Why does Allaah not call Himself al-Mutakallim (the Speaker)?.Names and Attributes of Allaah - ,

Why does Allaah not call Himself al-Mutakallim (the Speaker), as He speaks?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In order to make it clearer, we could word the question differently and say:
Is it permissible to derivefrom the attributes and actions of Allaah
that He has confirmed for Himself names for Him by which He may be
called and by which His slaves may call upon Him, and which may be
added to the list of His names so as to attain thereward mentioned in
the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
"Allaah has ninety-nine names. Whoever memorizes them will enter
Paradise" Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2736) and Muslim (2677), or are
there guidelines concerning the derivation of His names from His
attributes and actions?
It is essential first of all to ascribe wisdom to Allaah, may He be
exalted, for He is absolutely perfect, and He is to be named and
described in a manner that is befitting to Him. People should be
guidedby that which He has told them in His Book of His perfection,
majesty and might; to Him all things return and He hasgreat wisdom.
But we shall try to understand His names and attributes based on what
is mentioned in the Qur'aan and Sunnah,and ponder that so that we
might derive some guidelines for defining His most beautiful names.
The scholars differed concerning that which the brother asked
about,which let them to differ concerning the number of the beautiful
names of Allaah and definition of guidelines concerningthem. Some of
them regarded it as the matterof worship only, in which there is no
room for ijtihaad and qiyaas (analogy), as was the view of Ibn Hazm.
Some of them were very lenient about this matterand allowed calling
Allaah by names such as al-Mutakallim (the Speaker), al-Mureed
(theWiller) and every other word by which Allaah is described in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah. This was the view of Ibn al-'Arabi al-Maaliki and
others.
Some scholars took a middle approach; they studied the reports of the
divine names and found that if an attribute implied a senseof praise
only and could not be taken as implyingimperfection or fault in any
way, such as hearingand sight, then in the texts names were derived
from it, so Allaahcalled Himself al-Samee' (the All-Hearing) and
al-Baseer (the All-Seeing).
But if an attribute could be taken as implying imperfection in some
way, such as speaking, for example, as speakingmay include lying,
wrongdoing and other bad meanings, in which case it is a shortcoming
and silence is preferable to it, so we do not find a divine name that
is derived from this attribute, so we do not find that one of the
names of Allaah is al-Mutakallim (the Speaker).
This was the view of the great scholar Ibn Taymiyah and his student
Ibn al-Qayyim, and it is the view of most of our contemporary
scholars.
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh al-'Aqeedah
al-Isfahaaniyyah (1/19-20):
As for calling Allaah, mayHe be exalted, Mureed (Willer) and
Mutakallim (Speaker),
These two names are notmentioned in the Qur'aan, or among the well
known divine names. Their meanings are true, but the well known divine
names arethose by which Allaah may be called upon, and are mentioned
in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and which imply perfection and praise in
and of themselves.
Knowledge, power, mercy and so on are in and of themselves
praiseworthy attributes, and the names which point to them are
praiseworthy names.
As for speech and will, they may be divided intopraiseworthy types
such as truthfulness and justice, and blameworthy types such as
wrongdoing and lying. Allaah can only be described in praiseworthy
terms, not blameworthy ones, hence His names do not include
al-Mutakallim (the Speaker) or al-Mureed (the Willer). End quote.
He also (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Bayaan Talbees
al-Jahamiyyah (2/10-11):
Allaah has the most beautiful names, by which He has called Himself,
and has revealed them in His Book and taught to whomever He willed
among His creation, suchas al-Haqq (the Truth), al-'Aleem (the
All-Knowing), al-Raheem (the Most Merciful), al-Hakeem (the Most
Wise), al-Awwaal (the First), al-Aakhir (the last),al-'Aliy (the Most
High), al-'Azeem (the Almighty),al-Kabeer (the Most Great) and so on.
All of these names are names of praise which indicate praiseworthy
meaning, and have no blameworthy meaning. To Allaah belong the most
beautiful names, and He is perfect in all ways. Names which are more
general in meaning and may be applied to both good and bad things are
not found among the beautiful names of Allaah. End quote.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Mukhtasar
al-Sawaa'iq (2/34):
The names of Allaah does not include al-Mureed (the Willer),
al-Mutakallim (the speaker), al-Faa'il (the Doer) or al-Saani' (the
Manufacturer), because these names may apply to both good and bad.
Rather He is described bypraiseworthy names such as al-Haleem (the
Forbearing), al-Hakeem (the Most Wise), al-'Azeez(the Almighty), the
One Who does what He wills. End quote.
He also (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Madaarij al-Saalikeen
(3/415-416):
That which may carry meanings of both perfection and imperfection is
not included among the divine names, such as al-shay' (thing) and
ma'loom (known). HenceHe is not called al-Mureed (the Willer)
oral-Mutakallim (the Speaker), because these names may carry good and
bad meanings. This is based on subtle understanding of the divine
names and attributes, so think about it. And Allaah is the Source of
strength. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh
al-Waasitiyyah (1/86):
Hence Allaah did not call Himself al-Mutakallim (the Speaker),
although He speaks, because speech may be good or bad, and it may be
neither good nor bad. Evil cannot be attributedto Allaah, and idle
speech cannot be attributed to Him either, because it is foolishness;
only good can be attributed to Him. Hence He did not call Himself
al-Mutakallim (the Speaker), because the names are as Allaah has
ascribed to Himself. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And
(all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah" [al-'A'raaf 7:180].
They do not include anything that suggests imperfection. End quote.
See also the answer to question no. 39803 and 48964 .
For more information please see the book Mu'taqad Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah fi Asma' Allaah al-Husna by Dr Muhammad ibn Khaleefah
al-Tameemi (50-59).
And Allaah knows best.

