THE PROPHET'S MESSAGE INCLUDES THE TRUE EXPLANATION
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The Prophetʹs Message includes the True Explanation of the Foundations of the Religion & Its Detailed Matters
The message of the Prophet ﷺ is comprised of two things: beneficial knowledge, and righteous action, just as Allaah ﷺ said,
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with (1) guidance and (2) the religion of truth to manifest it over all religions, although the Mushrikoon hate it.” [Sooratut‐Tawbah, 9:33]
The guidance is the beneficial knowledge, while the religion of truth is the righteous action that is based upon sincerity to Allaah and following His Messenger ﷺ.
And beneficial knowledge includes any knowledge that contains a benefit to the Ummah for its life in the Dunyaa and the Hereafter. The first of knowledge that enters into that is the knowledge of Allaahʹs Names, His Characteristics and Attributes, and His Actions. Knowing this is the most beneficial of all sciences and it is the most superior of the divine message. It is the summarization of the prophetic Da’wah. By it, the religion is established in statement, action and belief.
For this reason, it is impossible to think the Prophet ﷺ would neglect this knowledge and not completely explain it, leaving no doubts regarding it and repelling all uncertainties. This is impossible from various perspectives:
Firstly: The Prophet’s ﷺ message contains light and guidance. Allaah sent him as a bringer of good news as well as a warner, as a caller to Allaah by His permission and a shining lamp so much so that he left his Ummah upon a clear, white path – its night as clear as its day. No one deviates from it except that he becomes destroyed. And the greatest of lights and the most significant is what the heart obtains from knowing Allaah, His Names, Attributes and His Actions. Therefore, there is no way that the Prophet ﷺ did not explain this knowledge with the most important of explanations.
Secondly: The Prophet ﷺ taught his Ummah everything that it needs from the affairs of the religion and the Dunyaa. He even taught the manners of eating, drinking, sitting, sleeping, etc. Aboo Dharr (RadhiAllahu Anhu) said ʺAllaahʹs Messenger ﷺ died and there is no bird that flaps its wings except that he mentioned to us some knowledge about it.ʺ There is no doubt that the knowledge of Allaah, His Names, Attributes, and Actions is included under this general principle. Rather, it is the first and foremost due to the extreme need for it and necessity of knowing it.
Thirdly: [1] Eemaan in Allaah, His Names, Attributes, and Actions is the basis of the whole religion and the summarization of the call of the Messengers. It is the most serious of obligations and the best of what the hearts gain, and the best of what the intellects perceive. So how would the Prophet ﷺ neglect it without teaching and explaining it while he taught what was of less importance and virtue?!
Fourthly: The Prophet ﷺ was the most knowledgeable person of his Lord. He was the most sincere adviser to the creation and the most eloquent in conveying and explaining the message. Therefore, it is not possible, with this complete conveyance, that he would leave explaining the issue of Eemaan in Allaah, His Names and Attributes, leaving it unclear and questionable.
Fifthly: The companions (RadhiAllaahu Anhum) must have spoken correctly concerning this issue (Allaahʹs Names, Attributes, and Actions) because the opposite of this would either be (1) ‐ that they remained silent regarding it or (2) ‐ that they spoke falsely concerning it. Both of these are impossible regarding the Companions.
- As for the point that the Companions remained silent on the matter of the ʹAqeedah of Allaahʹs Names and Attributes, then this is impossible due to the following reasons. Either, their silence was due to their own ignorance of what Allaah obligated regarding the Names and Attributes, and what He has made permissible and prohibited; or their silence was based upon a certain knowledge they had regarding that, yet they concealed it. And both of these are also impossible.
As for their remaining silent due to ignorance: Then there is no heart with life, awareness, a search for knowledge, and a desire for worship except that its greatest concern would be the search for Eemaan in Allaah, and knowing His Names and Attributes, and actualizing that with certain knowledge and ʹAqeedah. There is no doubt that the best generations ‐ the best of them being the Companions ‐ were the most complete of people regarding the life of the hearts, loving of good, and actualizing beneficial knowledge. For this, the Prophet ﷺ said,
ʺThe best of people are my generation, then those who follow after them, and then those who follow after them.ʺ [2]
This preference is general encompassing their virtue in everything that brings one closer to Allaah from statements, actions, or beliefs.
In addition, if we assume that the Companions were ignorant of the truth regarding this matter, then the ignorance of those who came after them would be even more obvious. This is because knowing what is affirmed to Allaah of the Names and Attributes, or what is negated from Him ‐ this is only learned by way of Messengership and the Companions are the intermediary between the Messenger ﷺ and the Ummah. So based upon this assumption, it means that no one has any knowledge regarding this matter and this is obviously unreasonable.
As for their remaining silent due to concealing the truth: Every intelligent and just person who knows the situation of the Companions (RadhiAllaahu Anhum) and their concern with spreading the beneficial knowledge and conveying it to the Ummah, would never accuse them of concealing the truth, especially not in the most serious and obligated of all matters ‐ knowing Allaah, His Names and Attributes.
In addition, there has already come from them many true statements regarding this issue and anyone who seeks them and follows them would know about this.
- As for the point that the Companions spoke incorrectly on the matter of the ʹAqeedah of Allaah’s Names and Attributes, then this is false for two reasons.
First: Speaking falsely about an issue would mean that it would not be possible to base any sound proof upon such statements. Moreover, it is known that the Companions (RadhiAllaahu Anhum) are the farthest of people in speaking about a matter upon which no sound proof could be based, especially if that matter is in regards to Eemaan in Allaah and the affairs of the unseen. As so, they are the first people to practice Allaahʹs command,
ʺAnd donʹt pursue (say) that of which you have no knowledge (of).ʺ [Sooratul‐Israa, 17:36]
And His statement:
“Say: My Lord has indeed forbidden are immoralities ‐ whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah what you don’t know.ʺ [Sooratul‐‘Araaf, 7:33]
Second: Speaking falsely about any matter has its origin based either upon true ignorance of the truth, or upon a desire to misguide the creation (while actually knowing the truth). Again, both of these are impossible pertaining to the rights of the Companions (RadhiAllaahu Anhum).
As for the impossibility of a true ignorance of the matter, then this has already been explained.
As for the impossibility of a desire to misguide the creation, then this would be a very evil objective. It is impractical to think this would come from the Companions ‐ those who were known for their absolute advice and concern for the well‐being and love of good for the Ummah.
In addition, if we hold that it is possible for them to have evil objectives and intentions regarding this matter, then we must also hold the possibility that they would likewise have evil intentions in what they said regarding all the other subjects of knowledge and religion. In this case, placing trust upon their statements and information about these subjects would vanish. Of course, this is one of the falsest of accusations because it would constitute a slander against the whole Shareeʹah.
Therefore, if it is clear that the Companions (RadhiAllaahu Anhum) must have spoken truthfully and correctly, regarding this matter; then they were speaking either simply from their intellects or by way of revelation. The first is not probable because the intellect cannot possibly perceive all of the details of what Allaah has obligated regarding His Attributes of perfection. Therefore, the second option is left, and that is that they learned this knowledge by way of the message of the Prophet ﷺ. If so, then that would necessitate that the Prophet ﷺ explained the truth regarding Allaahʹs Names and Attributes ‐ and this is the required belief.
1 Here, Shaykh ibn al‐ʹUthaymeen is still mentioning the various aspects that disprove the assumption that the Prophet did not completely explain the issue of Eemaan in Allaahʹs Names, Attributes, and Actions. (T.N.) 2 Recorded by al‐Bukhaaree (2652) and Muslim (2533).