Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Al - Ilahiyyat Volume 1

This book elaborates on concepts such as recognition of Allah (SwT), His names, and operative and descriptive attributes. On each of these topics, it rebuttals views held by other schools of thought within Islam, both historic and contemporary, and provides evidence from the Holy Quran, the Sunnah and traditions from the Holy Household to support its position.

Author(s): Sheikh Hassan Muhammad Makki al - Amili

Translator(s): Yasin T. Al - Jibouri

www.alhassanain.org/english

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

Table of Contents

Author's Foreword 8

Author's Foreword For The New Edition 9

1. Methodology of Submission 9

2. Research’s Progression 9

3. Comprehensive Deduction 9

Chapter 1: General Principle Precepts 11

1. Man's Life and Moral Values 11

A Call Heard from Afar 11

2. What is Religion? What are its Roots in the Human Nature? 12

Religion and Disposition 15

3. Role of Religion in Life 17

A. Religion: Innovator of Sciences 17

B. Religion: Pillar of Ethics 19

C. Religion: Invincible Fortress in World's Fluctuations 20

4. Recognized Knowledge 21

5. Higher Branches of Knowledge in Islam 22

Knowledge of the Cosmos and of Nature 22

Man's Knowledge of His own Self 23

Knowledge of History 23

6. Why do we look for the existence of Allah, Praise to Him? 23

Avoiding Possible Harm 24

Knowing Allah and Thanking the Originator of Blessings 24

Notes 25

Chapter 2: Ways To Knowing Allah 26

Ways To Know Allah 26

First Proof: Order Proof 27

Order Proof in a Second Report 33

Harmony: Sign of Feeling’s Involvement in the Existence of the Cosmos 33

Order Proof in a Third Report 35

Objectiveness: Sign Incorporates Feeling in System Development 35

Order Proof in a Fourth Report 36

Proof According to Probabilities of the Origin of Life 36

Life Pawned to Terms and Conditions 36

Confusion about the Order Proof 38

Logical Connection between System and Sense 40

Determining Logical Connection between System and Interference of Feeling in Another Way 40

Second Proof: Possibility Proof 41

Second Matter: Existence Relies On Its Cause 42

Third Matter: Explaining Role and Sequence and Their Being Nil 43

Two Examples for Explaining Non - Serialization 45

Determining the Possibility Evidence 46

Probability Evidence in the Holy Quran 46

Question And Answer 47

The Answer to this Argument is Multi - Faceted 47

Chapter’s Conclusion 48

Third Proof: Matter Creation Proof 49

Creation Of The Cosmos According To Traditions 51

Notes 52

Chapter 3: Names And Attributes 53

His Names, Attributes, Actions, Praise To Him 53

Self Attributes of Goodness and Greatness 53

Entitative and Operative Attributes 54

Another Classification 55

Descriptive Attributes 55

Keeping a Distance from Assimilation and Analogy: Basis of Knowing the Attributes of the Praised One 55

Assimilation and Dissimilation 56

Sound Ways To Knowing Allah 58

Rational Way 59

Reviewing the Horizons and the Souls 59

Referring to the Quran and Authentic Sunnah 60

Divulging and Witnessing 60

Why Avoid Researching Metaphysics? 61

First Group: Materialists 61

Second Group: Some do away with Tools of Knowledge 61

Third Group: Claimants of Divulgence and Witnessing 62

Fourth Group: Hanbalis and some Asharis 62

A Return to the Theory of Narrators of Hadith in a New Method 63

A robe threaded with 29 (alphabetical) letters 65

Notes 66

Chapter 4: Self - Positive Attributes 67

Knowledge 68

Inclusive Definition 69

His Knowledge, Glory to Him, of Himself 70

His knowledge, Glory to Him, of Himself 70

Self - Knowledge Requires Variation 71

His knowledge, the Glorified One, of Things before Creating Them 72

Knowledge through Causality is Knowledge of Causer 72

Knowing Causality is Knowing the Causer 72

His Knowledge, Glory to Him, of Things After Creating Them 74

His Knowledge, Glory to Him, is Action 75

Expanse of His Presence is Evidence of His Knowledge 75

Levels of His Knowledge, Glory to Him 76

His Knowledge, Glory to Him, is Presential, not Incidental 77

His Knowledge, Glory to Him, of Details 78

Deniers’ Misconceptions 78

First Misconception: Knowledge of Details Inheres Change in His Knowledge 78

Misconception Analyzed 79

Another Way to Resolve Misconception 80

Second Misconception: Realizing Details Needs a Mechanism 80

Third Misconception: Knowledge of Details Requires Plurality 81

Fourth Misconception: Knowledge of Details Requires Turning What is Probable into a Must 81

The Holy Quran and the Expanse of His Knowledge, the Most Exalted One 81

Loftiness of the Quranic Expression About the Expanse of His Knowledge 82

Statements by Imam Ali (as) About the Knowledge of the Most Exalted One of Details 83

3. Self - Affirmative Attributes 83

Notes 84

Potence 85

Defining Potence 85

Defending Both Definitions 86

Indications of His Might 87

First: Instinct 87

Second: Cosmic Order 87

Third: One Who Grants Perfection Does not Lack It 88

Dominance of the Almighty’s Might Over Everything 88

Evidences of Advocates of the Generality of Divine Might 89

Expanse of His Might, Glory to Him, in Another Sense 90

Religious Texts and the Expanse of His Might, Glory to Him 91

Questions and Answers 91

Misconceptions of Those Who Deny Might’s Generality 92

Allah, Glory to Him, “Cannot” Do What is Ugly 93

Almighty’s “Inability” To Do the Opposite of What He Knows 93

His “Inability” to Do Similarly to What His Servants Do 94

The Almighty’s “Inability” to Do Exactly What His Servant Does 95

Notes 96

Life 98

Defining Life in Another Way 98

Example for Depicting Development in the Absolute 99

Evidence of His Being Living, Praise Belongs to Him 100

His Being Living in the Quran and Sunnah 100

Notes 101

Hearing and Seeing 102

Answering a Question 103

“The Hearing” and “The Seeing” in the Quran and Sunnah 103

Notes 104

Realization 105

Freewill 106

Explaining Particularity of Divine Freewill 107

Discussing Theory 108

Question and Answer 108

His Freewill, Praise Belongs to Him, Is His Pleasure With What He Does 109

His Freewill, Praise Belongs to Him, Affects Might and Authority 110

His Freewill, Praise Belongs to Him, is Equal Cause: Action Ratio 110

The Truth in the Matter 111

Freewill in the Sunnah 113

Notes 116

Perpetuity and Eternity 118

Chapter 5: Operative Positive Attributes 120

Speech 121

First Situation: Truth of His Speech, the Most Exalted One 123

Theory of the Mutazilis 123

Theory of the Men of Wisdom 124

And while you are the clear book wherein 125

If you know this much, you will know how to praise 126

Theory of the Asharis 126

Research’s Conclusion 131

Position of Ahl al - Bayt (as) 141

Notes 142

Truthfulness 144

Note 145

Wisdom 146

Wisdom (Al - Hakeem): Above Doing What Should Not Be 146

What is Rationally Good or Ugly 146

About Applying Labels of Goodness and Ugliness 147

Evidences of Advocates of Rational Judgments of What is Good and What is Ugly 155

Asharis’ Evidences for Denying Rational Goodness and Ugliness 158

Goodness and Ugliness According to the Holy Quran 161

Outcomes of What Reason Deems to be Good or Ugly 162

Knowledge as a Must 162

Necessity of His Actions, Praise Belongs to Him, Being Above Sporting 162

Servants Must Bear Obligations 163

Necessity of Sending Prophets 163

Necessity of Looking into Evidence of One Claiming to be a Prophet 163

Knowledge of the Truth of the Claim of Prophetic Mission 163

Conclusiveness, Perpetuation of Islam’s Rulings 163

Ethics Remain Unaltered 164

Wisdom During Hard Times of Trials and Tribulations 164

Allah is Just, Does Not Wrong Anyone 164

Ugliness of Penalizing Without Explaining 164

Ugliness of Vesting Responsibility for What is Beyond Ability 165

Extent of Impact of Destiny on Man’s Fate 165

Man’s Freedom of Choice 165

Justifying Hereafter Punishment 165

Fruits of Determining What is Rationally Good or Ugly 165

Objectives Justify Actions of the Most Praised One 165

First Argument 166

Explaining the Purposeful Objective 166

Second Argument 167

Third Argument 168

Quran and the Wise Deeds of the Most Praised One 170

Afflictions, Calamities, Ills and God as Being Wise 171

First: It must be totally analyzed philosophically 172

Philosophical Analysis of the Issue of Evil 172

First: The narrow Outlook to Phenomena 173

Second: Phenomena are Episodes in a Long Series 174

Another Philosophical Analysis of Evils 175

Educative Analysis of the Evils Issue 177

Calamities: A method to Release Energies 177

Afflictions and Calamities are Warning Bells 178

Afflictions Cause a Return to Righteousness 178

Afflictions are a Cause for Realizing and Appreciating Blessings 179

Artificial Calamities of Tyrannical Systems 179

Allah is Just and Does Not Oppress 180

Avoiding Confusion 180

Justice in the Holy Quran 181

Justice in Islamic Legislation 181

Mandating Beyond One’s Tolerance 188

Asharis’ Proofs for Commanding What is Unbearable 189

Pre - Actions Ability 193

Notes 195

Chapter 6: Descriptive Attributes 198

Theory Analyzed 198

They likened Him to His creation, then they were apprehensive 199

Rendering 201

Analyzing Rendering Theory 202

Interpretation 203

Procedure According to the Testifying Concept 204

His Arsh, Praise Belongs to Him, and How He firmly Seats Himself on It 205

Then Bishr seized control of Iraq 206

Countenance of the Most Praised One 209

Hands of the Most Praised One 211

For what would you do, when attempting to reach what is high 211

Notes 214

Author's Foreword

In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Blessed and praised is the best of His (SwT) creation, Muhammad (S), and so are the elites from among his progeny and the selected ones from among his companions.

The need of public and private Islamic circles, I mean those interested in knowledge and sciences, for editing the principles - related requirements on which the Islamic creed is based and for purifying them from impurities, after views about them had spread here and there according to the diversity of inclinations and desires.

The truth in issues relevant to the creed's beliefs has almost been buried and its candles put out, except in the chests of special ones from among those who bear it, who are its bastions, those who purged their souls of their own unholy desires, cleansing their hands of the dirhams (cash) of the men of authority.

In order to fill this terrifying vacuum, His Holiness the allama, our mentor, Professor Jafar Subhani Tabrizi, may Allah (SwT) protect him and elevate him to a high station, undertook a serious task, drawing a curtain on his comfort and rest, so he was equipped for lofty undertakings. He labored for years, actually decades, during which he abandoned his soul's desires and pursuits till he achieved what is recorded in psalms’ verses, diving deeply in pursuit of everything that is veiled till he reached it.

Then he over - poured the gist of what he inhaled of the fountain of the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet (S) and his guiding progeny, as well as the sublime rules of philosophy and wisdom. Through the grace of Allah (SwT), Praise belongs only to Him, and His boon on myself, I received it with full awareness, exerting in controlling its pursuits my very best efforts, so much so that it came out in your hands a tablet shining like Venus in the sky as high as Capricorn. It is a book in which the roots of pursuits related to the creed and its branches are compiled. It solves problems and dispels doubts. It is deep in thought, solid and clear in statements, precise in classification and definition.

