Another principle of the Jahmee’s is to
differentiate between a entity (Mawsoof) and its characteristics (Sifah).
They argue:
-That Allaah is different to His Knowledge,
thus the Quraan is a separate and created entity.
Response: Ahl as-Sunnah say that the Quraan
is the Knowledge and Speech of Allaah and there is no difference to make the
above differentiation.
-That the Names and Attributes that He
Describes Himself with are not Allaah – it is not an actual description of Him.
Response: Ahl as-Sunnah say Allaah is an actual being
(Dhaat) and He has Names and Attribute (Sifaaat pl. Sifah).
The
evidence of the Jahmees for the first argument:
The Jahmee’s quote the Aayah:
“Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment” [7:54]
They argue that there is no difference
between Khalq (creation) and Amr (command) because they are joined together by
a connector which means they are the same thing.
Meaning, the creation and the command (i.e.
His Word and His Speech) are both created.
Response: Ahl as-Sunnah say that the
connector “and” (و) typically
refers to a change in subject. Therefore, linguistically, if the word “and” is
used it cannot be referring to the same thing. Therefore, the connector “and”
refers to al-Mughaayarah or a change in subject.
Based on this linguistic fact, creation must
be different to His Command. Therefore, His Creation is something and His
Speech and Word is something else, uncreated.
Also, Ahl as-Sunnah respond to their interpretation
of the Quraan by pointing out that had creation and command be the same thing,
then the Sharee’ah would not stop in its revelation. Meaning, Allaah Continues
to Create and had creation and command be the same thing, revelation would also
continue, just as His action of Creating.
In response to their second argument above
Ahl as-Sunnah argue with the following:
In the Arabic language and from the
principles of Usool al-Fiqh, names and attributes of any given thing falls into
one of the four following categories:
1.
Mutaraadif (synonyms): different words with
the same meaning. For example the word “Shaykh” can refer father so can “Ab”
and so can “Old man”
وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ
كَبِيرٌ
“And our father is a very old man” (28:23)
2.
Mutabaayinah (Lexis): this is where different
objects have totally different names with no connection between one another. For
example, a door is a different object to a chair.
Mutabaayinah is of types:
-Mutadaadah (Antonyms): complete opposite in
meaning. For example, standing is the opposite of sitting. However, the opposite
could have a third state; so standing is the opposite of sitting but it is not
the opposite of laying down.
-Mutanaaqidah (Nullifiers): meaning words
that negate one another. For example, the action of speaking nullifies silence
for the same person.
-Mutalaazim (Conditional): meaning one word cannot
exist without the other word. For example, creation exists. However, creation didn’t
create itself, so it must have been created. Therefore creation depends on
creator.
-Mutawaafiq (Similarities): meaning there is
no connection but there can be similarities between the definitions of that
word. For example, not every Insaan (human) are the same but there are similarities.
-Mukhtalif (Indifferent): meaning there is no
connection between these words and there are no similarities. For examples,
humans and animals.
3.
Mushtarakah (Homonym): these are words which
are the same word but have different meaning. Such as ‘Ayn in Arabic can refer
to an ‘eye’ or a ‘spring’.
4.
Mushakik (a type of Homonym): this is where
the words have the same meaning but the characteristics differ. Such as the
face of a human is not the same as a face of a fox, but both have faces.
5.
Mutwaati’ (a type of Homonym): words that
have the same name and characteristics but are different in their form and are separate
entities. Such as the word human or Insaan, all are alike but are different in
form and physical being.
Based on all of this, we are able to
respond and refute the two arguments above, linguistically and principally:
There is a difference between “Khalq” and “Amr”
because they are both Mutabaayinah. They are not Mutaraadif for one another. Furthermore,
connectors in the Arabic language are used for al-Mughaayarah, meaning a change
of subject.
A being or an object must have
characteristics because it has to be placed in one and more in the above
classifications.
So we say, Allaah has Names which are
Mutaaradif and Mutaabayanah, and His Attributes likewise.
As for classifications 4, 5 and 6, then this
is proof that affirmation of Names and Attributes of Allaah do not necessitate
resemblance to the creation.
Next post on the beliefs of the Jamhiyyah in regards to Revelation.
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