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Posted By Topic: Allah is not Imageless

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sajid_chauhan_81
27-09-2009 @ 6:17 PM    Notify Admin about this post
unspecified ساجد (Mumbai (India))
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The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has reviewed the translation of the Fatwa request as well as the reply published in the monthly Madinah Magazine issued from Dacca in Bengalese, fifth issue, 35th year, August 1999, corresponding to Rabi` II, 1420. The question submitted by a member of the Bengalese community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia states: We used to believe that Allah exists everywhere and that He is Imageless. However, here in Saudi Arabia in a cooperation bureau a Bengalese translator delivered a lecture in which he stated that Allah (may He be Exalted) does not exist everywhere and that He is described as having a Hand, an Eye, and other Attributes. He further claimed that anyone who does not believe as such is a disbeliever. My question is: What is your opinion in this regard? Please explain it in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

The reply(in Madinah Magazine) was as follows: Anyone who believes in such claims is either intensely ignorant, mad, or even a member of a deviant sect. Actually, Allah (may He be Exalted) is Imageless and exists everywhere and in everything and His Omnipotence encompasses all things. Moreover, Allah (may He be Exalted) has been described as such in many Ayahs as well as in many Hadith. Therefore, you should pay no attention to such nonsense so that you may not corrupt your Iman. This was the end of the reply.


Reply by Permanent Committee of Scholars:-
This reply is groundless and opposes the Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijma', and sound 'Aqidah as it indicates belief in Hulul (a Sufi term meaning indwelling) which means that Allah dwells everywhere even in dirty places (Exalted be He far above any such thing). The reply also involves denying some of Allah's Attributes wherewith He has described Himself and His Messenger (peace be upon him) has described Him, i.e. being High above His Creatures, rising over His 'Arsh (Throne), being Distinct from His Creation, and being Incomparable in any respect to His Creatures. It also involves denying the fact that Allah is described as having a Hand, a Foot, a Leg, a Face, two Hands, two Eyes, and other Attributes related to His Self and Actions as proved by the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 255) And He is the Most High, the Most Great. He (may He be Exalted) also says:(Surah Al-Mulk, 67: 16-17) Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allýh), will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake? Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allýh), will not send against you a violent whirlwind? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Do not you trust me though I am the trustworthy person of the One in the Heavens?" Moreover, Allah (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah TaýHa, 20: 5) The Most Gracious (Allýh) rose over (Istawý) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). The same fact is stressed in seven places in the Qur'an.

Furthermore, He (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Al-Rahman, 55: 27) And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever. He (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Al-Qasas, 28: 88) Everything will perish except His Face.

Addressing Iblis (Satan), Allah (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Sad, 38: 75) What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands. He (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5: 64) Nay, both His Hands are widely outstretched.

In the same regard, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The people will be thrown into the Fire and it will keep on saying, ýIs there any more?ý until the Lord of the worlds puts His Foot over it." According to another narration of the Hadith, he (peace be upon him) said: ...His Foot over it, whereupon its different sides will come close to each other, and it will say: Enough! Enough!"

To the same effect, Allah (may He be Exalted) says to Musa (Moses - peace be upon him):(Surah TaýHa, 20: 39) In order that you may be brought up under My Eye. Allah (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Al-Qamar, 54: 14) Floating under Our Eyes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Your Lord is not one-eyed."

In the same context, Allah (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Al-Qalam, 68: 42) (Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate themselves (to Allýh), but they (hypocrites, and those who pray to show off or to gain good reputation) shall not be able to do so. The Prophet (peace be upon him) interpreted the Ayah to mean that Allah (may He be Exalted) will uncover His Shin on the Day of Resurrection whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him out of reverence and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation. These people will try to prostrate but they will not be able to do so.

In the same context, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "I saw my Lord (may He be Glorified and Exalted) in the best صورة Soorah (form)."[1] He also said: "Allah created Adam in the صورة Soorah(Image) of The Most Beneficent."[2] This is in addition to many Nusus (Islamic texts from the Qurýan or the Sunnah) including Allah's Attributes.

Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) believe in these Attributes and confirm their indications without Tashbih (comparison) or Tamthil (likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation). Allah (may He be Exalted) says:(Surah Al-Shura, 42: 11) There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after stating such facts, deems it obligatory for the editor-in-chief of the monthly Madinah Magazine issued from Dacca, Bangladesh, Shaykh Muhiy Al-Din Khan, to publish this Fatwa and demand the person who replied to the Fatwa request to retract his allegations and declare his retraction in the same magazine. In fact, it is virtuous to admit the truth, which is the goal of the believers. Admitting the truth guides the people to the truth and distracts them from falsehood. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone calls others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness) until the Day of Resurrection without their reward being diminished in any respect, and if anyone invites others to follow error, the sin will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him (in sinfulness) until the Day of Resurrection without their sins being diminished in any respect."

