And we believe that Allah the Exalted has a Face described with majesty and honor << ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال و الإكرام >> [al-Rahman : 27]
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The Shaykh : Likewise, "we believe that Allah the Exalted has a Face described with majesty and honor, because of His saying [Ar-Rahman 55:27]" The Face of Allah Mighty and Majestic is one of His attributes, but is it an attribute of meaning, an attribute of action, or an attribute of report?
The student: ... an attribute of report.
The Shaykh : Good, let us see whether it is an attribute of report, an attribute of action, or an attribute of meaning.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The first
The student: The first one.
The Shaykh : Yes, because some people take the latter, yes, and say that the pronoun refers to the nearest mentioned noun, and this is wrong. We say that the Face is an attribute of report; it is not an attribute of meaning nor an attribute of action. So what is the criterion for pure attributes of report? The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Among the attributes of Allah the Exalted are those whose referent is a part for us and a portion for us". The referent of the Face, in relation to us,
The student: A part.
The Shaykh : What?
The student: A part.
The Shaykh : A part. The Hand is likewise. These are pure attributes of report. The intellect does not comprehend them, and had Allah not informed us of them, we would not have known them. They are not attributes of meaning either; even after Allah informed us of them, they are not attributes of meaning. Rather, they are attributes whose referent is a part and a portion. This is the difference between us and those who say that the intended meaning of the Face is the reward. They said:[Ar-Rahman 55:27] meaning His reward. They attributed to the reward what it cannot bear. Is the reward ever described with majesty and honor? No. Only the Face of Allah Mighty and Majestic deserves this description. So we believe that Allah has a real Face. But if we were asked about its modality—whether it is elongated, round, square, circular, or the like—what do we say?
The student : Allah knows best
The Shaykh : We say that Allah knows best, and it is not permissible for us to speak about this in any way. Rather, we say that He has a Face befitting His majesty and greatness. We believe in it because Allah the Exalted informed us of it and described Himself with it, but we do not address its modality because we have no comprehension of it. It is said:[Ar-Rahman 55:27] meaning the One of greatness , for the people, or for the people, for Him.
The student: Two Faces.
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: The two Faces.
The Shaykh : The two Faces. So He is the One who honors His obedient servants with reward, and He is the One who honors those of His servants who worship Him and humble themselves before Him. So the honor here is a source that is valid for coming from Allah to one who deserves honor, or from the servants to Allah Mighty and Majestic, who is worthy of honor.
If someone were to say, in another verse in the chapter, Surat al-Rahman:[Ar-Rahman 55:78], why did He say , and in His saying: , why?
The student: ...[Ar-Rahman 55:27]
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: The "Dhu" is an attribute of the Face.
The Shaykh : An attribute of the Face, yes.
The student: ... al-Rahman[Ar-Rahman 55:78]
The Shaykh : They are all verses of al-Rahman... all of them, all of them are in al-Rahman.
The student:[Ar-Rahman 55:78] Supplication Here "Dhu" is a description of the Lord.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly. So this makes it clear, this makes it clear that the Face is a real, subsisting attribute. And for this reason, when the word "Name" came, and it is not one of the attributes of Allah, the description became for what? For the annexed or the annexed to? For the annexed to.
And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والإكرامThe student: ... an attribute of report.
The Shaykh : Good, let us see whether it is an attribute of report, an attribute of action, or an attribute of meaning.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The first
The student: The first one.
The Shaykh : Yes, because some people take the latter, yes, and say that the pronoun refers to the nearest mentioned noun, and this is wrong. We say that the Face is an attribute of report; it is not an attribute of meaning nor an attribute of action. So what is the criterion for pure attributes of report? The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Among the attributes of Allah the Exalted are those whose referent is a part for us and a portion for us". The referent of the Face, in relation to us,
The student: A part.
The Shaykh : What?
The student: A part.
The Shaykh : A part. The Hand is likewise. These are pure attributes of report. The intellect does not comprehend them, and had Allah not informed us of them, we would not have known them. They are not attributes of meaning either; even after Allah informed us of them, they are not attributes of meaning. Rather, they are attributes whose referent is a part and a portion. This is the difference between us and those who say that the intended meaning of the Face is the reward. They said:
And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والإكرامThe student : Allah knows best
The Shaykh : We say that Allah knows best, and it is not permissible for us to speak about this in any way. Rather, we say that He has a Face befitting His majesty and greatness. We believe in it because Allah the Exalted informed us of it and described Himself with it, but we do not address its modality because we have no comprehension of it. It is said:
the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty
وجه ربك ذو الجلالPossessor of Majesty
ذو الجلالand Honor
والإكرامThe student: Two Faces.
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: The two Faces.
The Shaykh : The two Faces. So He is the One who honors His obedient servants with reward, and He is the One who honors those of His servants who worship Him and humble themselves before Him. So the honor here is a source that is valid for coming from Allah to one who deserves honor, or from the servants to Allah Mighty and Majestic, who is worthy of honor.
If someone were to say, in another verse in the chapter, Surat al-Rahman:
Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
تبارك اسم ربك ذي الجلال والإكرامof majesty
ذي الجلالAnd the Face of your Lord will remain
ويبقى وجه ربكPossessor of Majesty
ذو الجلالThe student: ...
And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty
ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلالThe Shaykh : Yes
The student: The "Dhu" is an attribute of the Face.
The Shaykh : An attribute of the Face, yes.
The student: ... al-Rahman
Blessed is the name of your Lord
تبارك اسم ربكThe Shaykh : They are all verses of al-Rahman... all of them, all of them are in al-Rahman.
The student:
the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty
اسم ربك ذي الجلالone who is
ذيThe Shaykh : Yes, exactly. So this makes it clear, this makes it clear that the Face is a real, subsisting attribute. And for this reason, when the word "Name" came, and it is not one of the attributes of Allah, the description became for what? For the annexed or the annexed to? For the annexed to.