CHAPTER 6 (Part 1)
ALLAH’S ATTRIBUTES &
OTHER DOCTRINAL ISSUES
In the previous section of this book we have seen historical events have
been misrepresented in order to put undue blame on one group of Muslims for
mistakes committed by other groups. In this section we will deal with
theological factors which brought about sectarian differences, namely,
disagreements on the interpretation of certain Qur’anic verses which relate
mainly on the following issues:-
1.
Whether the Qur’an is created or uncreated.
2.
Whether Allah will be seen on the Day of Judgment.
3.
Whether Allah is everywhere or only in the seventh Heaven.
4.
Whether believers who enter Hell will remain there forever or
transferred to Heaven after serving their term.
5.
Whether Allah has Hands, Legs, Eyes, and Face among His Attributes.
6. Whether man has freewill, or are his actions predestined?
We will examine in the following pages the relevant ayahs in the Qur’an
which deal with each subject at issue.
Is the Qur’an Created or Uncreated?
One of the sectarian differences among Muslims is whether the Qur'an is
created or uncreated. For millions of Muslims it is the word of God and that is
enough for them. But some factions of Muslim scholars treat this issue so
seriously that they regard those who say that the Qur'an is a created word of
God, like the Ibadhis, are heretics or unbelievers. Those who say that the
Qur'an is uncreated mean that it is eternally pre-existent, that is, like God
Himself, has no beginning whereas those who believe it is created imply that it
did not exist before creation. For a Muslim layman it is a controversy on
semantics.
Almighty God, in His infinite power, has created, out of nothing, matter
and energy from which everything else in the universe is made of. He has
created millions of stars and solar systems and hundred of thousands of galaxies.
He has created our solar system including the earth and the planets around it.
He has created the animal and plant kingdoms in their infinite varieties; and
air and water to sustain life; He has created angels, satans and men including
prophets like Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. The Almighty Allah has created
holy books as guides to mankind, including the Tawrat, Bible and Zabur, and so
He has created the Qur'an, the holiest book out of nothing. By believing in
this we are recognizing God’s unlimited powers of creation. In Ayahs 101 and
102 of Suratul An’am (6) the Almighty describes Himself:
آية (101): "بديع السموات والأرض أنى
يكون له ولد ولم تكن له صاحبة وخلق كل شيء
آية (102): ذلكم الله ربكم لا إله إلا هو
خالق كل شيء فاعبدوه ..."
101
He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have
children when He has no wife? He created all things... (Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan)
102
That is Allah, your Lord! There is no god but He, The Creator of all
things: then worship Him: (Abdullah Yusuf Ali).
In the first Ayah, Allah has used the words خلق كل شيء to mean He has created everything and in the second verse He has said خالق كل شيء in a comprehensive sense to mean He is the Creator of everything,
including, by implication, the Qur'an.
In the historical part of this book, we mentioned that the Abbasid ruler
Al-Ma’amun (813 – 833 CE) adopted the Mut’azilite doctrine which embodied,
among other things, that the Qur'an is created. He declared it to be the State
creed. The Ibadhis have adopted some, but not all, of the principles of this
doctrine which is based on rationalism. On the other hand, Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali Madh-hab which is prevalent in Saudi Arabia,
did not agree and so was arrested and imprisoned on the orders of the ruler. Al
Maamun quoted the following ayah in support of his arguments with Islamic
scholars: -
إنا جعلناه قرآنا عربيا لعلكم تعقلون (سورة
الزخرف الآيه 3)
“We have made it (the Qur’an) in Arabic
that you may be able to understand (it).” (S.43 verse 3).
In another Surah (Suratul An’am (6) Verse
1) Allah says: -
وجعل الظلمات والنور
which has been translated, “and originated
the darkness and the light”… … …
The crucial word here is جعل.
In the first verse above, the word has been translated, “to make;” and in the second verse, “originate”,
which means to create.
When a man makes something, he does it out of other materials made by
God. For example a carpenter who makes a table, he does not create it but he
merely assembles and joins pieces of wood with nails and glue together. In
other words he has made a table out of materials created by God. But when Allah
makes something he does it out of nothing or out of other materials He has
created out of nothing.
In the second verse the word جعل has been interpreted as
originate which means create. But the following convincing ayah seems to have escaped
the attention of scholars: -
وجعلنا من الماء كل شيء حي (سورة الأنبياء
"21" آية 30)
which has been translated as follows: -
“And we have made from water every
living thing”.
Here the word ((جعلنا)) means without a shadow of
doubt “We have created” and the science of biology has confirmed that life
originated from water, that is, created from it. This is again confirmed by
verse 54 of chapter 25 (al Furqan) where Allah says: -
وهو الذي خلق من الماء بشرا ...1
“And it is He who has created
man from water”.
(Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
In this ayah Allah has used the word خلق instead of جعل used in the earlier-quoted verse to explain that man has been created from water. In other words
the two words in this context are synonymous. Here is another interesting verse
in chapter 7 (A1 A’raf), verse 189: -
هو الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة وجعل
منها زوجها ليسكن إليها
“It is He who has created
you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him his
wife (Hawwa) in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her”. (Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
Thus Allah has used both words, جعل and خلق to mean to create.
In suratu Nnisaa (verse 1) Allah says: -
يأيها الناس اتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من
نفس واحدة وخلق منها زوجها ....
“O mankind! Fear your Lord who created you
from a single person and created, out of him, his wife …”
In this verse Allah has used the word خلق twice and has not used the
word جعل as He has done in the
previous ayahs, which shows that the two words convey the same meaning in this
context. So taking into consideration all these Qur'anic verses, the Ibadhis
have come to the conclusion that when Allah says in chapter 43 (Az-Zukhruf), ayah
3: -
إنا جعلناه قرءانا عربيا لعلكم تعقلون
He meant: “Verily We have created the
Qur'an in Arabic that you may be able
to understand (it)”
The Abbasid Khalifa, Al Maamun, the son of
Harun Rasheed, understood the ayah the way the Ibadhis have come to understand
it.
Whatever the case, the fierce arguments about its origin, whether the Qur'an
is created or uncreated, should not distract Muslims from its contents which is
the most important purpose of the Qur'an, and from obeying the Divine
Commandments and avoiding the Injunctions enshrined in it. Whether the Qur'an was created 1400 years ago or l4 billion years before
or has pre-existent eternity should not be the issue. What is important is that
it is the word of Almighty God, and that is what millions of Muslims everywhere
understand; the philosophical side of it is the pastime of sectarian scholars.
Before leaving the subject of the creation of the Qur'an it would be of
interest to look into two other ayahs on the matter of creation. They are verses 71 and 72 of Surat Sad (38): -
إذ قال ربك للملائكة إني خالق بشرا من طين
(71) فإذا سويته ونفخت فيه من روحي فقعوا له ساجدين (72)2
(Remember) when your Lord said
to the angels “Truly I am going to create man from clay”.
(Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
The underlined words in verse 72 have however
been given contradictory interpretation. Prof. Abdullah Yusuf Ali has
translated them thus: -
“And I Breathed unto him of My spirit”,
while Dr. Al Hilali and Dr. Khan have explained them this way: -
“And I breathed into him (his) soul
created by me”.
The implication of the first translation is
that God has given part of His spirit and so man is the essence of God. This
sounds very much like those who say the Qur'an is the essence of Allah. In the
second translation by Dr.
Al Hilali and Dr. Khan, it means that God created man’s soul and then breathed
it into him. This interpretation agrees with those who say that the Qur'an is
created. The two translations are contradictory and both have been endorsed by
the Islamic authorities in Saudi Arabia. Fortunately neither of the translators
is an Ibadhi nor a Khariji nor a Shia, so there has been no sectarian uproar in
the Islamic world!!
Will Allah be Seen on the Day of Judgment?
Ibadhis do not believe that Allah will be seen on the Day of Judgment. Those who believe that Allah will be seen on the Day of Judgment rely on
verse 15 of Suratul Muttaffifin (83): -
كلا إنهم عن ربهم يومئذ لمحجوبون
It is translated thus: -
“Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that
Day, will they be veiled?” (Abdullah Yousuf Ali).
The word, “they”, in the verse refers to
those who deny the Day of Judgment (verse 11), the sinners (verse 12) and those
who deny the Qur'an as the word of God (verse 13). According to the
translation, the sinners will be veiled from the Light of (not the sight of)
their Lord. The translator explains it further in the footnote (No. 6018) as
follows: -
“At Judgment the true Light, the Glory of
the Lord, the joy of the Righteous, will be hidden by veils from the eyes of the
sinful. Instead, the Fire of Punishment will be to them the only reality which
they will perceive.”
In Suratul Shura (42) we also read the
following verse (51):-
وما كان لبشر أن يكلمه الله إلا وحيا أو من وراء
حجاب ...
It is translated thus:-
“It is not fitting for a man that Allah
should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil … … …”
(Abdullah Yusuf Ali).
The translator then quotes under footnote
4529 a Hadith recorded by Muslim that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:-
“His veil (God’s veil) is Light: were He to
withdraw it, then would the august splendours of His Countenance surely consume
everything that comes within His Sight”.
In other words it would be impossible to
see Allah, for to see Him is to be consumed or completely destroyed!!! In the
light of this Hadith, the only sensible translation of ayah l5 of suratul Mutaffifin
is that the sinners will be veiled not from the sight of Allah but from His
mercy. (see p.52 of الحق الدامغ by Sheikh Ahmed Al Khalili).
