Madarijas-Salikeen
1st January 2007, 09:41 PM
Chapter 23
Part 3
The people of Tajheel
The Categories of Deviant people concerning the belief in Allaah and the last day
3. The people of Tajheel (the accusation of others as being jahl or ignorant): many of them try to associate themselves with the sunnah and the followers of the salaf.
The reality of the methodology is that whatever the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam has come with of the texts about Allaah's attributes they are mere unknown, incomprehensibe words. No one knows their meanings, not even the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam himself. He related many ahadeeth of the attributes yet he did not know their meanings!
On top of this, they also say that there is no place for the intellect when dealing with the attributes of Allaah. This statement of theirs means taht the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam nor his companions nor the imaams of the salaf had any intelectual knowledge and no revealed knowledge regarding this matter. this is from the most ridiculous of statements.
Their way in dealing with the attributes is to accept only their wordsings while believing their meanings are completely unknown. Some of them oppose one another saying that they are to be accepted upon their apparent meanings, yet along with a different interpretation that no one knows except Allah. this is an obvious contradiction, for if what is really intended is some other interpretation known only to Allaah, different from the apparent meaning of the text , then how could one accept them upon their apparent meaning?
Regarding teh way of these people, the sahykh (ibn taymiyah) rahimullah said in his book , al aql wal naql vol.1 page 121
"It is clear taht the statement of those who believe the meanigns are completely unknown- those who claim they follow the sunnah and the salaf it is one of the most evil statements of all the people of innovation and deviance."
The bogus proof these people (who say the meaning of the texts are unknown) use is the pause that most of the salaf make after the statement 'except Allaah' while reciting the ayah
"As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation (That suits them). ANd no one knwos its interepetation except Allah- and those firm in knoweldge say "we believe in it. All of it is from our Lord" (3:7)
(The point being made here is based on the fact that some of the salaf explained that the ayah could also be read as,
and no one knows its interpretation except Allah and those firm in knowledge. They say..." (indicating that Allah knows the interpretation as well as those firm in knowledge)
They make it clear themselves the erroenousness of this proof due to two reasons:
Firstly: they assert taht the aayaat of the attributes are from the unspecific texts.
Secondly: they also assert that the interpretation mentioned int eh ayah is changing the word's apparent meaning to a different meaning that contradcits it. The result is that all of the aayaat dealing with the attributes have meanings that contradict their APPARENT ONES and no one knows them except Allah.
Refuting this group is by the following points
First, we ask them what they mean by unspecific by which they refer to all of the ayaat of the attribnutes. do they mean the meaning is unspecific and hidden or do they mean that the actuality of HOW the attributes are is unspecific?
If they mean the first meaning- which is in fact what they mean then the ayaat of the attributes are not from this type because their meanings are clear and apparent. If what they were to mean is the second meaning, then it is true that the ayaat are of this type. this is because no one knows the ACTUALITY of the attributes and how they are except Allah. This being said, it is not correct to refer to the ayaat of the attributes as being unspecific as mentioned in teh ayah above. rather, the previously mentioned details must be kept in mind.
Second, by them saying that the interpretation mentioned in the ayah is changing the wrods apparent meaning to a different meaning that CONTRADICTS it; it is not correct. this si a new definition to interpetation as mentioned int eh ayah. neither the arabs in general, nor the sahabah among whom the Quran was revealed in THEIR LANGUAGE knew this to be the intended meaning. On the contrary what was well known to them is that this interpreatation could have two meanings.
1- what is meant is the explanation, and the itnerpretation in this way was known to those possessing strong knowledge, such as ibn abbas who said ("I am one of those firm in knowledge who know its interpretation ) tafseer ibn katheer 1\348
Upon this meaning, many of the salaf paused reciting after, except Allah and those firm in knowledge- from the previous ayah.
2. what also could be meant is the ACTUALITY of something and its end result or outcome. upon this meaning, the interpreation of what Allah has informed us about himself, and regardingt he last day is not actually known to us. the interpretation int his way is the actuality and HOW HIS attributes and the last day reallya re- this is unknown to us as imaam malik and others have said regarding the istiwaa and otehr such issues. upon this meaning, most of the salaf hold the pause in the recitation of the aforementioned ayah to be, "and no one knows its interpretation except Allah"
The third point in refuting these poeple is that Allah revaeled the Quran for it to be pondered over. He encouraged us to reflect upon it in entirety , making no exception with thee ayaat of the attributes. the encouragement to reflect upon it means that it is possible to arrive at its intended meanings; otherwise, it would be meaningless to reflect upon it. POndering upon something means to gain more than empty speech the speech of Allah and His Messenger salalahu alayhi wa salam are far above this. The encourragement is to reflect upon all of it with no exceptions. THis shows that the aayaat of the attributes have real meanings and it is possible to reach them by reflecting upon them. the closest of people in the understanding of the meanings are the PRophet salalahua layhi wa salam and His sahabah. The quran was revealed in their language and they were the first people to refelect upon it, especially upont he most important part of the religion knowing allah and his attributes.
Aboo abdur rahman as salamee said Those who used to read the quran upon uthmaan ibn afaan , abdullah ibn masood, and otehrs narrated to us that wheneve they used to learn the ayaat from the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam theyw ould not move on past them until they learnt them and what they contained of knowledge and action we learned the quran knowledge and action at the same time.
