Ibn Umaysh
12-04-2005, 05:36 PM
As salamu aalikum
I found this on another forum. Please answer the relevant claim in the light of Ash'arism.
A Refutation of the Ash'arees
by Shaykh Abű Ammâr Yasir al-Qadhî
The Ash'arees are a group that take their 'aqeedah, and their name, from the teachings of Aboo al-Hasan Alee ibn Isma'eel al-Ash'aree (d. 324 A.H.).
With regards to the kalaam of Allaah, the Ash'arees brought forth an 'aqeedah that was unknown to the salaf. They claimed that Allaah does posses the Attribute of Speech, and that the Qur`aan was the kalaam of Allaah, and in this they agreed with the Ahl as-Sunnah. However, they explained this attribute in a unique way, for they claimed that Allaah's kalaam was an 'internal' kalaam - a kalaam that could not be heard by anyone. They equated it with the concept of thinking, and stated that, just as the thoughts of men are a type of speech that cannot be heard, likewise the kalaam of Allaah is an internal speech that cannot be heard. Therefore, they claimed that Allaah does not speak with sound, and that his kalaam does not consist of words or letters. They further stated that Allaah's kalaam is not related to His Will; in other words, according to the Ash'arees, Allaah is continually speaking, and will always be speaking - He does not speak when He wishes. They further claimed that the kalaam of Allaah is in fact one meaning, and cannot be divided into parts. This led them to claim that the Torah, Injeel and Qur`aan are all in fact 'expressions' of the same kalaam, but the actual kalaam of Allaah is without any language, and is of the same meaning. Therefore, according to them, the essence of the Torah, the Injeel and the Qur`aan is the same. Since they claimed that Allaah's kalaam is an internal kalaam, they then followed up this principle by stating that the actual text of the Qur`aan is created, but the kalaam of Allaah is not. The Arabic Qur`aan, according to the Ash'arees, is not the actual kalaam of Allaah, but rather an 'expression' of the kalaam of Allaah.
Imam Aboo Haamid al-Ghazaalee (d. 505 A.H.), one of the leaders and expounders of this 'aqeedah, wrote,
"Allaah speaks without words, sounds and letters...and His Speech is the Speech of the mind (i.e., internal speech). Just as the speech of the mind has no sound or words, so His Speech has no sound or words."
The primary principle that led the Ash'arees to distort many of Allaah's Names and Attributes is that they wished to remove all resemblance between Allaah's Names and Attributes, and between those of the creation. This principle, which in essence is correct, was taken by the Ash'arees to an extreme. They used their intellect and logic to decide which of Allaah's Names and Attributes gave some type of resemblance, or anthropomorphic qualities, and those Names and Attributes which did not. Based on this classification, they then interpreted those Names and Attributes which they felt gave anthropomorphic qualities contrary to their literal, understood meanings, thinking that by doing this they were removing any fear of resemblance between Allaah and His creation. In reality, their over-zealousness to free the Names and Attributes of Allaah from resembling those of His creation led them to deny and distort many of His Names and Attributes. They used their intellect as the criterion to understand Allaah's Names and Attributes. Whatever they felt was not befitting to Allaah, even if Allaah Himself had affirmed it, they interpreted until it satisfied their intellect.
As Aboo Haamid al-Ghazaalee, wrote,
"All that is found in the traditions (the Qur`aan and sunnah) (concerning the attributes of Allaah) is examined. Then, if the intellect can agree with it, it becomes obligatory to believe in it...But as for those (attributes) which are deemed by the intellect to be impossible, then it becomes obligatory to interpret what has been found in the traditions (the Qur`aan and sunnah), for it is not imaginable that the traditions will contain something that contradicts the intellect. As for the hadeeth which contain characteristics of resemblance (of Allaah between His creation), then most of them are not authentic, and those that are authentic are not explicit, but rather can be interpreted."
Therefore, they took their intellect to be their criterion to accept and understand the Attributes of Allaah, so whatever their intellect agreed with, they accepted, and whatever their intellect could not understand, they rejected or re-interpreted. And had they believed in them, without asking, "How?" or "Why?" it would have been better for them. However, they neglected a very crucial point, and that is that Allaah, all Glory be to Him, is more aware of His Names and Attributes than His creation is, and Allaah is more eloquent than any of His creation is. Therefore, it is not appropriate to re-interpret any Name or Attribute that Allaah (or the Prophet (e)) has described Himself with, merely because our minds cannot comprehend the actuality of an Attribute. They also neglected the fact that it is not possible to compare Allaah's Attributes and to try to understand them by making analogies with the attributes of the creation. Imaam al-Barbahaaree (d. 329), one of the scholars of the salaf, said: May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that speculative speech about the Lord, the Most High, is a newly invented matter, and is an innovation and misguidance. Nothing is to be said about the Lord except what He has described Himself with in the Qur`aan, and what the Messenger of Allaah (e) explained to the Companions...No one says about the attributes of Allaah, "How?" or "Why?" except one who has doubts about Allaah. The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, His Revelation and Light...
Yet, the Ash'arees delved into concepts that could not be understood by men, and tried to reason the actuality of the Attributes of Allaah.
To illustrate this example, with regards to the attribute of kalaam, the Ash'arees reasoned that the one who speaks must speak with sound and breath, and these are created. In addition, they argued that speech must come from a combination of organs, such as the tongue, throat and mouth, but Allaah is free of these. They also reasoned that words, composed of letters, can never be eternal, since one letter follows another, and has a specific place in each word. Therefore, since each letter is sequential, following the one before it, it cannot have existed from eternity. Therefore, according to them, it was not possible for Allaah's kalaam to be with sound, or for Allaah's kalaam to be composed of words and letters, for if it were, it would be created.
It can be seen, then, that the Ash'arees used their logic to distort clear, explicit concepts in the Qur`aan and sunnah, by first comparing the Attributes of Allaah to those of the creation, and then reasoning that, since Allaah is not like His creation, these Attributes must have a different meaning. Had they only understood that Allaah is Unique, and there is nothing similar to Him, and that it is not possible to understand Allaah's Attributes by comparing them to those of the creation, it would have saved them from falling into the error of denying these Attributes.
