Qalāʾid al-ʿIqyān 3: The First Obligation, The Greatest Blessing | Knowing Allah

Alright, Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, ala wa sallamu ala Rasulillah, wa a'ala alihi wa al-sahabi. Wa mantebiya, wa mabea, wa mabea, wa mabea, wa mabea, wa mabea, wa mabea, wa mabea, wa mabea. This is class number three. And in this session in sh-Allah we're going to cover a number of topics. First I wanted to open with some important thoughts and that is the works of our scholars pertaining to this topic of Apeed or Creed. We have to understand often why they were written and how they're framed so that we can understand the context of the word choice and the phrasing. Gives us some better understanding as we approach these texts. So essentially what I would say is they weren't written as abstract theory or academic speculation but we're often drafted in order to define number one, clarify number two, and often defend the doctrine of the Muslims or the Salaf in particular when it comes to the Apeed or Ambalia. Of course we're talking about the earliest generations of the Ummah and of course this was a defense against those who challenged questions or opposed that doctrine. So the phrases that they chose were often carefully selected to establish first what's obligatory to affirm, what must be denied or rejected, and then of course what lies beyond the reach of human reason and capacity. And so as we're studying this text because now we're past the introduction, the author's introduction that isn't getting into the first chapter, our goal is not only to understand the words of the text and perhaps some of the meanings and maybe some of the evidence is to support that but also we want to try and understand the method as well as the spirit of the author and these works. So while the works are defensive in nature often and defining what the doctrine entails in this class we're not diving into deep polymics. So we're not going to be analyzing various different doctrinal schools, whether they're suddenly schools or otherwise. I think that would be something that we could look at at a different time in a more advanced level. So opposing concepts are only going to be mentioned in general terms when absolutely necessary to understand exactly what the author is getting at in order to clarify the truth and that will be we're kind of kind of referring from that so that we don't get distracted or confused because right now the aim is to essentially establish a foundation, a basis for our creed according to the Humbly doctrine and that basis is going to give us what we need in order to build upon in later studies. And this way our journey through the text will remain as creed is meant to be studied and that is not something abstract, it's not something for debate but it is a devotional act and of course it means of safeguarding our religion honoring the way of the cellophane of course drawing closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And that's exactly where we begin with the first chapter as the imam ibnub al-Balban he begins and says al-Bab al-Awal fi ma'rifat ilahi ta'ala. Now so here this is chapter number one the knowledge of Allah for the exalted. So here ahim Allahu ta'ri says fatajibu ma'rifatullahi ta'ala shar'an bin nalari fi lvujudi wa l-mujudi ala kulli mukallafin qadirin wa hiya awalahu wa jibin lahu ta'ala. Okay so it means here it is a legal obligation upon every morally responsible and capable person to gain knowledge of Allah, the exalted through contemplation of existence and what exists within it. This is the very first obligation due to him the exalted. Right so right away um as a part of this we want to just clear and that is ala kulli mukallafin qadirin. Okay so the mukallaf of course is one of legal capacity or moral capacity and that essentially means somebody that's pubescent and of sound mind. pubescent and of sound mind and that's what we would understand when we studied the subject of Fikh when it comes to obligations etc. And so that typically begins no later, well that's no later than the age of 15 normally it begins a few years before that and then of course qadir here is talking about someone who has the capacity to fulfill this obligation and there could be a number of inhibiting factors that would render this obligation void for them based on a lack of ability and we're not going to get into a deep discussion on that it's just in order to understand how the obligation applies. So obviously or it should be obvious that without knowledge of Allah supine wa ta'ala we cannot truly draw near to him and that's based on the fact that in order to seek closeness we must first know the one to whom we draw near. If you want to get close to Allah we first have to know something about Allah supine wa ta'ala and this makes it essential that we strive to gain knowledge of Allah first. And this knowledge or I should say the relationship between being close or drawing near to Allah and our knowledge is indicated explicitly in the Quran on Allah supine wa ta'ala he says it's very well known verse so it's faulted that's chapter 35 verse number 28 it reads what means it is only those among his servants who have knowledge talking about the olemah the possessors of knowledge that truly hold Allah in reverential fear they have khush or khasha of Allah supine wa ta'ala and commenting on this particular verse if not best he said he means none of my creation truly fears me except the one who knows my might my majesty and my authority he also said whoever has reverential fear of Allah has knowledge so great companion of the Prophet al-As-a-Salaam obviously the great scholar of the Quran giving us some commentary and insight on this verse and helping us understand that relationship between having knowledge and drawing near to Allah as with yet that's the ultimate goal in the aim okay the next point that he mentions Imam ibn-e-bel-Ban is about how we know this obligation exists as he says Tejibu marifatullahi ta'ala sharaan that it's a legal obligation to gain knowledge of Allah a legal obligation and we know the obligation here uh that legally meaning the shara or the shariah if you will indicates to us that the obligation is not merely an intellectual one and believe it or not but this was an early point of contention between either sonan and others and that's something that I alluded to in previous sessions about those that gave priority to their intellect over the over the um the revelation and so here this is addressing that um perspective or deviation in assigning this type of obligation so al-Asuna they say that it's an obligation by revelation not by reason and reason while on its own um may deem something to be praiseworthy or something to be a worthy pursuit or something maybe even uh binding from a rational perspective it doesn't make things obligatory or forbidden it doesn't make them morally praiseworthy or blameworthy it's only a law supano wa ta'ala that does that through revelation again so while we may recognize the importance of of knowing a law human reason may recognize the importance of getting of getting to know a law for example if someone believed in the hereafter um as an exercise in their rationale or their reason they could come to that conclusion um then they may say well if that's where we're all ending up and we're returning back to a maker then we should you know rationally we should be obliged to get to know him in order that we can gain his favor and entrance into into that here after on a good on good terms but human reason and rationale um they do not