Commentary on the poet’s statement: “The Most Merciful is sanctified, Exalted and Majestic is He, *** from them and from the limbs of one who has a body.” And is it permissible to apply the term “limb” to Allah?
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The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“The Most Merciful is sanctified, Exalted and Majestic is He, *** from them”
This means from these necessary attributes, and He is also sanctified from the limbs of one who has a body. The author’s (may Allah have mercy on him) statement here is misleading, which is certainly not his intended meaning. Because his saying: “from the limbs of one who has a body” includes the face, the hand, the eye, the foot, and the leg, for these are among the limbs of one who has a body. Is Allah free from these? If we look at the apparent meaning of the author’s words, we would say that it indicates that. But because we know the author’s position and that he affirms these attributes for Allah (Mighty and Majestic)—the face, the eye, the hand, the leg, and the foot—knowing this as we know the sun in the fourth hour of the day, we know that he did not intend to deny this of Allah. Rather, he intended to deny the specific characteristics of these limbs as they pertain to humans. The specific characteristics of these limbs as they pertain to humans allow them to be separated from his body and to be diminished, is that not so? But the hand, the leg, the foot, and the eye as they pertain to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), is it permissible for them to be in this state or not? It is never permissible. For this reason, the scholars said: It is not permissible to say of the hand of Allah that it is a part of Allah, because a part is that which can be separated from the whole. And this is impossible with regard to Allah. For this reason, we find the precision of the expression of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) where he said in *al-Tadmuriyyah*: “Among the attributes of Allah are some that are meanings, and their referents are limbs as far as we are concerned”. Look, may Allah have mercy on him, their referents are limbs as far as we are concerned, such as the hand; its referent as far as we are concerned is a limb among the limbs. But as far as Allah is concerned, what do you say? Is it a limb among the limbs of Allah? No, by no means. Nor is it a part of Him, nor a portion of Him. Rather, you say: These are attributes established for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a true sense. Their referents as far as we are concerned are parts, portions, and limbs, but as far as Allah is concerned, that is not applied to them. And our brother is sleeping, I think.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : All right, did you understand? May Allah reward you. So, the statement of Ibn al-Qayyim must be understood as referring to what? To the limbs of one who has a body, or one who has a body, specifically the characteristics of these limbs, which are the permissibility of their separation from the whole. The limbs of a human being, the limbs of humans, it is permissible for them to be separated from the whole. But as for these names or these attributes as they pertain to Allah.
“The Most Merciful is sanctified, Exalted and Majestic is He, *** from them”
This means from these necessary attributes, and He is also sanctified from the limbs of one who has a body. The author’s (may Allah have mercy on him) statement here is misleading, which is certainly not his intended meaning. Because his saying: “from the limbs of one who has a body” includes the face, the hand, the eye, the foot, and the leg, for these are among the limbs of one who has a body. Is Allah free from these? If we look at the apparent meaning of the author’s words, we would say that it indicates that. But because we know the author’s position and that he affirms these attributes for Allah (Mighty and Majestic)—the face, the eye, the hand, the leg, and the foot—knowing this as we know the sun in the fourth hour of the day, we know that he did not intend to deny this of Allah. Rather, he intended to deny the specific characteristics of these limbs as they pertain to humans. The specific characteristics of these limbs as they pertain to humans allow them to be separated from his body and to be diminished, is that not so? But the hand, the leg, the foot, and the eye as they pertain to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), is it permissible for them to be in this state or not? It is never permissible. For this reason, the scholars said: It is not permissible to say of the hand of Allah that it is a part of Allah, because a part is that which can be separated from the whole. And this is impossible with regard to Allah. For this reason, we find the precision of the expression of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) where he said in *al-Tadmuriyyah*: “Among the attributes of Allah are some that are meanings, and their referents are limbs as far as we are concerned”. Look, may Allah have mercy on him, their referents are limbs as far as we are concerned, such as the hand; its referent as far as we are concerned is a limb among the limbs. But as far as Allah is concerned, what do you say? Is it a limb among the limbs of Allah? No, by no means. Nor is it a part of Him, nor a portion of Him. Rather, you say: These are attributes established for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a true sense. Their referents as far as we are concerned are parts, portions, and limbs, but as far as Allah is concerned, that is not applied to them. And our brother is sleeping, I think.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : All right, did you understand? May Allah reward you. So, the statement of Ibn al-Qayyim must be understood as referring to what? To the limbs of one who has a body, or one who has a body, specifically the characteristics of these limbs, which are the permissibility of their separation from the whole. The limbs of a human being, the limbs of humans, it is permissible for them to be separated from the whole. But as for these names or these attributes as they pertain to Allah.