We believe in the establishment of all that Allah has affirmed for Himself or that His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has affirmed for Him of names and attributes, but we disavow two dangers
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The Shaykh : Likewise "We believe in the establishment of what has been affirmed" "We believe in the establishment of all that Allah has affirmed for Himself or that His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has affirmed for Him of names and attributes" So whatever Allah has affirmed for Himself, it is obligatory for us to believe in it, affirm it, hold it in our belief, and consider it true. And likewise, whatever His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has affirmed for Him, we believe in it in the manner that Allah and His Messenger intended, without altering, distorting, or changing it.
But we disavow, or rather we disavow, two great dangers: likening Allah to creation and asking how an attribute is. Likening Allah to creation is when one says in his heart or with his tongue: The attributes of Allah the Exalted are like the attributes of the created beings. We disavow this, we disavow this, in affirmation of the saying of Allah the Exalted[Ash-Shuraa 42:11] and in obedience to His saying the Exalted [An-Nahl 16:74] and in avoiding comparing the Creator to the created. So these are three proofs.
First, we disavow likening Allah to creation in affirmation of the saying of Allah the Exalted[Ash-Shuraa 42:11] and in obedience to His saying [An-Nahl 16:74] and following the intellect in the impossibility of comparing the Creator to the created. So these are the proofs of negating likening Allah to creation. For this reason, we say that likening Allah to creation is a denial of the report, a disobedience to the command, and a departure from the intellect. It is a denial of the report by His saying, O Sa'd,
The student: By His saying[Ash-Shuraa 42:11]
The Shaykh : Good, disobedience to the command, brother,
The student: I
The Shaykh : Yes
The student:[An-Nahl 16:74]
The Shaykh : In His saying[An-Nahl 16:74] and the third
The student: A departure
The Shaykh : A departure from the intellect
The student: ...
The Shaykh : In comparing the Creator to the created. So likening Allah to creation is impermissible by the Shari'ah and by the intellect. And likewise, asking how an attribute is, where a person says in his heart or with his tongue: The manner of the attributes of Allah the Exalted is such and such. Good, "Where one says in his heart" has passed us twice. What is the saying of the heart? The saying of the heart is his belief. As for the saying of the tongue, the tongue... Asking how an attribute is, we also disavow it by saying in our hearts or with our tongues that the manner of the attributes of Allah is such and such. The proof of that is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He,[Al-A'raf 7:33] to His saying [Al-Baqarah 2:169] For this reason, some scholars said: If the Jahmi says to you, "Allah descends to the lowest heaven, so how does He descend?" say to him, "Allah informed us that He descends, but He did not inform us how He descends." A sound answer. Good.
Another proof for the prohibition of asking how an attribute is is the saying of Allah the Exalted[Al-Isra 17:36] [Al-Isra 17:36] meaning do not follow anything you do not know. And the one who asks how an attribute is
The student: Follows what he does not know
The Shaykh : Follows what he does not know, certainly, for how would he know that the manner of the attributes of Allah is such and such? How would he know that the manner of His rising above the Throne is such, the manner of the descent to the heaven is such, the manner of His Face is such? Where does that come from? So asking how an attribute is is also impermissible by two proofs. The first proof is His saying the Exalted[Al-Baqarah 2:169]
The student:[Al-Baqarah 2:30]
The Shaykh :[Al-Baqarah 2:30] The second is [Al-Isra 17:36] If someone asks, what is the difference between asking how an attribute is and likening Allah to creation? We say: Likening Allah to creation is when one mentions the attribute or mentions the manner of the attribute restricted to a similar thing, and says: The Hand of Allah is like the hand of a human. So whoever likens has asked how. As for asking how an attribute is, it is when one mentions a manner not restricted to a similar thing, but he conceptualizes a manner with his intellect and then says its manner is such and such. And on this basis, every one who likens
The student: Asks how
The Shaykh : And every one who asks how
The student: And not every one who asks how...
The Shaykh : Ah, and not every one who asks how is one who likens. The complete one who asks how may mention a manner that has no counterpart. The one who likens mentions a manner that has a counterpart. For this reason, we say every one who asks how is one who likens
The student: The opposite.
The Shaykh : Ah, yes, we say every one who likens is one who asks how, and not every one who asks how is one who likens. Good. Which is greater, likening Allah to creation or asking how an attribute is?
The student: Likening Allah to creation
The Shaykh : Likening Allah to creation is greater. Likening Allah to creation is greater because it is a denial of the report and a disobedience to the command
But we disavow, or rather we disavow, two great dangers: likening Allah to creation and asking how an attribute is. Likening Allah to creation is when one says in his heart or with his tongue: The attributes of Allah the Exalted are like the attributes of the created beings. We disavow this, we disavow this, in affirmation of the saying of Allah the Exalted
There is nothing like unto Him
ليس كمثله شيءSo do not assert similarities to Allah
فلا تضربوا لله الأمثالFirst, we disavow likening Allah to creation in affirmation of the saying of Allah the Exalted
There is nothing like unto Him
ليس كمثله شيءSo do not assert similarities to Allah
فلا تضربوا لله الأمثالThe student: By His saying
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصيرThe Shaykh : Good, disobedience to the command, brother,
The student: I
The Shaykh : Yes
The student:
So do not assert similarities to Allah
فلا تضربوا لله الأمثالThe Shaykh : In His saying
So do not assert similarities to Allah
فلا تضربوا لله الأمثالThe student: A departure
The Shaykh : A departure from the intellect
The student: ...
The Shaykh : In comparing the Creator to the created. So likening Allah to creation is impermissible by the Shari'ah and by the intellect. And likewise, asking how an attribute is, where a person says in his heart or with his tongue: The manner of the attributes of Allah the Exalted is such and such. Good, "Where one says in his heart" has passed us twice. What is the saying of the heart? The saying of the heart is his belief. As for the saying of the tongue, the tongue... Asking how an attribute is, we also disavow it by saying in our hearts or with our tongues that the manner of the attributes of Allah is such and such. The proof of that is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He,
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed
قل إنما حرم ربي الفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطنand to say about Allah what you do not know.
وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمونAnother proof for the prohibition of asking how an attribute is is the saying of Allah the Exalted
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علمdo not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
لا تقف ما ليس لك به علمThe student: Follows what he does not know
The Shaykh : Follows what he does not know, certainly, for how would he know that the manner of the attributes of Allah is such and such? How would he know that the manner of His rising above the Throne is such, the manner of the descent to the heaven is such, the manner of His Face is such? Where does that come from? So asking how an attribute is is also impermissible by two proofs. The first proof is His saying the Exalted
and to say about Allah
وأن تقولوا على اللهThe student:
that which you do not know."
ما لا تعلمونThe Shaykh :
that which you do not know."
ما لا تعلمونAnd do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علمThe student: Asks how
The Shaykh : And every one who asks how
The student: And not every one who asks how...
The Shaykh : Ah, and not every one who asks how is one who likens. The complete one who asks how may mention a manner that has no counterpart. The one who likens mentions a manner that has a counterpart. For this reason, we say every one who asks how is one who likens
The student: The opposite.
The Shaykh : Ah, yes, we say every one who likens is one who asks how, and not every one who asks how is one who likens. Good. Which is greater, likening Allah to creation or asking how an attribute is?
The student: Likening Allah to creation
The Shaykh : Likening Allah to creation is greater. Likening Allah to creation is greater because it is a denial of the report and a disobedience to the command