Can Allaah be described as hesitating?.Names and Attributes of Allaah - ,

What is the meaning of the words "I do not hesitate about anything…"
in the hadeeth qudsi?Does our Lord, may He be glorified and
exalted,hesitate? How can we answer those who say that it cannot be
true that Allaah hesitates?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (6502) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I
shall be at war with him. My slave draws not near to Me with anything
more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him,
and My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works
sothat I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which
he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he
strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask[something] of
Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I
would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as
I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave: he hates
death and I hate hurting him."
The hesitation mentioned in the hadeeth is hesitation in taking the
soul of the believer, out of mercy and compassion towardshim, and out
of love for him, because he hates death and his Lord, may He be
exalted, hates hurting him.
This is not like the hesitation of created beings, which stems from
doubt about one's ability or the rightness of the action.
Hence we must clearly define the way in which Allaah hesitates, which
isthat He hesitates to take the soul of the believer, which is what is
mentioned in the text, but Allaah cannot be described as hesitating in
general terms, which would include all kinds of hesitation due to
inability and imperfection, which cannot be attributed to Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: In the
hadeeth "Whosoevershows enmity to someone devoted to Me…", at the end
of the hadeeth Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted,says "I do not
hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul
of My faithful slave". Does this mean that Allaah may bedescribed as
hesitant? How can we understand this issue?
He replied: It is not permissible to describe Allaah as hesitant in
general terms, because Allaah has mentioned hesitation with regard to
this matter: "I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate
about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave". Thishesitation is not
due to uncertainty as to whether this thing is right or not, or
uncertainty as to whether He is able to do this thing; rather it is
because of mercy and compassion towards thisbelieving slave. Hence
Hesays in the same hadeeth: "he hates death and I hate hurtinghim."
This does not mean that Allaah can be described as being hesitant
about His power or His knowledge, unlike the human being who hesitates
when he wantsto do something, either because he is uncertain about the
outcome or whether it is right, or because he is uncertain about his
ability to do it. But this does not apply to the Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted. End quote from Liqaa'aat al-Baab il-Maftooh
(59/12).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
about what is meant by Allaah hesitating in this hadeeth.
He replied: This hadeeth was narrated by al-Bukhaari from Abu
Hurayrah, and it is one of the noblest hadeeth that has been narrated
concerning the attributes of the awliya' (close friends of Allaah).
One group rejected this word and said that Allaah cannot be described
as hesitating, and it is only the one who does not know the
consequences who hesitates, and Allaah knows best about the
consequences. And someof them said: It probably means that His action
may be described as hesitant but He is not hesitant.
But in fact the words of His Messenger are true and no one knows
Allaah better than His Messenger or was more sincere towards his ummah
than him, or more eloquent or better at explaining things. Once this
is understood, we may say that those who try to be clever and who deny
it are among those who have gone farthest astray, and they among the
most ignorant of people and the most lacking in proper etiquette.
Indeed, they should be rebuked and punished, and the words of the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) should
be protected from false interpretations and corrupt beliefs. But if
one of us hesitates because he does not know what the consequences
will be, then hesitation in the case of Allaah is differentto this
type of hesitation,because there is nothinglike unto Allaah, either in
His Essence or His attributes or His actions. Moreover, hesitation is
not only because one does not know what the consequences will be,
because one of us may hesitate because he is unsure of the
consequences or because of weighing thepros and cons when choosing one
of two options, so he may want to do something because of the
interests it serves, but he may not want to do it because of its
negative consequences, not because he is unaware of the pros and cons
of aparticular action.
This is like when a sick person wants to take his bitter medicine, and
when the believer wantsto do righteous deeds that one may dislike. In
al-Saheeh it says: "Hell has been surrounded with desirable things,
and Paradise has been surrounded with unpleasant things." And Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): "Jihaad (holy fighting in
Allaah's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it…"
[al-Baqarah 2:216].
Thus we may understandthe word hesitate that is mentioned in this
hadeeth qudsi. Allaah says "My slave continues to draw near to Me with
supererogatory works sothat I shall love him." Such a person becomes
beloved to Allaah and loves Him, and he draws closer to Him first of
all by doing obligatory deeds which Allaah loves, then he strives to
do naafil deeds that Allaah loves and loves those who do them, so he
does all that he can ofwhat Allaah loves, therefore Allaah loves him.
The Lord does not like toharm His slave and beloved one. … But Allaah,
may He be glorified and exalted, has decreed death, and everything
that He has decreed He wills and it must inevitably come to pass. So
the Lord wills that he should die because of His decree, yet He still
dislikes hurting His slave, which refers to the pain involved in
death. So death becomes something which Allaah wants for one reason
and dislikes for another reason, which is what is meant by hesitating,
when a thing is wanted for one reason and disliked for another. Oneof
the two will inevitablyprevail, just as the divinedecree that death
must occur will prevail, although Allaah dislikes hurting His slave,
and Hiswill that the believer whom He loves and dislikes hurting must
dieis not like His will that the kaafir whom He hates and wants to
hurt must die. End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa (18/129).
And Allaah knows best.

Is al-‘Adl (Justice) one of the names of Allaah?.Names and Attributes of Allaah - ,

Is al-'Adl (Justice) one of the names of Allaah, mayHe be glorified
and exalted?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-'Adl (justice) is not narrated as one of the names of Allaah in the
Qur'aan or in any saheehhadeeth. It was narratedin a famous hadeeth
listing the names of Allaah, which was narrated by al-Tirmidhi and
others. The scholars discussed this hadeeth and regarded it as
weak,and said that this list cannot be attributed to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar
al-'Asqallaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fath
al-Baari(11/217): Ibn al-'Arabi said: It may be that thesenames are
added to complete the list mentioned in the hadeeth attributed to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it may be
that it is a composition of some reporters, which seems more likely to
me.
Al-San'aani said in Subul al-Salaam (4/108): The scholars are agreed
that the list of names of Allaah mentioned in the hadeeth was drawn up
by some of the reporters.
But the word al-'adl (justice) is mentioned in the Qur'aan as a
description of the wordsof Allaah, such as in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning): "And the Word of your Lord has been
fulfilled in truth and in justice" [al-An'aam 6:115].
Therefore the scholars differed as to whether al-'Adl is one of the
names of Allaah, may He be exalted, and a number of them did count it
as one of His names, as Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di did at the end
of his Tafseer where he said, when listing the names of Allaah and
discussing their meanings: al-Hakam al-'Adl Who judges between His
slaves in this world and in the Hereafter by His justice and fairness.
End quote.
Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Asma' wa'l-Sifaat (1/198): … al-'Adl, which
appears in the report of al-Asaami mentioned above. End quote.
This was the view of a number of scholars, including al-Khattaabi, Ibn
Mandah and others.
Another group were of the view that it is not one of the names of
Allaah, for the reason wehave mentioned, which is that it is not
listed as a name of Allaah in any saheeh text. Among these scholars is
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), when he listed
ninety-nine names of Allaah from the Qur'aan and Sunnah in his book
al-Qawaa'id al-Muthla, but he did not mention the name al-'Adl among
them. The same was done by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqallaani and
others.
But it is proven that Allaah has the attribute of being just, and He
is just in all that He does, as it is narrated in al-Bukhaari (3150)
and Muslim (1062) from 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood about the man who
objected to the Prophet's division of the booty, and he (the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) said: "Who will
be just if Allaah and His Messengerare not just?"
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Justice is one of His attributes, so He is just inwhat He says and
what He does and what He rules.
A similar report was narrated from Mu'aadh (may Allaah be pleased with
him), that he did not sit in any gathering of dhikr but he would say:
"Allaah is Just and Fair, and those who have doubt are doomed."
Narrated by Abu Dawood (4611). It is mawqoof and was classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani.
It says in 'Awn al-Ma'bood: i.e., just judge.
And Allaah knows best.

