Chapter 17: Affirming the Face of Allāh and His

Highness (‘Uluww), the Mighty and Majestic: By Abu

(Ismā`īl Al-Harawee (d. 481H
abukhadeejah.com/chapter-17-affirming-the-face-of-allah-the-mighty-and-majestic-by-abu-ismail-al-harawee-d-
481h

Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wahid May 2017 10

The following are chapters from Shaikhul-Islām Abu Ismā`īl Al-Harawī’s: “The Book Of
”Forty Narrations In The Evidences Of Tawhīd

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 (Born 396H and died 481H -rahimahullāh)

This compilation is an amazing series of narrations in the establishment of the Tawhīd of

Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, especially in the arena of the Names and Attributes that
has left the Jahmiyyah and their offspring such as the Ashā`irah and Māturīdīs
:dumbstruck just as Allāh has said

ً ‫ﺎن َز ُﻫ‬
‫ﻮﻗﺎ‬ ِ َ‫ﺎﻃ ُﻞ ۚ إِ ﱠن ْاﻟﺒ‬
َ ‫ﺎﻃ َﻞ َﻛ‬ ِ َ‫َو ُﻗ ْﻞ َﺟﺎ َء ْاﻟ َﺤ ﱡﻖ َو َز َﻫ َﻖ ْاﻟﺒ‬

And say: ‘The Truth has come and falsehood has been vanquished. Surely!“
(Falsehood is ever bound to be wiped out.’” (Al-Israa 17:81

:Chapter 17: Affirming the Face of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic

(‫ )رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ‬Abu Ismā`īl Al-Harawī (481H) with his chain of narration to `Abdullāh
said: “Whoever says: In the name of Allāh (bismillāh)..” and ( ) that the Prophet
on an occasion he said: “Whoever says: Subhānallāh¹, wal-alhamdulillāh², wa
lā ilāha illallāh³, wallāhu akbar⁴, wa lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh⁵, wa
tabārakallāh⁶, an angel takes these words and gathers them in his
wing…” and on an occasion he said: “He takes these words and writes them
down and then gathers them into his wing until he greets (or comes to) the
”.Face of the Lord of the worlds, the blessed, the Most High

:Notes

:Regarding the saying of Allah

‫ﱢﺐ َو ْاﻟ َﻌ َﻤ ُﻞ ﱠ‬
35:10 -ۚ ‫اﻟﺼﺎﻟِ ُﺢ ﯾَ ْﺮ َﻓ ُﻌ ُﻪ‬ ‫ﺼ َﻌ ُﺪ ْاﻟ َﻜﻠِ ُﻢ ﱠ‬
ُ ‫اﻟﻄﯿ‬ ْ َ‫إِﻟَْﯿ ِﻪ ﯾ‬

”.To Him ascends good speech, and righteous deeds exalt the good speech“

Ibn Jareer At-Tabarī in his Tafseer (22/120) mentions a report with his chain of
who said: “When I narrate to you a hadeeth I will (‫ )رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ‬narration to Ibn Mas’ood
bring to you its truthfulness from the Book of Allah, [the Prophet said:] “When a person
says: subhānallāh wabi hamdihi⁷, alhamdulillāh, lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar
tabārakallāh – an angel takes these words and places them under his wing, then he
ascends with them into the sky. The angel does not pass any of the gatherings of
the angels [during his ascent] except that those angels seek forgiveness for the
one who uttered those words until he greets (or comes to) the Face of the Most
:Merciful with them.” Then Abdullāh Ibn Mas’ood recited

ُ ْ ‫ﱠ‬ ْ َ
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 ‫ﱢﺐ َو ْاﻟ َﻌ َﻤ ُﻞ ﱠ‬
35:10 -ۚ ‫اﻟﺼﺎﻟِ ُﺢ ﯾَ ْﺮ َﻓ ُﻌ ُﻪ‬ ‫ﺼ َﻌ ُﺪ ْاﻟ َﻜﻠِ ُﻢ ﱠ‬
ُ ‫اﻟﻄﯿ‬ ْ َ‫إِﻟَْﯿ ِﻪ ﯾ‬

”.To Him ascends good speech, and righteous deeds exalt the good speech“

This very same wording was cited by Al-Mundhirī in At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (2/432-433,
hadeeth no. 36) – he said: It was reported by Al-Hākim who said: “It is an authentic chain
”.of narration

:This attribute of Allāh’s Face is affirmed in the Book of the Almighty in a few verses