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' consisting of
Shaykh Abdul Azeez aal-shaykh
Shaykh Abdullah al-Ghudayyan
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd

Footnotes:-
[1]Reported in Musnad Ahmed, Sunan at-Tirmidhi & others.
[2]Reported in Asma wa Sifaat of al-Bayhaqee, Al-Kabeer of at-Tabarani, Al-Sifaat of Daraqtuni, At-Tawheed of Ibn Khuzaymah & others


Shaykh Yahya al-Hajuri hafidhahullah mentioned in his [url=http://salafitalk.net/st/uploads/radzakir.pdf]refutation of Dr. Zakir Naik pg 21[/url] that Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal (rahmatullah alaihi) said: "Whoever denies the صورة (Soorah i.e. Image for Allah) then he is Jahmee (the denier of Allah's attributes) and the reason is based on the ahadeeth quoted above.

sajid_chauhan_81
13-10-2009 @ 3:07 AM    Notify Admin about this post
unspecified ساجد (Mumbai (India))
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Q 4: "Allah created Adam in His own image".  Does this mean that all the characteristics of Adam are also Divine?

A: It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim)that he (peace be upon him) said: "Allah created Adam in His own image." In a narration by Ahmad and some scholars of Hadith, the same Hadith reads: "in the image of Al-Rahman (the Most Merciful)". In the first Hadith, the pronoun refers to Allah.

Some scholars like Ahmad (may Allah be merciful with him), Ishaq ibn Rahawayh and the Imams of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) said: "We have to accept the Hadith in a way befitting Allah without Tashbih (comparison), Tamthil (likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation) or Ta`til (denial of Allah's Attributes). It does not necessarily mean that His Image (may He be Glorified) is like the image of human beings. Similarly, attributing a face, hand, fingers, feet, leg, anger, and the like attributes does not entail that Allah's Attributes are like those of the human beings. He (may He be Glorified) is described as what He tells about Himself and what His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in a way befitting Him, without being in similitude with any of His Creatures. Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) says:Surah Al-Shura, 42: 11 There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. We have to accept this in the way that the Messenger intended without Takyif (questioning Allah's Attributes) or Tamthil.

The meaning - Allah knows best - is that He created Adam in His Image with a face and ability to hear, speak, see and do whatever he wants. It is not necessarily that the image is the same. This is a general rule according to the Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body), meaning that the Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) and Hadiths speaking about Divine Attributes should be accepted as true without Tahrif (distortion of the meaning), Takyif, Tamthil or Ta`til. They confirm His Names and Attributes without Tamthil and exalt Him above being similar to His Creatures without Ta`til, contrary to those who commit Bid`ah (innovation in religion) of Al-Mu`attilah (deniers of Allah's Attributes) and Mushabihah (those who liken Allahýs Attributes to those of His creation). The hearing, seeing and knowledge of the creature is never like those of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted), for none of His creatures can be compared to Him. Indeed, there is nothing like Him, for the Attributes of Allah are perfect and infinite, with no shortcomings. As for the attributes of the creatures, they are finite and imperfect.

May Allah grant us success!

Ibn Baz Fatwas

sajid_chauhan_81
21-12-2009 @ 9:03 AM    Notify Admin about this post
unspecified ساجد (Mumbai (India))
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Please click here and read the post of Br. Moosaa dated '03-27-2006' for more on this topic from Shaykh Hamood at-Tuwaijiri rahimahullah and read the quotations from the Salaf.

zejd.peqin
02-02-2011 @ 8:01 PM    Notify Admin about this post
Zayd Abu Ubayd (Peqin,Albania)
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Al-Imaam Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) discusses the hadeeth: Allaah Created Adam upon His Image

Question: A hadeeth has been reported from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in which he prohibits cursing the face (literally saying 'may Allaah make your face ugly'), and it mentions that Allaah (Subhaanahu) created Adam upon His Image. So what is the safe belief in reference to this hadeeth?

Answer: The hadeeth is confirmed from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), that he said: "When one of you hits (someone else), then let him avoid the face, for indeed Allaah created Aadam upon His Image." And in another wording (of this hadeeth) he said, "upon the Image of Ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful)." And this (hadeeth) does not necessitate resembling or likening Allaah (to His creatures).

The meaning of it with the people of knowledge is that Allaah created Adam hearing, seeing, and speaking if he wished to do so (i.e. Aadam had these attributes). This is also the description of Allaah, for verily He is Hearing, Seeing, and Speaking if He wishes, and He has a Face, Magnificent and Exalted is He.

However, this does not mean resembling or likeness. Rather, the Image that is for Allaah is not like the image that is for the creation. It only means that He is Hearing, Seeing, and Speaking if and whenever He wishes to do so. And thus did Allaah create Aadam as one who is hearing, seeing, and possessing a face, and a foot. However, the hearing (of one) is not like the hearing (of the other), and the seeing (of one) is not like the seeing (of the other), and the speaker is not like the (other) speaker. Rather, Allaah has attributes that are befitting His Majesty and His Sublimity, and the slave (of Allaah) has attributes that are befitting him. The attributes of the slave (of Allaah) is exposed to cessation and deficiency, whereas the attributes of Allaah are perfect and not exposed to deficiency, cessation of being, or ending. For this reason, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic said, "There is nothing like Hime, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing." And He, Glory be unto Him, said, "And there is none comparable or coequal to Him." Thus, it is not permissible to strike the face (of someone), nor to curse the face (saying 'may Allaah make your face ugly').

Answered by Ash-Shaikh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin Baaz
Source: The program Noorun 'alaa ad-Darb, on tape number 30.
http://www.sahab.com/go/fatwa.php?id=797
Translated by Aqeel Walker






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