As for their belief that the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, this contradicts the proofs that were given in the previous section from the Qur`aan, sunnah and statements of the salaf. The presumption that sound must come from organs is a presumption based upon the characteristics of humans. Therefore, it is not necessarily true for all objects. Allaah, all Glory and Praise be to Him, has made the Heavens and the Earth speak, for they responded to His Command and"said, 'We come, willingly!'" (41:12), and Allaah, all Glory and Praise be to Him, will make the skins of the disbelievers speak on the Day of Judgement, "And they (the disbelievers) will say, 'Why did you (our skins) testify against us?' They will say, 'Allaah has caused us to speak, as He causes all things to speak...'" (41:21). Allaah caused these objects to speak, yet these objects do not have the organs that humans need to speak. Is not Allaah, the one who created all things, capable of speaking as He wishes? Imaam Ahmad (d. 241 A.H.) stated, "As for their claim (meaning the claim of the Jahmiyyah, which was later taken by the Ash'arees) that sound can only occur from a combination of the throat, and lips, and tongue, then did not Allaah say to the Heavens and Earth "'Come willingly or unwillingly!' They both said, 'We come, willingly!'" (41:12). And did not Allaah say, "And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify Our praises, along with (Prophet) Dawood" (21:79). Do these people presume that they (i.e., the mountains, the Heavens and the Earth) glorified with a throat, and lips, and tongues?! And how about when a disbeliever's limbs will testify against him... Do you think that they will testify with throats, lips and tongues?! Nay, rather Allaah will make them to speak, as He wishes, without any throat or lips or tongues!"
Therefore, to claim that if the kalaam of Allaah were with sound, it would entail giving these characteristics to the Creator, cannot be accepted, for it is an analogy of Allaah with man, and this is improper. Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 290 A.H.) said, "My father (Imaam Ahmad) said, 'The hadeeth of Ibn Mas'ood states that when Allaah Speaks, a sound is heard which sounds like (the moving of) a chain over a rock. And this (hadeeth) is denied by the Jahmiyyah. These people are disbelievers, they wish to cause confusion and deceive the people. Whoever presumes that Allaah does not Speak is a disbeliever! Verily, we will continue to narrate these hadeeth as they came to us!" In this narration, Imaam Ahmad is stating that any person who denies the fact that Allaah speaks with a sound is of the Jahmiyyah. In another narration, Abdullaah said, "I asked my father: Some people are claiming that Allaah does not speak with a sound." Imaam Ahmad replied,
"Nay! Allaah speaks with a sound, and the only people who deny this are the Jahmiyyah. They wish to confuse the people and deny (the Attributes of Allaah)."
Imaam as-Shahrastaanee (d. 548 A.H.), while discussing the historical development of the various sects related to the kalaam of Allaah, wrote,
"Then (Aboo al-Hassan) al-Ash'aree came, and invented a third opinion, and claimed that all sound must be created. And with this (opinion), he contradicted the consensus (ijmaa') before him, for he claimed that what we recite is not the actual kalaam of Allaah. And this (belief) is the essence of innovation."
In addition, if the Ash'arees maintain that the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, then the following points must be answered:
1) If the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, then what did Moosa hear when Allaah spoke to Him? If they respond that Allaah created a sound, and caused Moosa to hear that created sound, then this means that this created object stated, "O Moosaa, Verily, I am your Lord...Verily, I am Allaah, there is not god save me, so worship Me..." (20:12-14). Therefore, if they state this, it implies that this created object claimed to be Allaah, and asked Moosa to worship it! However, if they state that it was the actual kalaam of Allaah, then it must be asked, "How then did Moosa hear it if you claim that Allaah's kalaam is without sound?" The scholars of the Ash'arees have not been able to provide a satisfactory response for this.
2) If the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, then what special status do those prophets whom Allaah spoke to gain? In other words, what is the superiority of Moosa over the other prophets if he did not hear the kalaam of Allaah? The Qur`aan mentions that one of the blessings that certain prophets have been given is that Allaah spoke to them directly: "These are the Messengers! Some of them We blessed (with a higher status) over others. Some of them Allaah spoke to..." (2:253). Also, if Allaah speaks to a prophet, but that prophet cannot hear him, then of what difference is this type of inspiration to the other types of inspiration? Allaah says,
"It is not possible for any human being that Allaah should speak to him, unless it be by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He will by His Permission. Verily, He is the Most High, Most Wise" (42:51)
This verse mentions different types of inspirations. If, according to the Ash'arees, the kalaam of Allaah cannot be heard, then when Allaah speaks from 'behind a veil,' how is this different from the other forms of inspiration?
3) If the kalaam of Allaah is an 'internal' kalaam, similar to the 'speech' of the mind, then what is the difference between the Knowledge ('ilm) of Allaah, and His Speech. Allaah has described Himself with both of these characteristics in the Qur`aan. If the Speech of Allaah cannot be heard, and is an internal Speech, then this implies that it is the same as the Attribute of Knowledge.
There is another point that the belief of the Ash'arees implies, and this is a very dangerous implication: Just as the attribute of speech is a noble attribute, its opposite, muteness, is a characteristic that is not desired, nor is it considered praiseworthy. It is well known that the one who is mute is not like the one who speaks. Therefore, to claim that Allaah does not possess the attribute of speech (or to interpret it away as the Ash'arees do) is in reality blasphemous, as this then implies that the Creator is mute, yet Allaah is free of all attributes of imperfection. In fact, this principle of faith was one of the most powerful arguments that the prophets used to deny the worship of other than Allaah! The stories of Ibraheem and Moosaa clearly show this.
The Story of Ibraheem
Ibraheem's story with the idols is well known: Ibraheem destroyed all of the idols of his people except the largest one. When his people discovered this, they questioned him as to whether he was the culprit.
