Reading from the author's text with commentary and collation of manuscripts: "And if that is the case
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: "And if that is the case, then the means to Him is only by what He has bestowed from His grace and His kindness.
And the right that His servants have upon Him is from His grace and His kindness, not from the category of exchange, nor from the category of what others have obligated upon Him, for He, Exalted is He, is above that.
And if one asks by what He has made a cause for the desired thing, namely the righteous deeds of which He has promised their owners His honor, and that He will make for them a way out, and provide for them from where they do not expect, and He will respond to their supplication, and the supplications of His righteous servants, and the intercession of those who have prestige with Him, then this is asking and seeking a cause by what He has made a cause.
But if one asks by something that is not a cause for the desired thing, then either it is swearing by it upon Him, and one does not swear by a creation upon Allah, or it is asking by what does not necessitate the desired thing, in which case it is of no benefit. The prophets and the believers have a right upon Allah by His true promise to them, and His perfect words, and His mercy for them: that He blesses them and does not punish them. And they are of prestige with Him, and He accepts from their intercession and supplication what He does not accept from the supplication of others.
So if the supplicant says, 'I ask You by the right of so-and-so,' and so-and-so did not supplicate for him, and he did not ask by following that person, loving him, and obeying him, but by his own self and what his Lord has made for him of karamah (a miracle granted to a righteous person), then he has not asked by a cause that necessitates the desired thing.
And at that time it is said: As for tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) and turning to Allah and asking Him by the righteous deeds He has commanded, such as the supplication of the three who took refuge in the cave by their righteous deeds, and by the supplication of the prophets and the righteous and their intercession, then this is something in which there is no dispute. Rather, this is of the means that Allah has commanded in His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:35], and His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Isra 17:57]. So seeking the means to Him is seeking one by whom one seeks nearness, meaning one by whom one reaches and draws near to Him, the Exalted, whether it is in the form of worship and obedience and fulfilling the command, or in the form of asking Him and seeking refuge in Him"
The Shaykh : and seeking refuge, with the kasrah
The reader: I have it without a waw.
The Shaykh : But with the kasrah, in the form of asking Him and seeking refuge in Him.
The reader: Should I add the waw?
The Shaykh : Yes, what do you have?
The reader: "Or in the form of asking Him and seeking refuge in Him, desiring from Him the bringing of benefits and the repelling of harms. And the word du'a' (supplication) in the Qur'an encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship, or du'a' in the meaning of asking".
The Shaykh : And du'a', and du'a'.
The reader: A correction, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The reader: "And the word du'a' (supplication) in the Qur'an encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship, and du'a' in the meaning of asking, even though each of them"
The Shaykh : It is better to say du'a' "encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship", meaning it encompasses du'a' in the meaning of worship.
The reader: "And the word du'a' (supplication) in the Qur'an encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship, and du'a' in the meaning of asking, even though each of them necessitates the other. But the servant may be struck by a calamity, and his intention may be to seek his need and the relief of his distress, so he strives in that by asking and supplicating, even though that is of worship and obedience. Then, at first, his intention is the attainment of that desired thing: of provision, victory, and well-being, absolutely. Then the du'a' and supplication open for him the doors of faith in Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and knowing Him and loving Him, and taking pleasure in His remembrance and supplication, such that it becomes more beloved to him and greater in value in his estimation than that need which distressed him".
The Shaykh : I have it as "ahammatahu."
The student: "Ahammatahu."
The Shaykh : With the hamzah.
The reader: Correction?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The reader: "And greater in value in his estimation than that need which distressed him. And this is of the mercy of Allah for His servants; He leads them by worldly needs to the lofty religious purposes. And the servant may do what he was commanded".
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. Regarding obligation upon Allah, we said that it is obligatory upon Allah what He has obligated upon Himself, not what the servants obligate upon Him. They mention that some scholars argue with the attributes of Allah and His names regarding His actions, and say that the implication of His name such-and-such or His attribute such-and-such is that He does such-and-such.
The Shaykh : Yes, but you may think that the maslahah (public benefit) is in it, and it is not so. For example, a person may say: It is in my maslahah (public benefit) that Allah the Exalted keeps my child alive until he grows up and helps me in the worship of Allah and in my worldly affairs, and it may not be in the maslahah (public benefit); it may be a harm for you and for your entire tribe.
