The Mighty, the Firm
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The Shaykh : He said: Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) explained it, meaning that "the One of Strength" — "Dhu" means "the possessor of," and "al-Qawwa" (strength) is an attribute by which the doer is able to perform the action without weakness. No, without weakness, because for us, ability (qudrah) is opposed by incapacity, and strength (quwwah) is opposed by weakness. The evidence is that Allah the Exalted said: [Ar-Rum 30:54] And He said: [Fatir 35:44].
Yes, ability (qudrah) is opposed by incapacity, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Fatir 35:44] O 'Abd al-Karim, [Fatir 35:44] The difference between them is that ability (qudrah) is attributed to one who has consciousness, meaning one who has will and awareness, and it is not attributed to one who has no will and no awareness. Strength (quwwah), however, is attributed to both.
Second: Strength (quwwah) is more specific. Every strong one is able, but not every able one is strong. Clear? Good. So the example is that you say: "The wind is strong," but you do not say "able." And you say "Iron is strong," but you do not say "able," correct? Yes. But for one who has consciousness, you say he is strong and he is able. But every strong one is able, and not the reverse.
We told a man, "Carry this pebble," a large stone. We said, "Carry it." So he came and tried to move it, but he was unable to lift it from the ground. What do we call this? Incapable, meaning not able. Strong? How? How is he strong if he cannot move it? Another man we told, "Carry this stone," and he carried it, but he carried it with weakness. He is able but not strong, so he is weak. And the third, we told him, "Carry this stone." He said, "What is this stone?" We said, "Yes, this stone." He said, "Bismillah, hold on, Masha'Allah, it is like a feather." What is this? Strong and able. And when she said, "Who is stronger than us in strength?" Allah the Exalted said:[Fussilat 41:15] Allah the Exalted said: [Fussilat 41:15].
And His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He:: Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said, "The Severe," meaning severe in His strength, severe in His majesty, severe in all the attributes of His might. Glorified and Exalted is He, He is Severe. Yes, and in terms of meaning, it is an affirmation of "The Strong." Do you understand? So "al-Matin" (The Firm) means "The Severe." But do we inform about Allah that He is Severe? The answer is: Yes. Do we name Allah "The Severe"? No. Do we name Him "The Firm"? Yes, because He named Himself with that.
He said, and His saying: meaning what He described Himself with in His saying:[Ash-Shuraa 42:11] This verse has passed us by, but the author cited it here to establish two of the names of Allah, which are "The All-Hearing" and "The All-Seeing." First, he said: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11] This is a negation, so it is among the attributes, complete? The negative ones, and the intended meaning is the affirmation of His perfection, meaning that nothing among any of the creations resembles Him in His perfection, neither in majesty, nor in wisdom, nor in hearing, nor in seeing, nor in anything else. And in this phrase is a refutation of the people of likening (tashbih).
The Firm
الْمَتِينُAllah is the one who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةًBut 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 وَلا فِي الأرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيماً قَدِيراًYes, ability (qudrah) is opposed by incapacity, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
But Allah is not to be caused failure by anything in the heavens or on the earth
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلا فِي الأرْضِIndeed, He is ever Knowing and Competent.
إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيماً قَدِيراًSecond: Strength (quwwah) is more specific. Every strong one is able, but not every able one is strong. Clear? Good. So the example is that you say: "The wind is strong," but you do not say "able." And you say "Iron is strong," but you do not say "able," correct? Yes. But for one who has consciousness, you say he is strong and he is able. But every strong one is able, and not the reverse.
We told a man, "Carry this pebble," a large stone. We said, "Carry it." So he came and tried to move it, but he was unable to lift it from the ground. What do we call this? Incapable, meaning not able. Strong? How? How is he strong if he cannot move it? Another man we told, "Carry this stone," and he carried it, but he carried it with weakness. He is able but not strong, so he is weak. And the third, we told him, "Carry this stone." He said, "What is this stone?" We said, "Yes, this stone." He said, "Bismillah, hold on, Masha'Allah, it is like a feather." What is this? Strong and able. And when she said, "Who is stronger than us in strength?" Allah the Exalted said:
Who is greater than us in strength?
مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةًDid they not consider that Allah who created them was greater than them in strength? But they were rejecting Our signs.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَAnd His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He:
The Firm
الْمَتِينُHe said, and His saying: meaning what He described Himself with in His saying: