Explanation of the author's statement: It contains issues: The first: Exegesis of the verse.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :"Interpretation of the verse" What does the verse mean, O 'Abd al-Wahhab? What does it mean?
The student: His saying, the Exalted...
The Shaykh : Yes,[Fussilat 41:50] and we have previously interpreted it, and the intended meaning of his saying "We made him taste" is that the pronoun refers to mankind in the sense of the species. Now, what is the meaning of the lam in "This is for me," O 'Abd al-Rahman?
The student: The lam is for entitlement.
The Shaykh : For entitlement, yes, meaning that I am deserving of it and worthy of it. Now, the second point—he says—what is the meaning of his saying "He will surely say, 'This is for me'"? We understood that. What is the meaning of his saying[Al-Qasas 28:78] "I was given it"?
The student: On the basis of knowledge... this is a statement, and on the basis of knowledge... that I am entitled to it.
The Shaykh : So, according to the first meaning, is that it?
The student: Meaning the knowledge refers back to him.
The Shaykh : To him, so he denied Allah's favor upon him through it, and he made it part of his own earnings, his toil, his understanding, and his knowledge. And according to the second meaning?
The student: That Allah is the All-Knowing, and...
The Shaykh : He attributed it to Allah, but he?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Correct, it can be seen as boasting over Allah with his deeds, as if he is saying that Allah gave it to him not as a favor, but because he was entitled to it. And in both cases, it involves ingratitude for the favor. "The fourth: what are the great lessons in this strange story" Meaning the story of the three, and we have previously mentioned many lessons in it, and what we mentioned was not exhaustive. Among them is the difference between the leper, the bald man, and the blind man. Mention one aspect of the differences? The differences between these three?
The student: The first aspect of the differences is that these people sought... beautiful skin, which is the highest thing, and the blind man sought sufficiency so that people could see him.
The Shaykh : Sufficiency, correct, that is one. The second, Haidar?
The student: The second is that he acknowledged Allah's favor...
The Shaykh : And they?
The student: And they denied Allah's favor.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The student: The third is that they sought from the highest of wealth, from camels and cows, and he sought...
The Shaykh : Less than that. Now, correct. Also, the fourth?
The student: ... He said, "Take what you wish," which indicates his generosity and his nobility.
The Shaykh : And his sincerity, because he said, "I will not burden you today with anything I have taken for Allah the Mighty and Majestic." Now, unlike those, for they were stingy, miserly, and deniers of Allah's favor.
And in it is a lesson regarding Allah the Mighty and Majestic testing His servants with what Allah has bestowed upon them.
And in it is that the angels may take on forms and colors, but only by the command of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Yes.
And in it is that reminding of one's state can be through words and through actions and postures, because this angel reminded them of their state here? Through words and postures, through words and postures. And in it is that it is permissible for a person to attribute to himself, or for something to be attributed to him, that was not the case, for the sake of testing, in the angel's statement that he was poor and a traveler whose provisions had run out.
And in it is that this story was well-known and famous, and for this reason he saidSahih al-Bukhari 3464. As for its relevance to tawhid (the oneness of Allah), it is apparent, because in this matter, if a person attributes the favor to his own work and earnings, there is a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah) in lordship. And if he attributes it to Allah but claims that he is entitled to it and that what Allah the Exalted gave him is not pure favor, but because he is worthy, then there is a type of... or... alongside servitude, if he is among the servants of Allah.
The student: His saying, the Exalted...
he will surely say, this is for me
ليقولن هذا ليThe Shaykh : Yes,
And if We let him taste mercy from Us after an adversity which has touched him, he will surely say, "This is [due] to me
ولئن أذقناه رحمة منا من بعد ضراء مسته ليقولن هذا ليThe student: The lam is for entitlement.
The Shaykh : For entitlement, yes, meaning that I am deserving of it and worthy of it. Now, the second point—he says—what is the meaning of his saying "He will surely say, 'This is for me'"? We understood that. What is the meaning of his saying
I was only given it because of knowledge
إنما أوتيته على علمThe student: On the basis of knowledge... this is a statement, and on the basis of knowledge... that I am entitled to it.
The Shaykh : So, according to the first meaning, is that it?
The student: Meaning the knowledge refers back to him.
The Shaykh : To him, so he denied Allah's favor upon him through it, and he made it part of his own earnings, his toil, his understanding, and his knowledge. And according to the second meaning?
The student: That Allah is the All-Knowing, and...
The Shaykh : He attributed it to Allah, but he?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Correct, it can be seen as boasting over Allah with his deeds, as if he is saying that Allah gave it to him not as a favor, but because he was entitled to it. And in both cases, it involves ingratitude for the favor. "The fourth: what are the great lessons in this strange story" Meaning the story of the three, and we have previously mentioned many lessons in it, and what we mentioned was not exhaustive. Among them is the difference between the leper, the bald man, and the blind man. Mention one aspect of the differences? The differences between these three?
The student: The first aspect of the differences is that these people sought... beautiful skin, which is the highest thing, and the blind man sought sufficiency so that people could see him.
The Shaykh : Sufficiency, correct, that is one. The second, Haidar?
The student: The second is that he acknowledged Allah's favor...
The Shaykh : And they?
The student: And they denied Allah's favor.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The student: The third is that they sought from the highest of wealth, from camels and cows, and he sought...
The Shaykh : Less than that. Now, correct. Also, the fourth?
The student: ... He said, "Take what you wish," which indicates his generosity and his nobility.
The Shaykh : And his sincerity, because he said, "I will not burden you today with anything I have taken for Allah the Mighty and Majestic." Now, unlike those, for they were stingy, miserly, and deniers of Allah's favor.
And in it is a lesson regarding Allah the Mighty and Majestic testing His servants with what Allah has bestowed upon them.
And in it is that the angels may take on forms and colors, but only by the command of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Yes.
And in it is that reminding of one's state can be through words and through actions and postures, because this angel reminded them of their state here? Through words and postures, through words and postures. And in it is that it is permissible for a person to attribute to himself, or for something to be attributed to him, that was not the case, for the sake of testing, in the angel's statement that he was poor and a traveler whose provisions had run out.
And in it is that this story was well-known and famous, and for this reason he said