Is the attribute of *muhil* (deception) established for Allah, as mentioned in His saying: << وهو شديد المحال >? And is the attribute of *mukr* (stratagem) derived from the verses?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. First, Allah the Exalted said: [Ar-Ra'd 13:13] ... Al-Sa'da (may Allah have mercy on him) attributes the quality of *mukr* (stratagem) to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, based on this verse: [Ar-Ra'd 13:13]
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Some of us, O Shaykh, may Allah reward you, at the university, when we mentioned the qualified attributes such as *mukr* (stratagem) and deception, Allah the Exalted says:[An-Nahl 16:60]. The *mithal* (likeness) is the attribute, so it must be a likeness, and to Allah belong the best names. For this reason, we did not say [He is] the Speaker or the Willer, or anything else. Then some of the Shaykhs said: We say: [Al-Anfal 8:30] We recite it, but we do not say it is an attribute of Allah because it contains a deficiency, as you have mentioned, O Shaykh. So first, what is the answer to [Ar-Ra'd 13:13] and ...
The Shaykh : Now, as for His saying:[Ar-Ra'd 13:13], this attribute is not a description of *muhil* (deception) [as a deficiency], but a description of its intensity in its proper place, and a description of the intensity of *muhil* in its proper place. That is to say, if *muhil* is an attribute of perfection, then He is intense in it, Mighty and Majestic, like His saying: [Al-Anfal 8:30] and His saying: . There is no problem in this, because this is an attribute of an attribute: . So it is a description of the attribute which is *muhil*, and we have mentioned that *muhil* is not described with it absolutely.
The questioner : May Allah reward you ... the response to those who said: You, the people of the Sunnah, say we establish it from the side of perfection only. Then Ibn al-Qayyim said:
The Shaykh : No, no.
The questioner : ... absolutely, and he mentioned this ...
The Shaykh : There is no problem with it, because the verse before it has the same word as the one before it in the verse:[Ar-Ra'd 13:13]. Their arguing with Allah, no doubt, they resort to every means they can, or by every means they can, to establish their claim, and there must be *mukr* (stratagem) in it. And if Allah wills, I will show you the text of Ibn al-Qayyim on this.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And the saying ...
The Shaykh : As for the second saying, this is not correct.
The questioner : They attribute it to Ibn Taymiyyah, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Never. Say: Who first claimed the attribution of something to something? Let him bring the evidence. We demand from him the correctness of the transmission. Then, if the Shaykh al-Islam said it, there must be indications that he qualified it with something, because it is well known of the Shaykh al-Islam that he is restricted by what came in the Sunnah or the Qur'an. But he is not infallible, so there must be something before, that there was a preparatory statement before it, or a supporting statement after it.
The questioner : The best and the highest, O Shaykh, how ...
The Shaykh : Its meaning is clear; from *al-Hasani* (the best) is a name of superlative.
The questioner : I understand, but why did we not make the Speaker and the Willer among the names of Allah? It is the same doubt, O Shaykh. The Speaker, we do not make it among the names of Allah, and *mukr* (stratagem), for example ...
The Shaykh : Yes, *mukr* (stratagem) reveals the enemies in the manner of the strong, so it requires responding to them with what is stronger. And absolute speech, as you know, is in any case, may be strong speech and eloquent response, or not eloquent, good, or not good. Therefore, Allah is not described as the Speaker absolutely, but He is informed of as being a Speaker.
The student: The time has passed.
The Shaykh : It does not contradict that the time has passed, but if Allah wills, there is good in it, or we go back and we finish the inheritance laws.
and He is severe in assault.
وهو شديد المحالand He is severe in assault.
وهو شديد المحالThe Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Some of us, O Shaykh, may Allah reward you, at the university, when we mentioned the qualified attributes such as *mukr* (stratagem) and deception, Allah the Exalted says:
and for Allah is the highest attribute
ولله المثل الأعلىBut they plan, and Allah plans
ويمكرون ويمكر اللهand He is severe in assault.
وهو شديد المحالThe Shaykh : Now, as for His saying:
and He is severe in assault.
وهو شديد المحالBut they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.
ويمكرون ويمكر الله والله خير الماكرينBut Allah is swifter in stratagem
بل الله أسرع مكراSevere in deception
شديد المحالThe questioner : May Allah reward you ... the response to those who said: You, the people of the Sunnah, say we establish it from the side of perfection only. Then Ibn al-Qayyim said:
The Shaykh : No, no.
The questioner : ... absolutely, and he mentioned this ...
The Shaykh : There is no problem with it, because the verse before it has the same word as the one before it in the verse:
while they dispute about Allah; and He is severe in assault.
وهم يجادلون في الله وهو شديد المحالThe questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And the saying ...
The Shaykh : As for the second saying, this is not correct.
The questioner : They attribute it to Ibn Taymiyyah, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Never. Say: Who first claimed the attribution of something to something? Let him bring the evidence. We demand from him the correctness of the transmission. Then, if the Shaykh al-Islam said it, there must be indications that he qualified it with something, because it is well known of the Shaykh al-Islam that he is restricted by what came in the Sunnah or the Qur'an. But he is not infallible, so there must be something before, that there was a preparatory statement before it, or a supporting statement after it.
The questioner : The best and the highest, O Shaykh, how ...
The Shaykh : Its meaning is clear; from *al-Hasani* (the best) is a name of superlative.
The questioner : I understand, but why did we not make the Speaker and the Willer among the names of Allah? It is the same doubt, O Shaykh. The Speaker, we do not make it among the names of Allah, and *mukr* (stratagem), for example ...
The Shaykh : Yes, *mukr* (stratagem) reveals the enemies in the manner of the strong, so it requires responding to them with what is stronger. And absolute speech, as you know, is in any case, may be strong speech and eloquent response, or not eloquent, good, or not good. Therefore, Allah is not described as the Speaker absolutely, but He is informed of as being a Speaker.
The student: The time has passed.
The Shaykh : It does not contradict that the time has passed, but if Allah wills, there is good in it, or we go back and we finish the inheritance laws.