Part 3
The people of Tajheel
The Categories of Deviant people concerning the belief in Allaah and the last day
3. The people of Tajheel (the accusation of others as being jahl or ignorant): many of them try to associate themselves with the sunnah and the followers of the salaf.
The reality of the methodology is that whatever the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam has come with of the texts about Allaah's attributes they are mere unknown, incomprehensibe words. No one knows their meanings, not even the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam himself. He related many ahadeeth of the attributes yet he did not know their meanings!
On top of this, they also say that there is no place for the intellect when dealing with the attributes of Allaah. This statement of theirs means taht the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam nor his companions nor the imaams of the salaf had any intelectual knowledge and no revealed knowledge regarding this matter. this is from the most ridiculous of statements.
Their way in dealing with the attributes is to accept only their wordsings while believing their meanings are completely unknown. Some of them oppose one another saying that they are to be accepted upon their apparent meanings, yet along with a different interpretation that no one knows except Allah. this is an obvious contradiction, for if what is really intended is some other interpretation known only to Allaah, different from the apparent meaning of the text , then how could one accept them upon their apparent meaning?
Regarding teh way of these people, the sahykh (ibn taymiyah) rahimullah said in his book , al aql wal naql vol.1 page 121
"It is clear taht the statement of those who believe the meanigns are completely unknown- those who claim they follow the sunnah and the salaf it is one of the most evil statements of all the people of innovation and deviance."
The bogus proof these people (who say the meaning of the texts are unknown) use is the pause that most of the salaf make after the statement 'except Allaah' while reciting the ayah
"As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation (That suits them). ANd no one knwos its interepetation except Allah- and those firm in knoweldge say "we believe in it. All of it is from our Lord" (3:7)
(The point being made here is based on the fact that some of the salaf explained that the ayah could also be read as,
and no one knows its interpretation except Allah and those firm in knowledge. They say..." (indicating that Allah knows the interpretation as well as those firm in knowledge)
They make it clear themselves the erroenousness of this proof due to two reasons:
Firstly: they assert taht the aayaat of the attributes are from the unspecific texts.
Secondly: they also assert that the interpretation mentioned int eh ayah is changing the word's apparent meaning to a different meaning that contradcits it. The result is that all of the aayaat dealing with the attributes have meanings that contradict their APPARENT ONES and no one knows them except Allah.
Refuting this group is by the following points
First, we ask them what they mean by unspecific by which they refer to all of the ayaat of the attribnutes. do they mean the meaning is unspecific and hidden or do they mean that the actuality of HOW the attributes are is unspecific?
If they mean the first meaning- which is in fact what they mean then the ayaat of the attributes are not from this type because their meanings are clear and apparent. If what they were to mean is the second meaning, then it is true that the ayaat are of this type. this is because no one knows the ACTUALITY of the attributes and how they are except Allah. This being said, it is not correct to refer to the ayaat of the attributes as being unspecific as mentioned in teh ayah above. rather, the previously mentioned details must be kept in mind.
Second, by them saying that the interpretation mentioned in the ayah is changing the wrods apparent meaning to a different meaning that CONTRADICTS it; it is not correct. this si a new definition to interpetation as mentioned int eh ayah. neither the arabs in general, nor the sahabah among whom the Quran was revealed in THEIR LANGUAGE knew this to be the intended meaning. On the contrary what was well known to them is that this interpreatation could have two meanings.
1- what is meant is the explanation, and the itnerpretation in this way was known to those possessing strong knowledge, such as ibn abbas who said ("I am one of those firm in knowledge who know its interpretation ) tafseer ibn katheer 1\348
Upon this meaning, many of the salaf paused reciting after, except Allah and those firm in knowledge- from the previous ayah.
2. what also could be meant is the ACTUALITY of something and its end result or outcome. upon this meaning, the interpreation of what Allah has informed us about himself, and regardingt he last day is not actually known to us. the interpretation int his way is the actuality and HOW HIS attributes and the last day reallya re- this is unknown to us as imaam malik and others have said regarding the istiwaa and otehr such issues. upon this meaning, most of the salaf hold the pause in the recitation of the aforementioned ayah to be, "and no one knows its interpretation except Allah"
The third point in refuting these poeple is that Allah revaeled the Quran for it to be pondered over. He encouraged us to reflect upon it in entirety , making no exception with thee ayaat of the attributes. the encouragement to reflect upon it means that it is possible to arrive at its intended meanings; otherwise, it would be meaningless to reflect upon it. POndering upon something means to gain more than empty speech the speech of Allah and His Messenger salalahu alayhi wa salam are far above this. The encourragement is to reflect upon all of it with no exceptions. THis shows that the aayaat of the attributes have real meanings and it is possible to reach them by reflecting upon them. the closest of people in the understanding of the meanings are the PRophet salalahua layhi wa salam and His sahabah. The quran was revealed in their language and they were the first people to refelect upon it, especially upont he most important part of the religion knowing allah and his attributes.
Aboo abdur rahman as salamee said Those who used to read the quran upon uthmaan ibn afaan , abdullah ibn masood, and otehrs narrated to us that wheneve they used to learn the ayaat from the Prophet salalahu alayhi wa salam theyw ould not move on past them until they learnt them and what they contained of knowledge and action we learned the quran knowledge and action at the same time.