Clarification of the Oneness of the Names and Attributes.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : However, the section in which there has been much dispute and delving is the third section, which is tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat, the oneness of Allah in His names and attributes. This is the area in which there has been much delving. The people divided into two, or rather three, groups: the deniers, the those who engage in figurative interpretation, and the those who affirm the attributes. The correct approach is to say, instead of "those who engage in figurative interpretation," "those who distort," and "those who affirm the attributes." The people divided into these three groups.
The first religious innovation that appeared in this Ummah was the innovation of the Khawarij. The innovation of the Khawarij was the first innovation to appear in the Ummah, because their leader rebelled against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This man was Dhu al-Khuwayrisah from the Banu Tamim. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed a gold coin that had come to him among the people, this man said to him: "O Muhammad, be just". I seek refuge in Allah. This was the first rebellion against the Islamic Shari'ah. Then their innovation continued during the time of the Companions; they rebelled against 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). In fact, if we wished, we could say they rebelled against Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, and they continued to persist in their stance.
After that, the innovation of the Qadariyyah appeared. The Qadariyyah are the Zoroastrians of this Ummah who said: "Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not decree the actions of the servants; He did not decree them, and they are not under His will, nor are they created by Him." Rather, their leaders and extremists said: "They are not known to Allah and are not written in the Preserved Tablet. Allah does not know what people do until it happens; when something happens from them, He knows it." They also say: "The matter is new," meaning: it is a fresh start. These people reached the end of the era of the Companions; they reached the time of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit, and a group of the Companions, but it was in the latter part of the era of the Companions.
After that, the innovation of the Murji'ah appeared, and it reached the time of many of the Tabi'un. What is the Murji'ah?
The Murji'ah are those who say: "A sin does not harm one's faith as long as one has faith." You are a believer, yes—Muhammad, pay attention—are you a believer? He says yes. He says: "Your sin does not harm you as long as you have faith. The sin does not harm you. You commit zina, you steal, you drink intoxicants, you kill—there is nothing wrong with it as long as you are a believer. You are a believer with complete faith, even if you commit every sin."
These people emerged to counter the Khawarij. Look how one innovation leads to another. They emerged to counter the Khawarij.
What do the Khawarij say? They say: "A major sin takes a person out of faith. If a person commits zina, he is a disbeliever, and his blood and wealth are made lawful. If he steals, he is a disbeliever, and his blood and wealth are made lawful." Who is this from? The Khawarij. These people wanted to counter them with an innovation. They said: "Absolutely not. If a person believes in Allah, His Messenger, the Last Day, and the six principles of faith, let him do whatever he wishes. All sins, even if they are major, except for disbelief and shirk, do not diminish faith, let alone take one out of it. They do not diminish it. So the person is a believer with complete faith." Then some clever people came—and Allah knows best, are they clever or not? They are clever, but Allah knows best, are they clever or not? They said: "We will combine the two views and say: The one who commits a major sin is not a believer, as the Murji'ah said, and he is not a disbeliever, as the Khawarij said. Rather, he is in a position between two positions, like a man who traveled from Unaizah to Riyadh. Yes, so he is in the middle of the road. What do we say to him? He is not in Riyadh and not in Unaizah, but in a position between the two positions. They said it this way. They said: "We do not say the doer of a major sin is a disbeliever, nor a believer with complete faith. He is in a position between the two positions." Good, and what do you do with him in the Hereafter?
Is he eternally in the Fire? Do they agree with the Khawarij or not? They agree with them in the Hereafter, but in this world, they differ from them.
This innovation appeared and spread. Then the innovation of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah appeared, which is the innovation of Jahm ibn Safwan. The Jahmiyyah. This innovation does not concern the issue of names and attributes, nor whether one is a believer, a disbeliever, an open sinner, or in a position between two positions. It does not concern the essence of the Creator. Look how they reached this point. The severe innovations gradually progressed in the early period of Islam until they reached the Creator (Exalted and Majestic is He). They made the Creator like a corpse that they dissect as they please. They say: "This is established for Allah, and this is not established. This is acceptable to the intellect that Allah possesses it, and this is not acceptable to the intellect that Allah possesses it." So the innovation of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah came about, and so on.
