The Sunni Creed of Qadi Abu Bakr ibn Al-'Arabi
Qadi Abu Bakr ibn Al-’Arabi said after some precious words,
“The sound hadiths in this chapter – of the Divine Attributes – fall into three categories. The first category: Whatever is narrated which denotes pure perfection utterly devoid of defects. It is obligatory to believe them. The second category: Whatever is narrated which denotes pure imperfection. This can never be attributed to Allah most High in any way whatsoever and He is by absolute necessity expressly devoid of such a description, as in the hadith: “My servant! I was sick and you never visited Me” [Bukhari and Muslim by Abu Hurayrah] and the like. The third category” Whatever denotes perfection but suggests likeness to creatures (tashbih).
In the first category there is, for example: Oneness (wahdaniyya), Knowledge (‘ilm), Power (qudra), will (irada), life (hayat), Hearing (sam’), encompassment (ihaata), decree of all circumstances (taqdir), Disposal (tadbir), and Exemption from any match (mathil) or counterpart (nathir). There is nothing to object to such reports.
As for the second category, for example His saying – Most High! -”Who is it that will lend unto Allah a goodly loan” 2:245, or in the hadith qudsi: “I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty [...]” [Bukhari and Muslim] then both those that are protected [against confusion] and those that are outside belief, the learned and the ignorant know that the above are figurative expressions (kinaya) for the tenor of the meaning pertaining to these defective states, but He attributed them to His glorious and sanctified Self as an immense honor and homage to His friend, to make hearts tender and soft. This, O people of sound minds, is a warning to you regarding all possible wordings. For He has mentioned the safe wordings that denote perfection and are obligatory to believe in His regard; and He has mentioned the defective wordings and lowly meanings of which He is categorically and absolutely exempt. Now, if these two types of wordings are made to face one another, it becomes obligatory for every sensible believer to treat the latter as figurative expressions for the meanings that are appropriate for Him, and negate from Him what is impermissible to ascribe to Him.
Thus, His statements abolut “the arm/hand (al-yad)” “the forearm (al-sa‘id), the palm (al-kaff), and “the finger (al-isba’) are forceful and expressive style (‘ibaratun badi‘atun) pointing to lofty meanings. For the forearmamong the arabs denotes strength, grip, and force. Do you not see what al-Zubayr said when he struck an enemy fighter with the sword and cleaved him in two until he reached what was under him, and he was told: “That is some sword!” But he replied: “It is not the sword by the sa‘id!” ((Zamakhshari, al-Fa’iq 1:88 )) This is the reason the Prophet said to Abul-Ahwas about the latter’s father: “He maims camels then calls them, ‘Allah’s Cripples’ – but the forearm (sa‘id) of Allah is stronger and His blade sharper!” ((narrated from Malik ibn Nadla by Ahmad, at tabarani in al kabir 19:283, and ibn al-Qani’ in Mu’jam as-sahabah )) This is a threat for him because of his ugly deeds and as a warning of Divine disgrace and requital. It is in this context that he attributed a forearm to Allah – for the entire matter belongs to Allah – just as he attributed a blade to Him.
Similarly, the saying of the Prophet: “Truly, Sadaqa falls into the palm of the Merciful” by which He denoted the palm of the pauper as an honor for the latter. One of the scholars even said that in the saying, “The upper hand is better than the lower hand,” ((reported by the nine except ibn Majah )) the upper hand refers to the hand of the beggar who is given and takes the sadaqah for that reason. So the palm was attributed to Him as an honor for it. In the same way He said, “the she-camel of Allah” (90:13) and there are many more examples of this.
We have already clarified the use of the fingers and its wisdom in the context of the transformation effected by them.
[Note: He is referring to the hadith of The Nabi 'alayhis salam that states,
'Allah places the heavens on a finger, the earths on a finger, the trees on a finger, the undersoil on a finger, and all creatures on a finger." (Bukhari and Muslim and others) and, 'There is no heart except it lies between the two fingers of the Merciful. If He wishes, He will set it aright; and if He wishes He will lead it astray.' (Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi and others)]
What is turned around by the fingers is easier, lighter, and faster. Therefore, the Creator wanted to show the lightness of the heavens, the earth, and all creation in comparison to His power, and to express the swiftness of the heart’s transformation by placing it between the two fingers as well as its helplessness and insignificance. Both the heart and all creatures are as nothing to the Merciful with respect to His power over them and their insignificance. It was also said that “between the two fingers” is a figurative expression for the two dispositions. One disposition comes from the angel inspiring one to choose goodness and confirm truth, the other coming from the devil inspiring one to choose evil and deny truth.
As for the cubit/arm (dhira‘), we have noted that it was mentioned in absolute terms without attribution to Allah most High who said “and then insert him in a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits” (69:32). As for the hadith in which is found the term “the dhira‘ of Al-Jabbar’” ((reported by Ahmad with Abdur-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Dinar who hadith form no proof if it contains singularities. The same hadith is narrated by Muslim, Tirmidhi, and Ahmad without the terms in question )) it is inauthentic. [...] Rather, the sound-chained version from Abu Hurayrah states, “The thickness of the skin of the disbeliever will be forty cubits” unmodified and without further additions. We do not look twice atthe hadith containing an addition.”
