The Method of the Salaf in Affirming the Attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)
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And the first message in this episode came from the listener Saleh al-Abd al-Aziz al-Muhammad al-Tawalah from al-Zulfi. Brother Saleh says in his message: I read in *Riyad al-Salihin*, with the verification of Sayyid 'Alawi al-Maliki and Mahmud Amin al-Nawawi, a sacred hadith that touches upon the hurrying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The hadith is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he reports from his Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) , saying: Sahih al-Bukhari 7536 Al-Bukhari narrated it.
So the two commentators said in their commentary on it: This is from the category of likening and depicting the intelligible with the tangible to increase its clarification. Its meaning is: that whoever does something of obedience, even if little, Allah will reward him with multiples of it and do good to him with much. Otherwise, the definitive proofs have established that there is no tangible nearness, walking, or hurrying from Allah (Exalted is He) regarding the attributes of the innovators. Is what they said about walking and hurrying in agreement with what the Salaf of the Ummah said regarding affirming the attributes of Allah and passing them over as they came? And if there are proofs indicating that there is no walking or hurrying, we ask you to clarify them, and success is from Allah?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his companions, and whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows: There is no doubt that the aforementioned hadith is authentic. It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:: "Whoever mentions me to himself, I will mention him to myself, and whoever mentions me in a gathering, I will mention him in a gathering better than theirs. Whoever draws near to Me a hand's span, I will draw near to him an arm's length. Whoever draws near to Me an arm's length, I will draw near to him a cubit. And whoever comes to Me walking, I will come to him running". This authentic hadith indicates the greatness of the favor of Allah , and that He is more generous with good toward His servants than they are in their deeds and their hastening to good and righteous work. There is no objection to taking the hadith at its apparent meaning, following the path of the righteous Salaf. The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and did not object to it, nor did they ask about it, nor did they interpret it figuratively. They were the elite of the Ummah and the best of it, and they were the most knowledgeable of people regarding the Arabic language, and the most knowledgeable of people regarding what befits Allah and what befits being denied of Allah .
So what is obligatory in such a case is to receive it with acceptance and to interpret it in the best of ways, and that this attribute befits Allah, in which He does not resemble His creation. So His nearness to His servant is not like the nearness of the servant to others, and His walking is not like their walking, and His hurrying is not like their hurrying, and so is His anger, and so is His pleasure, and so is His coming on the Day of Resurrection and His arrival on the Day of Resurrection to judge between His servants, and so is His rising above the Throne, and so is His descent in the last part of the night, every night. All of these are attributes that befit Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), in which He does not resemble His creation. Just as His rising above the Throne and His descent in the last part of the night, in the last third of the night, and His coming on the Day of Resurrection do not resemble the rising of His creation, nor the coming of His creation, nor the descent of His creation, so too His nearness to His servants who worship Him and hasten to His obedience, His nearness to them does not resemble their nearness, and His nearness to them is not like their nearness to Him, and His walking to them is not like their walking, and His hurrying is not like their hurrying. Rather, it is something that befits Allah, in which none of His creation resembles Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), like the other attributes. So He is more knowledgeable about His attributes and more knowledgeable about their modality (Blessed and Exalted is He) .
And the Salaf of the Ummah have agreed that what is obligatory regarding the attributes of the Lord and His names is to pass them over as they came, and to believe in their meaning and that it is truth that befits Allah (Exalted is He) , and that no one knows the modality of His attributes except He, just as no one knows the modality of His Essence except He (Exalted is He) .
The attributes are like the Essence. Just as it is obligatory to affirm the Essence for Allah and that He is perfect in that, so too His attributes must be affirmed for Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), along with the belief and conviction that they are the most perfect and highest of attributes, and that they do not resemble the attributes of creation, as He said: :[Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4], and He said: : [An-Nahl 16:74], and He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11], refuting those who liken Allah to creation by saying: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11], [An-Nahl 16:74], and refuting those who deny the divine attributes by saying: [Ash-Shuraa 42:11], [Al-Ikhlas 112:1-2], [Al-Baqarah 2:209], [Al-Hajj 22:61], [Al-Baqarah 2:173], , and so on.
