Explanation of the Book: The Beginning of Revelation, Faith, and Knowledge-03a
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The reciter: Muhammad ibn Salam narrated to us, saying: 'Abdah informed us from Hisham from his father from A'ishah, who said: .
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most knowledgeable of us regarding Allah. And if he is the most knowledgeable of us regarding Allah, then he is the strongest of us in faith in Allah, because the stronger the knowledge of Allah, the stronger the faith in Him. But this is knowledge based on glorification and respect, not knowledge based on defining and dividing, and the like of that which may occur to some students of knowledge. When the attributes of Allah pass them by, they go about fragmenting them as if they are dissecting a human body. We ask Allah for safety. This does not increase the heart in faith; rather, if you returned to faith like this, you would find that the faith of the old woman is stronger than it and better in terms of glorification. But knowledge based on love, glorification, respect, and awe of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and respect for His majesty (Glorified and Exalted is He)—this is what increases in faith, because the stronger your knowledge of Allah and the meanings of His attributes (Mighty and Majestic), the more you increase in love for Him.
When you mention the attributes of excellence and bestowing, you increase in love for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And when you mention the attributes of sovereignty and greatness, you increase in fear of Him. So you combine in your journey to Allah between?
The questioner : Between fear and hope.
The Shaykh : Fear and hope. For this reason, it is said: "Whoever is more knowledgeable of Allah is more afraid of Him", and it is said: "Love Allah for what He bestows upon you of blessings". The first phrase contains fear, and the second phrase contains love. So whoever is more knowledgeable of Allah, there is no doubt that he loves Allah more and fears Him more. But as I told you, it is a knowledge of glorification, magnification, respect, and awe, and that the sanctity of Lordship is respected in your heart and magnified.
[Al-Anfal 8:2] And look at the difference between us and Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him). When Malik was asked about istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) and it was said, "How did He rise?" What did he say?
He was shy, greatly shy, and he lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, out of awe and fear and trembling. Then he raised his head and said his famous words. But one of us, when it is said to him, "How did He rise?" What happens to the heart?
Does it move or does it not move? We cannot say that people are the same. The heart of a person may move and say: Glory be to Allah, you are asking about the manner of one of the attributes of Allah. Allah is more exalted and greater than to be asked about the manner of His attributes. And the heart may receive it with coldness. So people differ.
But my advice to you is that you magnify Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that Allah the Exalted be in your hearts greater than everything, and that you respect His sanctity (Glorified and Exalted is He), meaning you respect everything that comes from the side of Allah. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because of his knowledge of Allah, and he is the most knowledgeable of us regarding Allah, was the most God-fearing of us regarding Allah. He said, may the prayers and peace be upon him, then he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 20 And he became angry, why?
Because he saw from his companions severity and overexertion in the deeds, and he commanded them from the deeds only what they could bear. So they said:, then he said this statement.
The point of this is that knowledge is an action of the heart, and according to many scholars, knowledge is a statement of the heart, because knowledge is the person's knowledge of his Lord, so it is belief and statement. As for the action of the heart, it is the movement of the heart, such as love, hope, reliance, and the like. And this statement is closer to the view that there is a difference between the statement of the heart, which is its knowledge and certainty, and the work of the heart. The work of the heart is work, movement, fear, hope, love, reliance, and the like.
And in it is an indication that the works of the hearts are from faith, and that is the case. For this reason, Allah made the works of the hearts as earnings, so He said (Exalted and Majestic is He):[Al-Baqarah 2:225] So He made the work of the heart as earnings, and earnings are undoubtedly work, undoubtedly work. And the intended meaning of earnings here is clarified by the verse in al-Ma'idah, which is His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:89] And Allah knows best.
The questioner : Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he commanded them, commanded them from the deeds only what they could bear. They said: We are not in your condition, O Messenger of Allah. Indeed, Allah has forgiven you what came before of your sin and what came after. He would become angry until the anger would be known on his face, then he would say: I am the most God-fearing of you and the most knowledgeable of you regarding Allah.
