Part 42

They are unable to help them and cannot help themselves.' [surah al-A'raaf (7): 191-2] So this being the state of these gods, then to worship them is the greatest folly and is totally futile. (ii) Those mushriks used to affirm that Allaah, the Most High, alone is the Lord and the Creator; that in His Hand is the control of everything; and that He protects and none can protect from Him. So this necessitates that they should single Him out with all worship just as they have singled Him out by affirming all Lordship for Him. Allaah, the Most High, says, "O mankind, single out your Lord with all worship, He who created you and all those who came before you, so that you may be of those who seek to avoid Allaah's punishment and Anger, those whom Allaah is pleased with. He who has made the Earth a resting place for you, and has made the sky a canopy; and who sends down rain from the sky and brings out with it from the Earth crops and fruit as a provision for you. So do not set up rivals with Allaah in your worship whilst you know that you have no Lord besides Him." [surah al-Baqarah (2):21-2] "And if you, O Muhammad, were to ask those from your people who worship others along with Allaah: Who created them? They will say: 'Allaah created us.' Then how have they turned away from the worship of the One who created them?!" [surah az-Zukhruf (43):87] "Say, O Muhammad, to those who associate others in worship along with Allaah: Who gives you provision from the heavens (by sending down rain) and the earth (by bringing out its produce)? Or who is it that grants you hearing and sight? Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living? Who controls the affairs? Then they will say: 'Allaah.* Then say: Will you not then fear Allaah's punishment for your worshipping along with Him others who do not provide sustenance for you and who can neither harm nor benefit you. Rather the One Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth, grants you hearing and sight, brings out the living from the dead, and the dead from the living, and controls the affairs is Allaah -your true Lord, about which there can be no doubt. So besides the truth what is there except misguidance, So how is it that you have turned away from the truth?!" [surah Yoonus (10):31-2] (4) Belief in Allaah's names and attributes. That is to affirm whatever names and attributes Allaah affirmed for Himself in His Book, or in the Sunnah of his Messenger (3£|), in a manner befitting Him, without changing or twisting their wording or meaning (tahreef), without denial of them (ta 'teel), without asserting how they are (takyeef) and without declaring them to be like the attributes of the creation (tamtheel). Allaah, the Most High, says, "And Allaah has the most excellent and perfect names, so call on Him by them, and abandon the company of those who deviate and commit shirk with regard to them - they will be punished for what they used to do." [surah al-A'raaf (7): 180] "His is the highest and most perfect description (none has the right to be worshipped but Him, and nothing is like Him) in the heavens and the earth, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." [surah ar-Room (30):27] "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." [surah ash-Shooraa (42): 11] With regard to this issue two groups of people have gone astray: (i) The Mu'atlfflah - those who deny Allaah's names and attributes, or some of them, claiming that to affirm them necessitates making a resemblance between Allaah, the Most High, and his creation. This is a false and futile claim and its futility is shown in a number of ways, from them: [a] It would necessitate conclusions that are futile, such as that there is contradiction in the Speech of Allaah, the One free of all imperfections. This is because Allaah, the Most High, affirmed the names and attributes for Himself, and also denied that anything is like Him. So if affirming them necessitated resemblance between Allaah and His creation, then this would mean that there is a contradiction in Allaah's speech and that some of it negates the rest. [b] If two things have a name or a description that is common to them both, it does not necessitate that they are alike. So you see that two people share the fact that they are humans, and possess hearing, and sight, and speech -but that does not mean that they are alike in their human qualities, and in their hearing, their sight and their speech. Furthermore, you see that animals have hands and feet and eyes, but the fact that this is something common to them does not mean that their hands, feet and eyes are alike. So when it is clear to you that there is a great difference between created beings in the names or attributes common to them, then the difference between the Creator and the creation will be far clearer and greater. (ii) The Mushabbihah - those who affirm the names and attributes and also declare Allaah, the Most High, to be like His creation.