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Where was Ibn Qudaamah born and in what school of Islamic Law (mathhab)
did he study?
Answer: Born Jammaaeel in Nablus, Palestine, Hambali Mathab
What is obligatory regarding the texts of the Quraan and Sunah in relationship
to the meanings of Allahs Names and Attributes?
Answer: It is obligatory to keep the implications of names and attributes (Allah) in
accordance with their obvious meanings (or linguistic meaning) without any change [ any
change other than that would be speaking Allah without knowledge which is forbidden].
Explain what is meant by the statement, All of Allahs Names are Beautiful,?
Answer: all of them contain the perfect attributes of Allah, free from any deficiency in any
respect
How many Names does Allah have and how are they determined?
Answer: Allah names are not limited to any specific number and they are determined by
revelation
Briefly discuss what Allahs Names refer to and what is meant by their effects.
Answer: Every one of Allahs names refers to Allahs essence, to the attribute it contains
and to the effect (some of the names result in effect on the creation e.g Al Rahman) resulting
from it if it is transitive.
Clarify what is meant by the statement: All of Allahs Attributes are attributes
of perfection.
Answer: They are all perfect because if the attribute represents deficiency without any
element of perfection, then it is absolutely inapplicable to Allah. For example, death,
ignorance, inability, deafness, blindness, etc.
What is to be done with an attribute that represents deficiency without any
element of perfection or an attribute represents perfection from one aspect and
imperfection from another?
Answer: If an attribute represents deficiency without any element of perfection, such
attribute is rejected at all. However if an attribute represents perfection from one aspect and
imperfection from another, it will be affirmed to Allah when it represents perfection and
rejected when it represents imperfection. For example, plotting, deception etc.
Explain the meaning of the positive and negative attributes of Allah.
Answer: The positive (affirmative) attributes are those affirmed for Himself (e.g. life,
knowledge, nobility etc) and they must be affirmed in the way appropriate for Him. The
negative attributes are those that Allah negated from himself, like oppression. They must be
negated from Allah because He negated them from Himself,
Briefly discuss the difference between personal and consequential affirmative
attributes of Allah.
Answer: The difference between them is the affirmative personal (thaatiyyah)) attributes are
those which remain always attributed to Allah, e.g. Hearing, Seeing. As for the consequential
(filiyyah )attributes they are those related to Allahs will. So if Allah wishes He does them
and if He does not wish, He does not do them, like His settling above the throne, or His
coming.
Is it possible to describe the hows about Allahs Attributes?
Answer: No, it is not possible nor even permissible to describe hows Allahs Attributes are,
[Their knowledge cannot encompass Him, surah Dhaha]
Summarize the four ways to refute those who deny or misinterpret Allahs
Names and Attributes.
Answer: These deniers are as Muattilites also referred to as the Interpreters (alMuawwilah). Their claim is refuted as:
They contradict the obvious meanings of the texts. Example the term istiwaa (settling
above) interpreted as isteelaa (taking possession of something).
They contradict the methodology of the Salaf who used to avoid innovation Bida in
their interpretation
They do not have any authentic evidence to support their claims.
In the case of some attributes there may be a fourth principle or more principles for
refutation. This refutation is applicable each one of all attributes of Allah in general.
What is the evidence for beginning every act with the Basmalah?
Answer: The Hadith is not authentic though the prophet recommended uttering before
starting every action
Why did Ibn Qudaamah mention in his introduction that Allahs knowledge is
everywhere?
Answer: Is to refute the deviant sect who claimed Allah is physically everywhere.
Explain which of Allahs attributes is affirmed by denying that Allah can become
too busy.
Answer: Allahs Ability negates that He busy.
Clarify the difference between the Names ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem.
Answer: Ar-Rahmaan is the mercy which encompasses all His creation (all creation) .ArRaheem is the mercy which Allah bestows to His believers only.
Briefly discuss how Allahs wisdom is manifest in His creatures.
Answer: Whether humans realize the divine infinite wisdom in creation or not, it is there.
This wisdom demands that there be purpose to life and that the Creator reveal that purpose to
His creatures. Doing things without purpose is unwise and unintelligent, likewise to create
with purpose but not inform the creatures of their purpose would also be unreasonable and
unfair.
Why are human minds unable to imagine Allahs essence when human
imagination is capable of imagining virtually anything?
Answer: The human mind cannot imagine Allah because it depends on data from the senses.
What is the correct position regarding Allahs Attributes mentioned in the
Quran and authentic sunnah?
Answer: They must be believed in, submitted to and accepted. Contradicting it by rejection,
interpretation, drawing resemblance or similitude, must be abandoned. Whatever is difficult
to grasp [among the attributes] must be affirmed literally, and delving into its meaning
should be avoided.
Identify and briefly explain the three main rules concerning interpretation
(taweel) of AllahsNames and Attributes.
became a paragon of virtue and justice. Often referred to as the fifth of the Righteous Caliphs
due to his resemblance to the Four Righteous Caliphs,
To avoid spreading the invented Hadiths, he ordered the leading scholars of his time
to compile the traditions of the Prophet (r).
Abolished taxes, distributed zakah, etc
Abolished luxury at the point of asking his wife to choose between wealth or staying
with him. She has finally chosen him by taking all her jewelers to the State Treasury.
Explain the meanings of the underlined words and phrases in his statement:
Stop where the people stopped, for they stopped based on knowledge
Answer: means to refrain from delving into certain areas, and to avoid speculation about
them. This phrase indicates that their silence about issues was based on knowledge and fear
of Allah, not inability and weakness.