Those who believe they will see Allah on the Day of Judgment also rely on the
following ayahs 22 and 23 of Suratul Qiyama (75):-
وجوه يومئذ ناضرة (22) إلى ربها ناظرة
(23)
That means:-
“Some faces that Day will be
shining (22) looking towards their Lord (23)”.
To understand the meaning of the word ناضرة we have to search for it in the
Qur'an itself. Ayah 198 of Suratul A’araf (7) is interesting; it reads as follows.
وإن تدعوهم إلى الهدى لا يسمعوا وتراهم ينظرون
إليك وهم لا يبصرون
“And if you call them to guidance,
they hear not and you will see them looking at you, yet they see not”.
(Dr. Al Hilali and Dr. Khan).
Also in verse 83-85 of Suratul Waqi’a (56)
Allah says:-
فلولا إذا بلغت الحلقوم (83) و أنتم حينئذ تنظرون
(84) ونحن أقرب إليه منكم ولكن لا يبصرون (85)
“Then why do you not
(intervene) when (the soul of a dying person) reaches the throat? (83) And you
at the moment are looking on (84). But we (our angels who take the soul)
are nearer to him than you! But you see not (85)
(Dr. M. T. Al Hilali and Dr. M.M.Khan).
These ayahs very clearly show the difference
between the word نظر “to look at” and the word بصر “to see” in that you can look at something without
seeing it, and it does not necessarily mean you will see it. So the ayah quoted
before this: إلى ربها ناظرة does not mean that Allah will
be seen on the Day of Judgment.
When we have been saved from an accident or some other misfortune or we
have recovered from an illness, we pray to God and raise our hands and look
upwards towards the heaven in expression of our joy and gratitude to His mercy
and grace. That does not mean in this process that we are seeing the Almighty.
Therefore Ibadhi scholars interpret the word ناظرة to mean waiting for God’s mercy and entry to Paradise, and this is
confirmed by Suratu Zzumar (39), Ayah 68:-
"ثم نفخ فيه أخرى فإذا هم
قيام ينظرون"
“Then it (the Trumpet) will be
blown a second time, and behold they will be standing, looking on (waiting)”.
(Dr. Al Hilali and Dr. Khan).
Taking all these ayahs into consideration,
we believe that Allah will not be seen, neither in this world nor in the
Hereafter and this belief is supported by the following Qur‘anic verse: (v.l03
s.6)
"لاتدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك
الأبصار وهو اللطيف الخبير" (الأنعام)
“No vision can grasp Him, But
His grasp is over all vision; He is subtle well aware”.
(Abdullah Yusuf Ali).
In other words none can see Him but He sees
everything however fine or minute. The verse is short and clear, free from any
ambiguities; it is not clouded with any uncertainties.
In the English translation of the Qur'an by Dr. Muhammad T. Al- Hilali & Dr. Muhammad, M.Khan, there is a Prophet’s Hadith narrated
by Abu Said Al-Khudri quoted under footnote l (c) to Ayah 42 of Suratul Qalam
(68) in which the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is asked whether our Lord shall
be seen on the Day of Resurrection. He is alleged to have replied,
“Do you have any difficulty in seeing the
sun and the moon when the sky is clear?” The reply was “No”. He then said “So you will have no difficulty
in seeing your Lord on that day as you have no difficulty in seeing the sun and
the moon (in a clear sky)”.
If you scrutinize this Hadith thoroughly and
objectively, you will suspect that it is fabricated. First of all who can see
the sun on a clear day in the Arabian sky‘? If you try to do it you will be blinded.
During a solar eclipse when the sun is not so bright and is under the shadow of
the moon, doctors advise us to use special glasses to look at the sun. This
Hadith narrates several other events which will take place on the Day of
Resurrection and is so long that one doubts that it could have been orally transmitted
intact through a period of over 200 years without being distorted in the
process before it was recorded by Bukhari. It is about one and half pages in small
print or 66 lines long.
In Suratu An-Nisaa (4), Allah says in ayah 153:-
فقد سألوا موسى أكبر من ذلك فقالوا أرنا الله
جهرة فأخذتهم الصعقة بظلمهم
“Indeed they (The Jews) asked
Moses for even greater than that when they said: ‘Show us Allah in public’ but they
were struck by thunder and lightning for their wrong doing …..”.
Thus Allah has described the Jew’s request
to see Him as a ‘wrong doing’ and so punished them by striking them by
thunder and lightning because they have asked for something that was impossible
to get. ln Suratul-A’raf (7), verse 143 prophet Musa (Moses) said to Allah:-
"أرني أنظر إليك قال لن
تراني"
“Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon
You” Allah said, “You cannot see Me”,….