Allah (SwT), Praise belongs to Him, is the One to Whom we plead to accept this deed, to enable the offspring of our generation and of those of the coming ones to benefit from it, to make it a lantern leading to what is right, a lighthouse for guidance, through His boons, favors and greatness; Allah (SwT) blesses Muhammad (S) and the pure progeny of Muhammad (S).

Hassan Muhammad Makki

Holy Qum on the 4th of Holy Month of Shawwal, 1408 (May 21, 1988)

Author's Foreword For The New Edition

In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Thanks are due to Allah for His care.

Since seeing the light, the book titled Al - Ilahiyyat was met with a great deal of acceptance and circulation by scholarly assemblies due to the attributes it enjoys the most significant of which are the following:

1. Methodology of Submission

We have submitted researches of the principles (of the creed) in the form of a series according to a method that agrees with rational and logical sequences of topics of logic, referring each research to its suitable place. We started with general discussions about knowing the creed and its principles, then we looked into the evidences that point out to the Maker, and then to His Attributes. In them, we listed researches of justice, mutability, destiny, fate, determinism and the freedom to choose. Then we discussed the general Prophetic mission, the specific Prophetic mission, imamate and the Return.

2. Research’s Progression

In our discussion of each principle, we reviewed its linguistic definitions, then its idioms. If it has necessary logical precepts, we submitted them, such as the issue of mentally judging what is good and what is ugly with regard to researches in wisdom. Then we delved into the root of the research, stating the branches of its fruits, the most important questions about it, the questions that may be raised about it, answering them all.

An example is the conclusion of the research of the message's universality and the conclusion from among general researches relevant to the Prophetic mission, the questions about the Imamate of al - Mahdi, peace be with him, after discussing them, and questions about the Return after submitting its researches, in addition to many others. This has granted the researches flexibility, coloring them with practicality and getting them out of the dry status of comparison.

An example for this sort is the submitting of samples and of analyzing them as is quite often noticed in the research about the Holy Quran being a miracle, in addition to submitting questions to the researcher so he may contemplate on answering them. In this process, we noticed in some places that the branches of some researches are elaborated on in a way the listing of which falls within the main researches, mandating the divergence among their parts and the loss of the title and the main idea in them.

For this reason, we have had to list them separately in a research in special chapters as we have done with the topic of al - badaa (mutability) and that of decree and destiny, as well as the research of obligation versus freedom of choice. These are regarded as branches of the divine wisdom. We, therefore, listed each of them in a special chapter.

3. Comprehensive Deduction

This is clear from the title of the book. We reviewed the evidences in the light of the guidance of reason, of the Holy Book and of the purified Sunnah. We also reviewed the evidences of the scholars of logic and of philosophers. We have discussed whatever needs a discussion, making this book unique.

There are other characteristics that the kind researcher can notice, such as the ease of expression, the pursuit of the simplest meaning, and the avoiding of complication and ambiguity.

When the book was printed, all its copies were sold out immediately, so it was reprinted twice in its original form, and all of this took place in only a couple of years. During this time period, it has been facilitated for us through a favor of the Almighty to correct and explain many of its statements. We have fully edited the book by setting up Indices for its Quranic verses, Prophet's traditions, verses of poetry, renown personalities, references, etc.

Due to the book’s large size, we were of the view to divide it into four volumes instead of two large ones so it could be easier to handle and to benefit from.

Here, we have to remind you that we prepared the book titled Nadariyyat al - Marifa (Theory of Knowledge), which we compiled from the lectures of allama Professor Subhani, may his shade prolong, to be a prelude for this book; therefore, it ought to be regarded as paving the way for studying this group of beliefs and it must not be overlooked.

In conclusion, I find it incumbent on me to thank my spiritual son, Sheikh Rashad Shuman al - Amili, may Allah look after him, for the effort which he exerted in extracting and organizing the book's Indices, and to thank the International Center for Islamic Studies for its effort to present the book in its new outfit.

Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

Hassan Makki al - Amili

Holy Shawwal 1411 A.H./April 1991