Why is the Divine Name in the phrase "to the path of Allah, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy" in the genitive case?
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The student: The saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat Ibrahim: [Ibrahim 14:1-2] What is the reason for the genitive case?
The Shaykh :[Ibrahim 14:1-2] This is considered an explanatory apposition (atf bayan). Who is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy? Allah. So, it clarifies. His saying "Allah" with the kasrah (genitive marker) is an explanation of "the Mighty, the Praiseworthy."
The student: Does anything depend on it if we say it is an attribute?
The Shaykh : The custom is that the Divine Name is the one that is described, because it is the specific proper name for its referent, with no ambiguity. For this reason, the grammarians said that it is the most definite of the definite nouns, and that it is more definite than even the pronoun. And if it is the most definite, it cannot be an attribute, a substitute (badal), or an explanatory apposition. Regarding explanatory apposition, Ibn Malik says:
"And a substitute is valid in cases other than, for example: 'O boy, Ya'qub'"
"And like 'Bishr, the follower of al-Bakri,' and it is not a substitute for 'al-Marzi'"
Every explanatory apposition is valid as a substitute, except in these two cases.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : What it is in any case, because here "ilhad" (deviation) may be intended to mean deviation through oppression if one intends a major sin.
to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy - (2) Allah
إلى صراط العزيز الحميد اللهِThe Shaykh :
to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy - (2) Allah
إلى صراط العزيز الحميد اللهThe student: Does anything depend on it if we say it is an attribute?
The Shaykh : The custom is that the Divine Name is the one that is described, because it is the specific proper name for its referent, with no ambiguity. For this reason, the grammarians said that it is the most definite of the definite nouns, and that it is more definite than even the pronoun. And if it is the most definite, it cannot be an attribute, a substitute (badal), or an explanatory apposition. Regarding explanatory apposition, Ibn Malik says:
"And a substitute is valid in cases other than, for example: 'O boy, Ya'qub'"
"And like 'Bishr, the follower of al-Bakri,' and it is not a substitute for 'al-Marzi'"
Every explanatory apposition is valid as a substitute, except in these two cases.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : What it is in any case, because here "ilhad" (deviation) may be intended to mean deviation through oppression if one intends a major sin.