Who was Imaam al-Awzaaee where was he from and why did his Mathhab
disappear?
Answer: He was born in Balabek in the year 708 CE. He became known as one of the major
scholars of hadeeth of the eighth century CE and was opposed to the excessive use of qiyaas
and other forms of reasoning in cases where clear texts from the Quraan and/or Sunnah were
available. He spent most of his life in Beirut, eventually dying there in the year 774 CE. His
mathhab became widespread in Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon as well as in Spain.
Aboo Zarah Muhammad ibn Uthmaan of the Shaafiee mathhab was appointed judge of
Damascus. This judge prized 100 dinars the student who memorized the the book, Mukhtasr
al-Muzanee, (a basic book of Shaafiee Fiqh). Subsequently Shaafi students dominated the
area which led the disappearance of Imaam al-Awzaa Mathhab.
What was meant by his warning, Beware of peoples opinions even if they
beautify them with speech,?
Answer: That is, do not turn away from the Sunnah because someone has beautified his
opinion with words and expressions. Instead, adhere to the Sunnah and those who promote it
even if they are not able to beautify their narrations. Because the scale of judgment is [the
degree of] following; whoever follows is successful and whoever innovates is destroyed
may Allah protect us from the paths of destruction.
Who was al-Athramee and what was meant by his question, Did Allahs
Messenger (r), Aboo Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and Alee know [what you are
claiming] or not?
Answer: His name is actually Aboo Abdir-Rahmaan Abdullaah ibn Muhammad alAthramee. He was a reliable narrator of hadeeths which he narrated from the likes of Ibn
Uyainah and Wakee and which were narrated from him by Aboo Daawood and anNasaaee. When the issue of the Quran was created was raised, he rejected it as it wasnt said
by Allahs Messenger (r), Aboo Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and Alee Bin Abu Dhalib.
Explain whether the Divine Attributes of face, hands, self, coming, pleasure,
loving, and anger, are Sifaat Thaatiyyah or Filiyyah and why.
Answer: Allahs attributes can be divided into two basic categories:
Sifaat Thaatiyyah: face, hands, self, are attributes of essence which cannot be
separated from the one described by them (i.e. he cannot be described by them at
some times and not at others)
Sifaat Filiyyah coming, pleasure, loving, and anger are attributes of action.
Discuss how the Asharites and Mutazilites interpret the attributes of pleasure
and anger.
Answer: The Asharites interpret pleasure as a desire to bless and angeras a wish to
punish. As for the Mutazilites and the Jahmites, they sometimes interpret the Divine Name
or Attribute as referring to the creature. For example,Allahs pleasure is interpreted as
those whom He is pleased with; Allahs forgiveness is those whom He has forgiven.
How do the Asharites and others reconcile authentic hadeeths which mention
Allahs descent, laughter, etc.?
Answer: They deny and so they the Hadiths not authentic (Ahaad narrations and not
Thawattur[ three or more narrators]
With regard to the hadeeth Your Lord is amazed at a young man without the
desires of youth, how do scholars interpret this Divine Attribute which implies
the unexpected?
Answer: There are two types of amazement.
Unexpected amazement or a wonder, it cannot be applied to Allah as it is nothing is
hidden from Him.
Out of the norm amazement , this type is an appreciation and it can be attributed to
Allah,
Is the attribute in the verse, Nothing is similar to Him, a positive or negative
attribute and what does it affirm?
Answer: This attribute is one of His negative attributes and affirms His perfection as nothing
is similar to Him.
What are the two meanings of the Attribute All-Hearing (as-Samee) and
which of them is appropriate for Allah.
Answer: The All-Hearing has two meanings: Firstly, is the one who answers or responds
Indeed my Lord hears supplication.Secondly, the one who hears a sound. This has a
number of aspects:
Hearing referring to Allahs general awareness of all sounds
Hearing referring to help and support
Hearing referring to warning and threatening
Explain the common interpretation of the Attribute settling on (istawaa) the
throne and prove why it is false.
Answer: Because the term istiwaa (settling above the throne)is interpreted as isteelaa (taking
possession of something).
To prove that it is false is :it has no proof in the Quran and Sunnah; it implies that the throne
had belonged to someone else before the creation.
Who was Imaam Maalik ibn Anas and why did he expel the questioner who
asked about settling on the throne from his circle of learning?
Answer: He was one of the greats scholars of Medina. Many of his students such as ShafI
were among his circle. The Imaam expelled the questioner, so the fear that he may cause
confusion among the students. So the Imaam said settling above is known in the Arabic
language, how it took place is unknown and asking about it is bidah (innovation).
Qadr is from the completion of Eemaan and Eemaan is incomplete without it.
It is from the completion of Eemaan in Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, because Allahs destiny
and pre-determination are among his actions.
It involves humans referring their affairs to their Lord. Because humans know that everything
is according to Allahs destiny, they will turn to Him in times of difficulty to repel and
remove it from them, and they will attribute their times of good to Allah and know that it is a
favor from Him.
It allows humans to know their true status [in relationship to God] and to not be proud when
they do good.
Calamities become easier to deal with when humans know that they are ultimately from
Allah, as He said
What are three characteristics of the moral character which Qadar builds?
Answer: The character that belief in Divine Decree builds is:
A patient personality
A contented personality
A stable personality