Allaah's Attributes of Mocking and Ridiculing
Question:
What should be said concerning Allaah's saying: "Allaah mocks at them..."
[Al-Baqarah: 15] and "Allaah ridicules them...", [Surah At-Tawbah: 79] as
well as what is similar to that from the Mutashaabihaat (unclear) verses?
Answer:
The Pious Predecessors used to say concerning these ayaat as well as those
similar to them: "Leave them as they are stated." But they did not mean by
this to leave them the way they are without attaching any understanding to
them. Rather, they meant by it, to leave them the way they are stated
according to their correct understanding, without making comparisons for
(the Attributes of Allaah stated in) them (tashbeeh), describing their
manner (takyeef), misinterpreting them (ta'weel) and denying them (ta'teel).
Allaah says: "There is nothing whatsoever like Him (in comparison). And He
is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer" [Surah Ash-Shooraa: 11]
In this ayah, there is tanzeeh (negation of all anthropomorphic qualities
from Allaah) as well as ithbaat (affirmation) for two attributes for
Himself, which are hearing and seeing. The understanding of this elimination
of all similarities to Allaah (tanzeeh) is that we must (also) affirm the
attributes that Allaah has described Himself with or the Messenger,
sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, has described Him with, as it befits His
grandness, may He be Glorified and Exalted. And we do not say "how" that is,
such as by saying: "His hearing is like our hearing and His seeing is like
our seeing."
Likewise, we do not misinterpret that (i.e. make ta'weel) as has been done
by some of the extremists from the Mu'tazilah, such that they have
misinterpreted Allaah's hearing and seeing to be His knowledge. And this is
in spite of Allaah's describing Himself with knowledge in many other ayaat
of the Noble Qur'aan! Thus, the misinterpretation (ta'weel) of these
individuals of hearing and seeing for knowledge constitutes ta'teel (denial
of Allaah's Attributes). The scholars say about this: "The one who commits
ta'teel worships nothingness, while the one who commits tajseem (reducing
Allaah to a body) worships a statue." Based on this, we say, concerning the
two ayahs mentioned previously in the question, which contain Allaah's
mocking and ridiculing, that it is a mocking and a ridiculing that is
befitting for Allaah. And it is not like that which limited intellects may
perceive it to be, from that which has comparisons to the creation.
Shaykh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee
Al-Asaalah, No. 3
Translated by Ismaa'eel Alarcon
_____
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
If you are not the intended recipient or have received this e-mail in error,
please notify the sender immediately and destroy this e-mail. Any
unauthorised copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this
e-mail is strictly forbidden.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Would you Help a Child in need?
It is easier than you think.
Click Here to meet a Child you can help.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/sTR6_D/I_qJAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
***************************************************************************
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I
am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
title "change to daily digest".
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
