➡️ CLASS: 12 ⬅️

EXPLANATION OF THE LĀMIYYAH OF IBN TAYMIYYAH (https://t.me/madrasatuna) LINE 8: The author, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: وَأرُدُّ عُـهْـدَتَـهَـا إِلَـى نُـقَّـالِـهَـا I refer responsibility back to those who transmitted them وَأَصُـونُـهَـا عَـنْ كُـلِّ مَـا يُـتَـخَـيَّـلُ and I gaurd them from all that is falsely imagined 1. 'I refer its responsibility...', meaning, I refer the accuracy and authenticity of these reports [pertaining to the divine Names and Attributes] back to those who transmitted them; i.e. the elite and trustworthy narrators who memorised, wrote down and passed on these evidences to us; those individuals gifted with exceptional precision in memorising and relaying these narrations, who worked tirelessly to gather, and then rigorously analyse these narrations to distinguish the authentic from the defective. In other words, the author is saying: my belief concerning Allāh's Names and Attributes is not something that I came up with myself, rather, I am only affirming what the Salaf Aṣ-Ṣāliḥ relayed to us. 2. 'and I gaurd them from all that is falsely imagined', meaning, I affirm the Names and Attributes of Allāh in line with their apparent meanings, without imagining or trying to visualise how they are, and without likening them to the creation. Allāh ﷻ said: {لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ} "There is none like Him, and He is The All-Hearing, The All-seeing." [Sūrat Ash-Shūrā 11] Abū Manṣūr Ma'mar ibn Aḥmad Al-Aṣbahāni (D. 418H), may Allāh have mercy on him, commented on this Āyah, saying: "The statement, {There is nothing like Him} negates all forms of Tashbīh and Tamthīl [resemblance]; while the statement, {and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seeing} negates all forms of Ta'ṭīl [denying the Attributes] and misinterpretation [taḥrīf].” [Al-Ḥujjah fī bayān Al-Maḥajjah of Ismā’īl Al-Aṣbahānī (1/244)] 3. You will find that those who negate the Names and Attributes of Allāh, do so only because they fall into التَّخَيُّل [using their imagination]; that is, they falsely visualise Allāh's Attributes in their minds, likening Him to his creation, this then leads them to negate the Attribute outright, because in their mind, affirming the attribute necessitates resembling Allāh to His creation. However, the truth of the matter is as Adh-Dhahabi (D. 748 H) stated: "Affirming Allāh's Attributes does not necessitate Tashbīh [resembling Him to His creation] or Tajsīm [anthropomorphism], because Tashbīh is to say (Allāh’s) Hand is like our hand ... But if it is said, (He has) a Hand that does not resemble (any) hand, just as His Essence does not resemble (any) essence, His hearing does not resemble (any) hearing, and His sight does not resemble (any) sight; that is indeed freeing Him from imperfection." [Al-Arba’īn fī Ṣifāt Rabbil ‘Ālamīn (1/104)] NOTE: Although Ahlus-Sunnah affirm Allāh's Attributes and believe in their apparent meanings, they refer the reality of these Attributes back to Allāh and refrain from delving into their kayfiyyah (howness). I'm sure most of us have heard of the famous incident concerning Imām Mālik Ibn Anas (D. 179H), where a man came to him and said: “O Abū 'Abdullāh: {ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ} "The Most Beneficent (Allāh) istawā (rose over) the Throne." [Sūrat Ṭā-Hā 5]. How was His Istiwa? Upon hearing this question, Imām Mālik lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, then he said: "الاستواء معلوم، والكيف مجهول، والإيمان به واجب، والسؤال عنه بدعة..." "(The meaning of) Istiwā [to rise] is understood, the Kayf [how] is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation...". [Al-Asmā' waṣ-Ṣifāt by Al-Bayhaqī (2/305-306)] This is what relates to this line, may Allāh preserve you all. And to summarise, we must affirm Allāh's Names and Attributes in a manner befitting His Majesty, and although we are not aware of their reality, our duty is to believe in and submit to what has been authentically relayed to us.