And from him: "They named al-Lat from al-Ilah and al-'Uzza from al-Aziz." And from al-A'mash: "They include in it what is not of it."
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The Shaykh : He said: And from him, from whom? From Ibn Abbas: "They named al-Lat from al-Ilah and al-'Uzza from al-Aziz." This is one of the types of shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Him, which is to derive names for idols from it. Now, regarding a word that women among us say when they are afflicted with something: the woman says, in our region, a well-known phrase. What do they say? "Wa 'izzali, wa 'izzali." Yes. Is she lamenting al-'Uzza, which is the idol, or is she saying "Wa 'izzali" from ta'ziyah (consolation), meaning she is seeking consolation, which is patience and strength?
The student: It is the second one.
The Shaykh : That is the intended meaning. Therefore, if you ask the one who says this, "What is it?" she says, "It means that I have been afflicted and I ask Allah to keep me steadfast upon this affliction and strengthen me against it." She may not know that there is something called al-'Uzza. Yes, some people hold that it is obligatory to refute it; it must be refuted, because the apparent meaning of the phrase is that she is lamenting al-'Uzza, and that would be shirk (associating partners with Allah) if that were the intention. But we know with certainty that she does not intend that.
Now, he said: "And from al-A'mash: 'They include in it what is not of it'". This is one of the types of ilhad (deviation), which type? The addition, which is to name Allah with what He has not named Himself. So whoever includes in the names of Allah what is not of them has committed ilhad (deviation), because the obligation regarding the names of Allah is to be restricted to what is prescribed; we must not name Allah except with what He has named Himself. Do you have a question? Yes?
The questioner : From al-A'mash, from Ibn Abbas, or what?
The Shaykh : No, from him, it is from him, yes.
The student: It is the second one.
The Shaykh : That is the intended meaning. Therefore, if you ask the one who says this, "What is it?" she says, "It means that I have been afflicted and I ask Allah to keep me steadfast upon this affliction and strengthen me against it." She may not know that there is something called al-'Uzza. Yes, some people hold that it is obligatory to refute it; it must be refuted, because the apparent meaning of the phrase is that she is lamenting al-'Uzza, and that would be shirk (associating partners with Allah) if that were the intention. But we know with certainty that she does not intend that.
Now, he said: "And from al-A'mash: 'They include in it what is not of it'". This is one of the types of ilhad (deviation), which type? The addition, which is to name Allah with what He has not named Himself. So whoever includes in the names of Allah what is not of them has committed ilhad (deviation), because the obligation regarding the names of Allah is to be restricted to what is prescribed; we must not name Allah except with what He has named Himself. Do you have a question? Yes?
The questioner : From al-A'mash, from Ibn Abbas, or what?
The Shaykh : No, from him, it is from him, yes.