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The
question:
His eminence sheikh Ibn Bâz Said: “Invoking the Attribute
[of Allah] is unanimously not permissible for Ahl As-Sunna (people of
the Sunna). How to reconcile between this saying and the hadith where the
Messenger صلَّى
الله عليه وسلَّم
says: “O the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that
exists, by Your mercy I ask Your help.”
The
answer:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace
and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family,
his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.
In fact, there is a difference between invoking the
Attribute of Allah and invoking Allah by the Attribute.
Invoking the Attribute of Allah means that the Attribute used
for invocation implies something separated and independent from the divine
being, which hears invocation and answers it such as saying, “O mercy of Allah,
be merciful with me.” or “O strength of Allah, strengthen me.” or “O power of
Allah, give me power.” or any other expressions which are not mentioned in the known
invocations at all.
Therefore, whoever believes that the Attribute separated
from the divine being forgives, has mercy, enriches or strengthens…would make
the Attribute a worshiped divinity, which scholars consider unanimously
disbelief, because the Attributes of Allah are inherent to Him and can never
dissociate from him. In fact, Allah is One, with all His Attributes. His Names
and Attributes are included in His Name “Allah”. So it is not permissible to
call an Attribute a divinity, a creator, a sustainer…etc.
Ibn Taymiya – may Allah be merciful with him – reported the
unanimity of the scholars as regards the invocation of the Attributes and the
Words of Allah and said that it is disbelief. He said, “As for invoking His
Attributes and Words, this is disbelief as agreed by all the Muslims. Would a
Muslim say: O Word of Allah forgive me, be merciful with me, protect me or help
me? Or would he say: O knowledge of Allah, O power of Allah, O strength of
Allah or O greatness of Allah…etc.? Was it heard from a Muslim or even from a
disbeliever invoking by such Attributes of Allah or the attributes of others, to
ask the Attribute to bring him benefit or to push evil away from him, to ask for
help, support or any other thing from it?”
This is what Ibn Bâz – may Allah be merciful with him –
meant by establishing the unanimity of the scholars as regards the interdiction
of invoking the Attribute of Allah.
As for the invocation by the Attribute, or the fact of imploring
Allah by His Names and Attributes, this is permissible. It is a sort of the permissible
imploration. In fact, it is authentically stated in the known invocations what
proves that it is permissible to implore Allah تعالى by the Attribute
of mercy, as mentioned in the hadith above in the question, “…by Your mercy I
ask Your help.”,
which means, “I ask you, O Allah by Your mercy”. There is also the imploration
by the Attribute such as in the hadith where the Messenger صلَّى الله
عليه وسلَّم says, “I ask
protection by the perfect Words of Allah from His evil creatures.”
Or the hadith where the Messenger صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم says, “I ask protection by the strength
of Allah and His power from the evil I am subject to and from what I apprehend.”
Or also the hadith where the Messenger صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم says, “I ask protection by Your
satisfaction from Your anger, by Your preservation from Your punishment and by
You from You.”
Or offering the consultation prayer by the Attribute such as in the hadith
where the Messenger صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم says, “O my Lord, indeed I consult You by Your Knowledge and
ask You by your strength to grant me strength.”
Therefore, if the difference becomes clear between the two
kinds of invocation, there will not be a contradiction between the two sayings,
because each one will be understood according to its correct meaning.
The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزّ
وجلّ. Our last prayer is all
praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our
Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.
Algiers, Shawwâl 20th, 1431H.
Corresponding
to: September 29th, 2010
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