The first religious innovation that appeared in this Ummah was the innovation of the Khawarij. The innovation of the Khawarij was the first innovation to appear in the Ummah, because their leader rebelled against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This man was Dhu al-Khuwayrisah from the Banu Tamim. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed a gold coin that had come to him among the people, this man said to him: "O Muhammad, be just". I seek refuge in Allah. This was the first rebellion against the Islamic Shari'ah. Then their innovation continued during the time of the Companions; they rebelled against 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). In fact, if we wished, we could say they rebelled against Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, and they continued to persist in their stance.
After that, the innovation of the Qadariyyah appeared. The Qadariyyah are the Zoroastrians of this Ummah who said: "Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not decree the actions of the servants; He did not decree them, and they are not under His will, nor are they created by Him." Rather, their leaders and extremists said: "They are not known to Allah and are not written in the Preserved Tablet. Allah does not know what people do until it happens; when something happens from them, He knows it." They also say: "The matter is new," meaning: it is a fresh start. These people reached the end of the era of the Companions; they reached the time of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit, and a group of the Companions, but it was in the latter part of the era of the Companions.
After that, the innovation of the Murji'ah appeared, and it reached the time of many of the Tabi'un. What is the Murji'ah?
The Murji'ah are those who say: "A sin does not harm one's faith as long as one has faith." You are a believer, yes—Muhammad, pay attention—are you a believer? He says yes. He says: "Your sin does not harm you as long as you have faith. The sin does not harm you. You commit zina, you steal, you drink intoxicants, you kill—there is nothing wrong with it as long as you are a believer. You are a believer with complete faith, even if you commit every sin."
These people emerged to counter the Khawarij. Look how one innovation leads to another. They emerged to counter the Khawarij.
What do the Khawarij say? They say: "A major sin takes a person out of faith. If a person commits zina, he is a disbeliever, and his blood and wealth are made lawful. If he steals, he is a disbeliever, and his blood and wealth are made lawful." Who is this from? The Khawarij. These people wanted to counter them with an innovation. They said: "Absolutely not. If a person believes in Allah, His Messenger, the Last Day, and the six principles of faith, let him do whatever he wishes. All sins, even if they are major, except for disbelief and shirk, do not diminish faith, let alone take one out of it. They do not diminish it. So the person is a believer with complete faith." Then some clever people came—and Allah knows best, are they clever or not? They are clever, but Allah knows best, are they clever or not? They said: "We will combine the two views and say: The one who commits a major sin is not a believer, as the Murji'ah said, and he is not a disbeliever, as the Khawarij said. Rather, he is in a position between two positions, like a man who traveled from Unaizah to Riyadh. Yes, so he is in the middle of the road. What do we say to him? He is not in Riyadh and not in Unaizah, but in a position between the two positions. They said it this way. They said: "We do not say the doer of a major sin is a disbeliever, nor a believer with complete faith. He is in a position between the two positions." Good, and what do you do with him in the Hereafter?
Is he eternally in the Fire? Do they agree with the Khawarij or not? They agree with them in the Hereafter, but in this world, they differ from them.
This innovation appeared and spread. Then the innovation of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah appeared, which is the innovation of Jahm ibn Safwan. The Jahmiyyah. This innovation does not concern the issue of names and attributes, nor whether one is a believer, a disbeliever, an open sinner, or in a position between two positions. It does not concern the essence of the Creator. Look how they reached this point. The severe innovations gradually progressed in the early period of Islam until they reached the Creator (Exalted and Majestic is He). They made the Creator like a corpse that they dissect as they please. They say: "This is established for Allah, and this is not established. This is acceptable to the intellect that Allah possesses it, and this is not acceptable to the intellect that Allah possesses it." So the innovation of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah came about, and so on.