bind a law supano wa ta'ala in his divine command and that's essentially what's at the crux of the matter and this issue here that we're being introduced to right away directly ties into a larger issue which is known as daxin and taqbi and that's essentially deeming something morally praiseworthy or morally repugnant so essentially what i have to suddenly have determined is that the intellect on its own uh while it can declare something good or evil it cannot declare something rewardable or punishable, and this is the point that will come up later in some detail. Essentially, obligation comes by way of revelation, and so that's how we know that this obligation is a one that's legislated, not one that's based on human rationale and reason. And there's some evidence for this in the Quran, Allah Subhanahu to highlight this in Surat Al Nisaat, that's chapter 4 verse number 165, when he says Rasulah Mubashirina wa Mumbirina ni Allah yakun al-Nasi al Allah Hujjah to Mbagar Rasul. And that means messengers bringing glad tidings and warnings, right? So the messengers, the prophets that are sent by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, so that mankind may have no argument against Allah after the messengers. There's another verse, wa ma kunna mu'al vb'ina haitha nab a'athar Rasulah. We do not punish until we have sent a messenger, this is Surat Al Isra, that's chapter 17 verse number 15. So these verses together, they show that obligation is only established once revelation has come. If reason alone had been enough to establish these these obligations or prohibitions, then the proof could have been complete even before a messenger was sent. But Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala makes it clear that sending of the messengers is what establishes the proof because they're essentially delivering the revelation of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, which spells out what is right and wrong, what is rewardable and punishable, basically what is halal, haram, etc. So when the author says by contemplation of existence and what exists within it, as we move on to the next section here, by contemplating existence and what exists in it, this means that once revelation has obliged us how to know Allah, the path of that knowledge is through reflection. And this reflection is not complicated. This reflection or another, which is what he uses here, contemplation, another, it is most fundamental meaning means to look, but in the Arabic language is also used to mean to ponder to contemplate and to reflect on something. So here, this type of pondering or reflection, this contemplation here is not complicated, it's simple, straightforward. It's basically the consideration of the world around us and that is enough to establish certainty and remove doubt. Basically, that you would come to a conclusion that there is a creator and that Allah exists among other things. And we find this mentioned in the Qur'an when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he says, "Awalami atafakkaru fi anfosihim, ma al-khada Allahu samaawati wa al-Ardaw wa ma bainahuma illa bil-khak wa ajanum musama wa inna kathiram minan nasi bil-iqaa yarab bihim lakafirun." So, in the 30th chapter, verse number eight, what means, have they not reflected upon their own being? "Awalami atafakkaru fi anfosihim, ma al-khada Allahu samaawati wa l-Ardaw wa ma bainahuma over themselves, their own being, Allah only appointed the heavens and the earth and everything in between for a purpose and an appointed term, yet most people are truly in denial of the meeting with their Lord." So, here, this serves as an evidence from the Qur'an as to the nature of this contemplation, and there are many verses like this throughout a laws book that command us to ponder, to reflect, to look and to observe the world around us. So, by looking at the heavens and the earth and all that they contain, we see clear signs of order, we see signs of beauty and balance, signs that point to the necessity of the creator and this here is what the scholars they call delil ijmali, which is a general proof that an irrational person can grasp. The general proof that an irrational person can grasp here. And so, like this is like the rising and setting of the sun, the alteration of the day and the night, the perfection in its arrangement, things that happen around us, like the causes and effects, etc. All of these things they testify to the existence and power and wisdom of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And I think one of the greatest stories that really illustrate this point is the story of ibraheem ad-e-Saram, which is recounted in the Qur'an, which if you're interested, you could reread that story to see the various things that he went through, various rational steps of reason, contemplation, thinking and pondering that led him to his conclusions. And then, of course, there are other verses. I'll give you another one here just to show the level of rational thought or argumentation that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Likewise, uses. I'm in the Qur'an when he says, 'Lokana fi hima Ali hatun illa Allah alafesadata fa subhanahu Allah Ya Rabbi al-Aroshi amma ya al-Sifun.' Here what means, had there been within them the heavens and the earth other gods besides Allah, they both would have ruined. And this is found in sort of the NBA, that's chapter 21, verse number 22. And this verse is known as or contains what is known as Dalil at Temenur. Dalil at Temenur, which is basically means the proof of mutual opposition. So here Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that if there were multiple gods in the heavens and the earth besides Him, that disorder and ruin would follow and it would be a necessary result of multiple gods. So each supposed deity would seek to dominate and to lead. And this would end in conflict. And the harmony of the universe, that which we can see and witness around us, would surely collapse. Right, and this is something that we can witness on a human level, a human scale, right? We'll look around the world and then we can see throughout history when there are multiple leaders, it tends to end in collapse because there's this, there's this vying for dominance and leadership. So the fact that the heavens remain in perfect order is itself a proof that the creator and the sustainer are one. The creator and the sustainer, there is one and not a multiplicity of gods. So the verse establishes Allah's oneness and here you can see this is done to clear rational argument. Unity in creation points to unity in the creator. And this again, I think emphasizes the employment of rational argumentation. Not only is it found in the structures that we discussed previously about Inmul Qalam etc. but also in the Quran you can find such rational argumentation which would appeal to a person's intellect and help them kind of wade through the seas of darkness and delusion. So basically if we were to summarize that the harmony and stability of the universe itself is a sign of its one creator. And that's the type of contemplation that's needed in order for a person to be able to fulfill this obligation. This obligation is also noted by Inmul Belban in another work of his Muqtasr al-Ifadat. And here in Muqtasr al-Ifadat he highlights a section just on Akhidah. And he basically relates his Khaled in there with a few additions. He's not bound by the original making a Muqtasr a summary in his own work but he's just relating his summary as well as some extra wording that he may have believed to be