(A Refutation of Al-'Alaf, a Follower of the Jahmiyyah, Who Claims That the Succession of Events in Motions Is Impossible Without the Existence of Entities) and the Softening of Al-'Alaf by His Followers***
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The Shaykh : So a man came, and he is Al-'Alaf, and he is like his name, a groomer. He said: "No, I do not say that the succession is prevented, but what is prevented is the succession of motions. As for the entities, they remain. The entities remain, so Paradise and Hell remain, and their inhabitants remain, but their motions perish. They become like stones; they become like stones." Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Well, what is the state of the one who used to visit his wife when the motion of the animal ceases? If it becomes, as you said, at the annihilation of motions, and he is upon his wife, upon a maiden from the maidens of Paradise, and... the Day of Resurrection has occurred, the inevitable has happened, and the motions have become invalid... he and she, both of them. So say it: No? Or yes?"
The student: No.
The Shaykh : According to his doctrine? They remain. A man and his wife remain in a state of contact until infinity. This is one point.
"And likewise, what is the state of the one whose hand*** was raised with a morsel from a plate and a tray
So the movements stopped before they reached *** the mouth when the teeth opened.
There is a table in front of him, and he is eating. So when he raised the morsel, the motions became invalid... So the one who says this asks: Until when? Until infinity. This is valid; the succession in it is not prevented, and there is no obstacle. And this poor man remains; the morsel did not reach his mouth, nor is it on the plate and the tray. Well, thirdly:
"And likewise, what is the state of the one whose hand*** extended to a cluster of the date palm
So the movements stopped before the taking.
How?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : The cluster, the clusters, the clusters of the date palm. Yes, the date palm does not have clusters? Well, and likewise the fruit of the grape and others are like it. This is one example. Suppose he desired to eat a pomegranate. There are pomegranates in Paradise, and there are date palms, or not? Well, he extends his hand to take a pomegranate, and the motions cease. Does he remain like this or not? According to his opinion, he remains like this. Until when? Until the Day of Resurrection. It is not valid until the Day of Resurrection, until infinity... He says, "I do not say that the entities perish." Look, this is called softening in order to combine the statement of the people of the Sunnah and the statement of the Jahmiyyah. He said, "With the consent of both parties, I say that the entities remain and the motions perish." The correct view is that when a person reflects on this statement, just as Ibn al-Qayyim said, he laughs for free, without compensation, with the laugh of an ignorant fool. Yes, without compensation. Correct. Meaning, who walks in the market wanting to laugh? Who wants to laugh? Who wants to laugh? And what do we say to him? We say, "Tell him the statement of Al-'Alaf and describe the matter to him in reality, and see if he laughs or not." Well.
The questioner : Who is Al-'Alaf?
The Shaykh : Al-'Alaf is a man from the Mu'tazilah. From those who say... What is Al-'Alaf? You will translate it for us, if Allah wills, in the next lesson. Bring its translation, if Allah wills. And refer to *Al-A'lam* by al-Zarkali, because he mentions it; he mentions this. Well.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : According to his doctrine? They remain. A man and his wife remain in a state of contact until infinity. This is one point.
"And likewise, what is the state of the one whose hand*** was raised with a morsel from a plate and a tray
So the movements stopped before they reached *** the mouth when the teeth opened.
There is a table in front of him, and he is eating. So when he raised the morsel, the motions became invalid... So the one who says this asks: Until when? Until infinity. This is valid; the succession in it is not prevented, and there is no obstacle. And this poor man remains; the morsel did not reach his mouth, nor is it on the plate and the tray. Well, thirdly:
"And likewise, what is the state of the one whose hand*** extended to a cluster of the date palm
So the movements stopped before the taking.
How?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : The cluster, the clusters, the clusters of the date palm. Yes, the date palm does not have clusters? Well, and likewise the fruit of the grape and others are like it. This is one example. Suppose he desired to eat a pomegranate. There are pomegranates in Paradise, and there are date palms, or not? Well, he extends his hand to take a pomegranate, and the motions cease. Does he remain like this or not? According to his opinion, he remains like this. Until when? Until the Day of Resurrection. It is not valid until the Day of Resurrection, until infinity... He says, "I do not say that the entities perish." Look, this is called softening in order to combine the statement of the people of the Sunnah and the statement of the Jahmiyyah. He said, "With the consent of both parties, I say that the entities remain and the motions perish." The correct view is that when a person reflects on this statement, just as Ibn al-Qayyim said, he laughs for free, without compensation, with the laugh of an ignorant fool. Yes, without compensation. Correct. Meaning, who walks in the market wanting to laugh? Who wants to laugh? Who wants to laugh? And what do we say to him? We say, "Tell him the statement of Al-'Alaf and describe the matter to him in reality, and see if he laughs or not." Well.
The questioner : Who is Al-'Alaf?
The Shaykh : Al-'Alaf is a man from the Mu'tazilah. From those who say... What is Al-'Alaf? You will translate it for us, if Allah wills, in the next lesson. Bring its translation, if Allah wills. And refer to *Al-A'lam* by al-Zarkali, because he mentions it; he mentions this. Well.