Explanation of the author's statement: Then Allah wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of creation, so the first thing Allah created was the Pen (He said to it: Write.
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The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Then He wrote"
This is the second level.
So we must believe that Allah is All-Knowing of what? Of what we are doing, with prior, eternal, everlasting knowledge. He did not ignore what He knew of us, and He will not forget what He knew of us. For this reason, Allah reminds His servant on the Day of Resurrection when He is alone with him, saying: You did such and such on such and such a day, until the person believes in that.
Okay. - Be patient - Is it time for questions?
The student: Five minutes.
The Shaykh : Huh? I mean, you didn't alert us, what?
The student: I said the second level.
The Shaykh : No. This is the second thing of the first level. So the first level includes two things: knowledge and writing. Allah wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of everything.
As for the Preserved Tablet, we are not required to know its nature, what this Tablet is made of, whether it is wood, iron, gold, silver, or emerald; we have no concern with that. We only believe that there is a Tablet in which Allah wrote what? The measures of everything, and we have no right to inquire beyond that. But if the Book and the Sunnah contain something indicating this, it is obligatory for us to believe in it. Okay, the Preserved Tablet is described as such because it is preserved from the hands of creation; hands do not reach it, so no one can add anything to it or change anything in it.
Second: it is preserved from change, so Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not change anything in it, because it was written based on His knowledge, as the author will mention. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Indeed, what is written in the Preserved Tablet does not change ever", and change only occurs in the books in the hands of the angels. Change may occur in those. As for the Preserved Tablet, it is preserved in accordance with its name. Okay.
"He wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of everything" Huh? Huh? "the measures of creation" means the measures of all created things.
The apparent meaning of the texts is that it includes what a person does and what animals do, and that it is general and comprehensive.
But is this writing general or detailed? This
We may say, a person may say: We do not assert that it is detailed or general.
For example: The Noble Qur'an: Is it written in the Preserved Tablet, written in the Preserved Tablet with these verses and letters, or is what is written in the Tablet its mention and that it will be revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and will be light and guidance for people, and the like? Huh?
There is a possibility: If we look at the apparent meaning of the texts, we say that their apparent meaning is that everything is written in general and in detail. And if we look at the fact that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) speaks the Qur'an when it is revealed, we say that what was written in the Preserved Tablet is the mention of the Qur'an, and it is not necessary that because it is in the Preserved Tablet that it was written in it. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said about the Qur'an:[Ash-Shu'ara 26:196], meaning: it was written in the books of the former ones.
So is the Qur'an present in its text in the Torah? Huh? No, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, but its mention is present. We can say similarly to His saying:[Al-Buruj 85:21-22], meaning: its mention is in this Tablet.
In any case, the important thing is that we believe that the measures of creation are written in the Preserved Tablet, and that this Tablet does not change what is written in it, because Allah commanded it to write what is to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and Allah knows best.
Belief in divine decree is on two levels: each level includes two things, and what obligated the author (may Allah have mercy on him) to divide it this way is the disagreement regarding these levels.
We have finished the first thing of the first level.
As for the second thing, he said: "Then Allah wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of creation" We have previously spoken about the Preserved Tablet, and that we do not ask about the nature of this Tablet, nor about its how and its attribute, and what concerns us about it is that it is a Tablet in which Allah wrote the measures of creation.
He said: "So the first thing Allah created was the Pen, He said to it: Write" He commanded it to write, even though the Pen is inanimate.
So how is address directed to an inanimate object?!
And the answer to that is simple: that the inanimate object, in relation to Allah, is rational, and it is valid to direct address to it. Allah the Exalted said:[Fussilat 41:11]. So He directed address to them. And He mentioned their response.
And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Anbya 21:69]. So they were so.
And Allah the Exalted said:[Saba 34:10]
Moreover, address to an inanimate object may occur even from a created being. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, when he kissed the Black Stone:Sahih al-Bukhari 1597 But it is not necessary that 'Umar's address be understood by the stone; it is not necessary that the stone understand it.
Okay, and Abu Bakr entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death while he was covered, so he uncovered his face and kissed him, and said:Musnad Ahmad 18Sahih lighairihi - Sahih because of corroborating evidence (Darussalam) So he addressed him while he was dead.
So this is by way of metaphor sometimes, or by way of the addressed thing being as if it is rational and understands, meaning that it is placed in the position of a rational being.
And among that is that Musa (peace be upon him) struck the stone when he fled with his garment; the story is probably known to you. Huh?
The Children of Israel used to say that Musa was impotent; impotent means having large testicles, and it is a defect, because he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to bathe while covered, and they used to bathe naked, naked, so they said this about him. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wanted to show them that what they said was a lie and slander. So one day he entered to bathe and placed his garment on a stone, and the stone fled with the garment, and Musa kept following it, saying: My garment, O stone! My garment, O stone! But it had fled with it until it reached the assembly of the Children of Israel, and they saw that Musa (peace be upon him) was sound. Then the stone stopped, so he took his garment, and he kept striking the stone (peace be upon him), placing it in the position of a rational being, because it did the action of a rational being. Okay, the important thing is that Allah commanded the Pen to write, and address to an inanimate object from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is valid and explicit, because the inanimate object, in relation to Allah, is rational. Did the Pen comply or not? It complied, but it was confused for it, because the speech was general: Write. It said: meaning: What shall I write? We hear and obey, but what shall I write?
He said:Mishkat al-Masabih 5936 Look how, Glory to Allah the Great! How did the Pen know what will happen until the Day of Resurrection, so it wrote it, because the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not rejected; it has no refutation. He commanded it to write, so it wrote what is to happen until the Day of Resurrection.
The author said: "So what strikes a person was not to miss him, and what missed him was not to strike him".
If you believe in this phrase, you will be at peace. What strikes a person was never to miss him, ever.
And the meaning of "what strikes". Is the intended meaning what was decreed to strike him, or what actually struck him? Yes? There are two opinions, or there are two possibilities: It is possible that the meaning is: what was decreed to strike him, then it will not miss him. And it is possible that what actually struck him cannot be missed, even if a person wishes and says: If only I had done, if only I had done, it is not possible that it would miss him. And if you believe in that and that what struck you was not to miss you, you will be at peace with calamities, and you will not say: If only, or I wish. Okay.
"And what missed him was not to strike him". Okay, what missed him means what was decreed to miss him, then it was not to strike him. And the meaning is not: what actually missed him, because what actually missed him is known to be not striking. But.
This is the second level.
So we must believe that Allah is All-Knowing of what? Of what we are doing, with prior, eternal, everlasting knowledge. He did not ignore what He knew of us, and He will not forget what He knew of us. For this reason, Allah reminds His servant on the Day of Resurrection when He is alone with him, saying: You did such and such on such and such a day, until the person believes in that.
Okay. - Be patient - Is it time for questions?
The student: Five minutes.
The Shaykh : Huh? I mean, you didn't alert us, what?
The student: I said the second level.
The Shaykh : No. This is the second thing of the first level. So the first level includes two things: knowledge and writing. Allah wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of everything.
As for the Preserved Tablet, we are not required to know its nature, what this Tablet is made of, whether it is wood, iron, gold, silver, or emerald; we have no concern with that. We only believe that there is a Tablet in which Allah wrote what? The measures of everything, and we have no right to inquire beyond that. But if the Book and the Sunnah contain something indicating this, it is obligatory for us to believe in it. Okay, the Preserved Tablet is described as such because it is preserved from the hands of creation; hands do not reach it, so no one can add anything to it or change anything in it.
Second: it is preserved from change, so Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not change anything in it, because it was written based on His knowledge, as the author will mention. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Indeed, what is written in the Preserved Tablet does not change ever", and change only occurs in the books in the hands of the angels. Change may occur in those. As for the Preserved Tablet, it is preserved in accordance with its name. Okay.
"He wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of everything" Huh? Huh? "the measures of creation" means the measures of all created things.
The apparent meaning of the texts is that it includes what a person does and what animals do, and that it is general and comprehensive.
But is this writing general or detailed? This
We may say, a person may say: We do not assert that it is detailed or general.
For example: The Noble Qur'an: Is it written in the Preserved Tablet, written in the Preserved Tablet with these verses and letters, or is what is written in the Tablet its mention and that it will be revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and will be light and guidance for people, and the like? Huh?