And the right that His servants have upon Him is from His grace and His kindness, not from the category of exchange, nor from the category of what others have obligated upon Him, for He, Exalted is He, is above that.
And if one asks by what He has made a cause for the desired thing, namely the righteous deeds of which He has promised their owners His honor, and that He will make for them a way out, and provide for them from where they do not expect, and He will respond to their supplication, and the supplications of His righteous servants, and the intercession of those who have prestige with Him, then this is asking and seeking a cause by what He has made a cause.
But if one asks by something that is not a cause for the desired thing, then either it is swearing by it upon Him, and one does not swear by a creation upon Allah, or it is asking by what does not necessitate the desired thing, in which case it is of no benefit. The prophets and the believers have a right upon Allah by His true promise to them, and His perfect words, and His mercy for them: that He blesses them and does not punish them. And they are of prestige with Him, and He accepts from their intercession and supplication what He does not accept from the supplication of others.
So if the supplicant says, 'I ask You by the right of so-and-so,' and so-and-so did not supplicate for him, and he did not ask by following that person, loving him, and obeying him, but by his own self and what his Lord has made for him of karamah (a miracle granted to a righteous person), then he has not asked by a cause that necessitates the desired thing.
And at that time it is said: As for tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) and turning to Allah and asking Him by the righteous deeds He has commanded, such as the supplication of the three who took refuge in the cave by their righteous deeds, and by the supplication of the prophets and the righteous and their intercession, then this is something in which there is no dispute. Rather, this is of the means that Allah has commanded in His saying, the Exalted:
O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him
يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله وابتغوا إليه الوسيلةThose whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment
أولئك الذين يدعون يبتغون إلى ربهم الوسيلة أيهم أقرب ويرجون رحمته ويخافون عذابهThe Shaykh : and seeking refuge, with the kasrah
The reader: I have it without a waw.
The Shaykh : But with the kasrah, in the form of asking Him and seeking refuge in Him.
The reader: Should I add the waw?
The Shaykh : Yes, what do you have?
The reader: "Or in the form of asking Him and seeking refuge in Him, desiring from Him the bringing of benefits and the repelling of harms. And the word du'a' (supplication) in the Qur'an encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship, or du'a' in the meaning of asking".
The Shaykh : And du'a', and du'a'.
The reader: A correction, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The reader: "And the word du'a' (supplication) in the Qur'an encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship, and du'a' in the meaning of asking, even though each of them"
The Shaykh : It is better to say du'a' "encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship", meaning it encompasses du'a' in the meaning of worship.
The reader: "And the word du'a' (supplication) in the Qur'an encompasses this and that: du'a' in the meaning of worship, and du'a' in the meaning of asking, even though each of them necessitates the other. But the servant may be struck by a calamity, and his intention may be to seek his need and the relief of his distress, so he strives in that by asking and supplicating, even though that is of worship and obedience. Then, at first, his intention is the attainment of that desired thing: of provision, victory, and well-being, absolutely. Then the du'a' and supplication open for him the doors of faith in Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and knowing Him and loving Him, and taking pleasure in His remembrance and supplication, such that it becomes more beloved to him and greater in value in his estimation than that need which distressed him".
The Shaykh : I have it as "ahammatahu."
The student: "Ahammatahu."
The Shaykh : With the hamzah.
The reader: Correction?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The reader: "And greater in value in his estimation than that need which distressed him. And this is of the mercy of Allah for His servants; He leads them by worldly needs to the lofty religious purposes. And the servant may do what he was commanded".
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. Regarding obligation upon Allah, we said that it is obligatory upon Allah what He has obligated upon Himself, not what the servants obligate upon Him. They mention that some scholars argue with the attributes of Allah and His names regarding His actions, and say that the implication of His name such-and-such or His attribute such-and-such is that He does such-and-such.
The Shaykh : Yes, but you may think that the maslahah (public benefit) is in it, and it is not so. For example, a person may say: It is in my maslahah (public benefit) that Allah the Exalted keeps my child alive until he grows up and helps me in the worship of Allah and in my worldly affairs, and it may not be in the maslahah (public benefit); it may be a harm for you and for your entire tribe.