He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills. His Kursi (Footstool) encompasses the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not weary Him.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The questions later, O Ali, the system has changed.
He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:255] Knowledge: It is the certain perception of a thing as it is. Yes, and Allah Mighty and Majestic knows everything, [Al-Baqarah 2:255] the future, the past, and the word is a form of generality that includes every past and every future.
[Al-Baqarah 2:255] The pronoun refers to the creation indicated by His saying: [Al-Baqarah 2:255] meaning that no one in the heavens and the earth encompasses anything of the knowledge of Allah except what He wills.
His saying: can be understood as referring to the knowledge of His Essence and His Attributes, meaning: we do not know anything about the Essence and Attributes of Allah except what He wills of what He has taught us. It can also be understood that the meaning is that "knowledge" here means "the known," meaning: they do not encompass anything of what is known to Him, i.e., of what He knows, except what He wills. Both meanings are correct. Which is more comprehensive? We may say that the second is more comprehensive, because "what is known to Him" includes His knowledge of His Essence and His Attributes.
And His saying:[Al-Baqarah 2:255] means: except what He wills of what He has taught them. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has taught us many things about His Names, His Attributes, and His legal rulings. But this much is little in relation to what is known to Him, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Isra 17:85]
He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:255] It is greater than them, for if it were not greater, it would not have encompassed them. As for the Kursi, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It is not the 'Arsh (Throne), but the 'Arsh is something greater than the Kursi, while the Kursi is below it. It was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): This indicates the greatness of these created things, and the greatness of the created indicates the greatness of the Creator, Mighty and Majestic.
The student: What is the meaning of "filah"?
The Shaykh : What is a "filah"? It is the wide land, the desert, meaning.
He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:255] "Wa la ya'uduhu" means: it does not weigh him down or burden him. "Hifdhuhuma": the preservation of the heavens and the earth. This is one of the negated attributes. Yes, so what is the affirmed attribute that it includes? The perfection of power, knowledge, and strength. Yes, and mercy. And the rest will come, if Allah wills, in deriving the attributes from it.
He said:
He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْHe knows what is [presently] before them
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْand what is behind them
وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْwhat
مَاand they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills
وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاّ بِمَا شَاءَthey do not encompass
لا يُحِيطُونَTo Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth
لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِHis saying:
of His knowledge
مِنْ عِلْمِهِAnd His saying:
except for what He wills
إِلاّ بِمَا شَاءَAnd they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
وَيَسْأَلونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاّ قَلِيلاًHe said:
His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth
وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَIt is the place of the feet of Allah Mighty and Majestic
إنه موضع قدمي الله عز وجلThat the seven heavens and the seven earths, in relation to the Kursi (Footstool), are like a ring thrown into a vast desert, and that the excess of the 'Arsh (Throne) over the Kursi is like the excess of the vast desert over this ring
أن السماوات السبع والأرضين السبع بالنسبة للكرسي كحلقة ألقيت في فلاة من الأرض، وأن فضل العرش على الكرسي كفضل الفلاة على هذه الحلقةThe student: What is the meaning of "filah"?
The Shaykh : What is a "filah"? It is the wide land, the desert, meaning.
He said: