Explanation that there is no pure negation in the attributes negated from Allah the Exalted, because pure negation is non-existence.
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The Shaykh : This is the perfection of justice, so it includes praise and no blame? It is praise, good. And the poet said:
"A tribe that does not betray a pledge *** Nor does it wrong people by a mustard seed"
And the other said:
"But my people, even if they are of noble lineage *** They are not of evil in any way, even if they are lowly
They are incapable of forgiving the people of injustice their injustice *** And of responding to the evil of the wicked with goodness"
If someone wrongs them, they say, "May Allah forgive you." If someone does them wrong, the man takes out the money from his hiding place and gives it to them. What is this? This is incapacity, because he said in the verse before this:
"If I were from Mazin, my camels would not be made lawful *** By the sons of Laqitah from Dha'hl and the sons of Shayban"
Yes, but my people... if this negation... what is this negation? It is a diminishment of them. He says: They are not able, and they do not take their right. And the first one, if Allah wills, when we go out we will show you... Good. And the first one says:
"A tribe that does not betray a pledge *** Nor does it wrong people by a mustard seed"
That they do not betray a pledge means they fulfill the covenant. Why? They are not able to betray or wrong people by a mustard seed; they are not able. For this reason, he said: "A tribe", and the diminutive form indicates disparagement. If the negation occurs, it can be a blame.
Good, there is one who said, "By Allah, we built a wall of concrete, yes, and we put a layer of iron on it, and it does not move." He did not say it is incapable, incapable, or that it is not incapable. The wall is not a praise, is it? Why? Yes, it has no capacity for that; it has no capacity. Who is reading? The negated attributes, that is, the negative ones, those attributed to Allah, do they include or those that Allah negated from Himself, do they include what? They include affirmation, which is the perfection opposite to it. "Your Lord does not wrong anyone" for the perfection of His justice. "No weariness touched us" for the perfection of His power and strength. And so on. And there is no pure negation only in the attributes negated from Allah. No, there is not. Why? Because pure negation is non-existence, and non-existence is nothing. Is non-existence something? Pure negation is non-existence. There is no injustice, so this is non-existence. And non-existence, in its being non-existence, does not include praise or commendation, because it can be for incapacity, or it can be for the lack of what? Capacity. The example for incapacity:
"A tribe that does not betray a pledge *** Nor does it wrong people by a mustard seed"
And the example for the lack of capacity is that you say: "Our walls do not wrong anyone." Yes, why? It is a lack of capacity. It could fall on him and kill him, but it is a lack of capacity. Just as if I said, "We have a wall that is not weak; we put a layer of iron on it, and it has never groaned or said 'ouch' or anything." Why? It is a lack of capacity; it does not accept being weak, or it is not weak. Good, once more, the summary of the lesson.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Indeed, Allah has gathered in what He described and named Himself between negation and affirmation". And we said, we focused on the attributes, and we will come, if Allah wills, to the names. We said the attributes are divided into affirmative and negated, or into affirmed and negated, and the meaning is the same. So everything that Allah affirmed for Himself is an attribute of perfection. And thus we divided the attributes into two categories:
First: An attribute affirmed through the names. These are all perfection.
An attribute not affirmed through the names, so it is three categories: a category by which Allah is described absolutely, a category by which He is not described absolutely, and a category by which He is described with restriction. Perfect. Good. Then we came to the negated attribute and we said that negated attributes come in a general or detailed form for a reason, and they do not come in a detailed form for no reason. They do not come in a detailed form except for a reason: either to refute the claim of false claimants, or to dispel a suspicion, yes, or to threaten, which is the reality. Dispel a suspicion, because the one who persists in sin suspects that Allah is unaware. Yes. Then we also mentioned that every attribute negated from Allah includes an affirmation, which is the perfection opposite to that negation. The negation of injustice is for the perfection of justice. The negation of incapacity is for the perfection of power. The negation of weakness is for the perfection of strength, and so on. And for this reason, listen to the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic:[Fatir 35:44] Look, the negation of incapacity is for the perfection of His knowledge and power, because the incapable one is incapable of a thing either due to ignorance or due to incapacity, or not? Either he is ignorant and does not know how to manage this thing, or he is incapable and not able. If he says to you, for example, "Go operate this machine," operate this machine, and what does operating it mean? He said, "Let it turn." This man came and held what? We say the wheel or the pulley or the spool? No, no, the spool. He held it and started saying "like this," wanting to move it. Why? He is ignorant, he does not know. Yes. Another person, we told him to operate the machine, he went and brought the handle and put it in its place, he came to turn it, he was incapable. This one also does not operate it. Why? Because he is incapable. The third, we said, "O so-and-so, go operate the machine." He said, "Okay," he took the handle, put it in its place, turned it like this, praise be to Allah, and operated it. What is this? This is a knowledgeable and capable person. Look, the first one was incapable of the task because he was ignorant; he turned the spool, but it was of no use.
