Explanation of the author's statement: "And faith in the divine decree consists of two levels, each level containing two things"
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "And faith in the divine decree consists of two levels, each level containing two things".
The author divided it this way because of the disagreement, for the disagreement regarding the divine decree does not encompass all its ranks. The author divided it into these ranks, which he called levels, in order to clarify the disagreement in this great chapter, for the chapter of the divine decree is one of the most difficult chapters of knowledge and religion for people. The dispute over it has existed since the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), but it is not difficult when one seeks the truth.
"The first level: faith that Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of what the creation will do". You must believe that Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of what the creation will do. The author did not mention that Allah is All-Knowing of what He Himself does, because there is no disagreement on this issue, neither among the Jabriyyah, the Qadariyyah, the people of the Sunnah, nor anyone else, that Allah is All-Knowing of His own actions. There is no disagreement on this, and the author did not mention it; he only mentioned what is disputed, which is: does Allah know what the creation will do, or does He not know it until it occurs from them?
We say: It is obligatory for us to believe that Allah is All-Knowing of it with His ancient knowledge by which He is described from eternity past and eternity future.
"Ancient" in their terminology means that which has no beginning to its start, meaning that He has always been, in the past times that have no end, All-Knowing of what the creation will do. This is unlike "ancient" in the linguistic sense, where it may refer to something that is old relatively, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ya-Sin 36:39], because the palm stalk is not ancient in an absolute sense; it is old relative to what comes after it, not from eternity.
So Allah the Exalted is described as being All-Knowing of what the creation will do with His ancient, eternal knowledge that has no beginning. He, (Exalted and Majestic is He), knows that this person will do such and such on such and such a day in such and such a place with His ancient, primordial knowledge. We must believe in this.
The evidence for this is from the Book, the Sunnah, and reason.
As for the Book: How numerous are the verses that contain the generality of Allah's knowledge! For example:[Al-Baqarah 2:282] [An-Nisa 4:32] [Ghafir 40:7] [At-Talaq 65:12], and other verses too numerous to count.
Good. I meant in the Sunnah, not other than the Sunnah.
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that and everything has ended.
As for reason: We say that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, indicated this in His Book when He said:[Al-Mulk 67:14]. [Al-Mulk 67:14].
If I say that Allah created man and created his actions, because actions are an attribute of man, and the attribute follows the one who possesses it, following the one who possesses it, then if the action is created, the doer must necessarily be created. Is it possible for this thing to be created by Allah, and for Allah to have known that He will create it at a specific time in a specific place, yet be ignorant of it? No. For this reason, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:[Al-Mulk 67:14] How can Allah be the Creator of this thing if He did not know it? This is impossible.
So the Book, the Sunnah, reason, and the consensus of the Salaf all indicate that Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of what the creation will do with His eternal knowledge.
The author said: "by which He is described from eternity past and eternity future". In His being described with it from eternity past, ignorance is negated, and in His being described with it from eternity future, forgetfulness is negated.
Therefore, the knowledge of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is not preceded by ignorance nor followed by forgetfulness, as Musa (peace be upon him) said to Pharaoh:[Taha 20:52], unlike the knowledge of the created, for the knowledge of the created is preceded by ignorance and followed by forgetfulness. Good, so it is obligatory for you to believe that Allah is All-Knowing of what the creation are doing. Do you say with new knowledge or with prior knowledge? Ah? With prior knowledge by which He is described from eternity past and eternity future.
He said: "and His knowledge of all their states, including their acts of obedience, their sins, their sustenance, and their lifespans". Yes. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has known all their states, including their acts of obedience, their sins, their sustenance, and their lifespans. For this reason, He says to the angel when he blows the spirit into the fetus in the womb of its mother:Sahih al-Bukhari 7454.
So Allah is All-Knowing of this before He creates the human being.
So our obedience is known to Allah, our sins are known to Allah, our sustenance is known to Him, and our lifespans are known to Him.
If a person dies due to a known cause or an unknown cause, it is known to Allah and nothing is hidden from Him. This is unlike the knowledge of a person regarding his lifespan, which is not realized. None of us knows his lifespan, does not know where he will die, nor when he will die. The first one?
The student: Regarding the place.
The Shaykh : And the second?
The student: Regarding the time.
The Shaykh : And the second is regarding the time, and he does not know by what cause he will die, correct? Nor does he know in what state he will die; he may die upon faith and he may die upon disbelief. We ask Allah for steadfastness for you and for us. So the human being is ignorant with absolute ignorance in this state, whereas Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is All-Knowing of it with complete knowledge, and nothing is hidden from Him.
