What is the ruling on the statement that Allah’s presence is essential?
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Question:
This brother says: He loves you for the sake of Allah. There are those who say that it is incumbent upon you, based on your statement that texts must be taken at their apparent meaning and not interpreted figuratively, to hold that Allah’s presence is essential. However, based on your interpretation, it is incumbent upon you not to restrict the interpreters in other matters. We ask your eminence to clarify.
Answer:
May Allah love you as you have loved us for His sake. Loving one another for the sake of Allah is among the best of the means of drawing near to Him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Muwatta Malik 51:14, mentioning among them: two men who loved each other for the sake of Allah, who met on that basis and parted on that basis. And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says on the Day of Resurrection: Sahih Muslim 2566. So loving one another for the sake of Allah is among the best of the means of drawing near to Him.
As for figurative interpretation: the Salaf rejected it and criticized it, and they applied the texts according to their apparent meaning. This is a known matter, which you will find in the books of the Salaf: such as the book of Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and that of Uthman ibn Sa'id, and the book "Tawhid" by Ibn Khuzaymah, and others, from the book "Al-Hamawiyyah" and "Al-Tamimiyyah" and "Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah," and other books of the Imams.
And regarding presence: there is no figurative interpretation in it. The intended meaning of presence is the knowledge of Allah. The intended meaning is not that He is with us by His essence, mixed with people in their houses, their bathrooms, and their shops. No sane person says this; rather, it is said by the people of divine indwelling. The Salaf agreed on this, as narrated by Ibn Abd al-Barr, Abu Umar al-Talimanki, and others. The scholars agreed that the intended meaning of His saying: [Al-Hadid: 4], and [Al-Tawbah: 40], is: by His knowledge. He is not with the Prophet and the Companion in the cave, and He is not with us in our houses. He is above the Throne, Mighty and Majestic. This is not figurative interpretation, but rather an explanation of the truth which Allah clarified in His great Book, where He said: [Al-Mujadilah: 7]. So He began it with knowledge and ended it with knowledge.
So the intended meaning is that He encompasses them, knows their conditions, sees their place, and nothing is hidden from Him, Glorified and Exalted is He. As He said: : [Yunus: 61]. So He is a witness over us, and a witness over everything . And He is above the Throne, knowing us and being with us. He is above the Throne. And whoever says otherwise, that He is with the servants in their houses, in their bathrooms, in their shops, and in their tents; he is a disbeliever and misguided according to the people of the Sunnah and the community. We ask Allah for safety.
This brother says: He loves you for the sake of Allah. There are those who say that it is incumbent upon you, based on your statement that texts must be taken at their apparent meaning and not interpreted figuratively, to hold that Allah’s presence is essential. However, based on your interpretation, it is incumbent upon you not to restrict the interpreters in other matters. We ask your eminence to clarify.
Answer:
May Allah love you as you have loved us for His sake. Loving one another for the sake of Allah is among the best of the means of drawing near to Him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
There are seven whom Allah will shade in His shade on the day on which there is no shade except His shade
سبعةٌ يُظلّهم الله في ظلِّه يوم لا ظلَّ إلا ظلهWhere are those who have mutual love for My Glory's sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine.
أين المتحابُّون بجلالي؟ اليوم أُظلهم في ظلي يوم لا ظلَّ إلا ظليAs for figurative interpretation: the Salaf rejected it and criticized it, and they applied the texts according to their apparent meaning. This is a known matter, which you will find in the books of the Salaf: such as the book of Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and that of Uthman ibn Sa'id, and the book "Tawhid" by Ibn Khuzaymah, and others, from the book "Al-Hamawiyyah" and "Al-Tamimiyyah" and "Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah," and other books of the Imams.
And regarding presence: there is no figurative interpretation in it. The intended meaning of presence is the knowledge of Allah. The intended meaning is not that He is with us by His essence, mixed with people in their houses, their bathrooms, and their shops. No sane person says this; rather, it is said by the people of divine indwelling. The Salaf agreed on this, as narrated by Ibn Abd al-Barr, Abu Umar al-Talimanki, and others. The scholars agreed that the intended meaning of His saying:
And He is with you
وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْDo not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.
لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَاHave you not considered that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth? There is in no private conversation three but that He is the fourth of them, nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are. Then He will inform them of what they did, on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is, of all things, Knowing.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَا أَدْنَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا عَمِلُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌSo the intended meaning is that He encompasses them, knows their conditions, sees their place, and nothing is hidden from Him, Glorified and Exalted is He. As He said: :
And, [O Muhammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it
وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِنْ قُرْآنٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.