Part
VIII
Faith
and Manhaj
Prof. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed
Tauheed Al-Asma’ Was-Sifat
Allah
says in the Quran:
The most beautiful names belong to Allah. So
call on Him by them. (Al-Araf:180)
Similarly, Allah
said:
To Him belongs the loftiest similitude (we can
think of) in the heavens and the earth, for He is exalted in Might, Full of
Wisdom. (Ar-Rum: 27)
It is narrated in a Hadith that Allah
has
ninety names. The Tauheed Al-Asma Was-Sifat means to believe in the Names of
Allah
and
to believe in the Attributes these names stand for, and not to associate any one else with Allah in these Names and
Attributes. Some of the Names of Allah
are:
Allah, Ar-Rehman (Merciful), Ar-Rahim
(Ever-Merciful), Al-Ghafoor (Forgiver of Sins) Al-Qadir (He who has power over
every thing), As-Sami (All-Listener) and Al-Baseer (All-Seer).
All Names of Allah
are
lofty. It should be our firm belief that all Names of Allah
are
the most beautiful in terms of meaning and we should only use the names which
Allah Himself or His Prophet used.
Allah’s
Names Describe His Attributes
About Allah’s Attributes it should be our belief
that none among His creation can bear comparison to His Attributes. He is free
from all faults and weaknesses, and it means that no one else can have
attributes like His. We should believe in all Attributes which Allah and His
Prophetr described. No
Attribute should be denied and it should be believed that all His Attributes
are worthy of Him.
The philosophers and the experts of dialectics have
made the cardinal mistake of explaining Allah’s Attributes in terms of human
qualities, whereas in reality the only source we have to understand Allah’s
Attributes is the Divine Revelation (wahi). It is a fact that man’s
knowledge about things is based on comparisons and examples stored in his mind.
This principle can be applied to the creation but not to Allah
. Nobody has seen
Allah, and the only authentic knowledge about Allah is the one that He revealed
in His books. The rationalists have tried to understand Allah’s Attribute with
the help of their own language. This is nothing but manifest ignorance.
Some of the misguided sects have even denied Allah’s Attributes. Sects
like Jehmiya and Mo’tazila have used rational arguments to deny or distort
Allah’s Attributes. For this kind of denial the term Ta’teel is used in Shariah
and Jehmiya and Mo’tazila are called Mo’attila. Then there are sects like
Al-Karamiya and Rifiziya that seek examples and similitude for Allah whereas
Allah has no similitude. No one is like Him nor is He like anyone. Another sect
called Al-Hishamiya has described states or conditions of Allah’s Attributes.
All these sects are misled. Only those people are on the straight path who confine themselves to the meaning of Attributes of Allah
provided by the Quran
and the Sunnah.
Those who were misled adopted the following
practices:
(a)
Distortion
Distortion means that the meaning of the Names and
Attributes of Allah were changed. For instance those who say that Allah does
not speak, they changed the meaning of this verse
وَكَلَّمَ
اللَّهُ
مُوسَى
تَكْلِيمًا(Al-Nisa:164)
By changing its vowel points this verse which
originally meant that Allah spoke to Musau meant Musau spoke to Allah.
Likewise the verse which means Allah raised Himself to the throne was changed
to mean Allah occupies the throne. And the verse your Rab (Lord) will come
was distorted to mean your Lord’s command will come.
This practice was common among Jews who changed
Allah’s Shariah altogether. The misled sects of Muslim Ummah followed the same
practice; they particularly targeted the Attributes of Allah
.
(b) Denial
Jehimiya, Mo’tazila and many other sects like them
denied the Attributes of Allah
and were called Mo’attila.
They say believing in Allah’s Attributes will require us to believe that Allah
has certain physical qualities. For instance, they argue that if we say Allah
is on the throne then this will ultimately mean that either Allah is equal to
the throne or bigger than it. Therefore, they say these Attributes should
better be denied. They invent a certain physical quality then use it to deny
the Attribute. They use similar strange logic to deny Allah’s Attributes of
being All-Seer and All-Listener. In the Quran, the word Yadulah (Allah’s Hand)
has been used they take it to mean Allah’s blessing.
(c) Similitude
Another form
of ignorance is the practice of seeking comparisons and similitude of Allah’s
Attributes. The Christians were guilty of this practice; they sought examples
of Allah’s Attributes.
(d)
Description of states and physical qualities
Sects like Al-Hishamiya committed the felony of
describing Allah
physical
qualities and states, for instance, they said Allah is equal in length and
width. (Ma’z Allah). When Allah Himself has not
described any such thing, we should also avoid doing so. For example it has
been said that Allah is on the throne, and it has not been told in what state.
So we should not discuss the state and should only believe that He is on the
throne.
