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."