Suhaib Webb – AlRazi’s Foundations of The Sacred (Lesson Two) Interpretation & The Qur’an
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AI: Transcript ©
Alhamdulillah, we're going to continue now our readings
through Assessu Taqdis of Sayedni Imam al Razi,
especially in this age of men and modernity.
When interpretation,
you find extremes on all sides. So it's
important that
in engaging religious texts, we are not projecting
onto the text,
but we are
understanding the text correctly. That's why aqidah
actually is taught
before tafsir
because without the proper rules of
a person may get lost,
may get confused.
So reading from this book that tackles the
idea of transcendence
and, at times, the necessity for interpretation,
It's important to understand that Imam al Razi
is writing this book to respond to the
hyperlittilists,
as well as what we would consider now
irresponsible,
like, people who are irresponsible,
lead loose
in their understandings and
interpretations
of the sacred texts. So al Razi is
trying to find this middle path, if you
will, based on
what has been passed on from the early
Muslims.
Our first lesson, we talked about the certain
ideas and rules and concepts related to taweed,
and now we're going to talk about,
as Imam Razi is going to walk us
through this, around the 8 verses of Quran,
where you have to interpret. Like you have
no choice but to interpret.
And I think that's very profound that he
puts, as we say, he puts his money
where his mouth is, like he immediately
shows how this idea is applied.
So he's gonna mention our 8 verses of
Quran,
we will walk through them, and I have
some notes as well that I took
through time, that also I hope will animate
the discussion and provide perhaps some information that
you are not used to hearing and may
open up your mind
to the majority of Sunni theologians
that unfortunately most English speaking Muslims, for a
number of reasons,
haven't been exposed to.
And we're not learning this to go and
fight and
dismantle,
we do that enough, Let's learn this so
that we can increase our relationship with Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
our understanding of his sacred text, and that
we can turn that into devotion.
Imam Abu Mohammed Al Ghazali says,
That the fruit of knowledge is worship.
And there may be times where you need
to equalize and mediate amongst people, but we
need to do that insha'Allah in a way
that builds, if possible,
and doesn't seek to destroy.
The default, unfortunately, now seems to be destruction
for a lot of reasons.
And, you know, my my school is a
very simple school,
you know, forgive, I don't have all the
bells and whistles and you know, all that
stuff, man. I just enjoy
sharing information, learning and teaching,
And I try my best just to make
sure the information can get to people,
in a way that is accessible
and affordable
and
meaningful
and beneficial.
What does that mean? The Imam has said,
nafana Allahu may Allah benefit us, bi ilmihi
with his knowledge,
in this life and the next. It's a
nice thing to say when we read to
our teachers.
And now he's gonna mention these verses. So
the first he says,
You heard me before I read the verse
I said
Be careful if you speak English that you
don't go
or
it's
Secondly,
the Quran agree that it is obligatory to
read
the Istiad
before
we recite the Quran outside of salah.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says in the Quran,
When you want to recite the Quran, seek
refuge in Allah.
And Sayyidina Imam Ashaltibi in his poem on
the 7 of Qur'at which we learned from
our masheikh, Alhamdulillah
he
said,
And this poem Mashallah can you imagine he
wrote a poem, has all of the 7
qira'at Mashallah. I used to read this poem
to Sheikh Muhammad
Awol Fattoo, I still read it to him
Alhamdulillah
and Imam Ashal Tabi says
anytime you want to Qura'u,
you want to recite the Quran, first tayid
then
say
and then he mentions his opinion Jiharan
with a voice, don't say it silently, say
it out loud.
Minash shaitan
from shaitan be lahi with Allah Musjala.
Anyways, our point is
verse number 35
We should all memorize this verse, it's very
important, it's one of the verses every Muslim
should know, because it's talking about you and
me, talking about our purpose,
alhamdulillah, and our relationship to to guidance.
But the point is, Nur
Allah is the light of the heavens and
the earth. You can't interpret that literally.
These lights I have on them,
for Sid Nashek he says
What does that mean? Every intelligent person knows
by necessity.
You speak Arabic, Al Badiha a Aburura,
You don't have to think about it.
He said that anyone that has a grain
of sense
by necessity,
will immediately con immediately con conclude
that the creator of all things, the creator
of the universe,
right, is not the same light that, for
example, you see shining here,
shining on the walls, shining on a fence,
or it's the same, he is the same
light that
emanates from
objects in the universe, like the sun, the
moon, and the stars.
He says that so therefore any one of
us who has any grain of sense has
to interpret this verse.
Allahu Surat Anur verse 35
That Allah is the one that has illuminated
the heavens and the earth. I will be
Anna who had
the
Allah
is the one that guides
those in the heavens and the earth.