Ibraheem answered, as mentioned in the Qur`aan,
"'Rather, this one, the largest of them, did it! (Why don't you) ask them, if they can speak!' So they turned to themselves, and said, 'Verily, you are the wrong-doers (since you left the idols unguarded).' Then they turned to themselves (again) and (responded), 'You know very well (O Ibraheem) that these (idols) do not speak' (Abraham) replied, 'Do you then worship besides Allaah objects that can neither profit you nor harm you? Fie to you, and upon that which you worship besides Allaah! Have you no sense?!'" (21:63-67)
In these verses, Ibraheem showed his people that their idols were not worthy of worship, primarily because they could not speak. After they themselves acknowledged this, Ibraheem rebuked them, and asked them, "Have you no sense?!" meaning, "How can an object that cannot even speak be worthy of worship?" Notice that Ibraheem was referring to a speech that could be heard, for Ibraheem's people did not answer Ibraheem with the belief of the Ash'arees, "Our god speaks, but a speech that is not heard - an internal speech of the mind!" for they understood what Ibraheem meant!! This is why they turned to themselves, and realised the foolishness of their actions, and could only reply with the feeble response that everyone knew that their idols could not speak!
The Story of Moosa
Likewise, when the Children of Israa`eel took the calf that they had built as an object of worship, they were reprimanded in the Qur`aan. Allaah says,
"Did they (those who worshipped the calf) not realise that it (the calf) could not respond to them with a (single) word, nor did it have any power to harm or benefit them?" (20:89)
In another verse, Allaah says,
"And the people of Moses made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf that made a sound (like the mooing of a cow). Did they not realise that it could not speak to them, nor guide them to the (straight) path?" (7:148)
In these two verses, Allaah reprimanded the Children of Israa`eel for worshipping the calf, since the calf was not a perfect object, and one of the clearest indications that it was not worthy of worship was that it could not speak! Even though the calf made noises, it was not capable of intelligent speech.
Therefore, these two stories show that muteness and incoherent speech are attributes that do not befit the Creator, and thus the people of Ibraheem and Moosaa were rebuked for taking gods that were mute. Yet, the Ash'arees, thinking that they were removing all negative attributes from Allaah, in reality equated the Creator with the attributes of these idols, and thus fell into the same error as the people of Moosa and Ibraheem did with regards to the attribute of speech! This is why Haaroon ibn Ma'roof (d. 231 A.H.), one of the scholars of the salaf, said, "Whoever presumes that Allaah does not speak, then in reality he is worshipping idols."
The Ash'arees also claim that the kalaam of Allaah is not related to His will, which implies that Allaah does not speak when He wishes to, but rather He is continually speaking. The fact that Allaah's kalaam is related to His Will (in other words, Allaah Speaks when He wishes to Speak) is clearly shown in the Qur`aan. Allaah says, "Verily, His Command, whenever He intends a thing, is only that He says, 'Be!' - and it is" (37:82). In this verse, Allaah clearly shows that His kalaam is related to His Will, for whenever Allaah intends a thing, He says to it "Be!" which proves that Allaah Speaks when He wishes. Likewise, Allaah states, "And when Moosa came to Our appointed time and place, and his Lord spoke with him..." (7:143). This verse shows that Allaah spoke to Moosa after Moosa had arrived to the meeting point; not before it, nor after it - once again proving that Allaah speaks when He wishes. The Ash'arees also claim that the kalaam of Allaah is all the same meaning, and cannot be divided into parts. This principle then leads them to state that the Qur`aan, Torah and Injeel are in essence the same, and they only differ in their expressions and languages. If this were the case in reality, then the Qur`aan, Torah and Injeel, when translated into one language, should be the same, since their essence is the same. However, it is well known that each of these three books differs from the other greatly.
In addition, if the kalaam of Allaah cannot be divided into parts, and is one whole concept, then this raises a problem that the Ash'arees must solve. The following conversation between one of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah, Aboo Nasr as-Sijazee (d. 444 A.H.) and one of the scholars of the Ash'arees will prove interesting:
Aboo Nasr said to the Ash'aree, "What do you say when Allaah spoke to Moosa? Did he understand all of the kalaam of Allaah (i.e., if the kalaam of Allaah cannot be divided into parts, then did Moosa hear all of the kalaam of Allaah)?"
The Ash'aree hesitated a little, and questioned, "What do you intend by this question?" Aboo Nasr responded, "Forget what I intend, and respond to my question!" but the Ash'aree refused to respond until Aboo Nasr told him what he meant by this question.
Aboo Nasr then responded, "What I intend is as follows: If you respond to my question by stating that Moosa understood all of the kalaam of Allaah, then this implies that there is not a single kalaam of Allaah except that Moosa comprehended it, and this is blasphemy and disbelief (for this would imply that Moosa had been given all of the knowledge of Allaah)... but if you do not say this, then you are forced to state that Allaah made Moosa comprehend some part of His kalaam, and by this statement you have caused yourself to fall into the same thing that you pretend to run away from, and that is the belief that Allaah's kalaam can be divided. You also claimed that one who says that the kalaam of Allaah can be divided is a disbeliever, yet you have been forced to say it yourself. Therefore, your opponent will be the victor over you, since he believed in what was stated in the Qur`aan and sunnah, (which came) from Allaah and His Messenger (e), but you refused to submit to them, and instead claimed that it was obligatory to turn to your intellect (to understand these concepts). Yet, your intellect has forced you to agree with the revelation (in that the kalaam of Allaah can be divided into parts), and in the process you have humiliated yourself!"
The Ash'aree responded, "This requires some time for me to think," and left the conversation.
In other words, if the kalaam of Allaah is one essence, and cannot be divided into parts, then when Allaah spoke to Moosa, did Moosa hear all of the kalaam of Allaah? If so, then this implies that Moosa gained all the knowledge of Allaah, and this is not possible. However, if this is not so, then this implies that Moosa understood a part of the kalaam of Allaah, which is what the Ahl as-Sunnah believe.
The final point that will be discussed is in fact the most dangerous consequence of the belief of the Ash'arees. Since the Ash'arees claimed that Allaah did not actually speak the Qur`aan with a voice that is heard, and that His kalaam is not in any language, and not composed of words and letters, they then had to answer a number of questions, including: "Where did the Qur`aan that is present amongst us originate from? And what, then, is the Arabic Qur`aan, with its words and letters?"