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Common mistakes made during Jumu'ah

Many of us go to the mosque on Friday as a matter of tradition and
habit, without making the intention of worship, whereas an intention
is aprecondition for the Jumu'ah prayer and all other acts of
worship.Increasingly, we see people staying up late, which causes them
to miss Fajr prayer, leaving them to start their day having committed
a great major sin, while the Prophet, , said: "The best prayer in the
sight of Allaah is the congregational Fajr prayer on Friday."
People might commit mistakes out of ignorance or negligence, among
which are the following:
Slighting the attendance of the Jumu'ah sermon; some people arrive
during the sermon and others arrive while people are praying.
Abandoning or slighting praying the Jumu'ah prayer. The Prophet said:
"Let those who abandon attending the Jumu'ah prayer refrain from doing
so, or Allaah will seal their hearts and they will become heedless."
[Muslim].
Neglecting bathing, perfuming, wearing onesbest clothing and using the Siwaak .
Shopping or engaging in trade after the Athaan (call for prayer) has
been called for the Jumu'ah sermon, while Allaah The Almighty Says
(what means): } "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is
proclaimed for the Salaat (prayer) on Friday (Jumu`ah prayer), come to
the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu`ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaat
(prayer)] and leave off business (and every otherthing). That is
better for you if you did but know." { [Quran, 62:9].Ibn 'Abbaas ,
said, "It is forbidden to buy or sell at that time."
Some people commit certain sins while thinking they doing something
praiseworthy, such as those who shave their beards on Friday because
it looks "cleaner".
Sitting in the courtyard of the mosque while there is space for inside.
Making people move andsitting in their place. Jaabir, narrated that
the Prophet, , said: "Letno one move his brother on the day of Jumu'ah
and sit in his place, instead he should say: 'make space.'" [Muslim].
Passing over people's shoulders, forcefully separating people in order
to sit between them, and harming people by forcing them into cramped
spaces. The Prophet, said to a manwho was passing over people's
shoulders during the Jumu'ah sermon: "Sit down, because you have
harmed people."
Talking or reciting the Quran in a loud voice andthereby disturbing
otherswho are praying or reciting the Quran.
Leaving the mosque afterthe Athaan has been called without a valid excuse.
Not paying attention to what the Khateeb is saying during the sermon.
Praying two Rak'ah (unitsof prayer) between the two sermons, whereas
the Sunnah is to supplicate and seek forgiveness until the Imaam
stands up to deliver the second sermon.
Unnecessary movements during prayer, hastening to leave the mosque
immediately after praying and pushing people at the door to leave
without finishing the prescribed supplications after praying.
Mistakes of Imaams :
Making the sermon long and shortening the prayer.
'Ammaar, narrated that he heard the Prophet, saying: "The lengthening
of the prayer (by the Imaam) and the shortness of the Khutbah (sermon)
is the sign of his understanding(of faith), so prolong your prayers
and shortenyour speech; indeed some khutbahs have the effect of magic
(i.e., they are very powerful)." [Muslim].
Not being well prepared for the sermon and not choosing the correct
topic that addresses people's concerns.
Having numerous linguistic errors in the Khutbah .
Using narrations that are weak or fabricated, and quoting disliked
opinionswithout denouncing them.
Limiting the second sermon to contain supplications only.
Not using any verses from the Quran during the sermon, which opposes
the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition).
Failing to deliver a stirring sermon, while it is reported by Jaabir ,
when he described the Prophet, , he said, "Whenever the Prophet used
to deliver the Jumu'ah sermon, he would raise his voice; his eyes
would become red and he would become excited as though he waswarning
people against aconquering army which was just about to attack them."
[Muslim].