[Al-'Awasim ibn al-Qawasim 2:42f, translated by Shaykh G.f. Haddad and taken from his masterpiece "The Refutation of Him who Attributes Direction to Allah" pages 120-123]
Salamu Alaikum Akhi Abul Layth and brother could someone translate what Shaykh Ali Gomaa (al Azhar) says about Ibn Abdul Wahab’s movement and pseudo Salafis etc and what Shaykh abdul Hamid Kishk said at the end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa-SS9q5W4M
Wa alaikum as-salam, I will translate it inshaAllah from the german subtitles so I don`t know if everything is correct, maybe another brother or sister can check it with the original in arabic. Nevertheless this is a translation of the subtitles[sorry about my english]:
First recording:
“There is a group that appeared. Which is called Wahhabiyya. It [the group] causes fitna until today. And we call upon the muslimeen: Oh Mulimeen!!! Be careful!!! Look at what ibn Hajar said! Look at what al-Baydawiy said! Look at what al-Shawkaniy said!”
Second recording:
“He is growing his beard long. He is shortening his jalabiyya. Lets his wife wear a niqab. he then reads ibn Uthaymin, bin Baz and al-Albani and he is told he could become a scholar in 2 weeks. But I am telling him, that he needs 30 years to become a scholar.
Whom is he following?!
The one who told him 2 weeks, but this is the quickest way to hell! Because he will talk about the religion without knowledge, [he will talk] about things he has no idea of.
YA LATIF!
Then he starts talking with Quran and Sunnah and is saying “this hadith is weak and this one is strong and the prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said”.
The hadith you thought to be weak is somewhere else classified as authentic. And the hadith you thought to be strong has another meaning as you thought. And the verses you are confusing, you have missunderstood them. And the arabic language which you don`t know… That`s another story!
I will translate the third one of Shaikh Kishk rahimahullah later inshaAllah.
Third recording of Shaikh Kishk:
“We are confronted with different groups, they claim to call to Islam, they took the knowledge without scholars and without Shuyookh from the books!!!
And they did not understand it!!!
The new trend “this hadith is weak”.
The self-proclaimed “salafi” is reading 3 words or 3 sites of the books of ibn Taymiyya or ibn Abdul Wahhab and then he thinks he could give instructions in the religion!!!
What a ridiculousness
[it sounds as if here is a cut and the following wasn`t at that place in the original speech, wAllahu a'lam]
Because Allah is not in time nor in space, Allah was existing and there was no place and Allah is still without a place after the creation of the place, because Allah doesn`t change
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Meaning:[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the worlds”
BarakAllahu feek brother JustaMuslim are you Deutsch? you dont know how much i appreciate this!
Wa feeka barakAllah akhil kareem, I`m half deutscher
half turkish and I grew up in germany.
Alhamdulillah, that I was able to help you bi ithnihi brother.
JazakAllah brother for taking the time to translate the video for us,
May Allah reward you ameen
very interesting video : )
Jazakum Allahu Khayran for sharing this section of Shaykh Abdul Hamid Kishk with us. SubhanAllah! I had no idea that Shaykh Abdul Hamid Kishk refuted the pseudo-salafis! May Allah have mercy upon him, and grant him nur in his grave amin! After hearing his words, feeling the high himmah to squelch these people of bida’ah and dalalah, one certainly is ready to scream Allahu Akbar! indeed!
I would not have translated waraqaat as “sites”.
…The self-proclaimed salafi reads 3 words or 3 pages [waraqaat literally means documents] from the books of ibn taymiyyah ….
My father informed me years ago as he was listening to a recorded lecture of Shaykh Kishk, and I being a newly converted Muslim completely ignorant of who the Shaykh was, that he once went to one of his lectures in Egypt, and the shaykh brought with him a pillow and a blanket, apparently because he knew that night after the lecture he would be put in prison by the tyrannical government of egypt!
A man of truth indeed!
Wa iyyakum wa barakallahu feek akhil habib. Of course it has to be “pages” maybe I wasn`t concentrated when I translated that, Astaghfirullah.
The german word is “Seite” and it sounds nearly same as the word “site” but I know they bear total different meanings. But this makes me remember how fallible we are, I didn`t even translate this short texts without mistakes while Kitabullah is without a doubt flawless from al-fatiha to an-nas, Allahu akbar!
see also from the same book: http://marifah.net/belief–aqidah/articles/aqidah/ibn-al-arabi-al-maliki-on-the-mujassima.html
Didnt the Author (RehmatullahiAlai) of Roohul Ma’ani speak against Ibn Arabi Al Maliki,
And didnt Shah Abdul Aziz RehmatullahiAlai call him a nasibi?