In other words, since the Ash'arees claimed that Allaah's kalaam could not be heard, then from where did the Qur`aan come from? And who was the first to recite it? And if, as the Ash'arees claim, the kalaam of Allaah is not in any language, and neither is it composed of words and letters, then what is the relationship of the Qur`aan, which is in Arabic and composed of words and letters, with the kalaam of Allaah?
Concerning this point, the Ash'arees were forced to admit that the Qur`aan is not the actual kalaam of Allaah (since it is in Arabic, and composed of words and letters), but instead an 'expression' (Ar. 'hikaayah', or ''ibaarah') of the kalaam of Allaah. As to who (or what) was the first to actually 'express' it, the Ash'arees differed amongst themselves into a number of opinions, all of which are equally blasphemous! Most of them stated that the Qur`aan was first created in the Lauh al-Mahfoodh (in other words, the Arabic words of the Qur`aan did not exist until they were created by Allaah in the Lauh al-Mahfoodh), thus explicitly claiming that the Qur`aan was created; others stated that Allaah made Jibreel understand the meaning of the Qur`aan, and Jibreel was the first to verbalize it, thus making the Qur`aan the speech of Jibreel; yet others stated that the Qur`aan was inspired in meaning and first spoken by the Prophet (e), thus making the Qur`aan the speech of the Prophet Muhammad (e).
In other words, the Ash'arees were forced to admit that the Arabic Qur`aan is not the actual kalaam of Allaah, and that it is created. This is due to the fact that they differentiated between what they called an 'internal kalaam' of Allaah, which is without language, sound and words, and between the actual Qur`aan, which is in Arabic, recited and heard, and composed of words. This 'internal kalaam' of Allaah, according to them, is not created, but the Qur`aan, since it is only an 'expression' of the 'internal kalaam', and not the actual kalaam of Allaah, must be created.
Thus, the Ash'arees explicitly state and believe that the Qur`aan is created, even though they then follow up this statement with the phrase, "...but the kalaam of Allaah is not." As one of their most famous scholars, Ibraheem al-Baajooree (d. 1277 A.H.), wrote, "The belief of the Ahl as-Sunnah (intending the belief of the Ash'arees) is that the Qur`aan, meaning the internal kalaam (of Allaah) is not created, but the Qur`aan, meaning the one that we recite, is created."
Therefore, in essence, the Ash'arees agreed with the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah that the Qur`aan is created.
It must be asked: When all of the scholars of the salaf vehemently spoke against those who believed that the Qur`aan was created, and even accused them of disbelief, were they referring to this concept of 'internal kalaam' that the Ash'arees invented, or where they referring to the Qur`aan that is well known to all Muslims? And when Imaam al-Lalikaa`ee (d. 418 A.H.) quoted over five-hundred scholars of the salaf stating that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and not created, did any of these scholars differentiate between this 'internal kalaam' and the actual Qur`aan, and state that the Qur`aan is only an 'expression' of this 'internal kalaam'?
The answer is very clear: none of the salaf preached or believed the doctrines that the Ash'arees invented, and none of them differentiated between an 'internal kalaam of Allaah' and the Qur`aan. What the salaf were referring to when they said that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and that the Qur`aan is not created, is the actual Qur`aan, and not an imaginary and invented 'internal kalaam'. None of them, not even a single scholar (before Aboo al-Hasan al-Ash'aree and his teacher Ibn Kullaab), mentioned this concept of an 'internal' kalaam, and differentiated between it and the actual Qur`aan! The salaf are all quoted as saying, "The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, not created," yet the Ash'arees state, "The Qur`aan is only an expression of the kalaam of Allaah, and is created"!! 'Are these two examples the same? Alhamdulillaah; but most of them do not know!" (39:29).
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Conclusion
The Attributes of Allaah as mentioned in the Qur`aan and sunnah are absolutely Unique. These Attributes are understood literally (in the case of the Attribute of kalaam, that Allaah Speaks, whenever He wishes, with a sound, in different languages, and this Speech is composed of words and letters, and is not created), but the actuality and 'how-ness' of these Attributes are not delved into, and any negative similarity between these Attributes and the attributes of the Creation are negated (in the case of this Attribute, that the speech of the creation is created, but the Speech of Allaah is not.). Understanding these Attributes 'literally' does not mean understanding them in the manner that they are found in the creation, or comparing them with the attributes of the creation; rather, it means affirming the linguistic meaning of that Attribute in a manner that befits the Creator, and will never be understood by mankind.
The beliefs and deviations of the Ash'arees are all based upon their anthropomorphic understanding of the Attributes of Allaah. If they had only understood that the Attributes of Allaah cannot be compared to the attributes of the creation, nor are they based upon the attributes of the creation, they would not have had to resort to try to 'rationalise' these Attributes to remove this supposed anthropomorphism from them. The Ash'arees also failed to realise that, in their over-zealousness to remove this imaginary anthropomorphism that they believed existed in the Qur`aan and sunnah, they ended up comparing Allaah's Attributes with the attributes of inanimate objects.
The Ash'arees are an example of how deviation occurs when the proper Islaamic methodology is not followed; they wished to refute the beliefs of the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah, and affirm the Attributes of Allaah, but since they were so influenced by the principles of Greek logic and rationalism, they ended up agreeing with the beliefs of the same groups that they sought to refute, and stated that the Qur`aan is created. In conclusion, the scholar of the sunnah, Imaam Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Aajurree (d. 360) stated:
Therefore it is essential that Muslims fear Allaah, and teach each other the Qur`aan...and not argue over it. And they should know that it is the kalaam of Allaah, not created. So if a Jahmee argues with them, and says, "It is created!" or says, "The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah!" and stops at that (i.e., a Waaqifee), or says, "My recitation of the Qur`aan is created!" (i.e., a Lafdhee), or says, "The Qur`aan is only an 'expression' of what is in the Lauh al-Mahfoodh!" (i.e., an Ash'aree), then the ruling with regards to such a person is that he be left, and not talked to, nor prayed behind, but rather warned against. And upon you, O Muslim, are the narrations from the Prophet (e), and the narrations from the Companions after him, may Allaah be pleased with them, and the statements of the Successors, and the scholars of the Muslims. And leave debating (about the religion by using your intellect), and useless argumentation, and contention! And whoever is upon this path, then I hope for him all good from Allaah...
