Mighty and Majestic.
The Shaykh : What does this sentence, which occurred as the answer to his saying: Talaal?
The student: The threat.
The Shaykh : The threat, and that if He is seeing them, He will reward them for their turning away. Yes?
And if they submit [in Islam], they are rightly guided
فإن أسلموا فقد اهتدواThe student: Because the past tense with "qad" (indicating certainty) requires the "fa" to be attached to it.
The Shaykh : Well done, perfect. There is a famous verse in poetry regarding the sentences that must be connected with "fa" when they serve as the answer to a condition. Do you remember, Mهند?
Nominal sentences of request, and with "jāmid" (invariable nouns), and with "ma" and "qad" and "lan" and with "tamyīz" (specification). This is "qad".
The Shaykh : Okay, it says:
if they submit [in Islam], they are rightly guided
إن أسلموا فقد اهتدواThe student: Guidance of success (tawfīq).
The Shaykh : Okay, can you give me an example containing guidance of indication (dalālah) and guidance of success?
And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance
وأما ثمود فهديناهم فاستحبوا العمى على الهدىThe student: Guidance of indication.
It is derived from this verse: that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is not responsible for guiding people, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
but if they turn away - then upon you is only the [duty of] notification
وإن تولوا فإنما عليك البلاغThe student: His saying:
Upon you is the conveying of the message
عليك البلاغThe Shaykh : What is the aspect of its evidence for their statement that it is not permissible to delay clarification until the time of need?
The student: "Upon you" and "upon" indicate obligation, and conveying the message is obligatory. If this matter becomes apparent, his saying:
Upon you is the conveying of the message
عليك البلاغThe Shaykh : Meaning, if he did not clarify it at the time of need, he would not have conveyed it, and he would not have neglected this obligation. Is that clear? Okay. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent about a condition, and the need calls for its clarification, if it were a condition, could it be used as evidence that it is not a condition? I mean, the issue that some scholars made a condition for the validity of worship, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent about it, in a situation where the need calls for its clarification if it were obligatory. Could we use that as evidence that it is not a condition?
The student: Yes,
The Shaykh : From this verse?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : From this verse, because if it were a condition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have conveyed it. His saying:
And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants -
والله بصير بالعبادThe student: The sight of knowledge.
The Shaykh : Why did you restrict it in this verse to the sight of knowledge? His saying:
Seeing of the servants
بصير بالعبادAnd Allah is Seeing of [His] servants -
الله بصير بالعبادThe Shaykh : Is there evidence that Allah sees with the sight of vision?
The student: The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
His veil is of light; if He were to remove it, the radiance of His Face would burn up whatever His sight reaches of His creation
حجابه من نور لو كشفه لأحرقت سبحات وجهه ما انتهى إليه بصره من خلقهThe Shaykh : So he affirmed for Allah a sight by which He sees, Mighty and Majestic.
The Shaykh : What does this sentence, which occurred as the answer to his saying:
If they turn away
فإن تولواThe student: The threat.
The Shaykh : The threat, and that if He is seeing them, He will reward them for their turning away. Yes?