Classes on Theology

1. Classes on Theology Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer Masumeen Islamic Centre February 28th, 2012 Week Four

2. Last Week • We proved: • Oneness of God (Necessary Existent - واجب الوجود ) • Certain NEGATIVE QUALITIES الصفات السلبية which do not exist in the NE • Body – جسم • Space – مكان • Time – زمان

3. Attributes of God • Introduction: • God is the Primal Cause and the Bestower of Existence • He is the utmost perfection and is responsible for all the perfections that we witness • This Perfection must have certain attributes: • Attributes of Essence : الصفات الذاتية • Attributes of Action: الصفات الفعلية

4. Attributes of Essence • The most important Attributes of Essence الصفات الذاتية are: • Life – الحياة • Knowledge – العلم • Power – القدرة • Simple Proof: • When these attributes are used for creatures, they refer to their (ontological) perfections • Therefore, the ultimate and perfect form of these perfections, without any limitations or deficiencies must also be found in the Cause that has bestowed that existence

5. Attributes of Essence • Specifics of Life – الحياة : • 1) Vegetation – life is characterized by growth • 2) Man and Animals – life is characterized by possession of will and consciousness • Only the second (even though it has limitations) can be ascribed to God with consideration of it being unlimited • Fundamentally, life is an essential characteristic of immaterial existence • Since the sacred essence of God is immaterial and all of the immaterial existents have the essential attribute of life, therefore God has the attribute of essence of life

6. Attributes of Essence • Specifics of Knowledge – العلم : • Most apparent and self-evident of all attributes • Proof One: (Simple Proof) • Since knowledge exists within the creation; the ultimate and perfect form of it must exist within the Creator • Proof Two: The argument of ‘order’ • The orderly and perfect presentation is clearly an indication of a precise and perfectly knowledgeable presenter • يَعْلَمُ خَائنَةَ الْأَعْينُ‏ِ وَ مَا تخُْفِى الصُّدُورُ • He knows the treachery of the eyes, and what the breasts hide (Ghafir 19)

7. Attributes of Essence • Specifics of Power – القدرة : • Power is a living voluntary agent which is the origin of action • Since God is the originator of all action; based on freewill and intention • This proves that Power must be an attribute of God • The fact that God possesses the power to perform everything, does not necessarily mean that He will perform everything • The fact that God possesses power does not mean He will perform that which does not have the possibility of actualization

8. Attributes of Action • الصفات الفعلية - Attributes which deal with the relationship between the Creator and His creation • The relationship that exists between God and His creation does not have any boundaries or limits when looking at it from the perspective of Divine essence • The actualization and full understanding of an attribute of action returns back to the attribute of essence • Creator is defined as the Power of Creation • Power = Attribute of Essence

9. Attributes of Action • Creatorship – الخالقية : • Having established necessary existence as the first cause for the appearance of possible existents • Therefore the first cause (necessary existent) must be the creator of the possible existents • Is God also the creator of evil? • امر قياسي – Matter of Comparison • امر عدمي – Matter of Non-existence • الَّذِى أَحْسَنَ كلُ‏َّ شىَ‏ْءٍ خَلَقَهُ • Who made good everything that He has created (as-Sajdah 7)

10. Attributes of Action • Lordship – الربوبية : • Maintenance and protection, • Giving life and causing death, • Providing guidance and sustenance, etc. • Stations of Lordship can be divided into two groups: • Metaphysical Lordship – الربوبية التكوينية • Legislative Lordship – الربوبية التشريعية

11. Attributes of Action • Point to Consider about Lordship: • Ascribing partners to Allah SWT has never been about who the creator is, rather it has been about lordship: • وَ لَئنِ سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ قُلِ الحَْمْدُ لِلَّهِ • And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say: Allah Say: All praise is due to Allah (Luqman 25) • فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ الَّيْلُ رَءَا كَوْكَبًا قَالَ هَاذَا رَبىّ‏ِ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ الاَْفِلِينَ *فَلَمَّا رَءَا الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَاذَا رَبىّ‏ِ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئنِ لَّمْ يهَْدِنىِ رَبىّ‏ِ لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ* فَلَمَّا رَءَا الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَاذَا رَبىّ‏ِ هَاذَا أَكْبرَُ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَقَوْمِ إِنىّ‏ِ بَرِى‏ءٌ مِّمَّا تُشرِْكُونَ • So when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star;" He said: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: I do not love the setting ones. Then when he saw the moon rising, he said: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: If my Lord had not guided me, I should certainly be of the erring people. Then when he saw the sun rising, he said: Is this my Lord? Is this the greatest? So when it set, he said: O my people! surely I am clear of what you set up with Allah (al-An’aam 76-78)

12. Attributes of Action • Divinity – الألوهية : • Divine: One worthy of being worshipped • Divinity is a necessary attribute because: • Since the possible existents are entirely dependent upon the necessary existent • Worshipping this existent is a necessary obligation • إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ إِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ • You alone do we worship, and to You alone do we turn for help

13. Questions?