God and His A+ributes
Transcript of God and His A+ributes
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• Whatisanthropomorphism?• Itistheassignmentofphysicala+ributestoGod
• Atfirstglance,therearemanyversesintheQuranthata+ributehuman-likecharacterisEcstoGod.Thesea+ributesareknownasالصفات الخبرية
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 1.TheHandofGodيد الله
يد الله فوق أيديهم
“…TheHandofGodisovertheirhands…”-Quran48:10
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 2.TheFaceofGodوجه الله
ولله المشرق والمغرب فأينما تولوا فثم وجه
“ToGodbelongtheEastandtheWest.Whereveryouturn,thereistheFaceofGod…”-
Quran2:115
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 3.TheEyeofGodعين الله
واصنع الفلك بأعيننا ووحينا
“BuildtheArkbeforeOurEyesandbyOurRevelaEon…”-Quran11:37
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 4.MounEngtheThroneالإستواء على العرش
الرحمن على العرش استوى
“TheCompassionatemountedtheThrone.”–Quran20:5
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• Tradi'onalis'cviewsandargumenta'ons• DrawingauthoritysolelyfromdivinerevelaEon,tradiEonandtheteachingsofal-salaf,i.e.,thetradiEonistsofpastgeneraEons,thebasictradiEonaliststancewastoaccepttheanthropomorphicaccountsliterally.
•
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• TradiEonalisEccreedso\enopenwiththestatement,“Webelieveinwhatiswri+enintheQuranandSunnah.Wedonotinterpretthetext.
• ThetradiEonalists,whoconsideredthemselvesfollowersoftheearlytradiEonists,basedtheirteachingsonadevoutadherencetothetexts.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• TheycalledtheirconvicEon“affirmaEon”إثبات andnever“anthropomorphismتشبيه,hencethenametheygavethemselves,“thepeoplewhoaffirm[God’sa+ributes]”أهل الإثبات
• ThebasicargumentjusEfyingtheacceptanceofanthropomorphicaccountsisatotalcommitmenttoGod’sowndescripEonofHimself.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• Hence,rejecEngtheseaccountswouldequalarejecEonofGod’sowndescripEonofHimselfintheQuran.
• TradiEonalistslaterdevelopedtheirargumentbyasserEngthattheacceptanceofanthropomorphicaccountsmustbeaccompaniedbytheexpression“withoutaskinghow”بلا كيف
•
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• ThisinstrucEonisillustratedbythefollowingsayingbyMalikb.Anas(d.179/796):“ThesijngontheThroneisknown(fromtheQuranicverses),butthewayitisactuallydoneisunknown.Believingitisobligatory,andquesEoningitisanundesirableinnovaEon”
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• TheRa'onalis'cStand• TheraEonalists,preferringhumanreasontorevelaEonandtradiEoninseveraltheologicalissues,perceivedtheanthropomorphicversesintheQuranasallegoricalorfiguraEveaccountsmeanttosymbolizeGod’sa+ributesandacEons.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• TheraEonalebehindtheseinterpretaEonsarisesfromtheraEonalists’anxiousdefenseofGod’sabsoluteothernessandtranscendence,alongwithanegaEonofanysimilaritybetweentheCreatorandthecreaEon.