I found this on another forum. Please answer the relevant claim in the light of Ash'arism.
A Refutation of the Ash'arees
by Shaykh Abű Ammâr Yasir al-Qadhî
The Ash'arees are a group that take their 'aqeedah, and their name, from the teachings of Aboo al-Hasan Alee ibn Isma'eel al-Ash'aree (d. 324 A.H.).
With regards to the kalaam of Allaah, the Ash'arees brought forth an 'aqeedah that was unknown to the salaf. They claimed that Allaah does posses the Attribute of Speech, and that the Qur`aan was the kalaam of Allaah, and in this they agreed with the Ahl as-Sunnah. However, they explained this attribute in a unique way, for they claimed that Allaah's kalaam was an 'internal' kalaam - a kalaam that could not be heard by anyone. They equated it with the concept of thinking, and stated that, just as the thoughts of men are a type of speech that cannot be heard, likewise the kalaam of Allaah is an internal speech that cannot be heard. Therefore, they claimed that Allaah does not speak with sound, and that his kalaam does not consist of words or letters. They further stated that Allaah's kalaam is not related to His Will; in other words, according to the Ash'arees, Allaah is continually speaking, and will always be speaking - He does not speak when He wishes. They further claimed that the kalaam of Allaah is in fact one meaning, and cannot be divided into parts. This led them to claim that the Torah, Injeel and Qur`aan are all in fact 'expressions' of the same kalaam, but the actual kalaam of Allaah is without any language, and is of the same meaning. Therefore, according to them, the essence of the Torah, the Injeel and the Qur`aan is the same. Since they claimed that Allaah's kalaam is an internal kalaam, they then followed up this principle by stating that the actual text of the Qur`aan is created, but the kalaam of Allaah is not. The Arabic Qur`aan, according to the Ash'arees, is not the actual kalaam of Allaah, but rather an 'expression' of the kalaam of Allaah.
Imam Aboo Haamid al-Ghazaalee (d. 505 A.H.), one of the leaders and expounders of this 'aqeedah, wrote,
"Allaah speaks without words, sounds and letters...and His Speech is the Speech of the mind (i.e., internal speech). Just as the speech of the mind has no sound or words, so His Speech has no sound or words."
The primary principle that led the Ash'arees to distort many of Allaah's Names and Attributes is that they wished to remove all resemblance between Allaah's Names and Attributes, and between those of the creation. This principle, which in essence is correct, was taken by the Ash'arees to an extreme. They used their intellect and logic to decide which of Allaah's Names and Attributes gave some type of resemblance, or anthropomorphic qualities, and those Names and Attributes which did not. Based on this classification, they then interpreted those Names and Attributes which they felt gave anthropomorphic qualities contrary to their literal, understood meanings, thinking that by doing this they were removing any fear of resemblance between Allaah and His creation. In reality, their over-zealousness to free the Names and Attributes of Allaah from resembling those of His creation led them to deny and distort many of His Names and Attributes. They used their intellect as the criterion to understand Allaah's Names and Attributes. Whatever they felt was not befitting to Allaah, even if Allaah Himself had affirmed it, they interpreted until it satisfied their intellect.
As Aboo Haamid al-Ghazaalee, wrote,
"All that is found in the traditions (the Qur`aan and sunnah) (concerning the attributes of Allaah) is examined. Then, if the intellect can agree with it, it becomes obligatory to believe in it...But as for those (attributes) which are deemed by the intellect to be impossible, then it becomes obligatory to interpret what has been found in the traditions (the Qur`aan and sunnah), for it is not imaginable that the traditions will contain something that contradicts the intellect. As for the hadeeth which contain characteristics of resemblance (of Allaah between His creation), then most of them are not authentic, and those that are authentic are not explicit, but rather can be interpreted."
Therefore, they took their intellect to be their criterion to accept and understand the Attributes of Allaah, so whatever their intellect agreed with, they accepted, and whatever their intellect could not understand, they rejected or re-interpreted. And had they believed in them, without asking, "How?" or "Why?" it would have been better for them. However, they neglected a very crucial point, and that is that Allaah, all Glory be to Him, is more aware of His Names and Attributes than His creation is, and Allaah is more eloquent than any of His creation is. Therefore, it is not appropriate to re-interpret any Name or Attribute that Allaah (or the Prophet (e)) has described Himself with, merely because our minds cannot comprehend the actuality of an Attribute. They also neglected the fact that it is not possible to compare Allaah's Attributes and to try to understand them by making analogies with the attributes of the creation. Imaam al-Barbahaaree (d. 329), one of the scholars of the salaf, said: May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that speculative speech about the Lord, the Most High, is a newly invented matter, and is an innovation and misguidance. Nothing is to be said about the Lord except what He has described Himself with in the Qur`aan, and what the Messenger of Allaah (e) explained to the Companions...No one says about the attributes of Allaah, "How?" or "Why?" except one who has doubts about Allaah. The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, His Revelation and Light...
Yet, the Ash'arees delved into concepts that could not be understood by men, and tried to reason the actuality of the Attributes of Allaah.
To illustrate this example, with regards to the attribute of kalaam, the Ash'arees reasoned that the one who speaks must speak with sound and breath, and these are created. In addition, they argued that speech must come from a combination of organs, such as the tongue, throat and mouth, but Allaah is free of these. They also reasoned that words, composed of letters, can never be eternal, since one letter follows another, and has a specific place in each word. Therefore, since each letter is sequential, following the one before it, it cannot have existed from eternity. Therefore, according to them, it was not possible for Allaah's kalaam to be with sound, or for Allaah's kalaam to be composed of words and letters, for if it were, it would be created.
It can be seen, then, that the Ash'arees used their logic to distort clear, explicit concepts in the Qur`aan and sunnah, by first comparing the Attributes of Allaah to those of the creation, and then reasoning that, since Allaah is not like His creation, these Attributes must have a different meaning. Had they only understood that Allaah is Unique, and there is nothing similar to Him, and that it is not possible to understand Allaah's Attributes by comparing them to those of the creation, it would have saved them from falling into the error of denying these Attributes.