So what is obligatory upon the Muslims, scholars and common people, what is obligatory upon them all is to affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself, affirming it without likening, and to negate what Allah has negated from Himself, and to purify Allah from what He has purified Himself from, purifying Him without denial. This is what the people of the Sunnah and the community say, from the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and their followers from the Salaf of the Ummah, like the seven jurists, and Malik ibn Anas, and al-Awza'i, and al-Thawri, and al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad, and Abu Hanifa, and others of the imams of Islam. They passed them over as they came and affirmed them as they came, without distortion, without denial, without asking how, and without likening.
And as for what the two commentators said in this, 'Alawi and his companion Mahmud, it is not good speech and it is not correct. But the implication of this hadith is that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is swifter with good to them and more deserving of generosity and bounty. But this is not the meaning. The meaning is one thing, and this fruit and this implication is another. It indicates that He is swifter with good to His servants than they are, but this is not the meaning. Rather, the meaning must be affirmed for Allah: the nearness, the walking, and the hurrying. Something that must be affirmed for Allah in the manner that befits Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), without resembling His creation in any of it. So we affirm it for Allah in the manner that Allah intended, without distortion, without denial, without asking how, and without likening. Yes.
The presenter: Meaning their saying, O His Eminence the Shaykh: that this is depicting the intelligible with the tangible.
The Shaykh: This is an error. They say this in many things. The interpreters say it, and the original state is the absence of figurative interpretation. What is obligatory is the absence of figurative interpretation, the absence of asking how, the absence of likening, and the absence of distortion. Rather, the verses of attributes and their hadiths are passed over as they came, and they are not subjected to figurative interpretation, nor distortion, nor denial. Rather, we affirm them for Allah as He affirmed them for Himself and as He addressed us with them, affirming them in a manner that befits Allah, in which He does not resemble His creation (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.
Just as we say regarding anger, the hand, the face, the fingers, the dislike, the descent, and the rising above the Throne: it is one door, the door of attributes, one door. And so is the coming on the Day of Resurrection. The one who says: ... He does not come on the Day of Resurrection and does not descend, is lying. So the coming is the walking. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and may Allah bless you.
If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.
إذا تقرب العبد إلي شبرًا تقربت إليه ذراعًا، وإذا تقرب إلي ذراعًا تقربت منه باعًا وإذا أتاني يمشي أتيته هرولةSo the two commentators said in their commentary on it: This is from the category of likening and depicting the intelligible with the tangible to increase its clarification. Its meaning is: that whoever does something of obedience, even if little, Allah will reward him with multiples of it and do good to him with much. Otherwise, the definitive proofs have established that there is no tangible nearness, walking, or hurrying from Allah (Exalted is He) regarding the attributes of the innovators. Is what they said about walking and hurrying in agreement with what the Salaf of the Ummah said regarding affirming the attributes of Allah and passing them over as they came? And if there are proofs indicating that there is no walking or hurrying, we ask you to clarify them, and success is from Allah?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his companions, and whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows: There is no doubt that the aforementioned hadith is authentic. It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Allah the Exalted says:
يقول الله So what is obligatory in such a case is to receive it with acceptance and to interpret it in the best of ways, and that this attribute befits Allah, in which He does not resemble His creation. So His nearness to His servant is not like the nearness of the servant to others, and His walking is not like their walking, and His hurrying is not like their hurrying, and so is His anger, and so is His pleasure, and so is His coming on the Day of Resurrection and His arrival on the Day of Resurrection to judge between His servants, and so is His rising above the Throne, and so is His descent in the last part of the night, every night. All of these are attributes that befit Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), in which He does not resemble His creation. Just as His rising above the Throne and His descent in the last part of the night, in the last third of the night, and His coming on the Day of Resurrection do not resemble the rising of His creation, nor the coming of His creation, nor the descent of His creation, so too His nearness to His servants who worship Him and hasten to His obedience, His nearness to them does not resemble their nearness, and His nearness to them is not like their nearness to Him, and His walking to them is not like their walking, and His hurrying is not like their hurrying. Rather, it is something that befits Allah, in which none of His creation resembles Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), like the other attributes. So He is more knowledgeable about His attributes and more knowledgeable about their modality (Blessed and Exalted is He) .
