Friday, March 29, 2013

How can we understand the divine descent during the night in different countries?.

Names and Attributes of Allah, -
It is narrated in the hadeeth that "Allaah descends every night to the
lowest heaven during the last third of the night..." When does the last
third of the night begin, and when does it end? And how does Allaah
descend in different countries?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are mutawaatir ahaadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) which prove that Allaah descends. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Our Lord
descends to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the
night remains, and He says, 'Who will call upon Me, that I may answer
him? Who will ask of Me, that Imay give him? Who will ask Me for
forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'"
Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah are unanimously agreed that Allaah
descends in amanner that befits Him, and that He is not like His
creation at all in any of His attributes, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One.
Allaah-us-Samad [Allaah -- the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all
creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4]
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, we must accept the verses
and ahaadeeth that speak of the attributes of Allaah as they are,
without distorting them, denyingany of His attributes, trying to
imagine how they are or trying to liken Him to any of His creation; at
the same time we must believe in them and believe that what is said in
these texts is true, without likening Allaah to His creation or
discussing the nature of His attributes. Rather their view concerning
His attributes is like their view concerning His essence: Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah affirm theEssence of Allaah without discussing
how it is, or likening Him to any of His creation, and thus we must
also affirm His attributes without discussing how they are,or likening
these attributes to the attributes of any of His creation. The descent
of Allaah happens in every country in a manner thatbefits Allaah,
because the descent of Allaah cannot be likened to the descent of any
of His creation. He is described as descending in the last part of the
night in all parts of the world in a manner that befits His Majesty,
may He be exalted. No one can know how He descends just as no one can
know how His Essence is, except Him.
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer"
[al-Shoora 42:11 - interpretation of the meaning]
"So put not forward similitudes for Allaah (as there is nothing
similar to Him, nor He resemblesanything). Truly, Allaah knows and you
know not"
[al-Nahl 16:74 - interpretation of the meaning]
The first and last third ofthe night differ according to the season.
If the night is nine hourslong then the time of descent begins at the
onset of the seventh hour, until dawn comes. If the night is twelve
hours long then the last third begins at the beginning of the ninth
hour until dawn comes, and so on, depending onhow long or short the
night is in each place. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah by Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn
'Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 4, p. 420

No comments:

Post a Comment