And he says, oh, that Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala is the one that rectifies all things
in the heavens and the earth. And all
of these that he's just mentioned are tawil,
interpretation.
Someone may say this isn't the way of
the salaf.
This isn't the way of the salaf, and
I appreciate that passion.
I I have been in those those spaces
before. I studied
with a few students of Sheikh Ibn Uthaimin,
Sheikh As Salih from Qasim
as well as Sheikh Abdul Hamoud. I consider
them my teachers
over 25 years ago.
So, I've been in those gatherings.
However,
Imam al Tabari,
he mentions that Saydna Imam ibn Abbas, or
radiAllahu anhumathe nephew of the Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi
Wasallam, who the Prophet made dua that Allah
would give him the ability to interpret the
Quran correctly.
He says about
he
says that
as Imam Ar Razi mentions means the one
who administrates.
Here we see al Sahabi,
Sayna ibn Abbas,
radiAllahu
anhuuma
making tatweel.
Making tatweel of this verse.
Imam Asalmaqas Samarkandi
also,
he mentions that Sayyidina Abbas radhiallahu anhu
has
similar
understandings of this
from Abi Al Aarya not from Ibn Abbas.
Who
says that and again, Abu Aliyah is from
the Salaf
interprets the verse to mean Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala is the noor of the heavens and
the earth, meaning Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
illuminates the hearts of those in the heavens
and the earth
with his forgiveness and his tawhid.
The point is, here we have 2 salaf,
from the salaf, they're making.
So we had to be very, very careful
that sometimes
we rush to conclusions without doing research,
because that may force us to be harsh
on people on issues where there's no need
to be harsh,
and where there is a precedent amongst the
salaf,
and that we need to approach each other
in a much better way,
a much better way.
3rd verse,
or excuse me, the second verse,
Imam al Razi says, kalallahu ta'ala ba'adaa'udubilam
shaitanarajim, I only need to say it once
by the way.
In Surat Al Hadid verse 25, Allah says,
and we sent Al Hadid iron
which has extreme strength.
He said it's known that iron, this resource,
did not, or element,
did not
descend from the universe. Although now we know
that's true.
In the time of Imam al Razi, Rahim
Muhullah, who was a respected scientist, and as
well as a physician,
an astronomer,
they didn't know that, now we know that.
So now we would say, actually, you don't
have to make that, we live that, the
Quran
is speaking the truth.
And Allah who Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says in
Surat Zumar verse number 6,
That Allah has, Inzal means
and nuzul
something goes from up to being down, so
Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala sent
cattle.
Sheykh he says,
We all know cows, they didn't even come
from the heavens. So here we have to
interpret,
we have to go to the rules of
interpretation. And those details you can learn in
Ulomu Quran, in Osullu Filq, in Balaha and
even Mantak.
What I'm trying to do now is just
help you appreciate that there is
a larger, more rich
tradition
found amongst our scholars, amongst our righteous, respected
scholars, Raheemuhumullah.
In fact,
Imam Al Haramain
when he was asked about this verse
that we sent, you know, cows from the
heavens,
not not his father,
the other one
who died 4/76 after hijri.
Hijri, We have to interpret this verse.
It's impossible.
The 3rd
qalahu ta'ala, wahuwa ma'akum ayna ma'akuntum,
Allah is with you wherever you are.
Allah is with you wherever you are.
Imam ibn Juzayi he said
What that means Allah is with you wherever
you are is that his knowledge is with
you.
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Imam Al Khutibi
comments on a verse which is very similar
to this one. And that verse that I
mentioned just now is from Surat Hadid verse
number 4, but commenting on Suratakah verse 16.
Sayyidina Imam Al Qurtubi, he says about the
verse
we are closer to him than his jugular
vein.
Imam Al Khortubi says
meaning that nearness here does not mean distance,
physical distance,
means his knowledge.
That's why Imam,
Al Tabari
and others, if you look at the verse,
they all
share this notion of tawheed effect about the
verse
Allah is with you wherever you are,
Say the Imam Al Tabari says,
he's witnessing you.
Ibn alaikum
Allah is
observing you,
watching everything you do but he's not with
you, with you, like we are with each
other.
So it's impossible
to interpret that
literally and that's why the Shaykh he says,
Say,
That anyone that has any brain of sense
knows that this means nearness
or Allah's incredible
capacity and power and transcendent strength
to know all things.
The 4th,
Allah
says,
prostrate to Allah
and draw closer to him.
If we say Iqtarab, Iqtarab to him and
Shay means actually drew physically near to it.
But that's not what this means.
And that's why the Sheikh he says
He said that what this means is that
you draw nearer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
through obeying him and
being
subservient to him.
