In the Name of Allāh.
The mysteries of Allāh’s Divinity are indeed deep and profound, and we must approach them with humility and wisdom.
There is a creedal issue that is really causing dissent: How can you say man speaks and Allāh also speaks? Isn’t that likening Allāh to man? Of course, it’s not! Allāh says: “And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” [Sūrah Al-Ikhlās (112): 4]
Allāh, in His Limitless Grace and Mercy, has revealed to us aspects of His Divine Nature and Attributes through the Qur’ān and the teachings of His Messenger (ﷺ). But to understand these attributes, we must recognize that they are beyond our comprehension, beyond our ability to fully grasp or explain.
Okay, let’s take an instance. We believe that the Qur’ān is the Speech (i.e., an Attribute) of Allāh, and it is not created. Allāh is not created and His Speech is also not created because His Speech is of Him (His Attribute). So, we can’t say Allāh created the Qur’ān. Rather, we should say Allāh spoke the Qur’ān and revealed it to His Messenger (ﷺ) through Jibreel. Allāh says: “And Messengers We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you, – and to Mūsā Allāh spoke directly.” [Sūrah An-Nisa’ (4): 164] This is affirming one of Allāh’s Attributes – Speaking. He does His Actions in a manner that befits His Majesty and whenever He wants.
More so, we affirm that Allāh hears, sees, loves, and hates, but we do not liken Him to His creation or attempt to comprehend these Divine Attributes with our limited human understanding. This is the essence of our faith, the bedrock of our belief, that Allāh is above all, beyond all, and beyond our comprehension.
Actually, where the problem lies, is trying to ask how He speaks, hears, sees, hates, loves, etc. It suffices to limit oneself to affirming He has those Attributes and trouble not to ask how they are because when we do, we may start likening Him to man or take the Attributes out of the context in which they should be understood.
Shaykh Ibn al-‘Uthaymīn (Raḥimahullāh) said: “Ahlus-Sunnah affirm Allāh’s Names and Attributes that came in Qur’ān and Sunnah without; Taḥrīf (distorting them), Ta’ṭīl (Negating them), Takyīf (Asking about how) and Tamthīl (Likening them to attributes of creation).” [Sharḥ al-‘Aqīdatul-Hamawiyyah, pg. 16]
I beseech Allāh to bless us with wisdom and understanding and grant us the grace and humility to submit fully to His Divine Will. Aameen.
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