Part 4

Another example: Allah, the Most High says:

“The Jews say: ‘Allah’s Hand is tied up (i.e. He does not give and spend of His bounty).’ Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they uttered. Nay, both His Hands are widely outstretched. He spends (of His bounty) as He wills.)

And here, Allah says:

“Nay, both His Hands are widely outstretched.”

So, He has confirmed for Himself that He has two Hands, . described as outstretched, which means bountiful in giving. So, we must believe that Allah, the Most High has two Hands which are outstretched in Giving and Grace. However, we must

Fatawa Arkanul-Islam 28 Pw! Sy sabi

try not to envision them in our hearts, nor attempt by spoken words to explain how those Hands are, nor to compare them with the hands of created beings, for Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High says:

“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.""") He, the Most High says:

SA & GAG EOE ee BS GEO D “Say (O Muhammad #8): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.’'! He, the Almighty, the All-Powerful says:

6 SSS F BG cai cat 4 Shy AG GE ‘And follow not (O man, 1.e., say not or do not or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allah)."?) So, whoever compares these two Hands with the hands of created beings, then he has indeed belied the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“There is nothing like unto Him. And such person has disobeyed the Words of Allah, the Most High: 45M At pis Sa} “So put not forward similitudes for Allah (as there is nothing similar to Him, nor does He resemble anything).’'7!

Whoever described them and said that they are defined in a certain manner, whatever it might be, he has said something about Allah which he knows not, and followed that of which he has no knowledge of.

We present another example regarding the Attributes, which is Allah’s Istawa (Ascension) over His Throne, for Allah, the Most High has confirmed for Himself that He has ascended over the Throne in seven places in His Book, in all of them using the Word:

Keely “Tstawa.”” And the Words:

If we refer to the Arabic language, we find that when Istawa is mentioned with ‘Ala it implies only ascension and elevation. So, the meaning of the Words of Him, the Most High:

Ci SH GN “The Most Gracious (Allah) rose over (Istawa) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).’”"*)

Fatawa Arkanul-Islam 30 PLY! OIF ssbs

and other similar Verses, is that He ascended over His Throne in a particular manner — unlike common elevation — over all of creation, and this elevation is confirmed for Allah, the Most High in truth and He is Above His Throne in a manner which befits Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. This does not resemble the rising up of a person on his bed or his mounting cattle or his boarding a ship, which Allah has mentioned in His Words:

WSF seb & UE AOS. Go NG alll % S

eae ws ABLE fe obo

Ke BUS CS ll Se Boss ake

“and has appointed for you ships and cattle on which you ride, in order that you may mount on their backs, and then may remember the Favor of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: Glorified is He Who has subjected this to us, and we could have never had it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!!")

So, the Istawa of created beings cannot resemble the Istawa of

Allah over His Throne, because there is nothing like Allah.

And those who said that the meaning of:

“Istawa over the Throne.”!?!

is Istawla'?! over the Throne are in great error, because this is a distortion of the Words from their true meaning, and it contradicts what was agreed upon by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and those who faithfully followed them. Additionally such claim necessitates ideas that are false, and it is not possible for a believer to say something about Allah

which is based upon a false premise. The Noble Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language without doubt, as Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most Heh says:

“Verily, We ~ made it a Qur’an in Arabic that y you may be able to understand (its meanings and its admonitions)”."")

And the wording: ‘Istawa over such and such necessitates the meaning ‘ascended and established over’ in the Arabic language; indeed, its meaning corresponds to the wording. So, the meaning of Istawa over the Throne is that He ascended over it in a special manner befitting His Majesty and Greatness. So, if Istawa was explained as meaning Istaw/a, it would distort the meaning of the words transforming the meaning which is proven by the language of the Qur’an, which is ascension, and also confirms that any other meaning is invalid.

Also, the Salaf and those who followed them faithfully are all agreed upon this meaning, since not a single letter has been related from them which contradicts this meaning. When the wording is reported in the Qur’an and the Sunnah and no explanation contradicting the apparent meaning has been reported from the Salaf, then the basic principle is that they left it with its apparent meaning and they believed in what it proves.

If a person said: Has any clear wording been reported from the Salaf which shows that they explained Istawa as meaning ascended? we say: Yes, it has been reported thus from the Salaf, but even supposing that no clear statement had been reported from them, the basic principle which has been proved by the wording in the Nobie Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah is that it ‘remains upon the meaning necessitated by the Arabic language. So, the confirmation of the Salaf will be in accord with this meaning. As for the false premises necessitated by

Fatawa Arkanul-Islam 32 ee! OWS T sgh

explaining Istawa to mean Istawla they are:

1, That the Throne before the creation of the heavens and the earth was not in Allah’s possession, because Allah, the Most High says: -

“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty).’"")

According to this view, Allah would not be in possession of the Throne before the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor when the heavens and the earth were created.

2. That the interpretation by our saying is correct, that Allah ascended over the earth and He ascended over something else among His creatures (rather than the Throne) and this is, without doubt and without question a false meaning which does not befit Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

3. That it is a distortion of the meaning of the words.

4. That it contradicts the consensus of the righteous Salaf, may Allah be pleased with them.

So, to summarize this type of Tawhid — Tawhid Al-Asma’ was-Sifat, it is an obligation for us to affirm for Allah the Names and Attributes He confirms for Himself, or which His Messenger #% confirms for Him in reality, without distortion, without negation, without explaining the how of it and without comparisons.

Q. 2. What is the Shirk of the polytheists to whom the Prophet #¢ was sent?

A. Regarding the Shirk of the polytheists to whom the Prophet # was sent, it is not Shirk in Rububiyyah (Lordship), because the Noble Qur’an proves that they only would commit Shirk in matters

0 ALA ‘Taf 7:54

Fatawa on ‘Agidah (Creed) 33 Badal! ig ghd

of worship. As for Lordship, they used to believe that Allah Alone is the Lord, and that He answers the supplication of the oppressed, and that it is He Who removes evil, and other such things Allah mentioned that they used to confirm about the sovereignty of Allah’s Lordship. But they used to associate partners in worship, worshipping other deities besides Allah and this is a form of Shirk which removes one from the pale of Islam, because Tawhid means according to what is understood from the word to affirm the oneness of something, and Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High has rights which must be affirmed to Him Alone. These rights may be divided into three categories:

1. Rights of dominion. 2. Rights of worship. 3. Rights of Names and Attributes.

For this reason, the scholars have divided Tawhid into three categories: Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, Tawhid Al-Asma’ was-Sifat and Tawhid Al-‘Ibadah (Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah).

The polytheists used to worship others besides Allah. Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High has said:

My the ed ne ce we FES IES Th AEG SED “Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship);""")

that is, in worshipping Him. And Allah, the Most High says:

clete ee ae ee ee ee ae

Ce eter = Soe 05 JUST AGUS EIT ache tit GS as ah ES 1}

“Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.""*}

He, the Most High s says:

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills,"

He, the Most High says:

Ki Coll asi Eats 36} Raph ae Sbice seer ‘And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything], I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation’!

Allah, the Most st High says in Surat Al-Ikhlas: HO RT Gis Zi ne aee 1S @ ts

“Say (O Muhammad é to these Mushrikun and Kafirun): O Al-Kafirun (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar)! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping. Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion (Islamic Monotheism).””"*!