Islam Tees

General principles (numbers 8 to 21) regarding the attributes of Allāh covered in this lesson, completing the full set of principles.

Listen to the lesson or download here:
Lesson 10.mp3

Previous lessons available here: https://islamtees.uk/audio/tawheed/#responseattributes

The treatise of Al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi was finished in the last lesson. The treatise provided a nice and concise treatment of Allah’s Names and Attributes, covering many different issues. It was a nice primer for this subject.

To seal everything off, 20 or so principles regarding the attributes will be mentioned, serving as a reminder and also to add a bit more detail to what has already been learned. The first 7 of these principles are mentioned in this lesson with the other principles to be covered in subsequent lessons, inshaa’Allaah.

Listen to the lesson or download here:
Lesson 9.mp3

Previous lessons available here: https://islamtees.uk/audio/tawheed/#responseattributes

Some of the matters or points covered:

• Recap of all the previous lessons.
• Anything which is ambigious in the Qur’an we refer back to the clear and decisive verses as mentioned in the treatise text: “In the Book of Allāh there are clear, decisive verses, the intent behind them is understood by their apparent meanings and there are unclear verses the meanings of which cannot be grasped except by referring them to the clear and decisive (verses)”.
• Irrespective of whether you understand the verses or not, you have to make tasdeeq as mentioned in the following passage: “But it is obligatory to accept and believe in all of them and to have faith in them all.”
• The same principle is applied to the ahādeeth as mentioned in the following part: “Similarly, the narrations of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) are carried upon the same principle, they are revealed (just) like this Revelation — the unclear amongst them are referred to the clear and decisive amongst them — but all of them are to be accepted”.
• A mention of the hadīths reported about the attributes being of three types as mentioned in the treatise but an additional fourth type can be added with an example hadīth mentioned as evidence.
• Discussion of several attributes given as an example.

For further points and more details, please listen to the lesson or download here:
Lesson 8.mp3

Previous lessons available here: https://islamtees.uk/audio/tawheed/#responseattributes

Some of the matters or points covered:

• Statement of Al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi regarding one group who denied and rejected the attributes so they nullified what Allaah and His Messenger affirmed and another group who affirmed these attributes in such a way that they entered into something of tashbeeh (resemblance) and takyeef (how attributes are).
• We are in the middle, the moderate path, we affirm the meanings of the attributes and we do not have knowledge of the reality of them (how they are). We avoid exaggeration in the religion.
• An important principle: Speech about the attributes is a branch of the speech about the essence, as mentioned in the treatise text “And the principle in this matter is: That speaking about the attributes is a branch of speaking about the essence (dhāt) and thus follows it exactly and takes its example”.
• Quote from the speech of Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in at-Tadmuriyyah containing elaboration and an illustration of the method to refute those who reject the attributes of Allaah.
• How the example of the soul aids in grasping the issue of Allah’s essence and His attributes.
• This is really a simple issue: Because we don’t know what His essence is made of then it’s impossible for us to know how His attributes are (Hearing, Seeing, etc).
• All these groups (Ahlul-Kalaam) became misguided because they didn’t understand this simple issue. They began to use philosophy, reason, opinion, and they left the simplicity of the Qur’an and Sunnah. “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” [42:11]
• Discussion on how to reply to a Jahmi and what probing questions to ask them.
• Statement of Al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi establishing Allaah’s essence exists and has a reality but we are unable to define it in words. In the same way, the attributes exist but we cannot define their realities. A mentioned of how this is a refutation of five groups of people.

For further points and more details, please listen to the lesson or download here:
Lesson 7.mp3

Previous lessons available here: https://islamtees.uk/audio/tawheed/#responseattributes

Some of the matters or points covered:

• Tashbīh (resemblance) and the Mutashabbihah (those who resemble Allaah to the creation).
• Three ways in which people fall into tashbīh with examples provided such as that of the Karrāmiyyah and Mutashabbihah Rāfidah.
• Salafis are free and innocent from all these ways of tashbīh, to accuse Salafis of falling into tashbīh would be slander. We negate tashbīh (resemblance) from the attributes as mentioned in the treatise.
• Mention of some vile, evil and repugnant statements from the own works of famous heretical Rāfidis and Sufis like Hisham bin al-Hakam, Abu Yazeed al-Bistami and Abu Mansoor Al-Hallaj, in which they liken Allaah to the creation.
• Discussion of meanings – the universal meaning (al-ma’na al-kullī), shared meaning (Al-Qadr al-Mushtaraq) and the distinguishing part (Al-Qadr al-Mumayyiz).
• An important principle: “Agreement in the name does not necessitate agreement in the reality”, which was mentioned by Shaikuhl-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah in at-Tadmuriyyah. This means there is agreement in labels such as Allaah is hearing and we are hearing, but the reality is different, it is not the same.
• Quick reply to those who say that if you affirm attributes for Allaah (like hearing for example) then you have likened Him to the creation. We say: do you affirm existence for Allaah? Humans also have existence. So have you likened Allaah to the creation?

For further points and more details, please listen to the lesson or download here:
Lesson 6.mp3

Previous lessons available here: https://islamtees.uk/audio/tawheed/#responseattributes