ٍ ‫ُﻛ ﱡﻞ َﻣ ْﻦ َﻋﻠَْﯿ َﻬﺎ َﻓ‬

‫ﺎن‬

‫ام‬ ْ ْ ‫ﱢﻚ ُذو ْاﻟ َﺠ َﻼ ِل َو‬

َ ‫َوﯾَ ْﺒ َﻘﻰ َو ْﺟ ُﻪ َرﺑ‬
ِ ‫اﻹﻛ َﺮ‬
ِ

Everyone upon the earth will perish, and the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and“
”.Honour will abide forever

[Ar-Rahmān: 26-27]

َ ‫آﺧ َﺮ ۘ َﻻ إِﻟَ َﻪ إِﱠﻻ ُﻫ َﻮ ۚ ُﻛ ﱡﻞ َﺷ ْﻲ ٍء َﻫﺎﻟِ ٌﻚ إِﱠﻻ َو ْﺟ َﻬ ُﻪ ۚ ﻟَ ُﻪ ْاﻟ ُﺤ ْﻜ ُﻢ َوإِﻟَْﯿ ِﻪ ﺗُ ْﺮ َﺟﻌ‬

28:88 – ‫ُﻮن‬ َ ‫اﷲِ إِﻟَﻬًﺎ‬
‫ْع َﻣ َﻊ ﱠ‬
ُ ‫َو َﻻ ﺗَﺪ‬

And do not invoke with Allah another deity. There is no deity except Him.“
Everything will be destroyed except His Face. His is the judgement, and to Him you
”.will be returned

[Al-Qasas: 88]

:Likewise there are other ahādeeth which prove that Allāh has a Face

‫ َﻋ ِﻦ اﻟﻨﱠﺒِ ﱢﻲ‬،‫ َﻋ ْﻦ أَﺑِﯿ ِﻪ‬،‫ﺲ‬ ‫ َﻋ ْﻦ أَﺑﻲ ﺑَ ْﻜ ِﺮ ْﺑﻦ َﻋ ْﺒ ِﺪ ﱠ‬،‫ان‬

ٍ ‫اﷲِ ْﺑ ِﻦ َﻗ ْﯿ‬ ِ ِ َ ‫ َﻋ ْﻦ أَﺑِﻲ ِﻋ ْﻤ َﺮ‬،‫اﻟﺼ َﻤ ِﺪ‬ ْ
ِ ‫ َﺣ ﱠﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ َﻋ ْﺒ ُﺪ اﻟ َﻌ ِﺰ‬،ِ‫اﷲ‬
‫ﯾﺰ ْﺑ ُﻦ َﻋ ْﺒ ِﺪ ﱠ‬ ‫َﺣ ﱠﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ َﻋﻠِ ﱡﻲ ْﺑ ُﻦ َﻋ ْﺒ ِﺪ ﱠ‬
َ ‫ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ َﻗ‬
‫ﺎل‬

‫ َو َﻣﺎ ﺑَ ْﯿ َﻦ ْاﻟ َﻘ ْﻮم َوﺑَ ْﯿ َﻦ أَ ْن ﯾَ ْﻨ ُﻈ ُﺮوا إﻟَﻰ َرﺑﱢﻬ ْﻢ إ ﱠ‬،‫ َو َﺟﻨﱠﺘَﺎن ِﻣ ْﻦ َذ َﻫ ٍﺐ آﻧِﯿَﺘُ ُﻬ َﻤﺎ َو َﻣﺎ ِﻓﯿﻬ َﻤﺎ‬،‫ﻀ ٍﺔ آﻧِﯿَﺘُ ُﻬ َﻤﺎ َو َﻣﺎ ِﻓﯿﻬ َﻤﺎ‬
‫ﻻ ِردَا ُء ْاﻟ ِﻜ ْﺒ ِﺮ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ‫“ َﺟﻨﱠﺘ‬
‫ﺎن ِﻣ ْﻦ ِﻓ ﱠ‬
.” ‫ْن‬ٍ ‫َﻋﻠَﻰ َو ْﺟ ِﻬ ِﻪ ِﻓﻲ َﺟﻨﱠ ِﺔ َﻋﺪ‬

said: “There will be two ( ) Narrated `Abdullah bin Qais narrated that the Prophet
gardens of silver and all the utensils and whatever is therein will be of silver. And
two gardens of gold, and its utensils and whatever therein will be of gold. There will
be nothing to prevent the people from seeing their Lord except the cover of Majesty
over His Face in the Paradise of Eden (eternal bliss).” [Saheeh Al-Bukhāri in Kitāb at-
[Tawheed, no. 7444. Saheeh Muslim, Kitāb al-Imān, no. 296

،‫ أَ ﱠن أَﺑَﺎ ُﻫ َﺮ ْﯾ َﺮ َة‬،‫ َﻋ ْﻦ َﻋ َﻄﺎ ِء ْﺑ ِﻦ ﯾَ ِﺰﯾ َﺪ اﻟﻠﱠْﯿﺜِ ﱢﻲ‬،‫ﺎب‬ َ