And the second one is incapable; he knows that this is the operating point and this is the operating tool, which is the handle, but he has no power; he cannot operate it.
The third one has knowledge and power and operated it. Clear.[Fatir 35:44] Good. The negation attributed to Allah, the negation attributed to Allah, we said, is not a pure negation, but it is a negation that includes an affirmation, which is the perfection opposite to that negation. Because the negation is either for the establishment of a defect, or for the establishment of a perfection, or neither for this nor for that. The first is impossible for Allah, or not? And the second, the establishment of a perfection, is established for Allah. And the third, the idle talk, is impossible for Allah because it is foolishness, and Allah is not described with it, because Allah is Wise. And the verses in this are many, in the affirmation and in the negation. So what is obligatory for us toward these attributes that Allah affirmed for Himself and that He negated? The obligatory is that we say: We heard and we believed, and we believed and we obeyed. Also, we obeyed in what Allah affirmed for Himself and what He negated from Himself. Good. The author says: "In what He described and named". The attributes, as you understood, may Allah bless you, include affirmed and negated. But tell me about the names: do they include affirmed or not? Do the names include affirmed? They are all affirmed. Where is the negation in them? And the author says: "In what He described and named". Where is the name that Allah negated from Himself? There is none. But the names of Allah the Exalted themselves, the affirmed ones, some indicate a positive meaning and some indicate a negative meaning. Pay attention. And from here, or this is the place of division in negation and affirmation regarding the names of Allah. That is, the names of Allah are divided into a name or names whose meaning is what? Positive, and names whose meaning is negative. So from here it is correct to divide them into this division. An example of the first, many whose meaning is positive: Many.
An example of those whose meaning is negative: As-Salam. What is the meaning of As-Salam? The scholars said: "Its meaning is the One free from every defect and flaw". So is its meaning positive or not? Negative, in the sense: there is no defect or flaw in Him. Al-Quddus is close to the meaning of As-Salam, because its meaning is the One sanctified from every defect and flaw. So the names of Allah, then, are divided into affirmation and negation, not by their wording, that the wording comes negated. This is not, because what comes negated is not established, so that we say it is one of the names of Allah. But the meanings of the names are divided into two categories: what? Affirmative and negated, or they indicate affirmation and negation. Those indicating affirmation are many, and those indicating negation are few, but they exist. So now
So the author's phrase is correct or not? Correct and valid. And he does not intend, regarding the names, that there are negated names, because the negated name is not a name for Allah that Allah negated from Himself. But his intention is that the meanings of the names of Allah are what? Affirmative and negative.
"A tribe that does not betray a pledge *** Nor does it wrong people by a mustard seed"
And the other said:
"But my people, even if they are of noble lineage *** They are not of evil in any way, even if they are lowly
They are incapable of forgiving the people of injustice their injustice *** And of responding to the evil of the wicked with goodness"
If someone wrongs them, they say, "May Allah forgive you." If someone does them wrong, the man takes out the money from his hiding place and gives it to them. What is this? This is incapacity, because he said in the verse before this:
"If I were from Mazin, my camels would not be made lawful *** By the sons of Laqitah from Dha'hl and the sons of Shayban"
Yes, but my people... if this negation... what is this negation? It is a diminishment of them. He says: They are not able, and they do not take their right. And the first one, if Allah wills, when we go out we will show you... Good. And the first one says:
"A tribe that does not betray a pledge *** Nor does it wrong people by a mustard seed"
That they do not betray a pledge means they fulfill the covenant. Why? They are not able to betray or wrong people by a mustard seed; they are not able. For this reason, he said: "A tribe", and the diminutive form indicates disparagement. If the negation occurs, it can be a blame.