Avoidance
Some did not take the words used for Allah’s
Attributes to mean anything. They say they do so to avoid any
misinterpretation. Whereas the Prophet of Allah
r described the
meaning of different attributes. These people also smoothed the ground for
different rational arguments like Mo’attila and were thus misled. These people
are called Tafweezi. We take
"يد"
to mean hand but we don’t say Allah’s Hand is like this or that. When Allah has
no similitude and no equals then no discussion in this direction can be
broached. The Prophet of Allah
r said both Hands of Allah
are Right Hands
but no state has been described. We believe in it but do not describe states or
examples, nor do we deny it.
Belief
of Salaf
The Salaf or Ehl-e-Sunnah wal Jama’t Ehl-e-Hadees
have a clear belief in the Names and Attributes of Allah as they have been
described by Allah and His Prophet
r and as they are worthy of
Allah. And what is worthy of Allah, only Allah knows. The knowledge that He has
revealed to mankind through His Book is the only source of real knowledge.
Therefore we do not distort, deny or draw comparisons to Allah’s Attributes. We
believe in His Attributes as He is worthy of and we believe He is free of all
faults and weaknesses.
In attestation and denial we only follow the way
prescribed by the Quran and Sunnah.
For instance
لَيْسَ
كَمِثْلِهِ
شَيْءٌ
وَهُوَ
السَّمِيعُ
البَصِيرُِ (Al-Shura:11)
We attest that Allah is All-Seer and All-Listener
but we deny that anybody can be like Him and we further attest His Attributes
as have been described in the Quran and Sunnah. For Instance
فَإِنَّهُ
يَعْلَمُ
السِّرَّ
وَأَخْفَى(Taha:7)
He knows what
is hidden and secret. He is All-Knower, His knowledge encompasses everything.
He is on the throne. We also believe that He appears on the worldly sky after
midnight, He speaks, He listens to the supplications, He sees everything and
sees always, He knows the past and future of everything, He has power over
everything, He Changes everything when and how He likes, He carries out plans,
He makes things work, He infuses life, He causes death, He sends down rain, He
causes crops to grow, He issues commands and He accepts the deeds of His
slaves.
Allah’s Attributes are personal, implied and related
to His actions. Allah’s Personal Attributes have been described in the Quran.
For instance, Allah has a Face and Hands. Implied Attributes include Allah’s
power over everything, His knowledge, His intention etc. And His Attributes
related to His Actions include that He is on the throne, He appears on the sky
of this world, He creates, He provides sustenance etc.
The sects like Jehimiya denied Allah’s personal
Attributes and the ones related to His Actions. They denied that Allah has
hands, and that He is on the throne etc. And Ashaira and Matridiya accepted
some personal and implied Attributes related to His Actions. Whereas
the Salaf believed in all Attributes. They associated the Attributes
with Allah which are worthy of Him and denied which are not worthy of Him, for
instance dozing, sleeping etc.
They also believe Allah is free of all weaknesses.
They declare Divine Revelation the source of their knowledge and belief. They
believed in all Attributes did not deny any. They kept on following Allah’s
Shariah. They did not use rational approach to deny anything, nor did they
subscribe to the concept of similitude, therefore, they avoided all forms of
misguidance. Those who denied or presented examples and similitude used
rationalism and philosophic explanations, all these approaches were totally
wrong and ultimately led to disbelief and polytheism in the same manner as the
erratic beliefs of Jews and Christians led to disbelief and polytheism. The
Jews denied Allah’s Attributes and thus laid the foundation of disbelief and
subsequently they rebelled against Allah’s Shariah. And Christians declared
Creation equal to Allah; they declared Eesa (Jesus) the Son
of Allah and thus committed polytheism. There are similar misguided notions
prevalent among some sects of Muslims. They denied Attributes of Allah and
presented different rational explanations. Subsequently, they denied a number
of aspects of Shariah and adopted un-Islamic practices and beliefs.
Today, the exclusion of Islam from economy,
politics, law and social values is a direct consequence of this. Another sect,
likewise, associated the Prophet and saints as partners with Allah in His
Attributes and thus nurtured polytheistic beliefs. Many people believe that
Allah and the Prophet
are two forms of one entity. They say saints are also
god-incarnate they know the unseen, they are
omnipresent and all-knower. All these beliefs are protrusions in Deen and have
made way for polytheism like the earlier Ummahs.
Merits of belief of Salaf
and demerits of denial.
History bears witness that the sects espousing
heretic beliefs have played havoc with the Ummah and they continue to do so.
Such aberrations of belief are grossly under-estimated, whereas in reality they
are at the heart of sectarian conflicts in the Ummah and the demise of
Khilafah. The Muslims as a result veered away from Jihad and enforcement of Shariah.
