And we know with absolute certainty that what has come in the Book of Allah the Exalted or the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is truth, and none of it contradicts any other, by His saying the Exalted:
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The Shaykh : Then the author said: "And we know with absolute certainty". His saying "absolute certainty" is from the category of adding a thing to its genus, because knowledge is of two kinds: theoretical knowledge which allows for doubt, and certain knowledge which does not allow for doubt. The intended meaning here is certain knowledge which does not allow for doubt "that what has come in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is truth".
There is no doubt[An-Nisa 4:170] in what? [An-Nisa 4:170]. And from the principles of the religion is that we testify that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is truth, and the Hour is truth, so likewise is what the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) brought.
So it is "truth, and none of it contradicts any other".
Contradiction is the relationship between two things that do not coexist and do not both cease to exist. This is contradiction: the relationship between two things, what is it? They do not coexist and do not both cease to exist.
This is the principle when we divide speech into four categories: contradiction, divergence, opposition, and similarity. These are the four relationships.
Contradiction is the relationship between two things that do not coexist and do not both cease to exist. Opposition is the relationship between two things that do not coexist but do both cease to exist; this is opposition. Divergence is the relationship between two distinct things that cannot coexist.
And similarity is the relationship between two equal things.
So let us give examples.
Motion and rest, what is the relationship between them?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Motion and rest?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Opposition? Hmm? It is contradiction, because they do not coexist and do not both cease to exist. The meaning of "do not coexist" is: a thing is never both at rest and in motion at the same time. And they do not both cease to exist, because a thing must be either in motion or at rest.
Okay, existence and non-existence, what is the relationship between them?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Opposition? It is contradiction, because a thing must be either existent or non-existent. So they do not coexist, meaning it is not possible for a thing to be non-existent and existent at the same time. And they do not both cease to exist, because a thing must be either existent or non-existent. Is that not so?
Blackness and whiteness?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Think, everyone. Opposition? Because they do not coexist, right? They do not coexist; it is not possible for a thing to be black and white at the same time. And they can both cease to exist, so the thing can be, for example, red. So the relationship between them is opposition.
Divergence: a stone and a human. A stone and a human are completely divergent. It is not possible for them to coexist such that the human is a stone and the stone is a human, and their very essence is one of divergence from the other.
A human being and a human, the relationship between them is complete similarity.
Okay, in any case, in our saying "truth, and none of it contradicts any other", we mean by this that it is not possible for the Qur'an and the Sunnah to indicate two things whose relationship is contradiction. This is absolutely impossible. The evidence is His saying the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:82] The question here is for rebuke and denial, meaning why do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If they had reflected upon the Qur'an, they would not have found in it any discrepancy or contradiction. And they say: "It is only," yes, "it is only spoken by a human" or "it is only known by a human." If it were the work of a human, contradiction and discrepancy would be found in the Qur'an. So let them reflect upon the Qur'an: is there contradiction in it? Allah the Mighty and Majestic says, no [An-Nisa 4:82] It is not a simple discrepancy, because it must contradict and differ.
If someone were to say: We find in the Qur'an things that appear to be in conflict and contradiction, what is our position toward this?
We will explain that to us later.
He says: "And because contradiction in reports necessitates the falsification of some of them by others".
Correct, meaning: if Allah reported a report and then reported something that contradicts that report, it would necessarily follow that what? That one of them is a lie. And this is something from which the speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger is exonerated. "And this is impossible in the report of Allah and His Messenger".
There is no doubt
O Mankind, the Messenger has come to you
يا أيها الناس قد جاءكم الرسولwith the truth from your Lord
بالحق من ربكمSo it is "truth, and none of it contradicts any other".
Contradiction is the relationship between two things that do not coexist and do not both cease to exist. This is contradiction: the relationship between two things, what is it? They do not coexist and do not both cease to exist.
This is the principle when we divide speech into four categories: contradiction, divergence, opposition, and similarity. These are the four relationships.
Contradiction is the relationship between two things that do not coexist and do not both cease to exist. Opposition is the relationship between two things that do not coexist but do both cease to exist; this is opposition. Divergence is the relationship between two distinct things that cannot coexist.
And similarity is the relationship between two equal things.
So let us give examples.
Motion and rest, what is the relationship between them?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Motion and rest?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Opposition? Hmm? It is contradiction, because they do not coexist and do not both cease to exist. The meaning of "do not coexist" is: a thing is never both at rest and in motion at the same time. And they do not both cease to exist, because a thing must be either in motion or at rest.
Okay, existence and non-existence, what is the relationship between them?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Opposition? It is contradiction, because a thing must be either existent or non-existent. So they do not coexist, meaning it is not possible for a thing to be non-existent and existent at the same time. And they do not both cease to exist, because a thing must be either existent or non-existent. Is that not so?
Blackness and whiteness?
The student: Opposition.
The Shaykh : Think, everyone. Opposition? Because they do not coexist, right? They do not coexist; it is not possible for a thing to be black and white at the same time. And they can both cease to exist, so the thing can be, for example, red. So the relationship between them is opposition.
Divergence: a stone and a human. A stone and a human are completely divergent. It is not possible for them to coexist such that the human is a stone and the stone is a human, and their very essence is one of divergence from the other.
A human being and a human, the relationship between them is complete similarity.
Okay, in any case, in our saying "truth, and none of it contradicts any other", we mean by this that it is not possible for the Qur'an and the Sunnah to indicate two things whose relationship is contradiction. This is absolutely impossible. The evidence is His saying the Exalted:
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.
أفلا يتدبرون القرءان ولو كان من عند غير الله لوجدوا فيه اختلافا كثيراIf it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.
ولو كان من عند غير الله لوجدوا فيه اختلافا كثيراIf someone were to say: We find in the Qur'an things that appear to be in conflict and contradiction, what is our position toward this?
We will explain that to us later.
He says: "And because contradiction in reports necessitates the falsification of some of them by others".
Correct, meaning: if Allah reported a report and then reported something that contradicts that report, it would necessarily follow that what? That one of them is a lie. And this is something from which the speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger is exonerated. "And this is impossible in the report of Allah and His Messenger".