Explaining that denying speech of Allah entails describing Him with a defect, which is muteness
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : This is also another argument that if the attribute of speech is denied, the attribute of perfection is denied. It has been established that speech is perfection. Therefore, if the attribute of speech is denied, the attribute of perfection is denied. This is because if speech is denied, muteness takes its place. Is muteness perfection or a defect?
The student: Decrease.
The Shaykh : It is a defect. So, if you say that Allah does not speak, you have described Him with a defect. They respond to this by saying: The denial of the attribute of speech is a defect only if the subject is capable of it. If the subject is not capable of it, then denying speech of it is not considered a defect. For example, if you say, "The wall does not speak," that is not considered a defect in the wall. Why? Because it is not capable of speech. So, if it is not capable of it, denying speech of it is not a defect. In fact, if you said, "The wall does not speak," people would laugh at you and say, "How can you say the wall does not speak? This is a known fact. Say instead that the wall has no cracks. That would be correct, right? Yes. But if you came to us and said, 'People, I am telling you something,' and we said, 'Go ahead,' and you said, 'The wall does not speak,' we would say, 'May Allah open your mind. Who told you that the wall speaks? The wall does not speak in the first place.' They say: If you say that Allah does not speak, there is no flaw or defect in Allah. Why? Because Allah is not capable of being attributed with speech. So, denying the attribute of speech of Him is like denying the attribute of speech of the wall.
Glory be to Allah. That means they equated the wall's capacity for speech with Allah's capacity for speech. Look, we seek refuge in Allah. Evil is not repelled by evil. He (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"If you claim that this is in the one *** who is capable from the species of living beings"
Meaning: The denial of speech is a defect if it is denied from one who is capable of it among living beings. Is that clear or not? Good.
"And the Lord is not capable of the attribute of speech *** so its denial contains no defect"
This is their speech, and it is undoubtedly a deception. If they say that denying speech of a thing is a defect if it is capable of it, and if it is not capable of it, it is not a defect, and the Lord is not capable of speech, then denying speech of Him is not a defect. Good, give an example. He says: Like the wall. If you say it does not speak, that is not a defect in the wall, because it does not speak in the first place. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says, if you say this:
"It is said: Denying His speech and His capacity *** for the attribute of speech is more complete in defect"
Meaning: If you say He is not capable of speaking, it becomes a greater defect than if you said He is capable of speech but did not speak. Is that correct or not? Because the one who is not capable of perfection at all is less than the one who is capable of speech but did not have the perfection. Is that correct or not? There is no doubt. Meaning, if you say He is not capable of perfection, He is not worthy of being perfect. Unlike if you said He is worthy of perfection but it was denied to Him for some reason. For example, the blind man is more perfect than the wall, because he is capable of sight, and the wall is not capable of sight. And the one who is capable of perfection is more perfect than the one who is not capable of perfection. No doubt, everyone knows this. Is that clear, O guidance of Allah? Good.
"It is said to them: Denying His speech and His capacity *** for the attribute of perfection is more complete in defect" Then he gave an example, saying:
"For the mute human is in a more perfect state *** than this inanimate object with the clearest proof"
The mute human is more perfect than the wall, because the mute human is capable of speech, which is an attribute of perfection, and the wall is not capable at all, no matter what you say, it cannot be capable. So, he does not respond to this that on the Day of Resurrection
The student: Decrease.
The Shaykh : It is a defect. So, if you say that Allah does not speak, you have described Him with a defect. They respond to this by saying: The denial of the attribute of speech is a defect only if the subject is capable of it. If the subject is not capable of it, then denying speech of it is not considered a defect. For example, if you say, "The wall does not speak," that is not considered a defect in the wall. Why? Because it is not capable of speech. So, if it is not capable of it, denying speech of it is not a defect. In fact, if you said, "The wall does not speak," people would laugh at you and say, "How can you say the wall does not speak? This is a known fact. Say instead that the wall has no cracks. That would be correct, right? Yes. But if you came to us and said, 'People, I am telling you something,' and we said, 'Go ahead,' and you said, 'The wall does not speak,' we would say, 'May Allah open your mind. Who told you that the wall speaks? The wall does not speak in the first place.' They say: If you say that Allah does not speak, there is no flaw or defect in Allah. Why? Because Allah is not capable of being attributed with speech. So, denying the attribute of speech of Him is like denying the attribute of speech of the wall.
Glory be to Allah. That means they equated the wall's capacity for speech with Allah's capacity for speech. Look, we seek refuge in Allah. Evil is not repelled by evil. He (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"If you claim that this is in the one *** who is capable from the species of living beings"
Meaning: The denial of speech is a defect if it is denied from one who is capable of it among living beings. Is that clear or not? Good.
"And the Lord is not capable of the attribute of speech *** so its denial contains no defect"
This is their speech, and it is undoubtedly a deception. If they say that denying speech of a thing is a defect if it is capable of it, and if it is not capable of it, it is not a defect, and the Lord is not capable of speech, then denying speech of Him is not a defect. Good, give an example. He says: Like the wall. If you say it does not speak, that is not a defect in the wall, because it does not speak in the first place. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says, if you say this:
"It is said: Denying His speech and His capacity *** for the attribute of speech is more complete in defect"
Meaning: If you say He is not capable of speaking, it becomes a greater defect than if you said He is capable of speech but did not speak. Is that correct or not? Because the one who is not capable of perfection at all is less than the one who is capable of speech but did not have the perfection. Is that correct or not? There is no doubt. Meaning, if you say He is not capable of perfection, He is not worthy of being perfect. Unlike if you said He is worthy of perfection but it was denied to Him for some reason. For example, the blind man is more perfect than the wall, because he is capable of sight, and the wall is not capable of sight. And the one who is capable of perfection is more perfect than the one who is not capable of perfection. No doubt, everyone knows this. Is that clear, O guidance of Allah? Good.
"It is said to them: Denying His speech and His capacity *** for the attribute of perfection is more complete in defect" Then he gave an example, saying:
"For the mute human is in a more perfect state *** than this inanimate object with the clearest proof"
The mute human is more perfect than the wall, because the mute human is capable of speech, which is an attribute of perfection, and the wall is not capable at all, no matter what you say, it cannot be capable. So, he does not respond to this that on the Day of Resurrection