Shaykh Faraz Rabbani: Jawharat al-Tawhid
Lesson 5: (From Section A: Divinity)
B) The Five Negative Attributes (continued)
5 – Oneness
(Continuing his explanation of line 26):
26) (Allah is transcendent beyond) having an opposite or another like Allah (partner), or having a father or a son, or friends.
- meaning of Affirmative Attributes
- saying of Imam Abu Ishaq al-Isfra'ini – two general principles on Oneness of Allah
- first principle: distinction of Allah
- second principle: on the being of Allah
- meaning of ‘not free of attributes’
- sharing attribute names with divine (but our attributes are different)
- importance of Sura al-Ikhlas (Sura al-Tawhid)
- two ways of expressing oneness in Arabic
- meaning of al-samad (the self-subsistent and free of need)
- not logically possible that Allah has any need
- saying of the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) about Sura al-Ikhlas
- significance of the hadith
(Review of what we have covered so far)
THE NECESSARY ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH MOST HIGH
(4Types: One Personal Attributes, Five Negative Attributes, Seven Affirmative Attributes and Eleven Attributes of Affirmation)
C) The Seven Affirmative Attributes
27) Power and Will are distinct from His Command and Knowledge and good pleasure as has been affirmed.
- meaning of line 27
1 - Power (qudra)
- Allah has an Entity that is characterized by Attributes
- how His Power relates to anything that is possible
- example of illogical argument
- could the possible be impossible
- anything that could possibly be, can be created by Allah
- definition of impossible
- His Power does not relate to the impossible
- if it did, could only happen in one of two ways
- His Power does not relate to the necessary
- reasons for this
- outcomes if His Power did relate to the necessary
- His Power only relates to the possible
- examples of possible event
- two types of necessity: absolute & contingent
- example regarding your being & how it applies to above
- meaning that Allah has affirmed repeatedly in the Qur’an
- realizing the tremendousness of Allah Most High
- He has informed us that things will be in a certain way
- importance of humility
- the only successful understanding of Allah Most High through the intellect
- Shaykh Adib Kallas’ example showing limitations of our human faculties
2 - Will (irada)
- the linguistic meaning
- how the scholars defined will
- specifies the possible with some of that which is possible for it
- example of carpet
- His will relates to all that is possible
The Difference Between Will/ Command/ Knowledge/ Good Pleasure
- example of faith of believers (command & will)
- disbelief of those mentioned (neither commanded nor willed)
- faith of Abu Jahl (commanded, but not willed)
- disbelief of Abu Jahl (not commanded, but willed)
- moral responsibility for our actions
- distinction between Will & Command
- example of moral responsibility
- fact that Allah has created your will & power
- proof of this from the Qur’an
- responsibility does not relate to what Allah has willed, rather to what He has commanded
- our responsibility relates to realm of the normative (realm of our actions)
- His good pleasure relates to His command
- example of punching someone
- Allah knows what we will do in certain circumstances, and that is what He willed
28) And His knowledge and it is not said that it is acquired. So follow the way of truth and leave doubts.
3 - Knowledge (‘ilm)
- how it relates to necessary, possible & impossible
- His saying “it is not said that it (knowledge) is acquired
- His saying “so
follow the way of truth & leave doubts” -- 2750