necessary. And so in this section here in that Muqtasr al-Ifadat he says, "When a morally responsible person reflects properly on existence and what it contains, he will come to certain knowledge that the one who brought it into being in fashioned is one without partner." But if he neglects reflection and relies only on blind imitation and knowing a law that exalted, that is not permissible for him. If his conviction is firm and unshaken by the doubts of doubters, then he's a believer. But if it is unsettled and collapses under doubt, then he is a disbeliever. And so this addresses the nature of the obligation. If you see here Imam Nubedban is saying explicitly, "As we would understand an obligation, if it's not fulfilled, the one who is required to do so would be sinful." And so he is saying here in his own words that if a person does not fulfill this obligation and simply relies on blind following another in their belief in a law of sub-Panoetata, it won't be permissible. They'd be sinning for neglecting this obligation. But it would not impact their faith if that following of sorts, that blind following, in belief in Allah's existence and perfection was one strong enough that could withstand doubts. If it collapsed under those doubts, then they would be a disbeliever. And this is something like someone who's not attempted any contemplation or reflection is being told, "Hey, there's a God who created the heavens and the earth." And he's one. Believe me. And he says, "Okay, I believe you." And then that's it. There's nothing else to their faith than somebody else's word. There's nothing that they're basing it upon. There's no foundation to it. And so in this case, they could survive like that. And say, "Look, I trust this person so much. If anyone else comes up to me and tries to convince me otherwise, I'm not going to give in to those doubts, I'm going to hold to this belief, even though it's not something that I've actually built upon anything, established or founded upon anything. It's just based on somebody telling me this, I'm following them. But I'm going to hold tight to it. Then there's still believers. But if they collapse under that and give in to those doubts, then they are not. And so this essentially is the beginning point here that Imam Ibn Ubelban highlights for us. Fatadjibu mu'arifatullahi ta'ala sh-shar'an bin nalari fi l-wujudhi wal-mujudhi ala kulli muqalli fi m-qadirin. It's the beginning point. And of course, Allah sh-sh-pana wa ta'ala highlights this as well, when he says, "Fa'lam enna hu'la ilaha illa Allah." And so it was to Muhammad chapter 47 verse number 19. So, "No," this is a command from the divine, "Fa'lam, no," that there is no God except Allah. And while this command was directed to the Prophet al-ayhi s-salam himself, and what it meant for him in his context was, "Continue to be a Mawahid, a monotheist." "Dum mawahidin," right? "Continue persevere in your monotheism, but in a general sense, it can be applied to everyone else that we actually need to obtain some level of knowledge. We need to begin with knowledge, knowing that Allah is the only God." The next line reads, "Fa'l-Kafiru'in mataqabla'in tablul'ahu ad-dawatu la yua'abu." So, as for the disbeliever who dies before the call reaches him, he will not be punished. And this is related to the previously addressed topic of accountability. We talked about that before, accountability, whether they were Muqenlef, Qadir, and essentially this obligation will only be established after revelation has reached the person, and they would have to have received the command in order for it to have been established as a moral duty. And this goes back to the verses that I quoted in Surat Al-Isra, "We did not punish until we have sent a messenger," and the other one in Surat Al-Isra, "Rusulah Mubashirinah Wa Mundirinah Liyaa Yaqun Al Nasi'Allah Ha'yatul Ba'l-Rusul," about the Rusul messengers as bringers of glad tidings and warners so that mankind may have no argument against Allah after the messengers. So, these two verses have everything to do with this concept right here, and that is essentially that they establish the proof. The proof of this obligation, the proof of accepting the call of the Prophet (SWT) only being binding upon them after the message has come, either the messenger has come with revelation, or the message has been delivered in a clear fashion. And before that happens, there's no moral obligation, and there's no punishment to be had, as he mentions here. They won't be punished if the disbeliever does not reach, does not get the call before they pass away. So, the humbly scholars, they explain this, and they say that if a person dies without the message of Islam ever reaching them, so here, like meaning, they never heard the Quran, they never heard the words of the Prophet, nor did they have the call of Islam presented to them in a way that they could understand, then they would not be punished for their disbelief. And that's a tall order for, I don't know, I think it's certainly not impossible. There are certainly areas in the world, even today, that we could argue, and I think very easily argue, that they're cut off from communication. They're still living in pre-modern civilization, in huts and tents, and stuff like that. There are parts of the world, though there are a few and far between, in which people have not been given or delivered such a message. And that was probably easier to argue, prior to the modern age when information has just been made so easily accessible. But then, when you think about that, they also have to consider the fact that, you know, a lot of times, what people are given of Islam, or what they do here, of the message of Islam is often not delivered in a clear and understandable way, without bias, without it being framed in a way which would cause them to naturally object or reject. And so here, those are things that we have to consider. So, again, a reason may recognize that a creator exists, but accountability for belief and worship only begins after the revelation has reached the person with some level of clarity. And the scholars of amongst them, among the Hanab, there are slight differences of agreement, but what the imam has, imam ibnub al-Ban has noted here in his work represents the more adamant of the Medhab. Moving forward, he says, So here, what is intended by Allah is to know with certainty the necessity of his existence, to know with certainty. So here we have bimarifati ta'ala marifatu wujubi wujudi thathi, the necessity wujubi wujud thathi, the necessity of his existence, characterized by attributes of perfection bsifat al-Khamal, eternal without beginning or without end, while refraining from claiming knowledge of the hakika, the true reality of his that, his essence, meaning that of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, for that is impossible. Being utterly unlike all other realities, he says, wujud tu has salul marifatu wujud, billahi ta'ala wa sifati sharaan, wa l-aklu ala tu al-idraq, fihi yahsalul meizu bain al-mahlumat. Knowledge of Allah, the exalted and his attributes is attained through the revealed law, while the intellect serves as the instrument of comprehension, by which discernment among known matters is realized. So what the author intends here by knowledge of Allah, that's what we began with, there's an obligation to gain knowledge of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, what does that mean? The knowledge of Allah. And so what he's defining for us, is that what we mean by knowledge of Allah is not the impossible