And the Salaf of the Ummah have agreed that what is obligatory regarding the attributes of the Lord and His names is to pass them over as they came, and to believe in their meaning and that it is truth that befits Allah (Exalted is He) , and that no one knows the modality of His attributes except He, just as no one knows the modality of His Essence except He (Exalted is He) .
The attributes are like the Essence. Just as it is obligatory to affirm the Essence for Allah and that He is perfect in that, so too His attributes must be affirmed for Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), along with the belief and conviction that they are the most perfect and highest of attributes, and that they do not resemble the attributes of creation, as He said: :
(1) Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, (2) Allah, the Eternal Refuge. (3) He neither begets nor is born, (4) Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌSo do not assert similarities to Allah. Indeed, Allah knows and you do not know.
فَلا تَضْرِبُوا لِلَّهِ الأَمْثَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَThere is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُThere is nothing like unto Him
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌSo do not assert similarities to Allah
فَلا تَضْرِبُوا لِلَّهِ الأَمْثَالَand He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ(1) Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, (2) Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُAllah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌbecause Allah is Hearing and Seeing.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌIndeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌIndeed, Allah is over all things competent
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌSo what is obligatory upon the Muslims, scholars and common people, what is obligatory upon them all is to affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself, affirming it without likening, and to negate what Allah has negated from Himself, and to purify Allah from what He has purified Himself from, purifying Him without denial. This is what the people of the Sunnah and the community say, from the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and their followers from the Salaf of the Ummah, like the seven jurists, and Malik ibn Anas, and al-Awza'i, and al-Thawri, and al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad, and Abu Hanifa, and others of the imams of Islam. They passed them over as they came and affirmed them as they came, without distortion, without denial, without asking how, and without likening.
And as for what the two commentators said in this, 'Alawi and his companion Mahmud, it is not good speech and it is not correct. But the implication of this hadith is that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is swifter with good to them and more deserving of generosity and bounty. But this is not the meaning. The meaning is one thing, and this fruit and this implication is another. It indicates that He is swifter with good to His servants than they are, but this is not the meaning. Rather, the meaning must be affirmed for Allah: the nearness, the walking, and the hurrying. Something that must be affirmed for Allah in the manner that befits Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), without resembling His creation in any of it. So we affirm it for Allah in the manner that Allah intended, without distortion, without denial, without asking how, and without likening. Yes.
The presenter: Meaning their saying, O His Eminence the Shaykh: that this is depicting the intelligible with the tangible.
The Shaykh: This is an error. They say this in many things. The interpreters say it, and the original state is the absence of figurative interpretation. What is obligatory is the absence of figurative interpretation, the absence of asking how, the absence of likening, and the absence of distortion. Rather, the verses of attributes and their hadiths are passed over as they came, and they are not subjected to figurative interpretation, nor distortion, nor denial. Rather, we affirm them for Allah as He affirmed them for Himself and as He addressed us with them, affirming them in a manner that befits Allah, in which He does not resemble His creation (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.
Just as we say regarding anger, the hand, the face, the fingers, the dislike, the descent, and the rising above the Throne: it is one door, the door of attributes, one door. And so is the coming on the Day of Resurrection. The one who says: ... He does not come on the Day of Resurrection and does not descend, is lying. So the coming is the walking. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and may Allah bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.