As for their belief that the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, this contradicts the proofs that were given in the previous section from the Qur`aan, sunnah and statements of the salaf. The presumption that sound must come from organs is a presumption based upon the characteristics of humans. Therefore, it is not necessarily true for all objects. Allaah, all Glory and Praise be to Him, has made the Heavens and the Earth speak, for they responded to His Command and"said, 'We come, willingly!'" (41:12), and Allaah, all Glory and Praise be to Him, will make the skins of the disbelievers speak on the Day of Judgement, "And they (the disbelievers) will say, 'Why did you (our skins) testify against us?' They will say, 'Allaah has caused us to speak, as He causes all things to speak...'" (41:21). Allaah caused these objects to speak, yet these objects do not have the organs that humans need to speak. Is not Allaah, the one who created all things, capable of speaking as He wishes? Imaam Ahmad (d. 241 A.H.) stated, "As for their claim (meaning the claim of the Jahmiyyah, which was later taken by the Ash'arees) that sound can only occur from a combination of the throat, and lips, and tongue, then did not Allaah say to the Heavens and Earth "'Come willingly or unwillingly!' They both said, 'We come, willingly!'" (41:12). And did not Allaah say, "And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify Our praises, along with (Prophet) Dawood" (21:79). Do these people presume that they (i.e., the mountains, the Heavens and the Earth) glorified with a throat, and lips, and tongues?! And how about when a disbeliever's limbs will testify against him... Do you think that they will testify with throats, lips and tongues?! Nay, rather Allaah will make them to speak, as He wishes, without any throat or lips or tongues!"
Therefore, to claim that if the kalaam of Allaah were with sound, it would entail giving these characteristics to the Creator, cannot be accepted, for it is an analogy of Allaah with man, and this is improper. Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 290 A.H.) said, "My father (Imaam Ahmad) said, 'The hadeeth of Ibn Mas'ood states that when Allaah Speaks, a sound is heard which sounds like (the moving of) a chain over a rock. And this (hadeeth) is denied by the Jahmiyyah. These people are disbelievers, they wish to cause confusion and deceive the people. Whoever presumes that Allaah does not Speak is a disbeliever! Verily, we will continue to narrate these hadeeth as they came to us!" In this narration, Imaam Ahmad is stating that any person who denies the fact that Allaah speaks with a sound is of the Jahmiyyah. In another narration, Abdullaah said, "I asked my father: Some people are claiming that Allaah does not speak with a sound." Imaam Ahmad replied,
"Nay! Allaah speaks with a sound, and the only people who deny this are the Jahmiyyah. They wish to confuse the people and deny (the Attributes of Allaah)."
Imaam as-Shahrastaanee (d. 548 A.H.), while discussing the historical development of the various sects related to the kalaam of Allaah, wrote,
"Then (Aboo al-Hassan) al-Ash'aree came, and invented a third opinion, and claimed that all sound must be created. And with this (opinion), he contradicted the consensus (ijmaa') before him, for he claimed that what we recite is not the actual kalaam of Allaah. And this (belief) is the essence of innovation."
In addition, if the Ash'arees maintain that the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, then the following points must be answered:
1) If the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, then what did Moosa hear when Allaah spoke to Him? If they respond that Allaah created a sound, and caused Moosa to hear that created sound, then this means that this created object stated, "O Moosaa, Verily, I am your Lord...Verily, I am Allaah, there is not god save me, so worship Me..." (20:12-14). Therefore, if they state this, it implies that this created object claimed to be Allaah, and asked Moosa to worship it! However, if they state that it was the actual kalaam of Allaah, then it must be asked, "How then did Moosa hear it if you claim that Allaah's kalaam is without sound?" The scholars of the Ash'arees have not been able to provide a satisfactory response for this.
2) If the kalaam of Allaah is without sound, then what special status do those prophets whom Allaah spoke to gain? In other words, what is the superiority of Moosa over the other prophets if he did not hear the kalaam of Allaah? The Qur`aan mentions that one of the blessings that certain prophets have been given is that Allaah spoke to them directly: "These are the Messengers! Some of them We blessed (with a higher status) over others. Some of them Allaah spoke to..." (2:253). Also, if Allaah speaks to a prophet, but that prophet cannot hear him, then of what difference is this type of inspiration to the other types of inspiration? Allaah says,
"It is not possible for any human being that Allaah should speak to him, unless it be by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He will by His Permission. Verily, He is the Most High, Most Wise" (42:51)
This verse mentions different types of inspirations. If, according to the Ash'arees, the kalaam of Allaah cannot be heard, then when Allaah speaks from 'behind a veil,' how is this different from the other forms of inspiration?
3) If the kalaam of Allaah is an 'internal' kalaam, similar to the 'speech' of the mind, then what is the difference between the Knowledge ('ilm) of Allaah, and His Speech. Allaah has described Himself with both of these characteristics in the Qur`aan. If the Speech of Allaah cannot be heard, and is an internal Speech, then this implies that it is the same as the Attribute of Knowledge.
There is another point that the belief of the Ash'arees implies, and this is a very dangerous implication: Just as the attribute of speech is a noble attribute, its opposite, muteness, is a characteristic that is not desired, nor is it considered praiseworthy. It is well known that the one who is mute is not like the one who speaks. Therefore, to claim that Allaah does not possess the attribute of speech (or to interpret it away as the Ash'arees do) is in reality blasphemous, as this then implies that the Creator is mute, yet Allaah is free of all attributes of imperfection. In fact, this principle of faith was one of the most powerful arguments that the prophets used to deny the worship of other than Allaah! The stories of Ibraheem and Moosaa clearly show this.
The Story of Ibraheem
Ibraheem's story with the idols is well known: Ibraheem destroyed all of the idols of his people except the largest one. When his people discovered this, they questioned him as to whether he was the culprit.
