Regarding Ahlul Bid'ah's Deviant statement concerning the Names, Attributes of Allaah

[Maher.ibn.Ahmad.Attiyeh]

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah Amma ba'd During an 'aqeedah class a few years ago, we learned that: Ibn 'Abbaas (radiallaahu 'anhummaa) said: I know the meaning of every ayah of the Qur`an. __________________________________________________ _______________________ Regarding Ahlul Bid'ah's Deviant statement concerning the Names and Attributes of Allaah, "I don't know its Meaning; I leave that matter to Allaah" While teaching 'Aqeedatul-Wasitiyyah from the sharh of Shaikh al-'Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah), student of knowledge Abu Uwais (rahimahullaah) relayed the following concerning Ahlul Bid'ah's deviant statement concerning the Names and Attributes of Allaah, "I don't know its Meaning; I leave that matter to Allaah": Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah (rahimahullaah) said: this is the most evil statement from the people of bid'ah and deviation! Shaikh Al-'Uthaimeen said: He [meaning Ibn Taymeeyah] has spoken the truth, rahimahullaah. If you think about it, you'll find that this statement is: 1- A rejection of the Qur`an 2- Declaration that the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was ignorant 3- Falling into Filasafa (philosophy). [Then Shaikh al-'Uthaimeen explained:] 1- Takdheeb al-Qur`an It is takdheeb (rejection of, belying) of the Qur`an, because Allaah said (what means): And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur`an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allaah as Muslims). (An-Nahl, ayah 89) Meaning He sent down the Qur`an as an explanation and clarification in its words. Now, would it be a bayaan (explanation and clarification), if you don't know the meaning of its words? Especially if what you're saying is that which has come in the Qur`an, wherein the Names and Attributes of Allaah are mentioned so much. If we say, 'we don't know what they mean,' then how can the Qur`an then be an explanation and clarification for everything? So this is rejection of this ayah! 2- Tajheel ar-Rasool (Declaring the Messenger to be ignorant). They are saying the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) didn't know the meaning of the Qur`an, those ayat mentioning the Names and Attributes of Allaah. So if the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) didn't know, then everybody else is first and foremost (also doesn't know). More astonishing than this is that they say the Messenger spoke some words regarding the Names and Attributes of Allaah, and he didn't know what they meant. They are declaring the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) to be ignorant in the matter that he is the most knowledgeable (among the creation) - the very important matter of the Names and Attributes of his Lord. Is there a disrespect greater than this disrespect to the Messenger? [Abu Uwais interjected and said: so you see how they think that they are running from something bad, but [they, in fact] are running to something that is worse. They claim intelligence and neutrality, but they wind up, as Ibn Taymeeyah said, saying the worst statement of Ahlul Bid'ah - rejecting the Qur`an and belittling the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).] 3- And in this, they are opening the door to the zanadiqah - those who come to Islam to (study and) destroy it. The zanadiqah come in and say to those who say "I don't know": "you don't know anything, we are the ones who know." And then they started to give tafseer of the Qur`an with other than what Allaah meant, with the (false) argument, "it is better to give these texts some meaning than act like illeterate people like you and give it no meaning." So they started inventing meanings. And the people of tafweedh can't reject, because they said, "I don't know." They open the door to great evils (such as the zanadiqah who lie upon Allaah, and give whatever meaning they want). And you find these expressions "I don't know" in the books of the Ash'arees, and in the material of Hassan al-Banna [the deviant founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] you find the evil expression "The path of the Salaf is safe, but the path of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable and wiser."

[Maher.ibn.Ahmad.Attiyeh]

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah Amma ba'd So we - Ahlus-Sunnah - make tafweed only of the Kayfeeyah (the howness). The Ash'aria make tafweed of the meanings and the words. ________________________________________________ Abu Uwais relayed from Shaikh al-'Uthaimeen's sharh of Al-Aqeedatul Waasitiyah of Ibn Taymeeyah (rahimahumullaah): Also they (Ahlul Bid'ah: Ash'arees, etc...) claim they are performing TanzeeH - not ascribing deficiency to Allaah. Some from Ahlul Bid'ah who go astray regarding the Names and Attributes had the intent of TanzeeH, but this includes the sick premise that when Allaah described Himself in His Book and in the Sunnah of the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that He did not intend TanzeeH, to remove Himself above it! [Aoodhubillaah!] So they felt they had to come up (invent) meanings that would give that. That's how they fell into wrong. They ran from something - resembling (TashbeeH) - and fell into something worse than it! So we - Ahlus-Sunnah - make tafweed only of the Kayfeeyah (the howness). The Ash'aria make tafweed of the meanings and the words. Allaah forbade us from kayfeeyah: ...And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge. (Ta-Ha, ayah 110) Say (O Muhammad): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawaahish whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge." (Al-A'raf, ayah 33) And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one's saying: "I have seen," while in fact he has not seen, or "I have heard," while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allaah). (Al-Isra`, ayah 36) Kayfeeyah can be known by: 1- Witnessing it 2- Witnessing something just like it, or similar, or equal to it 3- A truthful informer who informs you about it (its howness) [Shaikh al-'Uthaimeen used the example of a 1988 Datsun, 2000 model.] So we believe there is a how, but we don't know (the howness, the kayfeeyah).