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al-Izaaree · **Re: Sharh al-Aqeedatu-Tahaawiyya -** 02-19-2006

asalamu alaikum

Quote:

35. And the Ru’yah (the looking upon Allah, The All-Mighty) is true for the people of Paradise – without (their vision) being all-encompassing and without it being possible to understand the kaifiyyah (manner,mode) of their vision as it is articulated in the Book of Allah: Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah) [75:22-23]. And the explanation of it is as Allah wills and knows. Everything that has come to us from the authentic hadeeth of The Messenger of Allah صلىالله عليه وسلم is as what he has said and its meaning is based upon what he intended. We do not make ta’weel (try to interpret) based upon our desires or our imaginations for indeed no ones religion is safe except he who surrenders himself to Allah, The Mighty and Glorified, and to His Messenger صلىالله عليه وسلم and he leaves the knowledge of ambiguous things to those who have knowledge.
The Explanation:
The Ru’yahof the Believers upon their Lord, Mighty and Glorified, on the Day of Resurrection with their clear eyesight and vision is established in the Book (The Qur’an) and in the Sunnah for indeed Allah, Most High has said:
Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah) [75:22-23]
And Allah says;
For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and ziyaadah (even more) [10:26]
And indeed, the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم explained this ziyaadah to mean that this is the looking upon the Countenance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic as He صلىالله عليه وسلم said (to His companions on a full moon night);
‘Indeed you will look upon your Lord just as you are looking upon this full moon and there will be no difficulty in seeing Him’. [Bukhari and Muslim]
And this does not mean that their vision can encompass Allah, but the ru’yah with their vision is literal and it is true. And this does not mean that it will be ru’yah of the heart. Indeed, it is an even greater favor that the people of Paradise will be given. And the Hadeeth of the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم that was mentioned in this chapter is mutawaatir (comes through multiple chains of narration) and many of the Imams are absolutely certain of this. And what is intended in the ayat and in the ahaadeeth is based upon the apparent meaning and that is that the believers will look upon their Lord with their eyes on the Day of Judgment and we accept the information that has been related to us in this matter. And we do not oppose it by making ta’weel (interpretations) with our inadequate imaginations and we do not try to oppose its true meaning with our desires, for indeed, if mankind desires safety in his religion from deviance and misguidance, he must submit his understanding to Allah and His Messenger in what has been related to us in the established reports. And when he comes to those things which are ambiguous, he refers those affairs to the Creator of them like what Allah says;
So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. [3:7]
36. And one’s Islam is not secure unless it is based on submission and surrender. And who ever desires knowledge of things that are beyond his level of knowledge and who ever has understanding which is not content with submission, his desires cover his understanding of the purity of Tawheed, correct understanding, and correct faith. So he wanders between disbelief and faith, acceptance and rejection, confirmation and denial, and he is subject to the whisperings which lead to doubt, being neither an accepting believer nor a denying rejecter.
The Explanation:
It is not possible to become firm upon the truth of Islam unless one surrenders to what is in the texts of the Qur’an and in the Sunnah and submits to what is in both of them, accepting and being bound to it without any reservation and he does not impede it with his desires nor his doubts, his personal opinions nor his deductions nor his intellect. And when people seek knowledge of those things which are impossible to acquire, from what Allah, Most High has made hidden from his creatures, from what pertains to Him, Glorified and Exalted and His Wisdom, and His Command, and their intelligence and understanding is not content with surrendering to what Allah and His Messenger intended (in the texts, i.e. Qur’an and Sunnah) and being bound to them both. For indeed, soon he will be prohibited from knowing the purity of Tawheed in truth, and the correct knowledge of Allah, and the correct faith, that which is built upon acceptance and concession, affirmation and adherence, surrendering and submission, so he is incessantly wandering back and forth between acceptance and rejection, and between the legislated faith and disbelief in it, between acceptance of it and rebuking it, and he becomes prone to the whisperings and doubts, corrupt fantasies, wandering in dismay, not being firmly established upon that which has true. So he is not an accepting believer with complete faith nor is he a rejecting and rebellious disbeliever with complete rejection. So the correctness of faith with acceptance and surrendering will not take place until those affairs in which its wisdom is kept hidden and that which the intellect is not able to understand the reality of, is understood sufficiently by what we have been informed of by Allah, Most High and His Messenger صلىالله عليه وسلم.
37. And the belief in Ru’yah (the seeing of Allah, Most High for the people of Paradise) is not correct if a person tries to imagine it or interpret it according to his desires and understanding. And the interpretation of the ru’yah – as well as all of the meanings belonging to that of Ruboobiyyah (Lordship) – is actually leaving interpretations and adhering to submission, and this is the religion of the Muslims. And whoever does not guard himself from negation (of anything that is to be believed in according to the Qur’an and Sunnah) and likening (i.e., making similarities between Allah and His creatures), then he has gone astray and has failed to understand Allah’s Glory, for indeed, Our Lord, The Glorious, The Exalted is only to be described in terms of complete Oneness and Uniqueness and He is in no way similar to His creatures. The Explanation:
Belief in the Ru’yah of Allah, Most High is not correct if one interprets it according to his understanding or tries to imagine its reality or wonders to himself about its kaifiyyah. So this is a mistake and one does not believe in the ru’yah with correct belief because the ru’yah - its reality and mode of existence - is not known except by Allah, Most High. And the correct interpretation of affair of the ru’yah as well as that which pertains to The Creator, Glorious and Exalted and all other affairs (of the unseen) is indeed leaving making ta’weel (interpretations) and takyeef (trying to explain the manner of) in anything from what the people adhere to as their religion. Of course, we accept the correct meanings which have been established with evidence (i.e., Qur’an and Sunnah) and we do not make takyeef – (saying how) – we simply submit and surrender and bind ourselves to what has been transmitted in the Book of Allah, Most High and from the Sunnah of His Messenger صلىالله عليه وسلم. This is the correct religion of the Muslims, which is what Allah sent His Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم with.
So the Muslim is responsible for heeding two issues:
1. Nafee - Negating that which Allah has described for Himself as well as TaHreef - distorting the correct meanings from what they were intended to mean.
2. Tashbeeh - Making similarities or likening Allah, The Creator to His creation in anything that pertains to His Essence, His Actions, and His Names and Attributes.
And these two issues are summarized in the Statement of Allah, Most High;
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer [42:11]
So the first half of the verse negates for Allah any similarities to anything and the second half establishes His Attributes. So the verse contains clear evidence of both negation and affirmation.
So whoever does not protect himself in these two affairs and they are Nafee (negation) and Tashbeeh – (making similarities) , goes astray in his ‘aqeedah and falls into error. So he does not affirm that which is correct and he does not negate that which is obligatory for him to negate with regard to Allah. And Allah negates for Himself a partner or anything similar to Him, rivals and opposites and that is because Allah, Most High is described with every description of complete Uniqueness in His Essence and His Actions and His Names and Attributes, in His creating and in His Command and these qualities are singular and completely unique in all of this. For indeed, He is One, Singular, ever-existing, Self-Subsisting, and He does not have a partner nor is there any similar to him and He is not similar in Meaning or Essence to anyone of His creation, neither in His Essence nor in His Actions, nor in His Names and Attributes.
38. And The Most High is far from having limits or restrictions, supporting parts or limbs and He is not confined to the six directions (right, left, front, back, above and below) like the rest of created things.The Explanation:
Allah, The Glorified and Exalted is Exalted and removed from any restrictions or limitations. There are no restrictions for Allah, restricting and confining Him, and there are no limitations for Him. Of course this means that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, does not permeate His creation and is not united with His creation. Indeed, He is The Glorified and Exalted is far from being on the level of His creation. And indeed He negates for Himself any supporting parts or limbs for these are tools of the servants, that which helps them benefit themselves and well as repel harm, and Allah, The Exalted, is far above this.
This is what we know from what is mentioned in the Qur’an of Allah’s Names and Attributes, but we say: Indeed the meanings of them (i.e., Allah’s Names and Attributes) in truth is what is based on clear evidence and we understand this meaning and we affirm it for Allah upon what was intended. We do not, however, try to delve into the kaifiyyah, for indeed it the knowledge of it belongs exclusively to Allah. And similarly, He (Allah) Glorified and Exalted is not limited to the six directions like the rest of created things. Of course, we do not understand this to mean that this is a total negation of direction. Indeed He, The Glorified and Exalted is in the Most Exalted and uppermost direction but what was intended by the statement is that He, Glorified and Exalted in not bound or restricted by directions nor overtaken by them like His creation.
Synopsis:
Indeed, Allah, Most High will be seen on the Day of Rising with clear vision and the seeing of Him by the believers is true even though their vision of Him does not and can not encompass Him and this is inherent in the texts of this chapter. And it is an obligation upon the Muslim to refrain from attempting to interpret (these affairs) and to refrain from the speech of the people who negate (these affairs) and to know that Allah, The Blessed and Most High is far removed from being similar to His creatures.
Discussion:
1. What is the correct understanding of the ru’yaa of Allah, The Most High on The Day of Resurrection?
2. What is obligatory upon the Muslim concerning the texts (Qur’an and Sunnah) that mention the Attributes of Allah?
3. Explain the intention behind the statement that Allah, Most High, is not restricted to the six directions.