Ibraheem answered, as mentioned in the Qur`aan,
"'Rather, this one, the largest of them, did it! (Why don't you) ask them, if they can speak!' So they turned to themselves, and said, 'Verily, you are the wrong-doers (since you left the idols unguarded).' Then they turned to themselves (again) and (responded), 'You know very well (O Ibraheem) that these (idols) do not speak' (Abraham) replied, 'Do you then worship besides Allaah objects that can neither profit you nor harm you? Fie to you, and upon that which you worship besides Allaah! Have you no sense?!'" (21:63-67)
In these verses, Ibraheem showed his people that their idols were not worthy of worship, primarily because they could not speak. After they themselves acknowledged this, Ibraheem rebuked them, and asked them, "Have you no sense?!" meaning, "How can an object that cannot even speak be worthy of worship?" Notice that Ibraheem was referring to a speech that could be heard, for Ibraheem's people did not answer Ibraheem with the belief of the Ash'arees, "Our god speaks, but a speech that is not heard - an internal speech of the mind!" for they understood what Ibraheem meant!! This is why they turned to themselves, and realised the foolishness of their actions, and could only reply with the feeble response that everyone knew that their idols could not speak!
The Story of Moosa
Likewise, when the Children of Israa`eel took the calf that they had built as an object of worship, they were reprimanded in the Qur`aan. Allaah says,
"Did they (those who worshipped the calf) not realise that it (the calf) could not respond to them with a (single) word, nor did it have any power to harm or benefit them?" (20:89)
In another verse, Allaah says,
"And the people of Moses made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf that made a sound (like the mooing of a cow). Did they not realise that it could not speak to them, nor guide them to the (straight) path?" (7:148)
In these two verses, Allaah reprimanded the Children of Israa`eel for worshipping the calf, since the calf was not a perfect object, and one of the clearest indications that it was not worthy of worship was that it could not speak! Even though the calf made noises, it was not capable of intelligent speech.
Therefore, these two stories show that muteness and incoherent speech are attributes that do not befit the Creator, and thus the people of Ibraheem and Moosaa were rebuked for taking gods that were mute. Yet, the Ash'arees, thinking that they were removing all negative attributes from Allaah, in reality equated the Creator with the attributes of these idols, and thus fell into the same error as the people of Moosa and Ibraheem did with regards to the attribute of speech! This is why Haaroon ibn Ma'roof (d. 231 A.H.), one of the scholars of the salaf, said, "Whoever presumes that Allaah does not speak, then in reality he is worshipping idols."
The Ash'arees also claim that the kalaam of Allaah is not related to His will, which implies that Allaah does not speak when He wishes to, but rather He is continually speaking. The fact that Allaah's kalaam is related to His Will (in other words, Allaah Speaks when He wishes to Speak) is clearly shown in the Qur`aan. Allaah says, "Verily, His Command, whenever He intends a thing, is only that He says, 'Be!' - and it is" (37:82). In this verse, Allaah clearly shows that His kalaam is related to His Will, for whenever Allaah intends a thing, He says to it "Be!" which proves that Allaah Speaks when He wishes. Likewise, Allaah states, "And when Moosa came to Our appointed time and place, and his Lord spoke with him..." (7:143). This verse shows that Allaah spoke to Moosa after Moosa had arrived to the meeting point; not before it, nor after it - once again proving that Allaah speaks when He wishes. The Ash'arees also claim that the kalaam of Allaah is all the same meaning, and cannot be divided into parts. This principle then leads them to state that the Qur`aan, Torah and Injeel are in essence the same, and they only differ in their expressions and languages. If this were the case in reality, then the Qur`aan, Torah and Injeel, when translated into one language, should be the same, since their essence is the same. However, it is well known that each of these three books differs from the other greatly.
In addition, if the kalaam of Allaah cannot be divided into parts, and is one whole concept, then this raises a problem that the Ash'arees must solve. The following conversation between one of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah, Aboo Nasr as-Sijazee (d. 444 A.H.) and one of the scholars of the Ash'arees will prove interesting:
Aboo Nasr said to the Ash'aree, "What do you say when Allaah spoke to Moosa? Did he understand all of the kalaam of Allaah (i.e., if the kalaam of Allaah cannot be divided into parts, then did Moosa hear all of the kalaam of Allaah)?"
The Ash'aree hesitated a little, and questioned, "What do you intend by this question?" Aboo Nasr responded, "Forget what I intend, and respond to my question!" but the Ash'aree refused to respond until Aboo Nasr told him what he meant by this question.
Aboo Nasr then responded, "What I intend is as follows: If you respond to my question by stating that Moosa understood all of the kalaam of Allaah, then this implies that there is not a single kalaam of Allaah except that Moosa comprehended it, and this is blasphemy and disbelief (for this would imply that Moosa had been given all of the knowledge of Allaah)... but if you do not say this, then you are forced to state that Allaah made Moosa comprehend some part of His kalaam, and by this statement you have caused yourself to fall into the same thing that you pretend to run away from, and that is the belief that Allaah's kalaam can be divided. You also claimed that one who says that the kalaam of Allaah can be divided is a disbeliever, yet you have been forced to say it yourself. Therefore, your opponent will be the victor over you, since he believed in what was stated in the Qur`aan and sunnah, (which came) from Allaah and His Messenger (e), but you refused to submit to them, and instead claimed that it was obligatory to turn to your intellect (to understand these concepts). Yet, your intellect has forced you to agree with the revelation (in that the kalaam of Allaah can be divided into parts), and in the process you have humiliated yourself!"
The Ash'aree responded, "This requires some time for me to think," and left the conversation.
In other words, if the kalaam of Allaah is one essence, and cannot be divided into parts, then when Allaah spoke to Moosa, did Moosa hear all of the kalaam of Allaah? If so, then this implies that Moosa gained all the knowledge of Allaah, and this is not possible. However, if this is not so, then this implies that Moosa understood a part of the kalaam of Allaah, which is what the Ahl as-Sunnah believe.
The final point that will be discussed is in fact the most dangerous consequence of the belief of the Ash'arees. Since the Ash'arees claimed that Allaah did not actually speak the Qur`aan with a voice that is heard, and that His kalaam is not in any language, and not composed of words and letters, they then had to answer a number of questions, including: "Where did the Qur`aan that is present amongst us originate from? And what, then, is the Arabic Qur`aan, with its words and letters?"
