Taqrib al-Tadmuriyyah - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (54)

Taqrib al-TadmuriyyahIbn al-'Uthaymin

—Is the questioner suggesting that the created realm could contain Allah and encompass Him?! Such a notion is false and utterly unbefitting of Allah, exalted is He. Allah is far greater, more majestic, and more exalted than to be encompassed or confined by anything in creation. How could that be, when His Footstool has already embraced the heavens and the earth, when on the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be in His grasp and the heavens folded up in His right hand? In the two Ṣaḥīḥs, among other collections, Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah will seize the earth on the Day of Resurrection and fold up the heavens in His right hand, then He will proclaim, ‘I am the King! Where are the kings of the earth?’” Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) commented: “The seven heavens, the seven earths, and everything within them are in the hand of the All-Merciful no more than a mustard seed in the hand of one of you.”

—or is the intention behind ḥayyiz or mutaḥayyiz that Allah is apart from the creation, distinct and separate from it, neither dwelling in it nor it in Him? This is a truth affirmed for Allah, as the Imams of Ahl al-Sunnah have stated: He is above His heavens, established upon His Throne, and separate from His creatures.

Notice: The principle has already been laid down that we must believe whatever Allah and His Messenger have reported, whether or not we grasp its meaning. Yet it should be understood that nothing in the speech of Allah or His Messenger is such that its meaning is unknown to the entire Muslim community; rather, it must be known to all of them or at least to some of them. Allah says, “We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may clarify to mankind what has been revealed to them, and so that they may reflect” (Q 16:44), and, “We have sent down to you the Book as an explanation of all things, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who submit” (Q 16:89). Were there any passage whose meaning no one could understand, part of the law would be unknown to the ummah.

Even so, knowing or not knowing is relative: a matter may be evident to one person yet hidden from another because of his limited knowledge, weak understanding, lack of effort, or ill intent.

أيراد به أن الله تعالى تحوزه المخلوقات وتحيط به؟! فهذا معنى باطل منفي عن الله تعالى لا يليق به، فإن الله أكبر وأعظم وأجل من أن تحيط به المخلوقات وتحوزه كيف وقد وسع كرسيه السموات والأرض، والأرض جميعاً قبضته يوم القيامة والسموات مطويات بيمينه؟! وفي الصحيحين وغيرهما من حديث أبي هريرة – ﵁ – أن النبي ﷺ قال: "يقبض الله ﵎ الأرض يوم القيامة ويطوي السموات بيمينه ثم يقول: أنا الملك أين ملوك الأرض؟ ". وقال ابن عباس – ﵄: "ما السموات السبع والأرضون السبع وما فيهن في يد الرحمن إلا كخردلة في يد أحدكم". أم يراد بالحيز أو المتحيز: أن الله منحاز عن المخلوقات أي مباين لها منفصل عنها ليس حالاً فيها، ولا هي حالة فيه، فهذا حق ثابت لله ﷿، كما قال أئمة أهل السنة: هو فوق سمواته على عرشه، بائن من خلقه. * تنبيه: جاء في القاعدة أنه يجب علينا الإيمان بما أخبر الله به ورسوله سواء عرفنا معناه أم لا. لكن؛ ليعلم أنه ليس في كلام الله ورسوله شيء لا يعرف معناه جميع الأمة، بل لابد أن يكون معروفاً لجميع الأمة أو بعضها؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾ [النحل: ٤٤] . وقوله: ﴿وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَاناً لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدىً وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ﴾ [النحل: ٨٩] . ولأنه؛ لو كان فيه ما لا يعلم معناه أحد لكان بعض الشريعة مجهولاً للأمة. ولكن المعرفة والخفاء أمران نسبيان، فقد يكون معروفاً لشخص ما كان خفياً على غيره: إما لنقص في علمه، أو قصور في فهمه، أو تقصير في طلبه، أو سوء في قصده.