claim of knowing the hakika, the true reality of his essence, and this is beyond the reach of intellect. So law subhanahu wa ta'ala says, 'Lasah commit liyi shayt, there is nothing like unto him, very famous and foundational verse for us in this topic, 'Lasah commit liyi shayt, there is nothing like unto him.' So whatever it is that we get imagined or think of, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will not be that. If there is nothing like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then by necessity, it's a requirement, a rational requirement, our knowledge cannot encompass his true reality. Our task, of course, then is not to comprehend his essence, but to affirm here his necessary existence, his attributes of perfection, and his freedom from all that is impossible. So the very first affirmation about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as the imam mentions is that he is mojud. Mojud here means existence, truly existent. And this is the consensus of ahlusunna to describe Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and affirm his wojud or that he's mojud. So to deny his existence, or even to remain silent about it, would imply non-existence, which is impossible for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this is addressing those who denied Allah's attributes. So for example, they would say, we don't describe Allah as being mojud, we don't describe Allah as wojud, existence. We won't affirm that, but we will say he's not non-existent. We would say 'lesa be my doom' meaning not non-existent because they're negating the attributes. So in order to negate them by still leaving open the possibility that Allah exists they say 'lesa be my doom' he's not non-existent but it's not enough to say this such wording is inadequate. It leaves the matter in ambiguity okay sound Creed requires affirming positively that Allah is mojood his existence is necessary. It's necessary eternal and absolute and this brings us to the classification of the scholars when it comes to certain things. As mentioned by Imam he eludes to this imam in Nubelban when he says 'Wal morado be marifati tala marifatu wujubi wujudi dati' so the wujubi means 'wajib'. Wajib of course we typically understand in the legal code context which is binding so you're rewarded if you do it and you're sinful if you do not. However in this context has a different meaning essentially wajib is something that is necessary or required that which must exist and cannot not exist. Something that is absolutely necessary to exist and cannot not exist and this applies only to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who is wajib al-wujud. Necessarily in existence he is pre-eternal described as pre-eternal and everlasting. The other another category is what is considered 'mumkin' and that is what is what we would say is something that is possible rationally possible. That which may exist or not exist and this is like the nature of creation. Creation is contingent, originated, dependent, it could exist, it may not exist. You know that's the nature of us as Allah's creatures, 'mumkin' and then there's what's most dahil or impossible and that is something which cannot exist. For example it's most dahil in this framework that we're looking at, it's considered 'must dahil' and 'impossibility' for a law subhanahu wa ta'ala to have a partner or for a created being to be pre-eternal. It hadith to be 'adim', hadith is a contingent being or entity that which is essentially created and we understand that 'adim' means there's no beginning to their existence or we should understand that 'adim' meaning there's no beginning, they've always existed. And so it's 'must dahil' to say that a hadith, a created entity, is also qualified as being 'adim' or 'adim' to describe 'adim' meaning Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala as being 'hadith' brought into existence. Those are, that's considered 'must dahil' like their opposites trying to be smashed together. And so, with this understanding or this kind of framework, this is the Kalam presentation that I pointed out, who would be presented in this work, here we understand that Allah's wa jibal wujud. Wa jibal wujud, whereas human beings are 'mumkin al wujud'. So, it's necessarily in existence, a law of subhanahu wa ta'ala, whereas we and all of other creation is just possibly in existence or we could or we could not exist. Right, so it's, and then if we look at 'must dahil' again as an example, it's also 'must dahil' for a human to be 'waj' and 'adwuj' it's not possible for a human being to be categorized in that, as that being a quality of us. And if that were possible, it would mean there's a similarity between the creator and the creation, something both reads in a revelation declared to be impossible, and so it's 'must dahil'. And that's what this verse reminds us of, 'lasa komitni shayt' there is nothing like 'untua law subhanahu wa ta'ala' and that's why he's considered 'disangular' only 'waj' but 'wuj' necessarily existence. So, this framework that Imam Imnu Belban uses and has been used before him, from the very, very early generations of the Hanabida and the other great scholars of Kalam, going back to the era, what is it, the Mutlqaddimin, the initial era. The framework not only protects us from falling into error, but also shows the harmony of revelation and reason, they go together. One being the leader and setting the guardrails and the rules and the other being able to process follow and then develop. And the author here follows by saying that 'knowledge of Allah' is attained through the revealed law. So, while the intellect serves as the instrument of comprehension, it is the revealed law that shows the way. Revelation defines the reality of Allah for us while reason allows us to discern the uniqueness of Allah and the contingency of ourselves. So, here at this point, I think it's worth pausing and looking at this from a spiritual lens so that this lesson or this study can lend itself to essentially what we're really after, we should be after that as to develop a sense of kurba. Closeness to Allah, so many of you may have heard a statement which says, whoever knows himself, knows his Lord. Man, Adafa nafsahu, faqad ad-Arafa al-Bahu. I'm not sure if you've heard that before or not, but that's a very common phrase that has circulated for quite some time. It's actually been attributed to the prophet (pbuh) and this statement, 'Aman Adafa nafsahu, faqad ad-Arafa al-Bahu, whoever knows himself, knows his Lord.' According to the greats in Hadith, like Imam Anahuwi and others, they said that the statement is not an authentic Hadith. It is, however, cited by early masters of the tradition as being a wise statement and it has a true meaning. In the meaning, and I believe Imam Suyuti explains this or relates the various different interpretations of what this means, and the intended sense of it is that when a person comes to know their own weakness, poverty, and neediness, they then recognize Allah's power, richness, and perfection. So self-knowledge or self-awareness leads to the recognition of the Creator. And within the spiritual framework, within the science of Saluk, there are two states at play here. Number one, there's the state of the satanic, and the satanic is the seeker. The seeker is the one who strives, works diligently, they're exerting a level of mojjahida against themselves in order to draw near to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, and for them, self-knowledge comes first. They learn about themselves, and who they are, and their mistakes, and their errors, and their weakness, etc. and their need to rely upon Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. That leads, that comes first, and that eventually leads to knowledge of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. That's the first state. The second one is the one that is considered Mejdub. Mejdub is the one that is drawn by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, drawn in by divine grace. And the Mejdub is the one that is a very rare one in reality, is the one that can surpass many of the states and stages of the satanic. They can surpass all of that by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, being the one that draws the near, and in this case, the Mejdub, knowledge of Allah is gifted first. And from that, the servant comes to see their own reality, that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is one thing, and they are absolutely not like Allah's wajjad, the opposite, in fact. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is mighty, and they are weak. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is independent, and not in need of things, where they are reliant upon and impoverished to him. So they'll basically have the process flipped the other way around. Other masters of the tradition note that, with this concept to whoever knows himself knows his Lord, they say that even our very soul, the Ruhr, which is placed inside the body, is a sign of Allah's uniqueness. So just, and they use this as kind of a parable, and we have to understand parables in their context. It's not an exact parable, because you can't compare Allah with creation, but you can derive some meaning through these parables to help us gain a better understanding. So they say, just as the soul animates, governs, and knows the body, while itself is unseen beyond measure, and without aware or a why, meaning we don't understand the soul, we don't understand our own soul. Our soul is what animates and brings life to the body. Once the soul detaches from the body, the body is no longer functioning. When it's finally stripped from the body at the moment of our death, that's what leaves the body lifeless. So that's what is in working the body, intimate with us, the soul, but we are not aware of the soul, where how it is, what it's like, etc. And so they say this is like a parable with the creator, a lot of support. how it's out of governing his creation without being bound by its limits. So the soul, as they say, is like a faint analogy. It's pointing us to the truths of Allah's One-ness pre-eternity and incomparability. So, again, while the phrase here, "manada fa enough sahu fa kandada fa rabab, by whever knows themselves, has known their Lord." While it's not a prophetic honey, the meaning is sound. To know yourself is to know your limits. And to know your limits is to recognize the One who has no limits. It is a reminder that every attribute of deficiency in us points to the opposite attribute of perfection in Allah's Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. And in this sense, self-knowledge is also a doorway to reverence, humility, and recognition of Allah's majesty. And for that reason, Allah's Subhanahu wa Ta'ala also commands us not just to ponder and reflect over the world around us, but he also in the Quran commands us to ponder and reflect upon the signs that are within our own selves. To have self-knowledge and awareness as this, again, is a doorway to recognition of Allah's majesty. And this reflection also reminds us of the symbiotic relationship between revelation and intellect. Revelation shows us the path, setting down what is obligatory, and what is forbidden, and the human mind, when guided by that revelation, can then employ reason and contemplation to recognize truths that are not always stated explicitly. Sometimes things are not always stated explicitly in the Quran. It doesn't mean that they're not true. The Quran has given us, as I mentioned, laid down the foundations and provided the guardrails, and then our intellect can utilize that and can come to conclusions such as this phrase eludes to whoever knows themselves will know Allah. And in this way, the intellect serves not as the law giver, not as a shareer, the one who establishes halal, haram, wajib, etc., but as an instrument of comprehension, discerning, reflecting, and confirming what revelation directs us toward. And it's through this harmony of revelation and reason that we're able to arrive at sound understanding of our Lord, Isaiah, and so from this point, it only seems natural, if we've understood that. It only seems natural that the next step would be to recognize that this capacity itself is among the greatest favors of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Meaning the fact that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has instilled with us this capacity of intellect and rationale to distinguish between these things, to be guided by revelation and lead in the direction of divine law, that this is a great blessing for us. And so the Imam writes here, wa awlo, ni'amilahi ta'ala ad-dimiya ala l-mukmini wa a'adamuha wa'an fa'ahu wa'an aqdarahu wa'ala ma'rifatihi subhanahu wa ta'ala. Which basically, he's saying that the very first greatest and most beneficial of Allah's religious blessings upon the believer is that he enabled him to know him glorified and exalted as he. He enabled the servant, the believing servant, to get to know him. wa awlo, ni'amilahi ad-dimiya al-hayatul ariyatul unbaradun. And the first of his worldly blessings is a life free from harm. So the author is telling us that the first greatest and most beneficial of Allah's religious blessings upon the believer is that he is enabled us to get to know him. And this is considered the foundation of all divine blessings, because without knowledge, without the knowledge of Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala there is no iman. And without iman there can be no salvation. Some scholars have debated this, the first and greatest blessing. Some of the scholars, even among the hanabira, they've debated this issue. But again, what iman imnub al-ban states in this treaties is the canon. This is the more temin position of the creed. That the greatest of all blessings is the ability to gain marif of Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this is a blessing that's exclusive to the believer as he's mentioned. Unlike the worldly blessings which Allah grants to all mankind. The first of Allah's blessings, religious blessings on the believer. And the next line he says. The first of his worldly blessings is the life free of harm. He doesn't mention whether that's for the believer or for the disbeliever or for anyone in between. He's saying it's just a blessing, a world the first worldly blessing. And that's all inclusive of everyone. Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala grants blessings in this life to everyone. So the first worldly blessing is a life free of harm. Again, this is universal blessing. And we can see this in the Qur'an, there are multiple, there are multiple more verses that prove this or that support this. And one of those is found in the story of Hud, alayhi s-salaam, and his people, the people of Aad. Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala says, this is the story of Al-Araf. This is verse number 69 from chapter 7. This means, do you find it strange that a reminder from your Lord is come to you through a man from among yourselves to warn you? Remember when we remember when he made you successors after the people of Noah and increased you in stature and strength. So remember, here this is the point, remember the favors, fadkuru ala allahil alaikum tufli. Remember the favors of your Lord that you may prosper. Remember the blessings, the favors of Allah's subhanahu wa ta'ala that you may prosper. Again, this is so to the Araf, chapter 7 verse number 69. So the verse here is clear, the evidence is that even disbelieving nations were recipients of ala's favors in worldly life. Like, for example, here being made successors on earth granted strength and given provision. And of course, the true prosperity, it's not found in these worldly gifts, true prosperity is in remembering ala's subhanahu wa ta'ala and turning to him. And this, of course, is why the great is blessing. It's not health, power, or life itself, but it's the gift of knowing ala's wajid. And some might argue that, look, even these worldly blessings given to a person that denies faith is going to end up denying ala's subhanahu wa ta'ala and not fulfilling the obligation to be grateful for him and his blessings. So the first of those manifests in disbelief in him altogether. And so to receive such blessings and then to be deniers of his grace and his even believing in him or having a worked belief in the divine, associating partners with him, etc. Then this could be an argument against them and so it wouldn't actually be a favor. But the very core of it, the very core of the issue is it is a favor of the world that ala's subhanahu wa ta'ala bestows upon creation. By providing for them food and the various means that are required to live a life, especially one that is free of harm. And that leads us to the next point here where Imam Nubabani says, "So here he is saying that thankfulness to the bestower. This is Shukrul Mun'im. And Mun'im is the one that An'ama ala Shaksin, he is the one that bestows the blessings. So he's the bestower. And thankfulness for being grateful to the bestower is a legal obligation wa jibun shara'an. Again, when we get back to this issue of an obligation being established because of revelation, this is a legal obligation. And it consists of acknowledging his blessings in humility and submission and directing our ever-blessing toward his obedience. So here Imam Ibn Nubabani, our author and Imam Arsha'i Kharim ala ala, affirms with this statement that gratitude to the one who bestows blessings is a legal obligation. Meaning it's not something left to reason alone. Again, to re-emphasize or to emphasize and reiterate the point, why is this mentioned here Shukrul Mun'im wa jibun shara'an is a legal obligation? It's because of the Mortezila and then saying, "No, Aklan, it's because of human reason that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had to obligate this because it's obligated within human reason." So again, putting that human intellect over revelation, essentially what that resultant is them binding Allah's decree or his legislation to human rationale. And this is something that's absurd. It's absurd because not all human rationale is the same. Not everyone's going to agree on these things. That's just one reason. There's one rational understanding behind why that's absurd. It's not the only thing. That's not left to reason alone. Again, this issue is related to what I alluded to before. Tahseen and Takbih, we're gonna talk about that in a later section, which she dedicates some words just to that. So it's revelation that makes this an obligation. And this is mentioned in the Quran, by the way, explicitly. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he says, "Kamah, arsala na fiqam, Rasulam minkum yatlu alaykum ayatina wa yuzakikum wa yu'alimkum al kitaba wa l-hikama wa yu'alimkum malam taqoonu ta'alamoon." "Fed kurul ni ad kurkum wa sh-kuru li wa datak furul." And here, Surat Al-Bakar, verses 151 to 152. It reads, "What means just as we sent among you a messenger from your own selves, reciting to you our verses, purify you, teaching you the book and wisdom, and teaching you what you did not know. So remember me, I will remember you." Here's the point now, "And be grateful to me, wa sh-kuru li." Wa sh-kuru, this is a formula of a command, this is a fil ema. And the ema, typically, it necessitates obligation. You feed al-wujube. This is going to establish the obligation for us. Wa sh-kuru li wa datak furul. So be grateful to me and do not be ungrateful. Teq furul here is from Kefarah, which means to deny or to conceal or cover, meaning do not deny or conceal and cover our blessings. And that would typically be done by sinning, utilizing the things that we have in sin. So a law is to punal ton of ties gratitude directly. And also, another point in this verse, and why I selected it here as an evidence, and why it's utilized, I should say, as an evidence, is because a law is to punal ton of ties, gratitude directly to the sending of the messenger, the revelation of the book, purification and the gift of knowledge. And this shows that gratitude is first and foremost a spiritual obligation, as scriptural and spiritual obligation that is. It's firmly established through revelation, not related to pun human reason. So all of that ties together that a law sent the messengers, they recited to you his ayat, they purified you, they taught you the book, the wisdom, they taught you what you knew not, what you alimakumatam takonu talam wa t-kuruni, fat-kuruni, at-kurumwa sh-kuruni. And for that reason, you need to remember me, I'll remember you. And you have to be thankful and grateful and not to deny, okay? So that establishes, again, a legitimate obligation by way of revelation. And so we could also conclude here that whoever does not receive the prophetic call, whoever does not receive this obligation and this clear way, then they're not sinful for not fulfilling it, much like the person that doesn't get to know a law of suprano talam, they haven't received the message. And then the imam does something that's extremely important, defining for us the nature of true gratitude, what is gratitude and its manifestations, okay? And there are three basic levels or ingredients. The first is recognizing and confessing a law's favor. That's where you verbally express gratitude when you say alhamdulillah or asshab-kurulillah, okay? And the next one is suddenly submitting a humbly to a law of suprano talam and acknowledgement of his generosity, right? There's an internal piece here which is to acknowledge that in humility. I acknowledge that all of this is from a law. I acknowledge that everything that I have and enjoy, even my very faith, my very life, the air that I breathe and live by is from a law of suprano talam, and I acknowledge that in humility. And then very important is using these blessings and his obedience. That's a form of gratitude. So to use a blessing in disobedience, as I alluded to earlier with that previous verse, well, that tech-for-run and do not deny or be ungrateful, that's through disobedience. That's when a person takes those things and they're sinful. So this is the measure of whether we've truly been thankful to a law of suprano talam for his favors. And not only is it in what we say our gratitude, but it's also in how we direct those blessings as they should be aimed towards his worship. So when it comes to the blessing of a law enabling us to know him, as we go back and we come full circle with this, that we are able to know a law of suprano talam by him gifting us the means, and the means of knowledge acquisition, like sight hearing and intellect, true