The Kaafiyah Channel

Continuing off of my last post:

Q: Then what about this hadith in Sahih Muslim?

أَمَا إِنَّكُمْ سَتَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ هَذَا الْقَمَرَ، لَا تُضَامُّونَ فِي رُؤْيَتِهِ

Surely you will see your Lord as you see this full moon; you will have no trouble in seeing Him.

A: A simile [tashbeeh] is given - it is a figure of speech comparing one thing to another. Three components are involved:

1. The matter being likened [mushabbah]
2. What it's being likened to [mushabbah bihi]
3. The common feature [wajh al-tashbeeh]

To back up what I'm about to say, let's first look at what Imam al-Nawawi says in the commentary of this hadith.

أي: ترونه رؤية محققة لا شك فيها ولا مشقة، كما ترون هذا القمر رؤية محققة بلا مشقة، فهو تشبيه للرؤية بالرؤية لا المرئي بالمرئي

Meaning: You'll see Him with an actualized vision, without a doubt and without trouble. Just like you're actually seeing this moon, without any trouble. The simile is comparing the vision of both things, not the perceived things themselves.

In other words: the common feature is the apparentness and ease by which both will and can be seen, i.e. the ease of the vision of both. The hadith is comparing the vision of both. It is NOT comparing Allah to the moon, in that He will be viewed in a direction and entering creation. That is a distortion of the hadith's meaning by the Mujassimah.

How can Allah be seen if He's not in a direction?

I have formulated the following based on Sh Saeed Foudah’s commentary of Aqida Tahawiyyah (p.600-601):

Before we delve into this issue, it’s important to define the meaning of Ru’yah:

From a lexical perspective, the word Ru’yah means a number of things. Allamah al-Asfahani mentions in his al-Mufradaat:
‘’Ru’yah means perception/apprehension of the seen [idraak al-mar’iyy] and that can be of types in accordance with the strength of the self.

1. It can take place with the senses and whatever functions like it.

Allah says in the Quran:
لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيم
You will most certainly see the
blazing Fire. (102:6)
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
Then you will most certainly see it with the eye of certainty. (102:7)

But also: فَسَيَرَى اللّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ
Allah will see your deeds (9:105)

Whereas know that Allah does not have senses or a physical instrument by which He sees. He transcends that.

2. It can take place through imagining [wahm] and envisioning [takhyeel].

Like when saying ‘’I could already see Zayd walking,’’ but also like Allah says in the Quran:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلآئِكَةُ
And if you had seen when the angels cause to die those who disbelieve (8:50)

3. It can take place by pondering [tafakkur].

إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ
Surely I see what you do not see. (8:48)

4. It can take place with the mind [aql].

Allah says in the Quran:
مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى
The heart did not deny, what it saw (53:11)

Based on that we also interpret the verse:
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى
And certainly he also saw him during another descent. (53:13)’’

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These all are manners of Ru’yah, according to its lexical application. Thus, Ru’yah means apprehension [idraak]. This word [idraak] is, in the more general sense of the word, applied to knowledge [‘ilm]. It is said that knowledge is apprehension [al-'ilm idraak].

It’s not a prerequisite for this type of idraak – which is Ru’yah – that things face one another or that there are light rays between them. Nor do one’s eyes need to be opened, just like it’s not necessary in case of ‘ilm.

Take for example the hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) where he said ‘’Surely I see you behind me and in front of me.’’ It means that Allah informed him with the states of the Muslims by creating a vision of them within the Prophet, whereas they were behind him. This is clear proof that facing one another is not a prerequisite for vision.

Shaykh Sa'id Foudah writes in النقد و التقويم (footnotes on p.31):

The gist of Imam al-Razi's statement is that definitive reason [al-aql al-qat'i] and definitive scripture [al-naql al-qat'i] don't ever clash or oppose each other. It's not possible to imagine the occurrence of contradiction.

Every rational proof is either:
1. definitive [qat'i]
2. or speculative [zhanni]

The same goes for scriptural proof - it's either:
1. definitive (in terms of its signification [dalalah] plus authenticity [thuboot])
2. or speculative (in one of the two or even both)

A clash between a rational proof and definitive scriptural proof can't be fathomed, but it can be in anything else. If a clash were to occur, then the definitive proof always takes precedence - be it rational or scriptural. The underlying reason in preponderance and precedence isn't the proof's being rational or scriptural - it is its being definitive (or not).

In case two speculative proofs clash, then the stronger one takes precedence.

That is the gist of Imam al-Razi's statement, as is clear. However, he only specifically discussed a situation where definitive rational proof clashes with speculative scriptural proof. The correct position is that it's necessary to give precedence to the definitive rational proof and not accept that so-and-so meaning (in scripture) is the apparent [zhahir] meaning. In fact, it isn't apparent at all, since there is evidence indicating that said meaning is impossible. Another option is to relegate the meaning to Allah [tafweed].