• TheraEonaliststancetowardstheanthropomorphichadithaccountwasamixtureofrejecEonandridicule.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• TheAsha’riStance• TheAsh’arisoluEontotheproblemoftheanthropomorphicaccountsintheQuranandhadithwasanacceptanceofallanthropomorphicaccounts,includingthoserejectedbytheraEonalists,whileemployingthemeansoffiguraEveinterpretaEon.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• LikeearliertradiEonalists,theAsh’arisaddedtheformulaبلا كيف not,however,inthestraighlorwardtradiEonalisEcsenseof“withoutaskinghow”or“withoutafurthercomment,”butmoreinthesenseof“withouta+ribuEngphysicalcharacterisEcs”toGod,thusapplyingtranscendentalism
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 1.TheHandofGodيد الله
إن الذين يبايعونك إنما يبايعون الله يد الله فوق أيديهم فمن نكث فإنما ينكث على نفسه
“TrulythosewhopledgeallegiancetoyoupledgeallegiancetoGod.TheHandofGodis
overtheirhands.Andwhoeverreneges,renegesonlytohisdeterminant…”-Quran48:10
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• ThepledgeofallegianceiswidelyknownasthePledgeofGoodPleasureبيعة الرضوان
• TheHandofGodisinterpretedasareferencetooneofGod’sa+ributes,suchasPower,whichisassociatedwithGod’sHand.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
وقالت اليهود يد الله مغلولة غلت أيديهم ولعنوا بما قالوا بل يداه مبسوطتان
“TheJewssay,‘God’sHandisshackled.’
Shackledaretheirhands,andtheyarecursedforwhattheysay.Nay,butHistwoHandsare
outstretched…”Quran5:64
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• Miserlinessisclearlytheintendedmeaninghere,andthosewhomakethisstatementaresuggesEngthatGodwithholdsHisProvisionandHisBounty,atleasttothem.
• TheclaimthatGod’sHandisshackledisthencontrastedwiththeimageofHistwoHandsoutstretched,thatis,openandgivingasHebestowsasHewills.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• IfGod’sHandcanbeseenasametaphorandsymbolfortheblessingsHebestows,thenHistwoHandsmightbeametaphorfortwodifferentkindsofblessingsGodmightbestow.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 2.TheFaceofGodوجه الله
ولله المشرق والمغرب فأينما تولوا فثم وجه
“ToGodbelongtheEastandtheWest.Whereveryouturn,thereistheFaceofGod…”-
Quran2:115
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• SomescholarsmaintainthattheFaceofGodisareferencetoHisEssenceorSelf.
• ThefaceofanythingisthepointofinteracEon.
• Whereveryouturn,youcaninteractwithGodandengagewithHim
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
فالمراد كل شئ هالك إلا دينه
“WhatismeantisthateverythingwillperishexceptforHisreligion.”–ImamAli(a.s)
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
قال الامام السجاد عليه السلام: نحن الوجه الذي يؤتى الله منه
“WearetheFacethroughwhichGodisreached.”-Imamal-Sajjad(a.s)
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• ThereisanarraEonintheSunnibooksofhadithsuchasSahihal-BukharithatquotestheProphet(saw)tohavesaid:
خلق الله آدم علی صورته“GodcreatedAdamaccordingtoHisimage”.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
عن الحسين بن خالد أيضا قال: قلت للرضا (عليه السلام): يا ابن رسول الله إن الناس يروون أن رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) قال: إن الله خلق آدم على صورته فقال: قاتلهم الله لقد حذفوا أول الحديث
IaskedImamal-Ridha(a.s):PeoplenarratefromtheProphettohavesaid:GodhascreatedAdamaccordingtoHisimage!TheImamsaid:MayGodkillcursethem;theyhaveomi+edthe
beginningofthehadith.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
إن رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) مر برجلين يتسابان فسمع أحدهما
يقول لصاحبه (( قبح الله وجهك ووجه من يشبهك )) فقال له رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): (( يا عبد الله لا تقل هذا لأخيك فإن
الله عز وجل خلق آدم على صورته
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
TheMessengerofGodpassedbytwomenwhowereswearingateachother.Heheardoneofthemsayingtotheother:MayGodmakeyourfaceandwhoeverlookslikeyouugly.The
Prophetsaid:OservantofGod!Don’tsaythistoyourbrotherforGodtheAlmightyhascreatedAdamaccordingtohisimage(meaningAdam
looksliketheoneyouareswearingat).
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 3.TheEyeofGodعين الله
واصنع الفلك بأعيننا ووحينا
“BuildtheArkbeforeOurEyesandbyOurRevelaEon…”-Quran11:37
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• “BeforeOurEyes”isafiguraEvemannerofsayingthatGodwillwatchoverandprotectNoah’sbuildingoftheArk
• “byOurRevelaEon”meansthatGodinstructedNoahhowtobuildtheArk.