ٍ ‫ َﻋ ِﻦ ا ْﺑ ِﻦ ِﺷ َﻬ‬،‫ َﺣ ﱠﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ أﺑِﻲ‬،‫اﻫﯿ َﻢ‬ ُ ‫ َﺣ ﱠﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ ﯾَ ْﻌ ُﻘ‬،‫َﺣ ﱠﺪﺛَﻨِﻲ ُز َﻫ ْﯿ ُﺮ ْﺑ ُﻦ َﺣ ْﺮ ٍب‬
ِ ‫ﻮب ْﺑ ُﻦ إِْﺑ َﺮ‬

ُ ‫ﺎل َر ُﺳ‬
‫ﻮل ﱠ‬ َ ‫اﷲِ َﻫ ْﻞ ﻧَ َﺮى َرﺑﱠﻨَﺎ ﯾَ ْﻮ َم ْاﻟ ِﻘﯿَﺎ َﻣ ِﺔ َﻓ َﻘ‬
‫ﻮل ﱠ‬َ ‫اﷲِ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ﯾَﺎ َر ُﺳ‬ ‫ﻮل ﱠ‬ ُ ً َ‫أَ ْﺧﺒَ َﺮ ُه أَ ﱠن ﻧ‬
‫اﷲِ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﺎﺳﺎ َﻗﺎﻟﻮا ﻟِ َﺮ ُﺳ‬
َ ‫ َﻗ‬. ِ‫اﷲ‬
‫ﺎل‬ ‫ﻮل ﱠ‬ َ ‫ َﻗﺎﻟُﻮا‬. ” ‫ْر‬
َ ‫ﻻ ﯾَﺎ َر ُﺳ‬ ِ ‫ون ِﻓﻲ ُر ْؤﯾَ ِﺔ ْاﻟ َﻘ َﻤ ِﺮ ﻟَْﯿﻠَ َﺔ ْاﻟﺒَﺪ‬
َ ‫ﺎر‬
‫ﻀﱡ‬َ ُ‫” َﻫ ْﻞ ﺗ‬

‫ﺎس ﯾَ ْﻮ َم ْاﻟ ِﻘﯿَﺎ َﻣ ِﺔ‬

َ ‫اﷲُ اﻟﻨﱠ‬
‫ﺎل ” َﻓﺈِﻧﱠ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﺗَ َﺮ ْوﻧَ ُﻪ َﻛ َﺬﻟِ َﻚ ﯾَ ْﺠ َﻤ ُﻊ ﱠ‬
َ ‫ َﻗ‬. ِ‫اﷲ‬
‫ﻮل ﱠ‬ َ ‫ َﻗﺎﻟُﻮا‬. ” ‫ﺎب‬
َ ‫ﻻ ﯾَﺎ َر ُﺳ‬ ٌ ‫ﺲ ُدوﻧَ َﻬﺎ َﺳ َﺤ‬ َ ‫ﺲ ﻟَْﯿ‬ ‫ون ِﻓﻲ ﱠ‬
ِ ‫اﻟﺸ ْﻤ‬ َ ‫ﺎر‬‫ﻀﱡ‬ َ ُ‫” َﻫ ْﻞ ﺗ‬
‫ﺎن ﯾَ ْﻌﺒُ ُﺪ َﺷ ْﯿﺌًﺎ َﻓ ْﻠﯿَﺘﱠﺒِ ْﻌ ُﻪ‬ ُ ‫َﻓﯿَ ُﻘ‬
َ ‫ﻮل َﻣ ْﻦ َﻛ‬

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 Messenger of“ :( ) Abu Hurairah reported: The people said to the Messenger of Allah
”?Allah, shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection

said: “Do you feel any trouble in seeing the moon on the ( ) The Messenger of Allah
”?night when it is full

”.They said: “O Messenger of Allah, no

The Messenger further said: “Do you feel any trouble in seeing the sun, when there
”?is no cloud over it

”.They said: “O Messenger of Allah. no

So he said: “Verily you will see Him like this (as you see the sun and the moon).
Allah will gather people on the Day of Resurrection and say: Let every person
”.follow what they worshipped

[Saheeh Muslim, Kitāb al-Imān, no. 182. See also At-Tirmidhi, no. 3248]

:Footnotes

.Perfect is Allah, far removed from all imperfection, glorified is He ¹

.And all praise is due to Allah ²

.And there is none worthy of worship except Allah ³

.[And Allah is greater [than all besides Him ⁴

.And there is no movement or might except with Allah ⁵

.And blessed is Allah ