Explanation of the author's statement and his saying: (So do not set up rivals with Allah while you know)
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The Shaykh : Then he said: [Al-Baqarah 2:22] This is also derived from what came before. [Al-Baqarah 2:21-22] And all of this is from the oneness of lordship. Then he said: [Al-Baqarah 2:22] In what?
The Student: Lordship.
The Shaykh : No.
The student: Oneness of worship
The Shaykh : In oneness of worship, because those people being addressed did not set up rivals with Allah in lordship. So, do not set up rivals with Allah in oneness of worship, just as you acknowledge that He has no rivals in lordship. Now, his saying: "Andada" is the plural of "nadd," and the "nadd" of a thing is what is called a rival, meaning an equal and a similar. People have always said, "This is the nadd of that," meaning it is opposite to it and equal to it. And his saying: The clause here is a circumstantial clause, and the subject of the circumstance is the "waw" in his saying: and the object is omitted, meaning "and you know that He has no rival." Now, is the circumstantial clause here a restrictive attribute or a descriptive attribute? A restrictive attribute or a descriptive attribute?
The student: Revealing.
The Shaykh : If you say it is a restrictive attribute, it is as if you are saying, "Do not set up a rival for Allah while you know that He has no rival. If you do not know, then set up a rival for Him." Does this make sense or not?
The student: No, no.
The Shaykh : It does not make sense. So it is a descriptive attribute. The descriptive attribute is like the reason for the ruling, as if he said, "Do not set up rivals with Allah because you know that He has no rival. If you know that, how can you set up rivals and contradict your knowledge?" Now, is this also a negative attribute or an affirmative one?
The student: Negative
The Shaykh : Negative? How so?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Because the prohibition of a thing is evidence of its absence. Do not set up rivals with Allah because He has no rival. And in that case, it falls under the category of negative attributes. Now, why does He have no rivals? Because of the perfection
The student: Of His lordship
The Shaykh : Because of the perfection of His attributes, because of the perfection of His attributes. Good.
So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].
فلا تجعلوا لله أندادا وأنتم تعلمون(21) O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous - (22) [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you
يا أيها الناس اعبدوا ربكم الذي خلقكم والذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون الذي جعل لكم الأرض فراشا والسماء بناء وأنزل من السماء ماء فأخرج به من الثمرات رزقا لكمSo do not attribute to Allah equals
فلا تجعلوا لله أنداداThe Student: Lordship.
The Shaykh : No.
The student: Oneness of worship
The Shaykh : In oneness of worship, because those people being addressed did not set up rivals with Allah in lordship. So, do not set up rivals with Allah in oneness of worship, just as you acknowledge that He has no rivals in lordship. Now, his saying:
equals
أنداداWhile you know [the truth].
وأنتم تعلمونDo not make
لا تجعلواThe student: Revealing.
The Shaykh : If you say it is a restrictive attribute, it is as if you are saying, "Do not set up a rival for Allah while you know that He has no rival. If you do not know, then set up a rival for Him." Does this make sense or not?
The student: No, no.
The Shaykh : It does not make sense. So it is a descriptive attribute. The descriptive attribute is like the reason for the ruling, as if he said, "Do not set up rivals with Allah because you know that He has no rival. If you know that, how can you set up rivals and contradict your knowledge?" Now, is this also a negative attribute or an affirmative one?
The student: Negative
The Shaykh : Negative? How so?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Because the prohibition of a thing is evidence of its absence. Do not set up rivals with Allah because He has no rival. And in that case, it falls under the category of negative attributes. Now, why does He have no rivals? Because of the perfection
The student: Of His lordship
The Shaykh : Because of the perfection of His attributes, because of the perfection of His attributes. Good.