What is your opinion regarding the statement of some of the Asha'irah: "We affirm the attribute of the Hand, for example, but we interpret it for the common people so that they do not fall into likening Allah to creation?"

The questioner : Some of the Asha'irah told me that he believes that the Hand of Allah is a reality without comparing Allah to creation or denial of the divine attributes, but when he addresses a common person or a man who has knowledge of theology or the like, he speaks to him with what he knows. For example, if the common person says to him, "The Hand of Allah is real," the idea comes to his mind that the Hand is like the hand of the common person. He says, "So I am forced to say to him, for example, 'power.'"

The Shaykh : Be patient, may Allah reward you. Now, we do not say to him that it is a reality or that it is not a reality.

The questioner : No, if the common person asked, for example.

The Shaykh : If he asked, we would say, "Yes, He has a Hand with which He grasps the heavens folded up in His right hand, He takes the earth and shakes it, yes, He folds the sky like the folding of a scroll for books, and so on."

The questioner : That is what he says.

The Shaykh : That is, we mention the things that Allah does with His Hand, and in that case, the exaltation of Allah remains firm in his heart. What is the need to tell him that it is a reality or not? If you tell the common person that it is a reality, he might hit you in the face. He did not say to you that it is a reality, nor did he say it is not a reality. Does anyone deny that it is a reality? Therefore, if people were left to their natural, innate understanding, this distortion would not have occurred to them.

The questioner : Now, regarding the discussion with the people of theology.

The Shaykh : Never. We do not descend to the level of the people of theology, never, except in a matter where there is a logical compulsion. Then we say, "Suppose the matter is so, then such and such would be the case." For example, if someone denies love and says, "Love is merely a term for reward; there is no love," we say, "Does anyone reward except one who loves?" We compel him by saying, "Suppose it is reward; is it possible to have reward without love?" This is fine. But to concede to him and retreat before him, that is not possible. Rather, we say, "It is a real Hand with which He takes and with which He grasps, and that is of no concern to us."

The questioner : And they say this, all the Asha'irah... the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community, but when they debate the people of theology, they say this.

The Shaykh : No, this is all, this is deception, deception. Rather, some of the ignorant or the obstinate say, "The Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah were not refuted except by the school of the Asha'irah." Glory be to Allah! The false school of the Asha'irah refutes falsehood with falsehood? But they are refuted by the Book and the Sunnah.
The student: It is finished.

The Shaykh : Yes, is it finished?
The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He said, may Allah preserve him: "And we believe that evil is not attributed to Allah the Exalted due to the perfection of His mercy and wisdom. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

And evil is not with You.

والشر ليس إليك

narrated by Muslim. So the decree of Allah the Exalted itself does not contain any evil ever, because it proceeds from mercy and wisdom. Rather, evil is in the decreed matters, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the supplication of qunut which he taught al-Hasan:

and save me from the evil of what You have decreed

وقني شر ما قضيت

Sunan an-Nasa'i 1745Sahih (Darussalam)

So he attributed evil to what He decreed. And with this, the evil in the decreed matters is not pure, absolute evil, but it is evil in its place."

The Shaykh : In its place.
The reader: "In its place from one aspect, and good from another aspect, or evil in its place, good in another place.
So the corruption in the earth from drought, disease, poverty, and fear is evil, but it is good in another place. Allah the Exalted said:

Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].

ظهر الفساد في البر والبحر بما كسبت أيدي الناس ليذيقهم بعض الذي عملوا لعلهم يرجعون

[Ar-Rum 30:41]

. And cutting off the hand of the thief and stoning the adulterer is evil with respect to the thief and the adulterer in the cutting of the hand and the taking of the soul, but it is good for them from another aspect where it becomes an expiation for them, so they are not subjected to both the punishment of this world and the Hereafter. And it is also good in another place where it involves the protection of wealth, honor, and lineages."

The Shaykh : Well done.