The benefits derived from the verse << يهدي به الله من اتبع رضوانه . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >> .

And among the benefits of this noble verse is that guidance is in the hand of Allah. For this, there are many proofs: , , and there are many verses on this point. In whose hand is guidance? In the hand of Allah: . And since it is from Allah, it follows from this, first, that we should not ask for guidance except from Allah, and that we should persist with our Lord, the Exalted and Majestic, in seeking guidance: “O Allah, guide me, O Allah, guide me,” always. This is one point. The second is that we should know that our actions are not independent, but are by the success of Allah. This serves as a refutation of whom? Of the Qadariyyah. If He guides, it means that our actions have a connection to the guidance of Allah, and in that is a refutation of the Qadariyyah who say that the human being is independent in himself, in his work, in his will, and in his power. Is there agreement with the Jabriyyah in this? The answer, listen: “follow.” So He attributed following to him, contrary to the Jabriyyah who say that the human being is not attributed with his action. And among the benefits of this noble verse is that whenever a person follows what pleases Allah, he increases in the knowledge of Allah, as He said: . And remember it in reverse: whoever turns away from the pleasure of Allah, he is not guided to the paths of Allah, because he is not worthy of guidance. And on this basis, we say to any student of knowledge: Do you want Allah to guide you and give you knowledge? He will say, yes. We say: It is obligatory for you to follow the pleasure of Allah. Whenever you see something that pleases Allah, do it, and whenever you see something that angers Allah, avoid it. And among the benefits of this noble verse is the affirmation of the pleasure of Allah, the affirmation of the pleasure for Allah. There is a difference between the two, yes. The affirmation of the pleasure for Allah, as He said: . And the pleasure is an attribute of action among the attributes of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic. It is related to the will and has a cause, and its cause is the servant’s action by the success of Allah. And every attribute among the attributes of Allah has a cause, so it is among the attributes of action, because the cause occurs by the will of Allah, and the attribute following it occurs by the will of Allah. The pleasure, the anger, the joy, the laughter, the wonder, and the like of these are all among the attributes of action. Is the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, like the pleasure of the created? As He, the Exalted, said: . And from another angle, this is a proof from the narrations and a rational proof: if the essence of the Lord, the Exalted and Majestic, does not resemble the essences of the created, then so are His attributes, because the statement regarding the attributes is a branch of the statement regarding the essence. This is what the people of the Sunnah followed, and they said: It is not permissible for us to judge the speech of Allah and His Messenger according to our understandings, and I do not say our minds, because our minds are followers, requiring the following of the Book and the Sunnah, but according to our understandings. So these people of ta'til, as the Shaykh al-Islam said: “These were given understandings but were not given knowledge”. They have understanding but they do not have knowledge, and they do not have intellect. They were given intelligence but were not given purity. The people of the Sunnah believe in these attributes and believe that they do not resemble the attributes of the created. The people of ta'til say: No, we do not believe in them, because this is an attribute of deficiency. The pleasure is an attribute of deficiency, the love is an attribute of deficiency, the anger is an attribute of deficiency, so we must interpret it with its necessary implication. This is one option, or we remain silent and say we do not know its meaning, because the people of ta'til do not allow either of the two sides: either we negate it, or we delegate it. Delegating the meaning, not delegating the modality, the conceptual one. And with this, the author of al-Khulasah says:
And every text that suggests likening, delegate it or interpret it, and aim for transcendence
The reality is that this is what they have made Allah transcendent, but rather, we say: the pleasure is an attribute established for Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, which necessitates reward and honor. They say: No, the pleasure is the reward and honor, and it was described by its accompanying cause. We say: Woe to the human being who hears the speech of Allah saying about Himself that He is pleased. They say: He is not pleased, you have no pleasure, you have no anger, you have no joy. There is no god but Allah—how can it be otherwise, when He is the One who informed about Himself? Are you more knowledgeable or is Allah? How does He describe Himself with what He does not possess, when He is the One who says to His servants: ? And is this except that the special one speaks with the speech of His Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, while He intends the opposite? This is obfuscation and intentional deception. If the one who negates the attributes thought a little, he would find that his negation is among the greatest transgressions against Allah, the Exalted and Majestic. We say: the reward is a result of the pleasure and is a proof of the pleasure, meaning a rational proof of the pleasure, because whoever rewards you indicates what? That he is pleased with him. So, glory to Allah, you find that the people of falsehood, whether in practical or theoretical issues, are contradictory. And on this basis, the authentic rule is: that you affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself in the Qur'an or the Sunnah. This is one point. The second is that you negate for Him the resemblance to the created. And by that, you are safe from what you interpret, and the truth from what you distort, for that is misguidance. And among the misguidance is also that you delegate, and Allah, what is the pleasure? I do not know what it is. I read the Qur'an and I do not say anything. This is also a great evil, until the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The school of the Mu'awwidah is among the worst of the sayings of the people of innovation and atheism”. And he spoke the truth, may Allah have mercy on him. If you reflect on the saying of the Mu'awwidah, you will know that it is disbelief and atheism. How does Allah send down upon us a Qur'an, the most noble of which is that we know about Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, and about His names and attributes, and His rulings and His actions, and then we do not find a way to understand the meaning, and we make it in our estimation like a, b, t? And glory to Allah, how is it fitting for a believing man to say: What Allah narrated to us about Pharaoh, Haman, and Qarun is known in meaning, and what He narrated to us about Himself is not known in meaning? What benefit do we have in the Qur'an? As long as it is not known, we have not benefited from it: , meaning that we have no share or portion except mere recitation. In any case, our creed is this: that we affirm everything that Allah has affirmed for Himself in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah, without likening, and by that we are safe in our creed. Among the benefits of this noble verse is that the paths of safety are many and varied, as He said: . For example, how many are the pillars of Islam? Five, each one is a path. The gates of Paradise are eight, each gate has people specific to it. So there are paths and there are gates, and what is meant by that are the legislations. As for Islam in general, it is one path. And among the benefits of this noble verse is that whoever follows the Shari'ah is safe. From where is this taken? From His saying: . Safe from what? Safe in every meaning of the word. Safe in his creed, in his actions, in his reward, because this path will lead him to the abode of peace to which Allah calls: .