Affirming The Attributes of Allaah: Speech

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Audio (`Arabic): https://soundcloud.com/foodiefahoodie/uhdr6xbd98mb

Shaikh `Abdullaah Ibn Humaid رحمه الله said:

And this is the saying of our scholars.

As for this reasoning, which the Mu`tazilah set up and other than them - for example (in regards to) affirming the Attribute of Speech for Allaah - they say it is not permissible to affirm (the Attribute of) Speech for Allaah. (They say) Because if we affirm that Allaah speaks, then it becomes imperative (to believe) that He has a tongue and it becomes imperative (to believe) that He has two lips, and it becomes imperative (to believe) that He has gums. This is because speech is not possible without the lips, the tongue or the gums. If you affirm all these, then you have likened Him with His creation.

Ahl al-Sunnah (wal-Jamaa`ah) responds to them by saying: It does not necessitate us (to believe) as such, as long as Allaah تعالى has said:

﴿وَكَلَّمَ اللَّـهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا﴾

{And Allaah SPOKE to Moosaa with [direct] SPEECH.} [Surah al-Nisaa (4): 164]

And

﴿وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّـهِ﴾

{And if anyone of the Mushrikoon seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the WORD OF ALLAAH } [Surah al-Tawbah (9): 6]

We (believe in the verses and) are free from the likes of what you (Mu`tazilah) have said.

Also know that even if we were to agree with you for the sake of the argument, but we find that some of the creation spoke without having the things (lips, tongue etc.) which you mentioned, and this is about the CREATION! We believe in the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ﴾

{Then He Istawa (rose over) towards the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: “Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.” THEY BOTH SAID: "We come, willingly."} [Surah Fussilat (41): 11]

Do they (the heavens and the earth) have tongues and lips? Do they have gums?

And He تعالى spoke about the Kuffaar:

﴿وَقَالُوا لِجُلُودِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ قَالُوا أَنطَقَنَا اللَّـهُ الَّذِي أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ﴾

{And they will say to their skins, “Why do you testify against us?” They will say: “Allaah has caused us to SPEAK, as He causes all things to SPEAK} [Surah Fussilat (41): 21]

Do their skins have the things (which you say)? Do they have tongues?

[Furthermore]:

﴿الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَىٰ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾

{This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, AND THEIR HANDS WILL SPEAK TO US} [Surah Yaaseen (36): 65]

Does the hand have a tongue or lips? And this is all in regards to the CREATION!

Further still, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ حَجَرًا بِمَكَّةَ كَانَ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَىَّ قَبْلَ أَنْ أُبْعَثَ إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُهُ الآنَ

“I recognize the stone in Makkah which used to give me Salaam (even) before my advent as a Prophet and I recognize that even now.” [Saheeh Muslim (5654)]

Does this stone have a tongue? And this is all in regards to the CREATION. [So what about the Creator?]

And I see nothing wrong in mentioning about the incident of one of the scholars of Hanaabilah, one of the Imaams of Ahl al-Sunnah. There was a man among the scholars of the Hanaabilah who was blind, and he believed that Allaah تعالى really speaks, in the manner which befits His Majesty, and believed in what it meant and believed in its evidences, without Takyyeef (describing the HOW of it), without Tamtheel (equating it with the creation), without Tashbeeh (comparing it with the creation), and without Ta`teel (denying it) [and without Tahreef (changing its meaning)]. He entered upon a King around whom were some of the big scholars of Mu`tazilah.

One of the Mu`tazili spoke to him saying: O Hanbalee!

He said: Yes!

The Mu`tazili said: Do you profess that Allaah speaks?

He said: Yes, I do.

The Mu`tazili said: If you stand in front of Allaah on the Day of Judgment and He تعالى says to you: “Where did you find (the evidence) that I speak?” What would you reply?

He (the Hanbalee scholar) said: I would say: O my Lord! Here it is now, You are Speaking. You are speaking now.

[In the background Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله exclaims: Allaahu Abkar! Allaahu Akbar!]

He did not even have the need to bring a Verse or a Hadeeth, rather he replied back to the Mu`tazili from that Mu`tazili’s own words.

[Shaikh Ibn Humaid again repeats]:

The Mu`tazili said: If you stand in front of Allaah on the Day of Judgment and He تعالى says to you: “Where did you find (the evidence) that I speak?” What would you reply?

He (the Hanbalee scholar) said: I would say: O my Lord! Here it is now, You are Speaking.

[In the background Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله exclaims: Allaahu Abkar! Allaahu Akbar!]

These are their (feeble) arguments. The (correct) `Aqeedah is that of Salafiyyah (the pious predecessors), the `Aqeedah of the Sahaabah (the Companions), the `Aqeedah of the Taabi`een (the students of the Sahaabah) رضي الله عنهم and Imaam al-Bukhaaree, and Imaam al-Awzaa`ee, and Imaam al-Shafi`ee, and Imaam Maalik and Imaam Ahmad and Imaam Abu Haneefah and other than them from the known scholars.