Shaykh Sa'eed Foudah writes in his treatise النقد و التقويم لمنتقد عقائد الماتريدية (p.21):

"Let it be known that none of the esteemed scholars obligate the general masses to know Allah by the method of the Kalam scholars. Their writings on this topic are widespread and very clear. Rather, what's compulsory upon the laity is to know Allah, but not per se through any specific proof - just that the proof be sound, be it general. Take the saying of the Bedouin: "Droppings signify a camel. Traces of travel signify a journey. Don't the heaven and earth contain constellations and pathways? How does that not denote upon the Subtle One and All-Aware?"

The scholars have explicitly mentioned in their books that general argumentation like this suffices in this matter. Likewise in the other issues of 'Ilm al-Tawheed.

Imam al-Ash'ari his take on imaan: 'aml is not from the asl of imaan.

Here follows how he defended his view.

On p.150 of مجرد مقالات الأشعري:
[al-Ashari] used to say: "We, including our opponents, agree that imaan - prior to the coming of the Shariah - linguistically meant affirmation [التصديق]. We also agree that the Quran is revealed in their [Arabs] language. So it's compulsory that its meaning is ascertained based on it."

On p.152 it says:
[al-Ash`ari] used to say that actions are signs of imaan - like prayer, obligatory tax, purification and other pillars.

Now, the sign of something is other than the thing itself. However, it's permissible - by way extension - that the signs are labelled as imaan. In the sense that they are signs, indications and marks of imaan. Based on that we interpret the verse 《And Allah will not let your imaan go to waste》 by saying that what's intended with imaan is "your prayer."

Do Ash'aris reject khabar al-ahaad?

Khabar al-ahaad don't establish aqida according to Ash'aris; however, this doesn't mean that they aren't present in their books at all - they are, very often in fact. Khabar al-ahaad are used to elaborate on credal points whose roots are mutawatir (be it lafzi or ma'nawi). E.g. The Scale (al-mizaan) is established in the Quran, but its details are taken from khabar al-ahaad.

Khabar al-ahaad that oppose the fundamentals of creed are relayed by Ash'aris and (re)interpreted, if they have a sahih sanad. As for when it is mawdoo' or munkar, then they don't even bother with it.

So even though khabar al-ahaad aren't a proof to Ash'aris, that doesn't mean they outright reject them. If that weren't so, they wouldn't bother writing books on them (see Ibn Furak's "Ta'weel Mushkil al-Hadith").

What is the extent of miracles (karamaat) that saints can perform?

There are many opinions (even among the Ash'aris):

1. The only miracle they have is that their supplication is answered instantaneously.
2. They can't perform miracles that were performed by Prophets.
3. They can perform any miracle, except the major ones Prophets performed (so they can't split seas for example).
4. They can perform any miracle, even one that a Prophet performed - except those specific to prophethood, e.g. the Quran.

The strongest opinion is the last one, Shaykh Saif al-Asri mentions - it is also the majority opinion. See around 30:00 mark.

👇
https://youtu.be/cjlxBZGysbA

Someone recently made a video on the hadith where the Prophet allegedly instructs people to drink camel urine.

These are not his words, rather the addition of a narrator. See file.

ليس من الممكنات أن الله خلق إلهًا آخر، بل هو مستحيل عقلًا؛ لأنّ كل ما خُلِقَ ليس بإلهٍ. و من صفات الله كونُه قديمًا بلا ابتداء وجوبًا. و كل ما خُلق كان حادثا فهو ليس بقديم؛ لهذا لا يمكن وجود إلهٍ آخر.

إن قيل: إنّ الله على كل شيء قدير، فكيف قلت أنه ليس بقادر عليه. قلت: نعم، الآية صحيحة لكن فهمُك الآيةَ غلط؛ لأن الله كان قادرا على كل شيء ممكن. و إيجاده إلهًا آخر مستحيل عقلًا كما مر.

It's not from the realm of possibilities that Allah create another god - it's actually rationally impossible. That is because whatever is created, can't be a god. It's from the Divine Attributes of Allah that He is necessarily pre-eternal without a beginning. Yet whatever is created is contingent (came into existence after non-existence), thus isn't pre-eternal. Hence the existence of another god isn't possible.

If it's said: It says in the Quran "Allah is All-Powerful over everything?" Meaning that He can do everything. So how are you saying that He can't create another god?

I say to that: The verse is correct; however, you understand the verse incorrectly. The verse means that Allah is capable of every possible thing, whereas His bringing about another god is rationally impossible, as was mentioned earlier.

Update: I am nearly done with the document on why Makhlooq = Haadith. Just gathering a few more references and interesting quotes. Hint: I will mention Imam Bukhari - someone asked me whether I would. Make du'a I finish it soon بإذن الله