(Dr. Al Hilali and Dr. Khan).
The Al Ash’ari contend that if Moses’s request
to see God was wrong, he would not have asked for it because he was a prophet,
and so he was free from sins. But let us see what the Holy Qur'an says.
In Suratul-Qasas (S28), verse l5 – 16 it is narrated that Moses struck and
killed a non-Jew who was fighting a Jew. Moses said to Allah:
“My lord! Verily, I have wronged myself so
forgive me” Then He (Allah) forgave him. (verse 16).
(Dr. Al Hilali and Dr. Khan).
So the Ash’aris contention is groundless
because Moses did commit a sin but was forgiven. Ibadhi scholars, on the other
hand, explain that Moses’ request to see Allah was made, not for his own sake, but to prove to his
people, the Jews, that it was impossible to see Him.
Allah’s Omnipresence
Is Allah in the seventh Heaven or
everywhere? Ayah 5 of Suratu Taha (20) reads as follows:-
"الرحمن
على العرش استوى"
Abdullah Yusuf Ali has translated it thus:-
“The Most Gracious is firmly established on
the Throne”.
Dr. Muhammad T. Al Hilali and Dr. Muhammad
M. Khan, in the Appendix II of their translation of the Qur'an, have explained
it as follows:-
“The most Gracious (Allah) rose over (Istawa) the (Mighty) Throne (in
a manner that suits His Majesty)”, over the seventh heaven; and He comes
down over the first (nearest) heaven to us on the day of ‘Arafah (i.e. the 9th of Dhul-Hijja), and also during the last third part of the night
as mentioned by the Prophet (Peace be upon him), but He is with us by His Knowledge,
not by His Personal-Self (bi-Dhatihi). It is not as some people think that
Allah is present everywhere – here, there and even inside the breasts of men”.
The latter two translators’ comments have very serious implications. Does it mean that at other times of the day and night, the Almighty has
no knowledge of what is going on on the earth? We know today that the earth is
round and so time is not the same everywhere. When it is the last third part of
the night in the Arabian peninsular, it is morning in the Indian subcontinent
and it is evening in some parts of Africa. So the third part of the night keeps
on rotating westwards with Allah’s knowledge rotating with it!! It is obvious
that this interpretation of the Qur’anic verse leads to preposterous
conclusions. Those who fabricated hadiths 1200 years ago did not have modern
knowledge of geography and so did not think they would be found out!. Those who
share the belief of the two translators should bear in mind what Allah Himself
said about His Knowledge in Suratul Mujadalah (58) Ayah 7:-
"ألم تر أن الله يعلم ما
في الأرض ما يكون من نجوى ثلاثة إلا هو رابعهم ولا خمسة إلا هو سادسهم ولا أدنى من
ذلك ولا أكثر إلا هو معهم أينما كانوا"
The two translators have interpreted the
ayah as follows:-
“Have you not seen that A/[ah knows
whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwa
(secret counsel) of three but He is their fourth (with His knowledge, while He
Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), nor of five but He is
their sixth (with His Knowledge), nor of less than that or more but He is with
them (with His Knowledge) where so ever they may be”.
The ayah contradicts the Hadith quoted by
the two translators. God’s knowledge as described by the ayah is universal and
comprehensive regardless of time and place, whereas according to the Hadith
quoted by the translators it is restrictive of time (The last third part of the
night) and place (Arafat). This is sheer contradiction and no fabricated Hadith
will be consistent with the Qur'an.
Abdullah Yousuf Ali in his translation of ayah 255 of suratul Baqara appends
a footnote No.297 in which he says:-
Allah’s knowledge is absolute, and is not
conditioned by time or place. His Knowledge and our knowledge are therefore in
different categories.
In the ayah No.1 l5 of suratul-Baqara (2)
Allah says:-
"ولله المشرق والمغرب
فأينما تولوا فثم وجه الله إن الله واسع عليم"
“To Allah belong the east and
the west; and wherever you turn there is Allah's Countenance. For Allah is all –
embracing. All-knowing”. (Dr. Israr Ahmed Khan).
According to Dr. Israr Ahmed Khan in his
book Qur'anic studies. An Introduction (p.175), the ayah “simply expresses
the omnipresence of Allah”. He
further explains that the ayah was revealed to show that when a person, on a
journey, does not know the direction of Qibla, he can pray in any direction.
In the Hadith No.848 of Musnad Imam
Rabi’i it is narrated that Seyyidna Umar heard a man saying:
والله حيث كان
“Allah is where he was”
Seyyidna Umar said:
ويحك كأنك تلتمسه إن الله بكل مكان
“Woe to you! It is as if you are looking
for Him. Verily Allah is everywhere”.
Abdul Qahir Tahir Al.Baghdady Al Tamimy in
his book Al Farq Baina Al Firaq (الفرق بين الفرق) has quoted the following
statement by Seyyidna Ali (p.333).
إن الله تعالى خلق العرش إظهارا لقدرته
لا مكانا لذاته, وقال أيضا:
قد كان ولا مكان وهو الآن على ما كان
Indeed Allah the Exalted created the Throne
as a Manifestation of His Power, not a place for Himself
Seyyidna Ali added:-
(Allah) was where He was without a place
and He is now where He was.
The Ibadhi position on this issue has been explained by Sheikh Ahmed b.
Hamed Al Khalily, Al.Mufti-I-‘Aam for the Sultanate of Oman in his booklet, الآيات المتشابهات في القرآن الكريم
(Ambiguous verses in the Holy Qur'an p.38) as follows:-
أن الله تعالى لم يتغير عما كان قبل خلق
الزمان والمكان,
فهو الآن على ما عليه كان, لم يطرأ عليه أي
تغيير
That Allah the Exalted has not changed from
where He was before the creation of Time and Space, so He is now where He was,
no change has taken place (in His position). (Translation by the Author).
In other words, where was Allah before the
creation of the Universe? He must have been somewhere. So He is still there
where He was, His position has not changed.
Here again the Ibadhis have adopted Seyyidna Ali’s view on the issue, which
is another proof that they had no quarrel with him with regard to matters of
religion; their differences with him relate to political affairs only, contrary
to what enemies of Islamic unity have been maliciously preaching to their
followers.
Would Believers who enter Hell remain there
forever?
On the Day of Judgment there will be three
classes of people:-
1)
Those who had full belief in Allah, in the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be
upon him), His other Prophets, the Qur'an and His other books and angels, in
the Hereafter and have fulfilled Allah’s Commandments and avoided His Prohibitions
in life. Paradise is their destination.
2) Those who had no belief in one God, Allah, and in the Prophet Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) etc. their abode will be Hell.
3)
Then there is a third group which comprises the believers who failed to
comply with God’s Commandments and avoid His Prohibitions and then again failed
to ask for Allah’s forgiveness before their deaths.
There is no controversy with regard to the fate of the first two groups but
there is a disagreement on the last group due to differences in the interpretation
of some ayahs in the Qur'an. Islamic scholars of some other sects hold the view
that the third group will enter Hell and remain there for a period commensurate
to the degree or gravity of sins they had committed in this life, and then with
God’s mercy, will be taken out of it even if they had not repented for their
sins in their lifetime.
Ibadhis, on the other hand, believe that those
who commit grave sins and have not repented before their deaths will enter Hell
and remain there forever. They hold this view on the authority of verse l4 of
Suratu Nnisaa (4):-
"ومن يعص الله ورسوله
ويتعد حدوده يدخله نارا خالدا فيها وله عذب مهين"
“And whosever disobeys Allah
and his Messenger and transgresses His limits will be put into the Fire to
abide therein forever, and he shall have a humiliating punishment”, and again in Suratu-l- Muuminuun (23), ayah 103 Allah says:-
"ومن خفت موازينه فأولئك
الذين خسروا أنفسهم في جهنم خالدون"
“And those whose scales (of good deeds) are
light, they are those who lose their own selves, in Hell will they abide”. (Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
But those who say that sinners will be
released from Hell after serving their terms rely on ayah 128 of Suratul An’am
(6) to support their belief:-
"قال النار مثواكم خالدين فيها إلا ما
شاء الله"
which means:-
(Allah) says (to the assembly of Jinns and
men):
“The Fire will be your dwelling – place, you will dwell therein forever,
except as Allah may will”:
(Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
The ayah contains an exceptional clause, إلا ما شاء الله “except as Allah may will”
which, they say, means that sinners will be released from Hell after completing
their terms of punishment.
But Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed Al Khalily, the Grand Mufti of the Sultanate
of Oman in his book (The Overwhelming Truth) does not agree with this
interpretation, and has cited several other ayahs which contain the exceptional
clause but do not admit to the same explanation. For example in Suratul A’ala
(87) Ayahs 6 and 7 Allah addresses Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as follows:-
"سنقرئك فلا تنسى (6) إلا
ما شاء الله" ...........(7)
which translates thus:-
(6)
We shall make you (O Muhammad SAW) recite (the Qur'an), so you shall no
forget (it).
(7)
Except what Allah may will ........” (Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
Sheikh Ahmed Al Khalili argues that if Allah
wants to make the Prophet (Peace be upon him) recite the Qur'an without
forgetting it, the exceptional clause cannot be construed to mean that if He
wishes He will make him forget it. That would be contradictory and defeat the
whole purpose of the passage.
Allah’s will is not like man’s will. If a man wills something today he may
change his mind tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes he may again adopt a
completely different idea. But if Allah wills something, it means He has made a
decision regarding it. There is no question of changing His mind because Allah
is well aware of all the circumstances before and after He made the decision.
In Suratu Yunus (10), verse 64 Allah says
لا تبديل لكلمات الله
“There is no changing in the
words of Allah”
In other words God does not change His mind
as men do.
In chapter 48 (Suratul Fat’h) ayah 27 Allah
assures His Messenger thus:
(لتدخلن المسجد الحرام إن شاء
الله أمنين........)
“Certainly, you shall enter
the sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, secure… …”
In the ayah above Allah has used the word لتدخلن which has been translated “certainly you shall enter”. The word
has started with a prefix لام (or L) which is known in Arabic grammar as a letter of swearing لام القسم)). At the same time the word
has ended with a suffix نون (or N) and is known in the grammar as a letter of emphasis (نون التأكيد). So when Allah said, لتدخلن it meant that He swore and stated emphatically to His Messenger
that he shall enter the sacred Mosque.” So the subsequent clauses, “if Allah
wills”, which appears in the same verse cannot be construed then to mean that
He will change His mind, because He has already made a decision on the matter.
Thus when Allah said,
“The fire will be your dwelling place, you
will dwell therein forever, except as Allah may will” (S.6.V. 128),
the exceptional clause could not be
interpreted to alter or reduce the permanent nature of the punishment as
decreed by Allah Himself. In Suratu Hud (11), the following verses (106 – 108)
recount the facts about the Day of Judgment:-
فأما الذين شقوا ففي النار لهم فيها زفير وشهيق (106)
(106) “Those who are wretched shall be in
the Fire: There will be for them therein (nothing) but the heaving of sighs and
sobs”.
خالدين فيها ما دامت السموات والأرض إلا ما شاء ربك إن ربك فعال لما يريد
(107)
(107) “They will dwell therein so long
as the heavens and the earth endure, except as thy Lord wills, for the Lord
is the (sure) Accomplisher of what He plans.
وأما الذين سعدوا ففي الجنة خالدين فيها ما
دامت السموات والأرض إلا ما شاء ربك عطاء غير مجذوذ (108)
(108) “And those who are
blessed shall be in the Heaven they will dwell therein so long as the
heavens and the earth endure. Except as thy Lord wills; a gift without a break.
In both ayahs 107 and 108 there is a
conditional clause “so long as the heavens and the earth endure” (ما دامت السموات والأرض)
and there is an exceptional clause, “except as thy Lora’ wills” (إلا ما شاء ربك). The exceptional clause has
already been explained above when discussing verses 6 and 7 Suratul A’ala (87).
With regard to the conditional clause, Sheikh Ahmed Al Khalily has explained
that the heavens and the earth mentioned in the two verses are not the existing
ones in which we live because these will disappear before the Day of Judgment.
But the ayahs refer to the earth and heavens which will replace the present
ones as mentioned in Suratul Ibrahim (14), ayah 48:-
"يوم تبدل الأرض غير الأرض
والسموات وبرزوا لله الواحد القهار"
“On the Day when the earth
will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens, and they (all
creatures) will appear before Allah, the one, the Irresistible”
(Dr. Al Hilali & Khan).
Abdullah Yusuf Ali has explained in the
footnote No.l608 in his translation of ayah 107 the meaning of the word خالدون as follows:-
“Khalidun is the word which is usually translated ‘dwell forever’.......
Here it is definitely connected with the two conditions, viz (1) as long as the
heavens and the earth endure, and (2) except as Allah wills. Some Muslims theologians deduce from this the conclusion that the penalties
referred to are not eternal, because the heavens and the earth as we see them
are not eternal, and the punishments for the deeds of life that will end should
not be such as will never end. The majority of Muslim `theologians reject this
view. They hold that the heavens and the earth here referred to are not those
we see now, but others that will be eternal. They agree that Allah’s Will is
unlimited in scope and power, but it has willed that the rewards and
punishments of the Day of Judgment will be eternal”.
In other words the views of Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed Al Khalili on the
issue of eternal punishment conform with the view of the majority of Muslim
scholars as pointed out above. It is worth mentioning that Abdullah Yusuf is
not an Ibadhi and his translation of the Qur'an was approved by Muslim
authorities in Saudi Arabia.
With regard to those who will be blessed with the Garden or Heaven (الجنة) mentioned in ayah 108 above,
the conditional clause and the exceptional clause have been clarified by Allah Himself
at the end of the ayah when He says that the Garden (i.e. Heaven) is “a gift without a
break” or without end (عطاءَ غير مجذوذ). In other words those who
will be admitted to Heaven will dwell there forever, despite the exceptional
clause and the conditional clause.
