And we believe that Allah speaks with what He wills, when He wills, and how He wills: << وكلم الله موسى تكليما >> [Surat al-Nisa
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The Shaykh : He said: "And we believe that Allah the Exalted speaks with what He wills, when He wills, and how He wills". "We believe that Allah speaks" This is the attribute of speech. "With what He wills" means the content of the speech. "When He wills" means the time. "How He wills" means the manner of the speech. "These are four things". He speaks. "This is the first, the second is"
The student: With what He wills
The Shaykh : Thirdly
The student: When He wills
The Shaykh : When He wills, and fourth, how He wills. Now, is the speech of Allah Mighty and Majestic real or not? The answer is that it is real, because Allah affirmed it for Himself and confirmed it by His saying: Is it with letters? The answer is yes, with letters. These letters are either in the Arabic language, like the Qur'an, or in the Hebrew language, like the Torah, or in the Syriac language, like the Gospel. He speaks in whatever language He wills. And is His speech with a voice?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : His speech is with a voice, because speech without a voice is not speech, but rather it is inner thought. Is this voice like the voices of the created beings?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, because there is nothing like Allah, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. So our belief is that Allah speaks with speech that is letters and a voice. Do we restrict the letters to a specific type, like Arabic letters, or not? No, He speaks with whatever letters He wills from the languages. As for the voice, we say that it does not resemble the voices of the created beings, but it is a voice that is heard, that is audible, and there is evidence for this, and the saying of our Prophet
"He wills" means if He wills by a cosmic command, like His saying to the heavens and the earth:[Fussilat 41:11] Or a command or speech by a legislative command, like His speech (peace and blessings be upon him), like the speech of Allah the Exalted to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the prayers, for Allah obligated upon him fifty prayers by His speech.
"When He wills" means at any time, whether in eternity, in the future, or in the present, at night or during the day, as He wills, Mighty and Majestic. Yes.
"When He wills, how He wills" means that it is in a manner that He wills, Mighty and Majestic. Yes, either with a loud voice or with a low voice, as He wills, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Maryam 19:52] This is with a loud voice, and This is with a hidden voice. The evidence for this... the time has ended, I think.
The student: Yes.
The student: With what He wills
The Shaykh : Thirdly
The student: When He wills
The Shaykh : When He wills, and fourth, how He wills. Now, is the speech of Allah Mighty and Majestic real or not? The answer is that it is real, because Allah affirmed it for Himself and confirmed it by His saying:
And Allah spoke to Moses directly
وكلم الله موسى تكليماThe student: Yes.
The Shaykh : His speech is with a voice, because speech without a voice is not speech, but rather it is inner thought. Is this voice like the voices of the created beings?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, because there is nothing like Allah, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. So our belief is that Allah speaks with speech that is letters and a voice. Do we restrict the letters to a specific type, like Arabic letters, or not? No, He speaks with whatever letters He wills from the languages. As for the voice, we say that it does not resemble the voices of the created beings, but it is a voice that is heard, that is audible, and there is evidence for this, and the saying of our Prophet
"He wills" means if He wills by a cosmic command, like His saying to the heavens and the earth:
Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion.
ائتيا طوعا أو كرها"When He wills" means at any time, whether in eternity, in the future, or in the present, at night or during the day, as He wills, Mighty and Majestic. Yes.
"When He wills, how He wills" means that it is in a manner that He wills, Mighty and Majestic. Yes, either with a loud voice or with a low voice, as He wills, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And We called him from the side of the mount at [his] right
وناديناه من جانب الطور الأيمنand brought him near, a close call
وقربناه نجياThe student: Yes.