gratitude dictates that we use these tools properly, that we use our sight, our hearing and our intellect properly, which first it means that we surrender to his revelation. We don't put our intellect above revelation. We surrender that intellect to revelation by observing our own limits, knowing our own limits, where we stop and start where we begin and end, right? And where a law of suprano talam and how a law of suprano talam is very different and beyond that. And then we don't use our intellect to invent new beliefs, to wander into speculation or to abandon faith altogether. We don't allow our intellect to lead us astray, exercising our prowess and our human capacity in a manner which will end up leading us astray far away from a law of suprano talam. Meaning you can get too intellectual. It can be to your own demise. A point will ask questions, and I think this is mentioned, a person will ask questions about a law to the point that they will say, who will who created a law? And this is the somebody's intellect being abused, if you will, or misused, I should say, it's misused here leading them astray. It was not meant to be utilized in such a fashion, okay? So a gratitude for these faculties, again, it's realized by directing them toward the higher objective, the highest objective and purpose. And that is to fulfill this initial obligation of gaining awareness of a law of suprano talam, and that begins with affirming who he is, azoajel. And that's where Imam Nubabban takes us on the next step, right? And the next, in the next line here he says, Here he says, it's obligatory to hold, right? This is anjesm. It's to have a firm and resolute belief with certainty, right? To have a certain belief that he, because the exalted is one, because he's one. Here is the one not of a number, faradun samad. So al-Farad here is the unique as samad, the eternal refuge, faradun samadun, the unique eternal refuge, and we're going to talk about that a little bit. He begins not nor is he begotten, and none is equal to him. He has no partner in his dominion, no supporter in his workmanship, and no helper. Son, he had translated his workmanship, that's basically what he creates, what he does, and no helper in his creation. There is nothing like him and his debt, in his essence, his c-fats, his attributes, and his f-i of his actions. This passage here is fundamental. It affirms the law's absolute oneness, and this is Tohid, a law's absolute oneness, Tohid. Okay, Tohid, of course, wahada yuhahidu comes from that verb. Normally, it means to make something one, but when it comes to a law's sapana wa ta'ala, this is affirming oneness for a law, it's not making a law one. It's not us that make a law one, because oneness is intrinsic, but it is an intrinsic part of a law's sapana wa ta'ala, it is intrinsic to his essence that he is wahidu n'ahid. Okay, so it's not that we're making a law one, but it is us affirming that oneness. And that is an absolute oneness, and that's not simply numerical, but it means it's absolute and indivisible. So his that, his essence, Allah himself, does not admit division, composition, or parts unlike created bodies like us, which are assembled from components that can separate and break apart, like we can be pieced apart. You can even replace pieces of the human body, okay, a law's sapana wa ta'ala is not that indivisible, does not admit this type of division and structure. So to imagine a law sapana wa ta'ala, it's like terms would be to liken a law to his creation that a law is made up of parts or divisible. And this is impossible, this is an impossibility as we've discussed it from those categories before. So and this is why the author here strings together multiple descriptions, okay, he says al-wahid, he says ahid, ford, and summit, wahid, ahid, ford, summit. And each of these descriptions emphasizes Allah's transcendence in a very distinct way. So look at this. This is quite interesting, and hopefully this, hopefully I can convey this in a way that we'll stick with you. in resonate, perhaps add a layer of understanding to reciting the Quran with some of these descriptions of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. So when we talk about the words or the names al-Wahid and al-Ahid, al-Wahid and al-Ahid, we have to note that they're typically synonymous, right? Wahid means the one and al-Ahid is also translated as the one, because they are from the same concept of being one. But there's a subtle and very powerful linguistic distinction here that we can make. And in the Arabic language, like I said, Wahid and al-Ahid, they overlap in meaning, but the usage of these words has a nuance that is very powerful. So if you think about the word Wahid, it's typically used for both affirmation and negation. And an example for that means, if you speak Arabic or you have a little bit of Arabic, you'll understand an elementary level of Arabic, like you understand the basic structure of words, al-Ahid and al-Ahid and al-Ahid and al-Ahid, etc. So here, if we were to say 'Rahidu Wahidan', 'Rahidu Wahidan' means 'I saw one', meaning 'I saw one entity', or we said 'Mahraidu Wahidan', 'I did not see one entity'. So if you notice here, 'Rahidu Wahidan', it's clear, 'I saw one entity'. But 'Mahraidu Wahidan' only denies seeing a single entity. Okay? 'Mahraidu Wahidan' it leaves open the possibility of seeing more than one entity. Right? 'Mahraidu Wahidan' or 'Lakini' 'Rahidu' 'Itnani'. 'I didn't see one entity', 'I saw two'. So saying 'Mahraidu Wahidan' doesn't close the door for the possibility of me having seen two more, two or more. Okay? So that's how 'Wahid' is utilized when it comes to affirmation and negation. Okay? 'Rahidu Wahidan' 'I saw one', and you understand from that? 'I saw one', that was it, 'I only saw one'. But when I try and negate using 'Wahid', it simply means that I'm negating one without closing the door on potentially two, three or four. So if we look at the next word 'ahad' in contrast, this word is rarely used in affirmation, unless it's linked with something else. So for example, if we were trying to use it in a statement of affirmation 'Rahidu Ahadat Tullabi', 'Rahidu Ahadat', there's the word 'ahad', 'Rahidu Ahadat Tullabi', 'I saw one of the students'. You have to add that to 'lab' there in order for the sentence to make sense and be complete in this affirmative phrase. By itself 'Rahidu Ahadan', it sounds incomplete. It's typically not used like that. And the real power of the phrase is used when you're going to negate something. So for example, in negation you would say, 'Marahidu Ahadan' I did not see anyone. That's what it means. When you use 'ahad' as opposed to 'wahid'. 'Marahidu Ahadan' means 'I did not see one'. 'Marahidu Ahadan' means 'I did not see anyone'. And I think even in English, the meaning is quite clear, the distinction between the two. So the negation here 'Marahidu Ahadan' is absolute, meaning it's ruling out the existence of any other entity whatsoever. So 'Marahidu Ahadan' I didn't see anyone closest to the door on me, potentially saying, being able to say, 'I didn't see anyone but I did see two or three'. When I say, 'I didn't see Ahad', it means I didn't see one, two, three, four, five or six or anyone else. It just eliminates all of that. And perhaps, that's why Allah Almighty says, 'Kulhu Allahu Ahad' 'Kulhu Allahu Ahad' instead of saying, 'Kulhu Allahu Ahad' say, 'He is Allah Ahad'. As opposed to saying, say, 'He is Allah Ahad' in this verse, 'Kulhu Allahu Ahad' the power of the negation there. So at the 'wahid' that word, it's not an appropriate at all as a name of Allah. So it is one of the Allah's names, 'Al Wahid' as is 'Al Ahid'. 