Part of Concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah (series completed)
· Lesson 1224 of 1251
Summary of Sunni concepts | Concept (1223) | Characteristics of the divine scale
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Transcript
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A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
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The characteristics of the Divine scale.
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Since the Divine scale originates from the Lord,
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it inevitably possesses fixed and just attributes,
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being perfect, comprehensive, and balanced,
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because it comes from Allah, the Almighty and Exalted.
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“Will they not then ponder on the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity.” (4:82)
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Among the most important of these characteristics:
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First: Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah).
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It is the core of the Divine scale,
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and it is a requirement of the Lordship of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted,
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to Whom belong the Most Beautiful Names,
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and Who alone is truly worthy of worship,
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with no partner beside Him.
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Thus, in proportion to the soundness of a servant’s Tawhid
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and the realization of his servitude to Allah the Exalted,
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his standards and his weighing of matters become sound.
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However, if Tawhid is compromised,
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and any portion of worship is directed to other than Allah the Exalted,
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then the scales become unbalanced, disordered, and distorted.
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Indeed, Tawhid establishes in the heart and mind
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a state of discipline and steadfastness,
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through which perceptions do not waver,
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values do not shake,
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and neither concepts nor conduct become diluted.
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It suffices to compare and weigh the monotheistic Muslim
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against others who hold polytheistic concepts
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to see the difference between them in their scales,
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their judgments, and their stances.
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Second: Steadfastness.
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Because the source of the scale is Divine,
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it carries the attribute of steadfastness.
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That scale remains consistent in the past,
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the present, and the future;
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it does not change with the changing of time or place,
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nor does it fluctuate or contradict itself.
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The role of the human intellect remains
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one of reception, response, and application,
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and the development of life remains linked
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to this fixed axis,
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revolving around it within a stable framework.
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For there are two states of human life
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that are fixed in the scale of Allah,
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never changing regardless of time or place:
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Third: The state of guidance,
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and the state of misguidance.
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No matter how varied the forms and means of misguidance may be,
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“Such then is Allah, your rightful Lord. After the Truth what is there saving error? How then are ye turned away!” (10:32)
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then where are you being diverted?
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Third: Comprehensiveness and balance.
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Because it is Divine,
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it has come comprehensive, perfect, balanced, and just,
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covering all aspects of human existence
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and all aspects of life.
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It is a balanced and just comprehensiveness,
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where no single aspect overwhelms another,
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standing midway between excess and negligence,
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because it is from the All-Knowing, the All-Aware,
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the Wise, the Subtle, the Powerful, the Exalted.
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It suffices to look at the scales of humanity—
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those unjust, ignorant scales—
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and their disorder and contradictions,
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to see the vast chasm between them.
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For goodness is made manifest by its opposite.
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Fourth:
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Belief in the Last Day.
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This is one of the most prominent features of the Divine scale,
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due to the impact this creed has on weighing people,
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weighing values,
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and the discipline of judgments and stances.
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As for those who are heedless of the Last Day,
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their values and perceptions waver,
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and they lose the correct perception
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of life and its events,
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its future, and its values.
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Consequently, a person who believes in Allah
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and the Last Day, and accounts for it, cannot meet
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with another who lives for this world alone
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and does not believe in what lies beyond it.
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They do not meet in any estimation,
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nor in a single scale regarding the affairs of life,
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nor in a single one of its many values,
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nor do they agree on a single judgment
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regarding an incident, a situation,
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or any matter whatsoever.
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For each of them has a scale,
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each has his own angle of vision,
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and each has a light by which he views
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things, events, values, and circumstances.
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A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.