In other words, since the Ash'arees claimed that Allaah's kalaam could not be heard, then from where did the Qur`aan come from? And who was the first to recite it? And if, as the Ash'arees claim, the kalaam of Allaah is not in any language, and neither is it composed of words and letters, then what is the relationship of the Qur`aan, which is in Arabic and composed of words and letters, with the kalaam of Allaah?
Concerning this point, the Ash'arees were forced to admit that the Qur`aan is not the actual kalaam of Allaah (since it is in Arabic, and composed of words and letters), but instead an 'expression' (Ar. 'hikaayah', or ''ibaarah') of the kalaam of Allaah. As to who (or what) was the first to actually 'express' it, the Ash'arees differed amongst themselves into a number of opinions, all of which are equally blasphemous! Most of them stated that the Qur`aan was first created in the Lauh al-Mahfoodh (in other words, the Arabic words of the Qur`aan did not exist until they were created by Allaah in the Lauh al-Mahfoodh), thus explicitly claiming that the Qur`aan was created; others stated that Allaah made Jibreel understand the meaning of the Qur`aan, and Jibreel was the first to verbalize it, thus making the Qur`aan the speech of Jibreel; yet others stated that the Qur`aan was inspired in meaning and first spoken by the Prophet (e), thus making the Qur`aan the speech of the Prophet Muhammad (e).
In other words, the Ash'arees were forced to admit that the Arabic Qur`aan is not the actual kalaam of Allaah, and that it is created. This is due to the fact that they differentiated between what they called an 'internal kalaam' of Allaah, which is without language, sound and words, and between the actual Qur`aan, which is in Arabic, recited and heard, and composed of words. This 'internal kalaam' of Allaah, according to them, is not created, but the Qur`aan, since it is only an 'expression' of the 'internal kalaam', and not the actual kalaam of Allaah, must be created.
Thus, the Ash'arees explicitly state and believe that the Qur`aan is created, even though they then follow up this statement with the phrase, "...but the kalaam of Allaah is not." As one of their most famous scholars, Ibraheem al-Baajooree (d. 1277 A.H.), wrote, "The belief of the Ahl as-Sunnah (intending the belief of the Ash'arees) is that the Qur`aan, meaning the internal kalaam (of Allaah) is not created, but the Qur`aan, meaning the one that we recite, is created."
Therefore, in essence, the Ash'arees agreed with the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah that the Qur`aan is created.
It must be asked: When all of the scholars of the salaf vehemently spoke against those who believed that the Qur`aan was created, and even accused them of disbelief, were they referring to this concept of 'internal kalaam' that the Ash'arees invented, or where they referring to the Qur`aan that is well known to all Muslims? And when Imaam al-Lalikaa`ee (d. 418 A.H.) quoted over five-hundred scholars of the salaf stating that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and not created, did any of these scholars differentiate between this 'internal kalaam' and the actual Qur`aan, and state that the Qur`aan is only an 'expression' of this 'internal kalaam'?
The answer is very clear: none of the salaf preached or believed the doctrines that the Ash'arees invented, and none of them differentiated between an 'internal kalaam of Allaah' and the Qur`aan. What the salaf were referring to when they said that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and that the Qur`aan is not created, is the actual Qur`aan, and not an imaginary and invented 'internal kalaam'. None of them, not even a single scholar (before Aboo al-Hasan al-Ash'aree and his teacher Ibn Kullaab), mentioned this concept of an 'internal' kalaam, and differentiated between it and the actual Qur`aan! The salaf are all quoted as saying, "The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, not created," yet the Ash'arees state, "The Qur`aan is only an expression of the kalaam of Allaah, and is created"!! 'Are these two examples the same? Alhamdulillaah; but most of them do not know!" (39:29).
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Conclusion
The Attributes of Allaah as mentioned in the Qur`aan and sunnah are absolutely Unique. These Attributes are understood literally (in the case of the Attribute of kalaam, that Allaah Speaks, whenever He wishes, with a sound, in different languages, and this Speech is composed of words and letters, and is not created), but the actuality and 'how-ness' of these Attributes are not delved into, and any negative similarity between these Attributes and the attributes of the Creation are negated (in the case of this Attribute, that the speech of the creation is created, but the Speech of Allaah is not.). Understanding these Attributes 'literally' does not mean understanding them in the manner that they are found in the creation, or comparing them with the attributes of the creation; rather, it means affirming the linguistic meaning of that Attribute in a manner that befits the Creator, and will never be understood by mankind.
The beliefs and deviations of the Ash'arees are all based upon their anthropomorphic understanding of the Attributes of Allaah. If they had only understood that the Attributes of Allaah cannot be compared to the attributes of the creation, nor are they based upon the attributes of the creation, they would not have had to resort to try to 'rationalise' these Attributes to remove this supposed anthropomorphism from them. The Ash'arees also failed to realise that, in their over-zealousness to remove this imaginary anthropomorphism that they believed existed in the Qur`aan and sunnah, they ended up comparing Allaah's Attributes with the attributes of inanimate objects.
The Ash'arees are an example of how deviation occurs when the proper Islaamic methodology is not followed; they wished to refute the beliefs of the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah, and affirm the Attributes of Allaah, but since they were so influenced by the principles of Greek logic and rationalism, they ended up agreeing with the beliefs of the same groups that they sought to refute, and stated that the Qur`aan is created. In conclusion, the scholar of the sunnah, Imaam Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Aajurree (d. 360) stated:
Therefore it is essential that Muslims fear Allaah, and teach each other the Qur`aan...and not argue over it. And they should know that it is the kalaam of Allaah, not created. So if a Jahmee argues with them, and says, "It is created!" or says, "The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah!" and stops at that (i.e., a Waaqifee), or says, "My recitation of the Qur`aan is created!" (i.e., a Lafdhee), or says, "The Qur`aan is only an 'expression' of what is in the Lauh al-Mahfoodh!" (i.e., an Ash'aree), then the ruling with regards to such a person is that he be left, and not talked to, nor prayed behind, but rather warned against. And upon you, O Muslim, are the narrations from the Prophet (e), and the narrations from the Companions after him, may Allaah be pleased with them, and the statements of the Successors, and the scholars of the Muslims. And leave debating (about the religion by using your intellect), and useless argumentation, and contention! And whoever is upon this path, then I hope for him all good from Allaah...