The discussion regarding the addition of the letter kaf.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : His saying: [An-Nisa 4:58]
The student: The stronger position?
The Shaykh : And by Allah, the closest thing to me in terms of understanding is to say that the kaf is an addition, and we accept that it is an addition, and we benefit from it without needing effort or anything else.
The student: There is a perspective now; the kaf negates the manner, and the word "like" (mithl) negates likeness.
The Shaykh :: meaning.
The student: The kaf negates the manner.
The Shaykh : Do you mean explain it to us now?
The student: "There is nothing like Him"; the kaf negates the manner from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is not a manner... Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and "like" (mithl) negates likeness.
The Shaykh : By Allah, but this is a bit far-fetched, meaning we make the letter indicative of something and the name indicative of something, and the letter enters upon the name, because as you know, a letter has no meaning in itself, meaning it is as if you want to make the kaf a manner and "like" (mithl) a likeness, but this is because it is known that the kaf is a letter that does not indicate a meaning in itself; if you bring the letters kaf, lam, mim, nun, they do not indicate a meaning.
The student: If we said "There is nothing like Allah," is it not... different from our saying "There is nothing like Allah" (using the word mithl)?
The Shaykh : No, there is no difference, because "There is nothing like Allah" (using the word kama) encompasses both the manner and the likeness, it encompasses them all. Yes, it was not found, O people of good.
The student: And the second one, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh :[An-Nisa 4:58] which comes after the first; the final meaning is for whoever can visualize it, because the final meaning is truly a great meaning, but the mind needs effort to visualize it first, otherwise if you visualize it, you find it to be a great meaning.
The student: And it does not need estimation.
The Shaykh : And it does not need estimation, nor does it need the statement of addition, because the original principle is the absence of addition. Not because if you negate the likeness of the likeness, it means the likeness remains one. This likeness, if you make this the original and this the likeness, it necessitates that there be a counterpart to the original for the likeness, and you have negated the likeness of the likeness, so the thing becomes one, which is the original. Yes.
The student: It may not be excepted.
The Shaykh : No, this is clear.
The student: It will be in the mind, but in reality.
The Shaykh : The word "like" (mithl) in the Arabic language indicates that there is something similar to something; we take this from the wording, not from the intellect. Therefore, for me, the final meaning is good for whoever can visualize it, but there is difficulty in visualizing it.
The student: But it may be, O Shaykh, that there is a likeness for the thing, but there is no likeness for this likeness.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, absolutely not, because look, because the likeness is a counterpart to the original. So if we said "There is no likeness for the likeness," the original remains one.
The student: If we affirm a likeness for the original, it necessitates that there be a counterpart for this likeness, if we affirm the counterpart for the original.
The Shaykh : Look, may Allah reward you, if you say this, it means you affirmed the likeness and negated the original.
The student: No, I affirm the original and I affirm the counterpart for it.
The Shaykh : Okay, we affirmed the counterpart, and there is nothing for the likeness of this counterpart.
The student: It follows that there is nothing for the likeness of this counterpart; a counterpart for the original is impossible.
The Shaykh : It is not clear at all. Whoever is able to visualize this final meaning, it is good. And whoever is not able, the first one is the best thing: the addition of the kaf, and praise be to Allah. Yes.
The student: But we said in the attributes, like death.
The Shaykh : Yes, states, yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, because the existing one, may Allah reward you, I may know from his state and his actions whether the wretched one or the happy one is what appears to me, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah the Exalted means..."Sahih Muslim 112b
The student: Yes, there is no difference between him and...
The Shaykh : We are sufficient if we say that you do not know these things, whether they are specific to pregnancy or general, because our knowledge that it is male or female is known now, there is no problem.
The student: This is not from the knowledge of the unseen; is it seen with the eye?
The Shaykh : Which one?
The student: Male or female in the womb.
The Shaykh : After it is created, yes. Not by appearance. What appears to me is that what is attributed to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by what He informs about Himself is fine, like "Al-'Ali" (The Most High) exists, and the scholars acknowledge it, and it is not an existing name of Allah; "Al-'Ali" in it is "Al-Muta'ali" (The Most High), correct.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And by Allah, in any case, you choose what you want. The best thing is either the addition of the kaf, because the intended meaning is that there is no likeness to Allah in His essence or in His attributes, not in the essence or in the attributes. So you go back and choose what you see as the stronger position. And I tell you this because this issue is an issue of creed. Yes, the practical legal ruling is easier. The person who is reassured by one of the opinions, even if someone says, "What do I have to do with this philosophy?" I affirm what is intended by this sentence, which is that Allah has no likeness, but...
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : I say, meaning, if someone said this, he would not be blamed. Meaning, if he said, "What do I have to do with these philosophies, these estimations, and these debates? I believe that Allah has no counterpart, based on His saying:[Ash-Shuraa 42:11] He is safe in his creed.
