Shakiel Humayun – Angels Wings and Rivers Tarawih Talk 7 Ramadan 2023
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The speaker discusses the importance of understanding the Quran and the multiple interpretations of the words " mutashabihad" and "has been revealed" in the context of Islam. The speaker explains that Islam has a heric understanding of the attributes of Islam, and that the definition of "has been revealed" is not a meaningless interpretation. The speaker also discusses the mistakes of people in the past who did not understand the importance of the definition of "has been revealed" in the context of Islam.
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We are in our 3rd night
in taking principles from
the ayah and Surah al Imran,
which talks about Koranic interpretation.
And it's amazing how just one verse
is packed
with so many principles
and how we can interpret the Quran.
And so if we continue going down the
verse, Allah Subhanahu
then says,
where Allah introduces us to a new or
another meaning for the word
If you remember,
in the previous nights, we mentioned that
means it's a a verse or a word
that that can have multiple meanings.
Here, Allah introduces
us to
another
definition of mutashabihad.
And mutashabihad here, as Allah says, and none
knows its explanation
except Allah.
Another definition of
is if there's a word
that only Allah knows
its true description and exact nature.
For example,
there are rivers in paradise,
but nobody knows
the exact nature and description of those rivers.
We don't know how it tastes. We don't
know its currents or its flows.
We can imagine all day and night, we
will never be able to figure out what
that river in paradise looks like.
Another example,
the wings of angels. We know what wings
mean, just like as we know what rivers
mean. We know what wings mean, what they
are,
but we cannot imagine
or draw
what the wings of Jibril,
alaihis salam, for example, looks like. We can't
describe them. We don't know what shape they
are. We can't describe the exact colors.
We can't.
Also, as the case for the attributes of
Allah
For example, Allah says in the Quran, Wajalullah,
Allah, the face of Allah.
So we affirm that we know what as
we know what rivers are, we know what
wings are, we know what a face is.
And so
how is the face of Allah? We can't
say. We can't describe the face of Allah.
There is nothing like Allah.
Allah's face is unique. So all of its
attributes, Allah's eyes, his hands, we affirm them,
but we can't say how they are. That
how
is from the
that none has that knowledge except Allah
As a man came to Ali Ma Malik,
and he asked him how is Allah above
his throne?
Because
Allah being above his throne is one of
his
his characteristics that he went above the throne.
And so, Alimal Malik then
answered himself,
He said Allah being above his throne is
known. That's known from the Quran. Allah subhanahu
said,
that the most merciful is above his throne.
So he said the that a loving above
his throne is known.
How
is he above his stone above his throne?
That's unknown.
That's the part. It's unknown.
But believing in it is an obligation.
And asking about his description or how Allah
is above his throne, trying to interpret, get
that kind of interpretation,
it's a heresy.
And so this doesn't mean that just because
we don't know the exact true nature or
description
of these things that we start to deny
them, because it doesn't make sense if someone
says, well, if we don't know what the
rivers look like, we're going to deny that
the rivers exist in paradise. Or if we
don't know and can't describe what the wings
of angels look like, we're going to deny
that angels have wings. And so some of
the mistakes that have happened in the history
of Islam,
people started to deny the attributes of Allah.
That Allah doesn't have a face, he doesn't
have eyes, he doesn't have hands, because to
them,
they think that they're
they're comparing it with creation. And the only
reason why they're comparing it with creation is
because they gave a description to it. So
if we don't give it a description,
and we say,
only Allah knows the the true description,
and then
we won't have a problem. Right? And so
and then Allah continues by saying that
he's not asking us to believe in meaningless
meaningless words. We can't say that the face
of Allah has no meaning, that he has
no face. So we affirm that he has
a face. There's nothing like him. He's unique.
We can't compare him with creation. We can't
compare
creation with him, but we have to believe
in it, and that's why Allah then continues
down the verse and says,
and those who are rooted in knowledge.
What is?
Those are rooted in knowledge, meaning
that these are people
whose knowledge is built on.
Their knowledge is built on principles and maxims
and guidelines, and Allah is explaining the principles
of Koranic interpretation in this verse. That those
who built their knowledge based on principles,
they will say we believe in it. And
so Allah will not ask us to believe
in words that don't have meaning. So, yes,
the rivers have a meaning.
What and how? We don't know.
The wings of angels have a meaning.
How they are? We don't know. Allah's attributes
have a true meaning. How they are?
We don't
know.