Part 20

Q. 35 What are the things that must be linked with Allah’s Will and what are the things that should not be linked with His Will?

A. It is preferable to link everything in the future to Allah’s Will, according to the Words of Him, the Most High: ‘And never say of anything, ‘I shall do such and such thing tomorrow.’ Except (with the saying), ‘If Allah wills’?!

As for something in the past, it should not be linked to Allah’s Will, unless what is meant by it is to express a hope. So for example, if a person said to you: The month of Ramadan began on Sunday night, Allah Willing, That would not require us to say: Allah Willing, because it is something which has passed and is known. And if someone said to you: I have put on my garment, Allah Willing, and he is wearing it, then it is not fitting to link it to Allah’s Will, because it is something which has past and finished unless he meant by it that the donning of the garment was by Allah’s Will, in that case, there would be no objection to it. And if a person said: I have prayed, Allah Willing, if he meant the action of praying, then this is not fitting, because he has prayed. But if he meant: Allah Willing, the prayer is accepted, then in this case, it would be correct, because he does not know whether his prayer was accepted or not.

Q. 36.What are the categories of Al-Iradah (Intent)?

A. Al-Iradah is divided into two types: 1. Iradah Kawniyyah. 2. Iradah Shari‘ah.

So that which falls under the meaning of Allah’s Will is Iradah Kawniyyah, while that which falls under the meaning of (His) Love (for something) is Iradah Shari‘ah. An example of Iradah Shari‘ah is in the Words of Allah, the Most High:

Speak OF ol Ly a> “Allah wishes to accept your repentance.”\") Because here, the verb;

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means loves, it does not mean that He wills it, because if the meaning was: Allah wills that He accept your repentance, He would have accepted the repentance of all of His creatures, and this is something which cannot be, because the majority of the sons of Adam are disbelievers, therefore:

“wishes to accept your repentance.”

means that He loves to accept your repentance and it is not necessary that due to Allah’s Love for something it will happen, because the far-reaching Divine Wisdom might necessitate that it should not happen.

An example of Iradah Kawniyyah is in the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“if Allah's Will is to keep you astray,’"") Allah does not love to make His worshippers go astray, therefore, it is not correct for the meaning to be: ‘If Allah

loved to make you go astray’ rather the meaning is: If Allah wanted to make you go astray.

But it remains for us to say: What is the difference between Tradah Kawniyyah and Iradah Shari‘ah with regard to the occurrence of the matter in question? We say: Regarding the Kawniyyah, that which is wanted must come to be, if Allah wills something to happen, then it must happen:

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“Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He

says to it, ‘Be!’ — and it is!”'?!

But as for Iradah Shari‘ah, that which is wanted might come to be and it might not come to be: Allah might desire and love this thing, but it does not occur, because what is loved might take place, and it might not.

If someone said: Does Allah will that sins be committed? We say: He wills it to be, but He does not love that it should be. This is because Iradah Shari‘ah means love, and Allah does not love sins, but He wills them to be, so everything in the heavens and the earth is by Allah’s Will.

Q. 37. What constitutes Ilhad regarding the Names of Allah, the Most High and what are its types?

A. Ithad linguistically means speaking, to be inclined or to deviate, such as in the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Quran) is a clear Arabic tongue.’"")

And from this is the word Lahd,'?! which is so called, because it is inclined to one side of it. I/had cannot be understood without understanding Istigamah,"*! because, as it is said: By their antonyms things are explained. Istigamah in the matter of Allah, the Most High’s Names and Attributes is to accept these Names and Attributes according to their true meaning, in a manner befitting Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, without corrupting the meanings, or negating them, or explaining the how of them, or comparing them with those of the created beings, in accordance with the rule followed by Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah in this matter.

'2] rahd: A niche in the grave in which the deceased is placed, facing towards the Qiblah.

‘31 Istigamah: To be straight.