Those who believe that Muslim sinners who enter
Hell will eventually come out of it claim to have the authority of the Holy
Prophet’s Hadiths which say that He will intercede with Allah for them, that
is, on their behalf. Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, a well-known Egyptian scholar has a different opinion on
the subject and casts doubts on the authenticity of some of these Hadiths. In his booklet, الشفاعة (the Intercession) he points
out that Allah in verse 44 of Surah 39 (سورة الزمر) says that, “All
intercession belongs to Allah”
(لله الشفاعة جميعا). He quotes several other
verses to the same effect:-
"مالهم
من دونه من ولي ولا يشرك في حكمه أحدا" (سورة الكهف آية 26)
“They have no protector other than Him
(Allah) and He makes none to share in His Decision” (V.26.S.18)
"ليس
لهم من دونه ولي ولا شفيع" (سورة الأنعام آية 51)
“They will have neither protector nor an intercessor beside Him
(Allah)” (V.5l S.6)
"وكم من ملك في السموات لا
تغني شفاعتهم شيئا إلا من بعد أن يأذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضى" (سورة النجم آية
26)
“And there are many angels in the Heavens, whose
intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom
He wills and is pleased with.” (V26 S.53)
(Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan)
"يا أيها الذين ءامنوا
أنفقوا مما رزقناكم من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه ولا خلة ولا شفاعة والكافرون هم
الظالمون" (سورة البقرة آية 255)3
“O you who believe! Spend of
that with which we have provided you, before a day comes when there will be no bargaining,
nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the
wrong doers.” (V254 S.2)
(Dr. Al Hilali & Dr Khan).
The Qur'an mentions at the same time that
intercession will be available on the Day of Judgment but with the permission
of Allah as in the following verses:-
"من
ذا الذي يشفع عنده إلا بإذنه" (سورة البقرة آية 255)
“Who is he that can intercede
with Him except with His permission?’ (V.255 S.2) (Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
"ما من شفيع إلا من بعد إذنه" (سورة يونس آية 3)
“No intercessor (can plead with
Him) except after His leave” (Abdullah Yusuf Ali).
On that Day no intercession shall avail except the one for whom permission
has been granted by the most Gracious and whose word is acceptable. But this
intercession will not be available to everybody and it is not known in what
circumstances it will be given. There might be Muslims who committed grave sins
in extenuating circumstances who would deserve intercession but this is a
divine secret which nobody knows. Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud in his booklet on
Intercession (p.5 Para 2) makes the following comment on this issue:-
أما الشفاعة بمعنى هدم الناموس واخراج المذنبين من النار وإدخالهم الجنة
فهي فوضى الوسائط التي نعرفها في الدنيا........
ولا وجود لها في الأخرة ....وكل ما جاء بهذا
المعنى في الأحاديث النبوية مشكوك في سنده لأنه يخالف صريح القرآن.
“As for intercession in the
sense of breaking the rule and discharging sinners from Hell and admitting them
into Heaven is the chaos of mediators which we know in this world; it does not
exist in the Hereafter. And whatever has come in the Holy Prophet’s Hadiths in
this sense is doubtful in its authenticity because it contradicts what has been
clearly stated in the Qur'an”.
(Translation by the Author)
Ibadhis believe that for the sinners to be forgiven for their sins, they
must repent before their deaths not just in words but also in deeds. For example
if a sinner who had the habit of stealing public funds or other forms of public
property seeks Allah’s pardon, he must not only stop doing it but he must refund
the public property to the rightful owner, that is the State. It is not enough
for him to say after his obligatory prayers, “O Allah Forgive me! I will
never do it again” while he continues to enjoy what he had illegally
acquired before repenting. And so the angels will be asking forgiveness for the
faithful who repented as follows:-
"ربنا وسعت كل شيء رحمة
وعلما فأغفر للذين تابوا وأتبعوا سبيلك وقهم عذاب الجحيم" (سورة غافر
آية 7)
“Our Lord! You comprehend all things in
mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repented and follow your Way,
and save them from the punishment of the blazing Fire.” (V.7 S.40) (Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
In other words intercession الشفاعة by angels will not be for all
and sundry but only for “those who repented and followed Your path”,
that is, those who repented and reformed, and then again it must be with the
prior permission of our Lord.
Even Allah’s forgiveness is not automatic but is granted subject to certain
conditions. Thus in verse 82 of Chapter 20 (Taha) Allah tells the Israelis
through Prophet Moses (Nabii Musa):-
وإني لغفار لمن تاب وأمن وعمل صالحا ثم اهتدى
And verily, 1 am indeed forgiving to him
who repents, believes in Allah and does righteous deeds, and then keeps on following
the right way (reformed).