Good, there is one who said, "By Allah, we built a wall of concrete, yes, and we put a layer of iron on it, and it does not move." He did not say it is incapable, incapable, or that it is not incapable. The wall is not a praise, is it? Why? Yes, it has no capacity for that; it has no capacity. Who is reading? The negated attributes, that is, the negative ones, those attributed to Allah, do they include or those that Allah negated from Himself, do they include what? They include affirmation, which is the perfection opposite to it. "Your Lord does not wrong anyone" for the perfection of His justice. "No weariness touched us" for the perfection of His power and strength. And so on. And there is no pure negation only in the attributes negated from Allah. No, there is not. Why? Because pure negation is non-existence, and non-existence is nothing. Is non-existence something? Pure negation is non-existence. There is no injustice, so this is non-existence. And non-existence, in its being non-existence, does not include praise or commendation, because it can be for incapacity, or it can be for the lack of what? Capacity. The example for incapacity:
"A tribe that does not betray a pledge *** Nor does it wrong people by a mustard seed"
And the example for the lack of capacity is that you say: "Our walls do not wrong anyone." Yes, why? It is a lack of capacity. It could fall on him and kill him, but it is a lack of capacity. Just as if I said, "We have a wall that is not weak; we put a layer of iron on it, and it has never groaned or said 'ouch' or anything." Why? It is a lack of capacity; it does not accept being weak, or it is not weak. Good, once more, the summary of the lesson.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Indeed, Allah has gathered in what He described and named Himself between negation and affirmation". And we said, we focused on the attributes, and we will come, if Allah wills, to the names. We said the attributes are divided into affirmative and negated, or into affirmed and negated, and the meaning is the same. So everything that Allah affirmed for Himself is an attribute of perfection. And thus we divided the attributes into two categories:
First: An attribute affirmed through the names. These are all perfection.
An attribute not affirmed through the names, so it is three categories: a category by which Allah is described absolutely, a category by which He is not described absolutely, and a category by which He is described with restriction. Perfect. Good. Then we came to the negated attribute and we said that negated attributes come in a general or detailed form for a reason, and they do not come in a detailed form for no reason. They do not come in a detailed form except for a reason: either to refute the claim of false claimants, or to dispel a suspicion, yes, or to threaten, which is the reality. Dispel a suspicion, because the one who persists in sin suspects that Allah is unaware. Yes. Then we also mentioned that every attribute negated from Allah includes an affirmation, which is the perfection opposite to that negation. The negation of injustice is for the perfection of justice. The negation of incapacity is for the perfection of power. The negation of weakness is for the perfection of strength, and so on. And for this reason, listen to the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic:
But Allah is not to be caused failure by anything in the heavens or on the earth. Indeed, He is ever Knowing and Competent.
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيرًاAnd the second one is incapable; he knows that this is the operating point and this is the operating tool, which is the handle, but he has no power; he cannot operate it.
The third one has knowledge and power and operated it. Clear.
But Allah is not to be caused failure by anything in the heavens or on the earth. Indeed, He is ever Knowing and Competent.
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيرًاAn example of those whose meaning is negative: As-Salam. What is the meaning of As-Salam? The scholars said: "Its meaning is the One free from every defect and flaw". So is its meaning positive or not? Negative, in the sense: there is no defect or flaw in Him. Al-Quddus is close to the meaning of As-Salam, because its meaning is the One sanctified from every defect and flaw. So the names of Allah, then, are divided into affirmation and negation, not by their wording, that the wording comes negated. This is not, because what comes negated is not established, so that we say it is one of the names of Allah. But the meanings of the names are divided into two categories: what? Affirmative and negated, or they indicate affirmation and negation. Those indicating affirmation are many, and those indicating negation are few, but they exist. So now
So the author's phrase is correct or not? Correct and valid. And he does not intend, regarding the names, that there are negated names, because the negated name is not a name for Allah that Allah negated from Himself. But his intention is that the meanings of the names of Allah are what? Affirmative and negative.