Said it's known by necessity that if you
make sujood to something you don't draw physically
near to it. So it's impossible for that
to be its meaning.
So
therefore, interpretation
is a must.
The 5th,
Allah Subhanu wa Ta'ala says,
verse number 115.
Waqala Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, we mentioned this verse
already,
earlier.
This is a different verse
But it carries the same meaning, Allah Subhanu
wa Ta'ala is extremely near to you but
you don't see.
You can't see him.
So the first, if you look at the
word waje, it means face,
waje,
my face. And actually the word wadji means
something that's clear because my face is what
tells you about who I am.
So we look at the interpretation
of the salaf,
and for example,
everything
The Quran Allah says everything will perish except
the waj of Allah.
Imam
ibn Juzayi he says about that verse, that
everything will perish except the waj of Allah.
He said that the scholars agree that this
verse, everyone agrees that this verse has to
be interpreted.
And that's why we find different interpretations
from those incredibly
reliable scholars that are rooted
in the opinions of the salaf. Imam says,
He says, means his existence. Everything will perish
except the existence of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Imam Iru Tamir about the verse I mentioned
earlier in Majma Al Fatawah, I believe volume
6,
ill wajh, everything will perish except the wajh
of Allah, he interprets it there. I can't
remember his exact interpretation.
Well, Sayyidina Imam al Tabari also,
says
that's the qibla. You need in this verse
Fa'aina matuwalu
fathamaqibla
Allahi
Meaning the qibla,
direction you turn, you're going to find the
qibla
of Allah Subhanu wa Ta'ala quote these verses
are talking about
before
the changing of the Kaaba.
The point is you can see here now
there is a robust
tradition rooted in what Imam Al Razi has
been talking about in our first session.
And here we see the sunaf and the
early scholars
taking opinions that are rooted in tatwil.
Of course, it doesn't mean we run wild
with interpretation, there are rules and regulations for
this that we can learn in the books
of Usul ad Din and also the books
of Ulamat Tafsir.
That's why Imam ibn Kathir radhiallahu ta'ala Anhu
he says
about
this verse,
fa'ilama tuwalufathama
wajhullahi
Khaledha to who?
Allah's existence. Was Sayyidina Imam Jafar as Sadiq
radiAllahu anhu,
he said deenahu,
the deen of Allah everything
except for
the deen of Allah, the religion of Allah.
These
Jafar al Sadiq is
from the Salaf.
So here we see again
the interpretation
of the dawahir of the nusus.
The 6th part of subhanahu wa ta'ala
verse
245,
who will give to Allah
a good loan?
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala So it's impossible for
that to mean that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
needs a loan from us,
because we know Allah doesn't need our worship,
Subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So we find scholars
largely based on the context of the verse
talk about this is rooted in someone who
dies in jihad. That's why Sayedni Imam Arazi
he says,
There has to be tawil of that verse.
The next verse we find in Surat Al
Nahal verse 26, Allah says,
Be careful, don't say
Faata, has its own meaning. But this is
fair
a ataqib
ata.
And ata means came,
so
fa'talahu,
fa'talahu
not fa'ta.
Of course,
can't understand this literally, Allah Subhanu wa Ta'ala
came to their structures,
from
the foundations.
So we find Imam al Tabari says ahadama,
Allah destroyed their structure.
Imam ibn Kati RadiAllahu Anhu, he said Amra,
that Allah's command came and destroyed
their structure from their foundations.
That's why Imam said Na'arazi says,
you have to make tawil of that.
The 9th,
oh sorry the 8th,
I'm with you
hearing and seeing.
The sheikh, he says
that the withness here
can only mean protection, knowledge and mercy.
Minalumur
allatila
buddariqulli
aapirim
minal
i'tiraf
bihamdalihaalataweel
Now he ends this section talking about modeling.
These aren't the only verses but he just
wants to model around 8 of them for
us.
So he says,
so
this verse and these other examples that I
have presented to you, as well as others,
are those which
anyone that has an ingrain of sense will
admit
that these texts have to be interpreted,
and we have to interpret them away from
their explicit meanings.
And the salaf, they had two approaches to
this,
or tawil.
Next
time insha'Allah, we'll do the exact same thing
with certain ahadith of the prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam.
If you, alhamdulillah,
differ with us on these opinions and you
follow, alhamdulillah, other opinions, that's
that's that's I'm not here to try to
convince anybody.
I don't think that this is is that
kind of issue that we need to continue
to fight or out,
and destroy each other over. We need to
build. We're suffering. We have so many enemies.
But I do feel that it's important that
we talk about
how this idea is not something that was
conducted
by others outside of the era of the
earliest
Muslims.
May
Allah bless you and increase you. Assalamu alaikum