Names and Attributes of Allah
asalamu alaikum warahmatullah
I was asked by a brother to come here to reply to a topic that has been closed and due to it being closed I would recommend that after this post that it could be closed.
In regards to this subject there are certain principles that the people most knowlgeable about the religion of Islam has laid out in order to avoid that deviation should occur.
from among those priciples is
1.Allah says in the Quran
Say (O Muhammad SAW): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are AlFawahish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge." (Chapter #7, Verse #33)
2. The understanding of the companions of Allahs messenger and then those who followed them are the ones to be relied upon. This also includes the scholars who have followed the madhaab of the salaf. This is because anyone can say they follow the quraan and sunnah and beleive in its texts but if they have the wrong understanding of them then this would lead to deviation from the intent of what Allah and His messenger revealed. So when it was said
subhannallah, the phrase we follow Quran and sunna holds no water, u follow views, interpetations, and opinions of fallible scholars even if it clearly contradicts Quran and Sunna and logic
then this has no validity nor is it held in the sunnah because our nabi said "Whoever Allah wishes good for, He grants him understanding of the religion". Of course their are numerous examples of major evils of things that have happened due to the end result of what Link has said regarding what I pasted from him and from that is how all of the devaint creeds and its people who have relied upon their own selves for understanding the quraan and hadeeth.
On top of this those who are endowed with the sharia and the uloom of the religion and uloomul-hadeeth know best the meaning of the naql (texts). So automatically by default their sayings regarding their expalnation of the texts are given precedence over what those less then them from the lay people or those who have deviated, have to say. And when one of their sayings do contradict the sunnah then it is rejected and refuted by others with knowledge.
Another point to add is that these people of knowledge have reached the level of mujtahid, one who is able to make ijtihaad and derive rulings and from the turth concerning their affair is just as rasoolullah salallahu alaihi wa salam said that "the one who is right in making ijtihaad earns two rewards and theo ne who errs earns one reward" so following an opinion that they have that may seem wrong appearently to anyone is still much more acceptable then taking on board our own interpretations of the texts and this was also with thsoe righteous first band of muslims since they were very weary of saying statements by which there was no one who precedded them in.
On top of this, Link, you use a general ruler that all men have faults an err and go against the text sometimes for the purpose of leaving their understanding of the texts. And there are many things that can make a lay person say "whay on earth would this scholar say such a thing" but he has knowledge and insight for why he said it which is disguised from us nad it could be most likely that the haq is with him.
3. Regarding the unseen. We do not speak about the unseen whether it is in the topics of Allahs qadr wal qada, His names and attributes, or the days to come. We can only speak for surity. and from this matter (names and attributes) then it is surity that all of the people of the sunnah including the sahaba (no differentiation) did not make t'aweel of Allahs names and attributes to mean other than what was stated by Him or His messenger. This beleif was with them and those who follow them and due to many reports concerning other paths that lead to destruction then when Aisha narrated that "whoever introduces something into our affair shal have it rejected" then an understanding that does not coincide with this automatically falls into the threat of what has been revealed and reported.
So these three are the base for the sub topic of Allahs names and attributes.
so in His names and atributes then as follows there is the main principle
1. stated by the Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen in his explanation to the book "Lumaatul-Itiqaad" by the Imaam and mujadid of his era Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisee. he said.
"With regard to the texts of the quraan and sunnah, it is obligatory 9concerning His names and attributes) to leave their proofs and implications upon their literal meanings without chaning them. this is because Allah revealed the Quraan in a plain arabic language and the Prophet salallahu alaihi wa salam used to speak with the arabic language." and then he goes on until he says "Also, chaning it (names and attributes) from its literal meaning is speaking about Allah without knowledge and this is forbidden due to the statement of Allah" I posted it up top, it is (7:33)
(note: I will only narrate the principles that the shaykh said that concerns with this topic)
2.he goes on to say "Each attribute of Allah should bring three questions to mind 1. Is it real (as oppossed to figurative) and why? 2. Is it permissible to describe how it is and why? 3. Is it comparable to the attribute of creation and why.
The answer to the first is Yes, it is rwal, because the principles of speech concerning this subject is based on literalness (as opposed to symbolism). This (principles) may not be abandoned, unless there is an authentic evidence that restricts it.
the second answer is No, it is not permissible to describe how an attribute, due to Allah's statement "but they will never encompass anything of His knowledge" (20:110)
the thrid answer is that it cannot be compared to the creations attributes due to Allahs saying 'there is nothing like unto Him". And also Allah is worthy of the utmost perfection, therefore it is impossible for him to be compared to the creation, since that is something deficeint and imperfect."
So no compare this to the bulk of what many of the brother brought, may Allah reward them, and also compare this to one who preceded Ibn Uthaymeen
He is Abu Uthman ibn Ismael as-Saboonee and in his book "Aqeedatu-salaf As'haabul-Hadeeth" he says regarding the creed of the people of hadeeth that "The people of hadeeth also say about all of their Lord's attributes, whether mentioend in the Quraan or in the authentic ahadeeth regarding the Hearing, the Seeing, the Eyes, the Face, the Knowledge, the Strenght, the Power, the Glory, the Greatness, the Will, the Intent, the Speech, the Words, Bieng Pleased, Being Displeased, Life, to be Watchful, to be Happy, to Laugh and others, that these attributes are not compared with the attributes of creation.
On the contrary, they (people of hadeeth) limit themselves to what Allah, the Most High, said and what His messenger said without adding anything to them, saying how they are, Likening them, distorting and changing their meanings, or making any alterations, taking out of the context in which the arabs understood them, attaching to them false interpretations. THEY TAKE TO THEM UPON THEIR APPARENT MEANINGS. THEY ENTRUST ITS UNDERSTANDING TO ALLAH, THE MOST HIGH, AND THEY AFFIRM NONE KNOWS ITS T'AWEEL EXCEPT ALLAH, JUST AS ALLAH INFORMED US ABOUT THOS WHO ARE FIRMLY GROUNDED IN KNOWLEDGE, that they say
'And those firmly grounded in knowledge say;we beleive in all that is from our Lord; and none receive admonition except the men of understanding' (4:7)
all the Imaams of the salaf of this nation have beleived and agreed upon that these texts concerning His names and attributes are constricted to its apparent meanings without any tamtheel, tashreeh, or t'aweel in them.
and to Alah we seek guidance
Asalamu alaikum