There is a possibility: If we look at the apparent meaning of the texts, we say that their apparent meaning is that everything is written in general and in detail. And if we look at the fact that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) speaks the Qur'an when it is revealed, we say that what was written in the Preserved Tablet is the mention of the Qur'an, and it is not necessary that because it is in the Preserved Tablet that it was written in it. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said about the Qur'an:
And indeed, it is [mentioned] in the scriptures of former peoples.
وَإِنَّهُ لَفِي زُبُرِ الْأَوَّلِينَSo is the Qur'an present in its text in the Torah? Huh? No, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, but its mention is present. We can say similarly to His saying:
(21) But this is an honored Qur'an (22) [Inscribed] in a Preserved Slate.
بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ * فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍIn any case, the important thing is that we believe that the measures of creation are written in the Preserved Tablet, and that this Tablet does not change what is written in it, because Allah commanded it to write what is to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and Allah knows best.
Belief in divine decree is on two levels: each level includes two things, and what obligated the author (may Allah have mercy on him) to divide it this way is the disagreement regarding these levels.
We have finished the first thing of the first level.
As for the second thing, he said: "Then Allah wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of creation" We have previously spoken about the Preserved Tablet, and that we do not ask about the nature of this Tablet, nor about its how and its attribute, and what concerns us about it is that it is a Tablet in which Allah wrote the measures of creation.
He said: "So the first thing Allah created was the Pen, He said to it: Write" He commanded it to write, even though the Pen is inanimate.
So how is address directed to an inanimate object?!
And the answer to that is simple: that the inanimate object, in relation to Allah, is rational, and it is valid to direct address to it. Allah the Exalted said:
Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly."
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ائْتِيَا طَوْعاً أَوْ كَرْهاً قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَAnd Allah the Exalted said:
Allah said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham."
قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْداً وَسَلاماً عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَAnd Allah the Exalted said:
O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well].
يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَMoreover, address to an inanimate object may occur even from a created being. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, when he kissed the Black Stone:
No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kissing you I would not have kissed you.
إني لأعلم أنك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع، ولولا أني رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبلك ما قبلتكOkay, and Abu Bakr entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death while he was covered, so he uncovered his face and kissed him, and said:
May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; how good you look in life and in death
بأبي أنت وأمي ما أطيبك حيا وميتاSo this is by way of metaphor sometimes, or by way of the addressed thing being as if it is rational and understands, meaning that it is placed in the position of a rational being.
And among that is that Musa (peace be upon him) struck the stone when he fled with his garment; the story is probably known to you. Huh?
The Children of Israel used to say that Musa was impotent; impotent means having large testicles, and it is a defect, because he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to bathe while covered, and they used to bathe naked, naked, so they said this about him. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wanted to show them that what they said was a lie and slander. So one day he entered to bathe and placed his garment on a stone, and the stone fled with the garment, and Musa kept following it, saying: My garment, O stone! My garment, O stone! But it had fled with it until it reached the assembly of the Children of Israel, and they saw that Musa (peace be upon him) was sound. Then the stone stopped, so he took his garment, and he kept striking the stone (peace be upon him), placing it in the position of a rational being, because it did the action of a rational being. Okay, the important thing is that Allah commanded the Pen to write, and address to an inanimate object from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is valid and explicit, because the inanimate object, in relation to Allah, is rational. Did the Pen comply or not? It complied, but it was confused for it, because the speech was general: Write. It said:
What shall I write?
ما أكتب؟He said:
He informed us of what is to happen up to the day of resurrection
اكتب ما هو كائن إلى يوم القيامةThe author said: "So what strikes a person was not to miss him, and what missed him was not to strike him".
If you believe in this phrase, you will be at peace. What strikes a person was never to miss him, ever.
And the meaning of "what strikes". Is the intended meaning what was decreed to strike him, or what actually struck him? Yes? There are two opinions, or there are two possibilities: It is possible that the meaning is: what was decreed to strike him, then it will not miss him. And it is possible that what actually struck him cannot be missed, even if a person wishes and says: If only I had done, if only I had done, it is not possible that it would miss him. And if you believe in that and that what struck you was not to miss you, you will be at peace with calamities, and you will not say: If only, or I wish. Okay.
"And what missed him was not to strike him". Okay, what missed him means what was decreed to miss him, then it was not to strike him. And the meaning is not: what actually missed him, because what actually missed him is known to be not striking. But.