Fatawa on ‘Agidah (Creed) 137 Bal sg ld

So, if we know what Istiqamah is in this matter, then the opposite of Istigamah is Ilhad. The scholars have mentioned a number of types of I/had regarding the Names and Attributes of Allah, all of which may be covered by saying: It is to deviate away from what it is obligatory to believe regarding them, and that falls into a number of categories, such as:

1, Denying any of the Names or the Attributes proven by them, such as one who denies that the Name: Ar-Rahman (the Most Beneficent) is one of the Names of Allah, the Most High as the people of the Jahiliyyah'") used to do, or to confirm the Names but to deny the Attributes implied by them, as some of the innovators do, saying that Allah, the Most High is Ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful) without having the Attribute of Mercy and As-Sami‘’ (the All-Hearing) without having the Attribute of Hearing.

2. For Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High to be called by a Name that He has not called Himself.

Here it is I/Jhad because the Names of Allah, the Most Glorified are restricted. So, it is not permissible for anyone to call Allah, the Most High by a name He has not called Himself. To do:so is to say something about Allah without knowledge, and to transgress the Rights of Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. This was done by the philosophers who called the Deity A/-‘Illah Al-Fa’ilah (the Active Cause) and as done by the Christians, who called Allah, by the name ‘the Father’ and the like.

3. To believe that these Names indicate attributes of created beings, and so they declare that they indicate comparison (of Allah with His creation).

. Thisis I/had because one who believes that the Names of Allah, the Most Glorified imply a comparison of Allah with His creation,

"1 Jahiliyyah: The days of ignorance before the Revelation came to the Prophet #8.

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then he has disassociated them from the Attributes which they prove, and deviated thereby from the straight way, and declared the Speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger 3 to be proof of disbelief. Because comparing Allah with His creation is * disbelief, since it belies the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the AllSeer. ly]

“Do you know of any who is similar to Him?’"?! Nu‘aym bin Hammad AlI-Khuza’i, Al-Bukhari’s Shaikh, may Allah have mercy on them both, said: Whoever compared Allah with His creation, has committed disbelief. And whoever rejected any Attribute Allah described Himself with has

committed an act of disbelief, and there is no comparison in anything by which Allah has described Himself.

4. To derive names for idols from the Names of Allab, the Most High. Such as the derivation of Al-Lat from Al-Ilah (the Deity), Al-Uzza from Al-‘Azeez (the Almighty) and Manat from AlMannan (the Benefactor).

This is I/had because the Names of Allah, the Most High are Unique to Him, so it is not permissible to transfer the meanings which are proven by these Names to any created beings in order to allot him the worship which none has the right for except Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

These are the forms of I/had regarding the Names of Allah, the Most High.

(1 Ash-Shura 42:11 2) Maryam 19:65

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Q. 38. What are the categories of the things which Allah has attributed to Himself, such as the Face of Allah, the Hand of Allah and such like?

A. The categories of the things which Allah has attributed to Himself are. three:

1. That which is self-existent and its attribution falls under the heading of attributing the created thing to its Creator, and this attribution might be of a general kind, such as in the Words of Allah, the Most High:

Bee dans 62) f yy “Certainly, spacious is My earth.’

And it might be of a particular kind in order to bestow honor on it, such as in the Words of Allah, the Most High:

pi es Sell ugly > “and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up (for prayer), and those who bow (submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah) and make prostration (in prayer),"'?! And His Words:

GZS & a peice “That is the she-camel of Allah! (Do not harm it) and bar it not from having its drink!’""! And this category is created.

2. That which, its existence is brought about by another, such as the Words of Allah, the Most High:

(1 AL‘Ankabut 29:56 1 Ash-Shams 91:13

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“and a spirit (Ruh) (created) by Him," Attributing this spirit to Allah falls under the heading of attributing the created thing to its Creator in order to honor it. For it is a spirit from among the spirits which Allah has created and it is not a part of Allah, since this spirit was placed in ‘Isa, peace be upon him, and it is a thing which is unconnected to Allah. This category is created also.

3. That it is a clear description in which the governed noun is an Attribute of Allah, and this category is not created, because all of the Attributes of Allah are not created. An example of it is Allah’s Qudrah (Omnipotence) and Allah’s ‘Izzah (Power) and there are many (similar examples) of it in the Quran.

Q. 39. What is the ruling on disputing any of the Names or Attributes of Allah, the Most High?