- Ibn Jarir At-Tabari (d. 310 H.) said in tafsir of the ayah: “{and I think he (Musa)}, in what he says about having a deity that he worship’s above the heaven, and that He (Allah) is the one who supports him and grants him victory, and that He is the One who sent him to us; {is one of the liars}” – Jami` Al-Bayan (Tafsir at-Tabari) (19/581)

And he said, explaining the second ayah : “{and I think he is a liar} he’s saying: ‘and I think Musa is lying in what he says and claims that he has a God above the Heavens who sent him to us’.” – Tafsir At-Tabari (21/387)

a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs.

So Islam, is thus philosophy.

Secondly, Allah does not tell you to be stupid. He tells you to think, contemplate, reflect, and understand throughout the Qur’an.

أفلا تعقلون

Anyone can read the texts but not everyone can understand. This is the reality of knowledge.

The da’wah of pseudo-salafism, and of those who imitate them, is to abandon intellectual discourse. It is to abandon contemplation and “fiqh”. If one thinks they can simply pick up the “Qur’an” and “Sunnah” and understand it, then they are mistaken.

-Reasons for revelation
-Knowledge of the context
-Aathaar pertaining to it
-Knowledge of the sciences of hadith in order to understand what is authentic and what is not
-Immense knowledge of the Language – sarf nahu etc
-Abrogation and Abrogating
-Knowing the different methods of recitation so as not to miss an underlying meaning

So accepting the Qur’an and Sunnah “As it is” is to reflect and contemplate its meanings. It is to extract from the texts intent of the speaker(s), or deeper underlying meanings. This is what makes the Qur’an and Sunnah so spectacular in depth and breadth. Your claim to simplicity, truly a disguise for ignorance, is really a claim to abandonment of the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is as Allah says:

يؤتي الحكمة من يشاء ومن يؤت الحكمة فقد أوتي خيرا كثيرا وما يذكر إلا أولو الألباب

“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.”

Mujaahid, the student of Ibn ‘Abbas, defines hikmah here as: “the Qur’an, Knowledge, and understanding [fiqh].”

Ibrahim An-Nakha’i states, “It is the knowing (ma’rifah) of the meaning of things, and understanding them.” [Tafsir Al-Baghawi]

So Allah selects a few men who are granted this “Hikmah”. May Allah make us of them Amin!

akhi i read from that site. I thought it be interesting but it seems so complicating. Why cant we just accept the quran and sunnah as it is and not deal with philosophy?

Abu Bakr ibn arabi rahimahullah is indeed respected. But i dont think that quote from shaykh salih al fawzaan is really sufficient evidence that one should take creed from him also. But i did indeed find his (ibn arabi) response to be very interesting.

The quote from al-Wasitiyya would be nice.

By the way, here is what wahabi preacher Saalih al-Fawzaan says about the status of Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi:

“As for Ibnul Arabee, with the definite article [attached to the name Arabee], then he is the well-known, lofty imaam, Aboo Bakr ibnul Arabee, al-Maalikee who had noble writings in the area of hadeeth and tafseer and a noble book, defending the Companions, which he called al-Awaasim minal Qawaasim.

He defended in that book, Islaam and the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihe wa alaa Aalihee wa Sahbihee wa sallam.

It is a noble book and he also has a book entitled Tafseeru Aayaatil Ahkaam, in two huge, volumes. He also has an explanation of the Sunan of [al-Imaam] at-Tirmidhee called Aaridatul Ahwadhee fee sharhit Tirmidhee.

All of these books are published and to be [easily] found and all the praise is due to Allaah. “

These neo-muqaatiliyya are aristotelian, yet they bark about kalaam! Their da’wah to pagan beliefs is dying. Their “salafi” movement is being replaced by Sunnism, and their ranks are decreasing daily.

This is a well-written and much welcomed article, especially because it’s so devastating to the present day anthropomorphists.

Well if Moses (as) had really been given the time to teach Pharaoh proper ‘aqidah, one of the first things he would have taught him is that Almighty God is transcendent above (i.e. outside) His creation, thus even if you could build a tower a million miles high, you’d never reach Him…since He, subhanahu wa ta’ala, is not in a created place (or any “place” for that matter). Based on that, I don’t think Pharaoh was acting on anything that Moses (as) taught him, but on his own misguided notions…and that should come as no surprise since we are talking about Pharaoh here.

Some of the “Salafis” that I know do indeed recognize that Allah is outside of His creation. They do this by interpreting the “ala” and “fi” in key ayat and ahadith as meaning “above” (which seems to have some linguistic merit in the Arabic language). They seem to realize, in contrast to some of their more simple-minded and crude brethren, that anyone who believes that Allah Most High is literally “in” any part of His creation is not much better than an incarnationist Christian or Hindu. The other “Salafis”, as you’ve so rightly pointed out, don’t seem to have much problem taking their ‘aqidah from Pharoah!

As a new Muslim, I attended lessons in Kuwait by a “Salafi” shaykh that was shockingly anthropomorphic, and I recall him using the “Pharaoh wanted to go up to see Allah” argument. After that, I could understand where the tongue-in-cheek accusation that Wahhabis worship the “sky god of Najd” came from. It saddens me to see so many well-intentioned but religiously unaware Muslims getting duped by this movement.

Anyway…isn’t it rather hypocritical that some Muslims criticize others for engaging in kalam although it’s their own sect that is well-known (or should I say “infamous”) for starting such debates. Indeed, it’s the “Salafis” that generally go around telling Muslims that their ‘aqidah in all wrong. Instead of simply accepting the fact that they’ve said the Shahadah, as the Sunnah requires, they ask them: “Where is Allah?” Everyone should know that even the staunchly “athari” Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal didn’t give up disputation and kalam when faced with heretical ideas that needed to be dealt with…

So may Allah bless you for your efforts!

Anu Zayd you have the manners of a khawarji, if someone doesn’t agree with you then off to hell with them. I know because I used to be upon this that your heart feels hard, so remeber that also only pure hearts will enter jannah if you want to bring up the hereafter.

some of aqida al-sahiha by ibn khafif rahimahullah http://islamic-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=6720