WEBVTT

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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The life of the salaf between word and deed.

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The position of the salaf regarding the attributes of Istiwa’ (rising over the Throne) and the Exaltation of Allah.

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‘Abbad Ibn al-‘Awwam, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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Sharik al-Qadi al-Nakha‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, came to us in Wasit.

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We said to him:

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"We have people among us who deny these hadiths,"

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"that Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, descends to the lowest heaven."

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Sharik replied:

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"The one who brought us these hadiths,"

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"is the same one who brought the Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."

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"The prayer, the fasting, the zakat, and the hajj."

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"It is only through these hadiths that we have come to know Allah, the Almighty and Majestic."

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Imam Malik Ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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"Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, is in the heaven,"

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"and His knowledge is in every place."

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"No place is devoid of His knowledge."

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And he recited this verse:

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“Hast thou not seen that Allah knoweth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? There is no secret conference of three but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their sixth, nor of less than that or more but He is with them wheresoever they may be; and afterward, on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Lo! Allah is Knower of all things.” (58:7)

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“Hast thou not seen that Allah knoweth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? There is no secret conference of three but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their sixth, nor of less than that or more but He is with them wheresoever they may be; and afterward, on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Lo! Allah is Knower of all things.” (58:7)

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Sufyan Ibn ‘Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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A man asked Imam Malik Ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him,

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saying: "The Most Merciful rose over the Throne."

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"How did He rise, O Abu ‘Abd Allah?"

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He replied: "The rising is known,"

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"but the 'how' is inconceivable."

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"Asking about this is an innovation,"

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"and belief in it is obligatory."

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Al-Walid Ibn Muslim said:

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I asked Malik about these hadiths,

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and he said: "Recite them as they have come."

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He disliked narrating them to the common people,

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who do not know their true meaning,

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and whose intellects cannot grasp them,

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lest they deny them or place them in an improper context.

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Regarding al-Dahhak Ibn Muzahim, may Allah have mercy on him:

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He said regarding the verse: ﴾There is no private conversation of three...﴿

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﴾...but He is the fourth of them.﴿

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He said: "He is over the Throne,"

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"and His knowledge is with them."

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Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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"This is the Sunnah."

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The position of the salaf regarding the attributes of Allah.

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Ibn Abi Mulaykah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked

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about a verse from the Book of Allah.

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He said: "What earth would carry me,"

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"and what heaven would shade me,"

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"and where would I go, or what would I do,"

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"if I were to speak about a verse from the Book of Allah"

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"with a meaning other than what Allah intended by it?"

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And from Anas Ibn Malik, that ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with them both,

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read from the pulpit:

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﴾And fruits and herbage (abba).﴿

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He then said:

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"We have known this fruit,"

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"but what is the 'abba'?"

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Then he checked himself and said:

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"By your life, O ‘Umar, this is indeed over-burdening yourself."

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Ibn Abi Ya‘la, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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"It should suffice you that the two Imams of Islam,"

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"the two leaders of guidance,"

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"and the two successors of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,"

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"the rightly guided leaders,"

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"refrained and held back from interpreting a verse"

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"from the Book of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic."

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"And they were the most knowledgeable of creation regarding Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,"

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"after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,"

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"and regarding His Messenger, His Book, and its interpretation."

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"So what can we say about the audacity of the Mu‘tazilah and the Ash‘ariyyah,"

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"and the rest of the misguided theologians in their interpretation of the attributes of the Most Merciful, the Almighty and Majestic,"

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"which the Qur’an has spoken of,"

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"and which the firm Imams and reliable scholars have transmitted?"

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A man said to al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him:

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"O Abu Bakr,"

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"the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him:"

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"'He is not of us who strikes the cheeks,'"

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"'and he is not of us who does not respect our elders,'"

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"and similar hadiths."

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He bowed his head for a while,

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then raised his head and said:

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"From Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, comes the knowledge,"

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"upon the Messenger, peace be upon him, is the delivery,"

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"and upon us is the submission."

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Al-Walid Ibn Muslim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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I asked al-Awza‘i, al-Thawri,

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Malik Ibn Anas, and al-Layth Ibn Sa‘d,

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may Allah the Exalted have mercy on them,

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about the hadiths containing the attributes.

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They all said:

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"Pass them on as they have come, without interpretation."

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A man came to Imam Malik Ibn Anas,

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may Allah have mercy on him, and said:

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"O Abu ‘Abd Allah,"

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“The Beneficent One, Who is established on the Throne.” (20:5)

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"How did He rise?"

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He said:

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"We have never seen Malik"

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"as distressed by anything as he was by his question."

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Sweat covered him,

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he bowed his head,

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and we waited to see what he would command regarding him.

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He said:

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Then the distress left Malik,

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and he said:

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"The 'how' is inconceivable,"

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"the rising is not unknown,"

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"belief in it is obligatory,"

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"and asking about it is an innovation."

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"And I fear that you are a person of misguidance."

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Then he ordered that he be removed.

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Al-Wazir Ibn Hubayrah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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I reflected upon the reports concerning the attributes,

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and I saw that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them,

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and the Tabi‘un, may Allah have mercy on them,

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remained silent regarding their interpretation despite the depth of their knowledge.

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I looked for the reason for their silence,

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and it was the intensity of their awe for the One described.

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And because their interpretation cannot be achieved

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except by drawing comparisons for Allah.

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Yet He, the Almighty and Majestic, has said:

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﴾So do not strike comparisons for Allah.﴿

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The position of the salaf regarding declaring others disbelievers, innovators, or sinners.

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It was said to Abu Wa’il,

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Shaqiq Ibn Salamah al-Asadi, may Allah have mercy on him:

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"O Abu Wa’il,"

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"what do you testify regarding al-Hajjaj?"

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"Do you testify that he is in the Fire?"

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He replied:

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"Subhan Allah!"

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"Do you command me to pass judgment on Allah?"

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Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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Our teacher, Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say in his final days:

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"I do not declare anyone from the Ummah a disbeliever."

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And he would say:

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"The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:"

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"'None maintains wudu’ except a believer.'"

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"So whoever maintains prayers with wudu’,"

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"he is a Muslim."

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He also said, may Allah have mercy on him:

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"If everyone who erred in his ijtihad,"

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"while his faith is sound and he intends to follow the truth,"

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"were to be cast aside and labeled an innovator,"

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"few in the Ummah would remain safe with us."

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May Allah have mercy on everyone through His grace and generosity.

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The life of the salaf

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between word and deed.