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أمرهم أمرهم من الأعمال بما يطيقون قالوا : إنا لسنا كهيئتك يا رسول الله ، إن الله قد غفر لك ما تقدم من ذنبك وما تأخر ، فيغضب حتى يعرف الغضب في وجهه ثم يقول : إن أتقاكم وأعلمكم بالله أناThe Shaykh : There is no doubt that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most knowledgeable of us regarding Allah. And if he is the most knowledgeable of us regarding Allah, then he is the strongest of us in faith in Allah, because the stronger the knowledge of Allah, the stronger the faith in Him. But this is knowledge based on glorification and respect, not knowledge based on defining and dividing, and the like of that which may occur to some students of knowledge. When the attributes of Allah pass them by, they go about fragmenting them as if they are dissecting a human body. We ask Allah for safety. This does not increase the heart in faith; rather, if you returned to faith like this, you would find that the faith of the old woman is stronger than it and better in terms of glorification. But knowledge based on love, glorification, respect, and awe of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and respect for His majesty (Glorified and Exalted is He)—this is what increases in faith, because the stronger your knowledge of Allah and the meanings of His attributes (Mighty and Majestic), the more you increase in love for Him.
When you mention the attributes of excellence and bestowing, you increase in love for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And when you mention the attributes of sovereignty and greatness, you increase in fear of Him. So you combine in your journey to Allah between?
The questioner : Between fear and hope.
The Shaykh : Fear and hope. For this reason, it is said: "Whoever is more knowledgeable of Allah is more afraid of Him", and it is said: "Love Allah for what He bestows upon you of blessings". The first phrase contains fear, and the second phrase contains love. So whoever is more knowledgeable of Allah, there is no doubt that he loves Allah more and fears Him more. But as I told you, it is a knowledge of glorification, magnification, respect, and awe, and that the sanctity of Lordship is respected in your heart and magnified.
The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith
إنما المؤمنون الذي إذا ذكروا الله وجلت قلوبهم وإذا تليت عليهم آياته زادتهم إيماناHe was shy, greatly shy, and he lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, out of awe and fear and trembling. Then he raised his head and said his famous words. But one of us, when it is said to him, "How did He rise?" What happens to the heart?
Does it move or does it not move? We cannot say that people are the same. The heart of a person may move and say: Glory be to Allah, you are asking about the manner of one of the attributes of Allah. Allah is more exalted and greater than to be asked about the manner of His attributes. And the heart may receive it with coldness. So people differ.
But my advice to you is that you magnify Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that Allah the Exalted be in your hearts greater than everything, and that you respect His sanctity (Glorified and Exalted is He), meaning you respect everything that comes from the side of Allah. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because of his knowledge of Allah, and he is the most knowledgeable of us regarding Allah, was the most God-fearing of us regarding Allah. He said, may the prayers and peace be upon him, then he said:
I am the most Allah fearing, and know Allah better than all of you do.
إن أتقاكم وأعلمكم بالله أناBecause he saw from his companions severity and overexertion in the deeds, and he commanded them from the deeds only what they could bear. So they said:
We are not in your condition. May Allah forgive you what came before of your sin and what came after. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry until the anger would be known on his face.
إنا لسنا كهيئتك ، غفر الله لك ما تقدم من ذنبك وما تأخر فغضب عليه الصلاة والسلام حتى يعرف الغضب في وجههThe point of this is that knowledge is an action of the heart, and according to many scholars, knowledge is a statement of the heart, because knowledge is the person's knowledge of his Lord, so it is belief and statement. As for the action of the heart, it is the movement of the heart, such as love, hope, reliance, and the like. And this statement is closer to the view that there is a difference between the statement of the heart, which is its knowledge and certainty, and the work of the heart. The work of the heart is work, movement, fear, hope, love, reliance, and the like.
And in it is an indication that the works of the hearts are from faith, and that is the case. For this reason, Allah made the works of the hearts as earnings, so He said (Exalted and Majestic is He):
but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned
ولكن يؤاخذكم بما كسبت قلوبكمbut He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths
ولكن يؤاخذكم بما عقدتم الأيمانThe questioner : Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.