Explanation of the author's statement: "And of faith in Allah is faith in what He has described Himself with in His Book, and what His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has described Him with"
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The Shaykh : Then he said: "And of faith in Allah is faith in what He has described Himself with in His Book, and what His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has described Him with". This is part of faith in Allah.
And his saying: "of faith": The "min" here indicates partiality, because we mentioned that faith in Allah encompasses four matters: faith in His existence, His uniqueness in lordship, His uniqueness in worship, and His names and attributes. So the "min" in the author's speech indicates partiality, meaning: some of the faith in Allah is faith in what He has described Himself with.
His saying: "with what He has described Himself with in His Book": It should be said: "and with what He has named Himself with, as well as what He has described Himself with." Yes, but the author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned only the attributes, either because there is no name that does not include an attribute, or because the disagreement regarding the names is a weak disagreement, denied only by the extremists of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah. So the Mu'tazilah affirm the names, and the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah affirm the names, but they differ from the people of the Sunnah in what? In the attributes. So we are now asking: Why did the author restrict himself to "what Allah has described Himself with"? We say: for one of two reasons: either because every name includes an attribute, or because the disagreement regarding the names is minor among those who claim Islam.
And his saying: "what He has described Himself with in His Book": His Book means: the Qur'an. And Allah the Exalted named it a Book because it is written in the Preserved Tablet, and it is written in the scrolls in the hands of the noble, forgiving scribes, and it is also written among the people, who write it in the mushafs. So it is a Book in the sense of being written. And Allah attributed it to Himself because it is His speech, (Glorified and Exalted is He). So the Qur'an is the speech of Allah; He spoke with it in reality. So every letter of it, Allah has spoken with it[Al-Jathiyah 45:29].
Now, of faith in Allah is faith in what He has described Himself with. The way this is understood is that faith in Allah, as previously mentioned, includes faith in His names and attributes.
Second: The names and attributes are from the essence of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So the essence of Allah is named with names and described with attributes. And the existence of an essence devoid of attributes is impossible; it is not possible for an essence to exist devoid of attributes, ever. It is not possible. The mind may suppose that there is an essence devoid of attributes in your mind, but the supposition is not like the reality witnessed externally. That is: the supposed is not like the witnessed. So there is not in the external reality, meaning in the observed reality, an essence that has no attributes, ever. Right? No, absolutely not? As for what the mind supposes, that is a matter of no account. The mind may suppose, for example, something with a thousand eyes, in each thousand eyes a thousand black and two thousand white, and it has a thousand legs, in each leg a thousand fingers, in each finger a thousand nails, yes, and it has millions of hairs, in each hair millions of hairs, and so on. It supposes it, but it has no reality, is that not so? But the thing that is real, it is not possible for something to exist without an attribute. For this reason, faith in the attributes of Allah is part of faith in Allah. If there were not among the attributes of Allah except that He is existent, the Necessary Existent, this is by the consensus of people. And on this basis, He must have an attribute.
Then know that the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are among the unseen matters. And it is obligatory for a person regarding the unseen matters to believe in them as they came, without referring to anything other than the texts. Imam Ahmad said: "Allah is not described except with what He has described Himself with, or what His Messenger has described Him with. Do not go beyond the Qur'an and the Hadith". And the implication of that is that we do not describe Allah except with what He has described Himself with from the Qur'an and the intellect: So in the Qur'an, Allah the Exalted says:[Al-A'raf 7:33] So if you describe Allah with an attribute that Allah has not described Himself with, you have said about Him what you do not know, and this is forbidden by the text of the Qur'an.
Another proof: Allah the Exalted says:[Al-Isra 17:36] So if we described Allah with what He has not described Himself with, yes, we would have pursued what we have no knowledge of, and we would have fallen into what Allah has forbidden.
As for the rational proof: It is because the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are among the unseen matters, and it is not possible in unseen matters for the intellect to grasp them. We do not now grasp what Allah has described of the pleasure of Paradise, even though it is created. Is that not so? In Paradise there is fruit, palm trees, pomegranates, couches, and goblets. Is that not so? And women, the houris. Do we not grasp the reality of these things? No. If it were said to you: "Describe them for us," we would not be able to describe them, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[As-Sajdah 32:17] And due to His saying in the Holy Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 7498 If this is the case with the created thing, which is described with attributes we do not know, how then with the Creator?
Another example: The human being has a soul; he does not live except by it. If the soul were not in your body, you would not live. Can you describe the soul? Absolutely not. If it were said to you: "What is the soul in you? What is it that if it were removed, you would become a lifeless corpse, and if it remained, you are a human who reasons, understands, and perceives? What is this soul?" By Allah, let him think, let him examine his body, right and left. Can he describe it or not? Absolutely not. Even though it is far from him or near? It is near, in himself, between his two sides. And he is unable to grasp it, even though it is a reality, meaning a thing that is seen, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us:Sunan Ibn Majah 1454Sahih (Darussalam) The human being sees himself while it is being taken. And for this reason, the eye remains open at death, watching the soul as it has exited and is taken. This soul is placed in a shroud, in a winding sheet, and it is raised to Allah. And yet, you cannot describe it, and it is between your two sides. So how do you try to describe your Lord with something He has not described Himself with?