The author divided it this way because of the disagreement, for the disagreement regarding the divine decree does not encompass all its ranks. The author divided it into these ranks, which he called levels, in order to clarify the disagreement in this great chapter, for the chapter of the divine decree is one of the most difficult chapters of knowledge and religion for people. The dispute over it has existed since the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), but it is not difficult when one seeks the truth.
"The first level: faith that Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of what the creation will do". You must believe that Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of what the creation will do. The author did not mention that Allah is All-Knowing of what He Himself does, because there is no disagreement on this issue, neither among the Jabriyyah, the Qadariyyah, the people of the Sunnah, nor anyone else, that Allah is All-Knowing of His own actions. There is no disagreement on this, and the author did not mention it; he only mentioned what is disputed, which is: does Allah know what the creation will do, or does He not know it until it occurs from them?
We say: It is obligatory for us to believe that Allah is All-Knowing of it with His ancient knowledge by which He is described from eternity past and eternity future.
"Ancient" in their terminology means that which has no beginning to its start, meaning that He has always been, in the past times that have no end, All-Knowing of what the creation will do. This is unlike "ancient" in the linguistic sense, where it may refer to something that is old relatively, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
until it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk.
حَتَّى عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ الْقَدِيمِSo Allah the Exalted is described as being All-Knowing of what the creation will do with His ancient, eternal knowledge that has no beginning. He, (Exalted and Majestic is He), knows that this person will do such and such on such and such a day in such and such a place with His ancient, primordial knowledge. We must believe in this.
The evidence for this is from the Book, the Sunnah, and reason.
As for the Book: How numerous are the verses that contain the generality of Allah's knowledge! For example:
And Allah is Knowing of all things.
والله بكل شيء عليمIndeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيماًOur Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge
رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْماًso you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.
لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وأن الله قد أحاط بكل شيء علماGood. I meant in the Sunnah, not other than the Sunnah.
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that
What has befallen a person was not to miss him, and what missed him was not to befall him, and that the pens have dried up and the scrolls have been folded
ما أصاب الإنسان لم يكن ليخطئه، وما أخطأه لم يكن ليصيبه، وأن الأقلام قد جفت وطويت الصحفAs for reason: We say that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, indicated this in His Book when He said:
Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?
أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُDoes He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?
أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُIf I say that Allah created man and created his actions, because actions are an attribute of man, and the attribute follows the one who possesses it, following the one who possesses it, then if the action is created, the doer must necessarily be created. Is it possible for this thing to be created by Allah, and for Allah to have known that He will create it at a specific time in a specific place, yet be ignorant of it? No. For this reason, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?
أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُSo the Book, the Sunnah, reason, and the consensus of the Salaf all indicate that Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of what the creation will do with His eternal knowledge.
The author said: "by which He is described from eternity past and eternity future". In His being described with it from eternity past, ignorance is negated, and in His being described with it from eternity future, forgetfulness is negated.
Therefore, the knowledge of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is not preceded by ignorance nor followed by forgetfulness, as Musa (peace be upon him) said to Pharaoh:
[Moses] said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets."
عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي فِي كِتَابٍ لا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلا يَنْسَىHe said: "and His knowledge of all their states, including their acts of obedience, their sins, their sustenance, and their lifespans". Yes. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has known all their states, including their acts of obedience, their sins, their sustenance, and their lifespans. For this reason, He says to the angel when he blows the spirit into the fetus in the womb of its mother:
his livelihood, his (date of) death, his deeds, and whether he will be a wretched one or a blessed one
اكتب رزقه وأجله وعمله وشقي أم سعيدSo Allah is All-Knowing of this before He creates the human being.
So our obedience is known to Allah, our sins are known to Allah, our sustenance is known to Him, and our lifespans are known to Him.
If a person dies due to a known cause or an unknown cause, it is known to Allah and nothing is hidden from Him. This is unlike the knowledge of a person regarding his lifespan, which is not realized. None of us knows his lifespan, does not know where he will die, nor when he will die. The first one?
The student: Regarding the place.
The Shaykh : And the second?
The student: Regarding the time.
The Shaykh : And the second is regarding the time, and he does not know by what cause he will die, correct? Nor does he know in what state he will die; he may die upon faith and he may die upon disbelief. We ask Allah for steadfastness for you and for us. So the human being is ignorant with absolute ignorance in this state, whereas Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is All-Knowing of it with complete knowledge, and nothing is hidden from Him.