'Al Wahid' being one of the names of Allah, it's mentioned in the Quran seven times. And this is another, I think, very beautiful point here in terms of the way Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala delivered a reveal, I should say, these two attributes, 'Al Ahid' and 'Al Wahid'. So it's mentioned in the Quran seven times, 'Al Wahid' but whenever it appears in all seven of those times, it's paired with 'Al Qahar'. 'Al Wahid' 'Al Qahar' the all subduing. And the pairing here, 'Al Wahid' 'Al Qahar' is deeply significant, 'Al Wahid' affirms oneness, obviously, the one. While 'Al Qahar' negates any possibility of arrival or partner, because there can only be one who subdues all. The word 'Al Qahar' is like the all subduing. The one who subjugates all. And when you are 'Al Qahar', it means there's no one else that is subduing or subjugating. You don't have arrival, you don't have a partner, you don't have an equal. Being 'Al Qahar' means you're the supreme subduer and subjugator, if you will. Okay? So this negates that possibility. 'Wahid' affirming oneness and 'Qahar' negating arrival or partner in this particular attribute. So oneness and subduing here are inseparable. Oneness and subduing, they go together inseparable. 'Savvati' power might and ought to be long exclusive to Allah's subpanum, 'Al Wahid' 'Al Qahar'. So everything besides Him is created, ruled and subdued. So even when Allah's subpanum will tell Him names Himself 'Al Wahid' by pairing it with 'Al Qahar', He rules out the very possibility of an imagined 'thani'. So we said you could say 'Al Wahid' and you could leave the door open to 'ethani' and 'ethalif'. There's one God, there's two God's, there's three God's, there's four God's. But when you say 'Al Wahid' 'Al Qahar', the one who is the all subjugate subduing, you rule out the possibility that there's 'ethani' 'Al Qahar', 'ethalif' 'Qahar' because you cannot have a multiplicity here or as I mentioned, rivals or partners or equals in this attribute. So even here when Allah's subpanum uses 'Al Wahid' in conjunction with 'Al Qahar', it also works in a negating fashion. As I said seven times, it's mentioned in the Quran and each time 'Al Wahid' is mentioned 'Al Qahar' is paired with it. Then of course he says 'fargh', 'fargh' of course it means 'unique', the one who has no pure likeness, 'somet' is the eternal refuge. This is typically how it's translated 'somet'. So one who is needed by all while needing no one, it's also explained as the one without an interior, 'la jaufalehu', 'jauf' means an interior like a cavity of sorts. And the meaning of that here is when we say 'asomet', 'la jaufalehu', meaning that Allah's subhanahu tani is not a body. He's not composed or made up of pieces. As if he were composed, he would have an interior and that's considered impossible. That's an impossibility. Again, these descriptions are echoed in the Quran and we all know the chapter 'sotat al-akhlas' 'Kulhu' 'Allahu' 'a'ad' 'Allahu' 'somet' 'la miyarid' 'wala miyolad' 'wala miya' 'kullahu' 'kufu' 'wan' 'a'ad' say he is 'Allah' 'wan' 'a'ad' 'Allah' 'the eternal refuge' 'a' 'somet' 'he' 'nother' 'begets' 'nora' is 'begotten' so we're negating, you know, offspring being born or having offspring and we, I think that's very clear and none is comparable to him. Again, 'sotat al-akhlas' these are the chapters one through four. So the author here vinded against all forms of dependence and association. 'Allah' is no partner and is dominion, no supporter in his actions, no helper in his creation, everything comes into existence solely by his will and his power alone. And he closes with a comprehensive statement of 'tanzi' that 'Allah has no likeness, not in his that, not in his seafat, not in his essence, his attributes or his acts.' And this ties directly to the verse, 'Laysak' amidst the 'Shay' and 'woa' with 'Sami al-Basif' there's nothing like unto 'Allah' he is 'Sami al-Basif'. Again, we come back to that very foundational verse. And this for us is the foundation of 'to hate' to affirm 'Allah's oneness' and every respect. His essence, attributes and acts are without division, without partner, without lightness. And this is what is meant by the word 'at to hate' in the legal definition of it as 'shari'ah. When we say 'to hate', what does that mean? The linguistic meaning was to make something 'one' or in the case of 'Allah's uponwata' to affirm his oneness, but 'to hate' according to the 'Hanab'ila. And this is the definition put forth by Imam Masafereini, that gave you one from Imam al-Ulaymi last time in the last section or session. He says, 'It is 'ifraad' and 'mabood' 'by al-Ibadah' singling out the 'mabood', the one worshipped with 'Ibadah', 'mahatikadi' 'wahdati hithat' and 'mahsifat' and 'waf' 'an' together with belief and his oneness in that 'sifat' and 'af' again his essence, his attributes and his actions. His 'that' admits no division, it's not broken down into pieces parts. His 'sifat' are unlike all all others see fat, and they are inseparable from his debt, and his father's actions admit no sharing, no likeness, no one shares in his actions whatsoever. He alone is al-khadakh, the creator, and there is none besides him. He says, "Hayyun maudjudun qadimun azaliyun la'au wala lahu wala bidayata, wala aakhir alahu wala niha'atah, wala miyazaar, wala niha'atah, wala yezalo, subhanahu, wa ta'ala, tassifan, mottassifan, bisi fati il ulia, wa asma'il husna, he is Hayyun, the living maudjudun, the existent, qadimun pre-eternal azaliyun eternal, without first or beginning, without end or last, he has always been and ever remains glorified and exalted, characterized by his most lofty attributes and his most beautiful names. And that's where we're going to wrap up in this session together. We'll pick up here. There's a lot to cover and unpack, just in this one line. And this is going to establish a very strong foundation for us as we move forward and begin to discuss some of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as attributes, beginning with his attribute of knowledge as we will dive into that next week. But just to recap, to think about what we've done today, establishing the foundation of our doctrine, talking about the very first obligation upon every servant, and that is to know Allah. We saw that this knowledge is imposed, this type of knowledge you're getting to know Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala getting awareness is not imposed by reason, but it's made binding by revelation, again, the issue of taxing and takbih, while the intellect can serve as a tool of reflection to recognize the signs of Allah that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has spread throughout its creation. And then, of course, we considered the greatest blessing of Allah that Allah enables His service to know Him and distinguish between religious blessings, we distinguish between religious blessings, and that are unique to the believers and worldly blessings that are shared by what mankind. And then, just right there at the close on reflecting on the meaning of these fundamental affirmations of faith, Allah's that His syfat, His fi'ad, Him being unique, being one absolute one that's transcendent of all likeness and division. And so this will kind of give us some of the groundwork that we need to move forward in sh-Allah. So that's where I'll wrap it up for this session, Zakal Achaif, for your attendance and listening. And until next time, Salamu Alaykum.