And in verse l7 of Chapter 4 (An Nisaa)
Allah says:-
إنما التوبة على الله للذين يعملون السوء بجهالة ثم يتوبون من قريب فأولئك
يتوب الله عليهم .....
Allah accepts the repentance of those who
do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards, to them will Allah turn in
mercy... .. (Abdullah Yusuf Ali)
And in the next verse, Allah continues:-
وليست التوبة للذين يعملون السيئات حتى إذا
حضر احدهم الموت قال إني تبت الآن ولا الذين يموتون وهم كفار أولئك أعتدنا لهم
عذابا أليما.
And of no effect is the repentance of those
who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, “Now I
have repented indeed,” nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them
we have prepared a painful torment. (D. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
Thus in brief Allah’s forgiveness will only
be granted to those who repent and believe in him and do righteous deeds and
then reform after repentance.
It will also be granted to those who do evil acts out of ignorance but then repent
soon after.
It will however not be granted to
those who do evil deeds (sins) but do not repent until they find death
approaching them, nor to disbelievers when they are on the verge of death. And
so the believers as well as disbelievers who delay repenting until when they
are about to die will not be pardoned for their rebellion or disbelief.
Hence if those who repent and do not fulfill the condition required will
not have their repentance accepted, how can those who have not repented at all
in their lifetime expect Allah’s mercy on the Day of Judgment? Just as there
are conditions for repentance, so there are conditions for intercession (الشفاعة) as well, namely, Allah’s
prior permission and consent and then for those who repented soon after and reformed,
and then long before their deaths.
In the book الموسوعة الميسرة في الأديان والمذاهب والأحزاب المعاصرة published in Riyadh under the supervision of Dr. Maani’i bin Hammaad
Al-Juhany, the following passage appears on p.64:-
الذي يرتكب كبيرة من الكبائر يطلقون (أي
الاباضيون) عليه لفظة "كافر" زاعمين بأن, هذا كفر نعمة أو كفر نفاق لا
كفر ملة بينما يطلق عليه أهل السنة والجماعة كلمة العصيان أو الفسوق, ومن مات على
ذلك في نظر أهل السنة فهو في مشيئة الله إن شاء غفر له بكرمه وإن شاء عذبه بعدله
حتى يطهر من عصيانه ثم ينتقل إلى الجنة, أما الاباضية فيقولون بأن العاصي مخلد في
النار.
Translation:-
“He who commits one of the
grave sins, they (the Ibadhis) apply to him the term “ungrateful” claiming that
this is ingratitude of (Allah’s) blessings or hypocrisy, not infidelity,
whereas the Sunnis apply to him the term disobedience (rebellion) or
wickedness, and whoever dies in that (state), in the view of the Sunnis, with
Allah’s Will, He pardons him by His Magnanimity (Generosity), and, if He wills,
He punishes him with His Justice until he is purified of his sins, then he is
transferred to paradise. As for the Ibadhis, they say that a sinner (of a grave
sin) remains in Hell forever”. (Translation by the Author).
But let us see what Allah Himself says in
verse 14 of chapter 4 (An-Nisaa)”:-
"ومن
يعص الله ورسوله ويتعد حدوده يدخله نارا خالدا فيها وله عذاب مهين"
And whosever disobeys Allah and His
Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide
therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment.
(Dr. Al Hilali & Dr. Khan).
The term خالدا used in the above – cited verse means, “Lasting
or remaining forever”. In other words such sinners will remain in Hell forever,
and so the Ibadhi’s belief is consistent with the Qur'an. If Muslims were given
the choice between the interpretations of Sunnis and that of Ibadhis everyone
will opt for the former for two reasons:-
(1) Nobody is certain that he will not enter Hell. We all pray and work hard
in our lifetime to avoid that destination.
(2) But if he were to enter Hell he would still want to get out of it – nobody
would like to be there forever!!
So we pray that the Sunnis’ interpretation
turns out to be right. But are we to interpret the Qur'an according to our
convenience or choice? It would have been different if the Ibadhis were sure to
go to Heaven and others to Hell. But this is Allah’s secret which nobody knows, and so we cannot be accused
of selfishness or meanness for wishing to remain in Heaven alone to the
exclusion of others. It is apparent that these liberal interpretations of
relevant Qur’anic verses were made to placate feelings of guilty conscience or
allay the fears suffered by many of the Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid rulers for
atrocities committed on their directions and in their names against innocent
fellow Muslims.
>>>>>> (To
be Continued)
Reference:
Ibadhism, The Cinderella of Islam, by Soud H. Al
Ma'awaly, pg: 59-82
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