The only thing that keeps the Ummah united is the true belief whose sources are
Divine Revelation and the Sunnah of the
Prophet
r. Only by
sticking to this true belief Muslim Ummah can become united and emerge as a
strong entity. All erratic beliefs are inventions of the Satan, it is vital to
give it a wide berth and embrace the belief espoused by the Quran and the
Sunnah. All false beliefs and notions about Allah’s Names and Attributes must
be avoided because they generally go unnoticed due to their subtlety. When one
believes firmly that Allah is watching him and He knows what lies in the dark
recesses of his heart then he starts fearing Allah, shows eagerness in Ibadah
and affection to Allah. He believes firmly that Allah loves him and that He
helps him always. This multiplies his faith in Allah; he shows patience and
gratefulness. Then his heart is filled with the greatness of Allah
Y and he believes
Allah is on the lofty throne and that He appears on the worldly sky in the last
part of night and he makes supplication at that time. But he who denies Allah’s
Attributes can never attain nearness to Allah, or His love and his heart will
be devoid of faith. In this respect a question boggled my mind for quite some
time: Why did Allah
Ysay about Ulema
in the Quran that they fear Allah more than ordinary people? When I pondered
over the belief of Tauheed, I understood that this is so because Ulema happen
to have stronger belief in Tauheed and therefore they fear Allah more. And
those Ulema who entertain beliefs like those of Ashaira and Jehmiyia, they
happen to be devoid of any fear of Allah. They are the ones who have split this
Ummah in sects.
To conclude, belief in Allah’s Attributes
in vital for Eeman. No saint or Prophet should be associated with Allah as
partner in His Attributes. No one is His partner in His Attributes. No one is
His partner in His Creation, Knowledge etc. The Prophet and saints are all his
slaves. Whatever knowledge, might and property they have,
has been given by Allah. They are all His creation and He is the Sustainer,
Creator, Ever-Living, Eternal, Knower of the Unseen
and has no partners in His Attributes.
We believe in Allah’s Names and Attributes as have
been described by Him and His Prophetr. We do not deny any
Attribute, nor do we invent any similitude to Him, and we take His attributes
to mean what they imply in the Quran and the Sunnah. We believe in “Allah is on
the throne” and Allah’s appearance on the sky as Imam Malik said we know that
Allah is on the throne (because it has been described by Allah) but we do not
know any details (because the Quran does not give us any). Belief in this is
obligatory but any discussion in this regard is an innovation.
We should believe in what has been described in the
Quran and Sunnah and should not make our own rational interpretations. Those
who do so, they risk their faith. We must not forget that Deen and its beliefs
have nothing to do with philosophy, in Deen you cannot
have two opinions abut one thing. Deen is a matter of belief, we should believe
in Deen, its different aspects as we are told. The Companionsy and the Muslims
of the earlier period had the true faith. They did not indulge in discussions,
they accepted whatever the Prophet
r taught them. They did not
make their own interpretation or deny anything. So then there was no
sectarianism, no heretic practices.
Let us
embrace Eeman in the same manner, have firm beliefs and thus fulfil the
responsibility of leading the Ummah to the platform of Dawah and Jihad provided
by the Quran and Sunnah so that our Allah is pleased with us and we attain
success.
An
Important Explanation
When the belief that Allah is
on the throne is stated, some people quote different verses to prove that
Allah is omnipresent. For instance in Surah Mujadilah Allah Almighty says He
(Allah) is with them wherever they are. Likewise in Surah Qaf Allah says:
We are closer than the
jugular vein. In the same way some other verses are taken to mean the same.
Here it must be remembered that all aspects belief must be understood
without any rationalisation. Otherwise misunderstandings will continue to
creep in. Rationalists say if Allah is with every one then it inevitably
means he is omnipresent. Moreover, they say if we accept that Allah is on
the throne, it will confine Allah within some limits or has some dimensions.
They have taken this discussion to great lengths and derived the belief of
pantheism. Some others took it to mean that Allah is in everything. The
rationalists have broached a number of such discussions. Their problem is
that they try to define and explain Allah’s Attributes within the confines
of their reason.
For instance they say if
Allah is on the throne then He cannot be with everyone or if Allah appears
on the worldly sky at night, it would mean that He cannot be on the throne
at that time. Here the rationalists have committed the felony of describing
Allah in physical terms.
We on the other hand believe
Allah is on the throne, and He appears on the worldly sky. Likewise, we
believe Allah is with us, nearer to us than our jugular vein. But this does
not mean that we also take it to mean that Allah is omnipresent or that He
is in every thing. We only believe in what has been described in the Quran
and Hadith, no interpretation of our own in this regard.
Some people say Allah’s being
is on the throne, but He is everywhere in terms of His Knowledge and Power.
We deem this interpretation unnecessary as well. When we say Allah is with
us, we believe in it as it is without describing how He is with us.
Likewise, we believe He is nearer to our jugular vein but we don’t try to
further explain this nearness. Of course it is impossible to describe this
nearness in physical terms. We only believe in what has been stated and no
further explanation is sought.
There are no philosophical
discussions in the Quran and Hadith about all these Attributes. These
discussions are the brainchild of rationalists. Therefore they make
mistakes, Some other scholars say Allah’s Being is on the throne and He is
omnipresent in terms of His knowledge. But this also opens new avenues of
discussion. Secondly, this division has not been made in the Quran and
Hadith so we should also avoid it. In fact saying this is tantamount to
making our own interpretation and we should avoid this. Allah and His
Prophet did not do so. In short we should believe in what has been described
in the Quran and Hadith and avoid omissions and additions.
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