The summary now: We have benefited from this phrase "what He has described Himself with" two matters.
And his saying: "of faith": The "min" here indicates partiality, because we mentioned that faith in Allah encompasses four matters: faith in His existence, His uniqueness in lordship, His uniqueness in worship, and His names and attributes. So the "min" in the author's speech indicates partiality, meaning: some of the faith in Allah is faith in what He has described Himself with.
His saying: "with what He has described Himself with in His Book": It should be said: "and with what He has named Himself with, as well as what He has described Himself with." Yes, but the author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned only the attributes, either because there is no name that does not include an attribute, or because the disagreement regarding the names is a weak disagreement, denied only by the extremists of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah. So the Mu'tazilah affirm the names, and the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah affirm the names, but they differ from the people of the Sunnah in what? In the attributes. So we are now asking: Why did the author restrict himself to "what Allah has described Himself with"? We say: for one of two reasons: either because every name includes an attribute, or because the disagreement regarding the names is minor among those who claim Islam.
And his saying: "what He has described Himself with in His Book": His Book means: the Qur'an. And Allah the Exalted named it a Book because it is written in the Preserved Tablet, and it is written in the scrolls in the hands of the noble, forgiving scribes, and it is also written among the people, who write it in the mushafs. So it is a Book in the sense of being written. And Allah attributed it to Himself because it is His speech, (Glorified and Exalted is He). So the Qur'an is the speech of Allah; He spoke with it in reality. So every letter of it, Allah has spoken with it
This, Our record, speaks about you in truth
هذا كتابنا ينطق عليكم بالحقNow, of faith in Allah is faith in what He has described Himself with. The way this is understood is that faith in Allah, as previously mentioned, includes faith in His names and attributes.
Second: The names and attributes are from the essence of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So the essence of Allah is named with names and described with attributes. And the existence of an essence devoid of attributes is impossible; it is not possible for an essence to exist devoid of attributes, ever. It is not possible. The mind may suppose that there is an essence devoid of attributes in your mind, but the supposition is not like the reality witnessed externally. That is: the supposed is not like the witnessed. So there is not in the external reality, meaning in the observed reality, an essence that has no attributes, ever. Right? No, absolutely not? As for what the mind supposes, that is a matter of no account. The mind may suppose, for example, something with a thousand eyes, in each thousand eyes a thousand black and two thousand white, and it has a thousand legs, in each leg a thousand fingers, in each finger a thousand nails, yes, and it has millions of hairs, in each hair millions of hairs, and so on. It supposes it, but it has no reality, is that not so? But the thing that is real, it is not possible for something to exist without an attribute. For this reason, faith in the attributes of Allah is part of faith in Allah. If there were not among the attributes of Allah except that He is existent, the Necessary Existent, this is by the consensus of people. And on this basis, He must have an attribute.
Then know that the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are among the unseen matters. And it is obligatory for a person regarding the unseen matters to believe in them as they came, without referring to anything other than the texts. Imam Ahmad said: "Allah is not described except with what He has described Himself with, or what His Messenger has described Him with. Do not go beyond the Qur'an and the Hadith". And the implication of that is that we do not describe Allah except with what He has described Himself with from the Qur'an and the intellect: So in the Qur'an, Allah the Exalted says:
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالأِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَاناً وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَAnother proof: Allah the Exalted says:
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاًAs for the rational proof: It is because the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are among the unseen matters, and it is not possible in unseen matters for the intellect to grasp them. We do not now grasp what Allah has described of the pleasure of Paradise, even though it is created. Is that not so? In Paradise there is fruit, palm trees, pomegranates, couches, and goblets. Is that not so? And women, the houris. Do we not grasp the reality of these things? No. If it were said to you: "Describe them for us," we would not be able to describe them, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
فَلا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُمْ مِنْ قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَI have prepared for My righteous slaves (such excellent things) as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of.
أعددت لعبادي الصالحين ما لا عين رأت ولا أذن سمعت ولا خطر على قلب بشرAnother example: The human being has a soul; he does not live except by it. If the soul were not in your body, you would not live. Can you describe the soul? Absolutely not. If it were said to you: "What is the soul in you? What is it that if it were removed, you would become a lifeless corpse, and if it remained, you are a human who reasons, understands, and perceives? What is this soul?" By Allah, let him think, let him examine his body, right and left. Can he describe it or not? Absolutely not. Even though it is far from him or near? It is near, in himself, between his two sides. And he is unable to grasp it, even though it is a reality, meaning a thing that is seen, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us:
When the soul is taken, the sight follows it.
بأن الروح إذا قبض، تبعه البصرThe summary now: We have benefited from this phrase "what He has described Himself with" two matters.