Excellent is that which Allah instructs you
إن الله نعمّا يعظكم بهThe student: The stronger position?
The Shaykh : And by Allah, the closest thing to me in terms of understanding is to say that the kaf is an addition, and we accept that it is an addition, and we benefit from it without needing effort or anything else.
The student: There is a perspective now; the kaf negates the manner, and the word "like" (mithl) negates likeness.
The Shaykh :: meaning.
The student: The kaf negates the manner.
The Shaykh : Do you mean explain it to us now?
The student: "There is nothing like Him"; the kaf negates the manner from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is not a manner... Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and "like" (mithl) negates likeness.
The Shaykh : By Allah, but this is a bit far-fetched, meaning we make the letter indicative of something and the name indicative of something, and the letter enters upon the name, because as you know, a letter has no meaning in itself, meaning it is as if you want to make the kaf a manner and "like" (mithl) a likeness, but this is because it is known that the kaf is a letter that does not indicate a meaning in itself; if you bring the letters kaf, lam, mim, nun, they do not indicate a meaning.
The student: If we said "There is nothing like Allah," is it not... different from our saying "There is nothing like Allah" (using the word mithl)?
The Shaykh : No, there is no difference, because "There is nothing like Allah" (using the word kama) encompasses both the manner and the likeness, it encompasses them all. Yes, it was not found, O people of good.
The student: And the second one, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh :
Excellent is that which Allah instructs you
إن الله نعما يعظكم بهThe student: And it does not need estimation.
The Shaykh : And it does not need estimation, nor does it need the statement of addition, because the original principle is the absence of addition. Not because if you negate the likeness of the likeness, it means the likeness remains one. This likeness, if you make this the original and this the likeness, it necessitates that there be a counterpart to the original for the likeness, and you have negated the likeness of the likeness, so the thing becomes one, which is the original. Yes.
The student: It may not be excepted.
The Shaykh : No, this is clear.
The student: It will be in the mind, but in reality.
The Shaykh : The word "like" (mithl) in the Arabic language indicates that there is something similar to something; we take this from the wording, not from the intellect. Therefore, for me, the final meaning is good for whoever can visualize it, but there is difficulty in visualizing it.
The student: But it may be, O Shaykh, that there is a likeness for the thing, but there is no likeness for this likeness.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, absolutely not, because look, because the likeness is a counterpart to the original. So if we said "There is no likeness for the likeness," the original remains one.
The student: If we affirm a likeness for the original, it necessitates that there be a counterpart for this likeness, if we affirm the counterpart for the original.
The Shaykh : Look, may Allah reward you, if you say this, it means you affirmed the likeness and negated the original.
The student: No, I affirm the original and I affirm the counterpart for it.
The Shaykh : Okay, we affirmed the counterpart, and there is nothing for the likeness of this counterpart.
The student: It follows that there is nothing for the likeness of this counterpart; a counterpart for the original is impossible.
The Shaykh : It is not clear at all. Whoever is able to visualize this final meaning, it is good. And whoever is not able, the first one is the best thing: the addition of the kaf, and praise be to Allah. Yes.
The student: But we said in the attributes, like death.
The Shaykh : Yes, states, yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, because the existing one, may Allah reward you, I may know from his state and his actions whether the wretched one or the happy one is what appears to me, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah the Exalted means..."
a person performs deeds like the deeds of the people of Paradise apparently before people and he would be amongst the dwellers of Hell
إن الرجل يعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيما يبدو للناس وهو من أهل النارThe student: Yes, there is no difference between him and...
The Shaykh : We are sufficient if we say that you do not know these things, whether they are specific to pregnancy or general, because our knowledge that it is male or female is known now, there is no problem.
The student: This is not from the knowledge of the unseen; is it seen with the eye?
The Shaykh : Which one?
The student: Male or female in the womb.
The Shaykh : After it is created, yes. Not by appearance. What appears to me is that what is attributed to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by what He informs about Himself is fine, like "Al-'Ali" (The Most High) exists, and the scholars acknowledge it, and it is not an existing name of Allah; "Al-'Ali" in it is "Al-Muta'ali" (The Most High), correct.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And by Allah, in any case, you choose what you want. The best thing is either the addition of the kaf, because the intended meaning is that there is no likeness to Allah in His essence or in His attributes, not in the essence or in the attributes. So you go back and choose what you see as the stronger position. And I tell you this because this issue is an issue of creed. Yes, the practical legal ruling is easier. The person who is reassured by one of the opinions, even if someone says, "What do I have to do with this philosophy?" I affirm what is intended by this sentence, which is that Allah has no likeness, but...
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : I say, meaning, if someone said this, he would not be blamed. Meaning, if he said, "What do I have to do with these philosophies, these estimations, and these debates? I believe that Allah has no counterpart, based on His saying: