The Fifth Topic on Presence: Is there a contradiction between it and Exaltation?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The Fourth Discussion on Presence: Is there a contradiction between it and Exaltation? The answer is no, the answer is that there is no contradiction between them for three reasons:
The first reason is that Allah combined them in describing Himself, meaning He described Himself as All-Knowing and as being with the creation. If they had been contradictory or in conflict, it would not have been valid for Allah to describe Himself with both. Allah has combined them for Himself, and whatever Allah has combined, there is no contradiction between them. This is one reason. Is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is one reason. The second reason is that we say there is absolutely no conflict between Exaltation and Presence. There is absolutely no conflict between them, because it is possible for a thing to be high and yet be with you. A thing can be high above you and yet be with you. Among the things the Arabs say is: "The moon is with us as we travel," "The sun is with us as we travel," "The North Star is with us as we travel." And where is its location? Here?
The student: "In the heavens."
The Shaykh : It is in the sky above, and it is with you. So if the combination of Exaltation and Presence is possible in the created, then their combination in the Creator is even more so. Good.
The third reason is that we say, even if we assume there is a contradiction in the concept regarding the created, even if we assume there is a contradiction in the concept regarding the created, that does not necessarily apply to the Creator, due to the clear distinction between the Creator and the created. That is to say, if someone said, "It is not possible for the created to be above you and with you," we would say, even if we assume this is not permissible, yes, it is not permissible in the created, it does not become impossible in the case of the Creator, because the attributes of the Creator befit Him, and the attributes of the created befit them. Even though Exaltation and Presence do not conflict in the created, as I said. Have you seen if a man is on a high mountain and says to the soldiers, "Go to a distant place in the battle, very far away, and I am with you," and he has the telescope on his eyes? Yes, he looks at them from afar. Did he become with them or not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : He became with them. He became with them because he now sees them as if they are before him, while he is far away.
The student: From them.
The Shaykh : And he is far from them. So the matter is possible in the case of the created. How can it not be possible in the case of the Creator? Rather, if I said it is difficult in the case of the created, it would not be difficult in the case of the Creator, because Allah is greater and more noble. It is not possible for the attributes of the created to be... or it is not possible to compare the attributes of the Creator with the attributes of the created. Is that clear? And, if Allah wills, the Exalted, the discussion of the verses mentioned by the author will come.
The first reason is that Allah combined them in describing Himself, meaning He described Himself as All-Knowing and as being with the creation. If they had been contradictory or in conflict, it would not have been valid for Allah to describe Himself with both. Allah has combined them for Himself, and whatever Allah has combined, there is no contradiction between them. This is one reason. Is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is one reason. The second reason is that we say there is absolutely no conflict between Exaltation and Presence. There is absolutely no conflict between them, because it is possible for a thing to be high and yet be with you. A thing can be high above you and yet be with you. Among the things the Arabs say is: "The moon is with us as we travel," "The sun is with us as we travel," "The North Star is with us as we travel." And where is its location? Here?
The student: "In the heavens."
The Shaykh : It is in the sky above, and it is with you. So if the combination of Exaltation and Presence is possible in the created, then their combination in the Creator is even more so. Good.
The third reason is that we say, even if we assume there is a contradiction in the concept regarding the created, even if we assume there is a contradiction in the concept regarding the created, that does not necessarily apply to the Creator, due to the clear distinction between the Creator and the created. That is to say, if someone said, "It is not possible for the created to be above you and with you," we would say, even if we assume this is not permissible, yes, it is not permissible in the created, it does not become impossible in the case of the Creator, because the attributes of the Creator befit Him, and the attributes of the created befit them. Even though Exaltation and Presence do not conflict in the created, as I said. Have you seen if a man is on a high mountain and says to the soldiers, "Go to a distant place in the battle, very far away, and I am with you," and he has the telescope on his eyes? Yes, he looks at them from afar. Did he become with them or not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : He became with them. He became with them because he now sees them as if they are before him, while he is far away.
The student: From them.
The Shaykh : And he is far from them. So the matter is possible in the case of the created. How can it not be possible in the case of the Creator? Rather, if I said it is difficult in the case of the created, it would not be difficult in the case of the Creator, because Allah is greater and more noble. It is not possible for the attributes of the created to be... or it is not possible to compare the attributes of the Creator with the attributes of the created. Is that clear? And, if Allah wills, the Exalted, the discussion of the verses mentioned by the author will come.