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• 4.Moun'ngtheThroneالإستواء على العرش
الرحمن على العرش استوى
“TheCompassionatemountedtheThrone.”–Quran20:5
AnthropomorphismintheQuran
• SincemounEngtheThronesuggeststhephysicalmovementandlocaEonofabody,whileGodhasnobody,manycommentatorsnotethatthisphraseisasymbolforGod’sdemonstraEonofHisSovereigntyoverHiscreaEon.
TheVisibilityofGod
لما جاء موسى لميقاتنا وكلمه ربه قال رب أرني أنظر إليك قال لن تراني ولـكن انظر إلى الجبل فإن استقر مكانه فسوف تراني فلما تجلى ربه
للجبل جعله دكا وخر موسى صعقا فلما أفاق قال سبحانك تبت إليك وأنا أول المؤمني
TheVisibilityofGod
• “AndwhenMosescametoOurappointedmeeEngandHisLordspoketohim,hesaid,‘MyLord,showme,thatImightlookatYou’.Hesaid:‘YoushallneverseeMe,butlookatthemountain,ifitremainsfirminitsplace,thenyouwillseeMe’.AndwhenhisLordmanifestedHimselftothemountain,Hemadeitcrumbletodust…”Quran7:143
TheVisibilityofGod
• Thisversespeaksdirectlytotheissueofthehumaninabilityto“see”God.
• MosesknewthatGodtranscendedallformandcorporealityandthuscouldnotbeseenphysically.
• HeposesthisquesEontoGodonlytosaEsfytheIsraeliteswhohadpressuredhimtoask
TheVisibilityofGod
وإذ قلتم يا موسى لن نؤمن لك حتى نرى الله جهرة
“Andwhenyousaid,‘OMoses,wewillnotbelieveyouEllweseeGodopenly…”Quran2:55
TheVisibilityofGod
• ThecrumblingofthemountainindicatesthatseeingGodwiththephysicaleyeisasimpossibleasthemountainsbeingabletowithstandGod’sSelf-ManifestaEon
• ItdemonstratestheannihilaEngpowerofthatvision,sinceeventhemountain,somuchlargerandstrongerthanMoseshimself,wasincapableofbearingit.
TheVisibilityofGod
ومن كلام له )عليه السلام( وقد سأله ذعلب اليماني فقال: هل رأيت ربك يا أميرالمؤمنين؟
فقال(عليه السلام): أفأعبد ما لا أرى ؟قال: قال: وكيف تراه؟
TheVisibilityofGod
• Dhi’libal-YamaniaskedtheCommanderoftheFaithful(a.s)whetherhehadseenGod,whenhereplied,"DoIworshiponewhomIhavenotseen?"Thenheinquired,"HowhaveyouseenHim?"
TheVisibilityofGod
لا تدركه العيون بمشاهدة العيان، ولكن تدركه القلوب بحقائق الايمان،
EyescannotseeHimfacetoface,butheartsperceiveHimthroughtherealiEesofbelief.
TheVisibilityofGod
قريب من الاشياء غير ملامس، بعيد منها غير مباين
Heisneartothingsbutnotthroughphysicalproximity.Heisfarfromthembutnotby
separaEon.
TheVisibilityofGod
متكلم بلا روية، مريد بلا همة، صانع لا بجارحة
“Heisaspeaker,butnotwithreflecEon.Heintends,butnotwithpreparaEon.Hemolds,but
notwith(theassistanceof)limbs.”
TheVisibilityofGod
لطيف لا يوصف بالخفاء، كبير لا يوصف بالجفاء، بصير لا يوصف بالحاسة،
“Heissubtlebutcannotbea+ributedwithbeingconcealed.Heisgreatbutcannotbe
a+ributedwithhaughEness.Heseesbutcannotbea+ributedwiththesense(ofsight).”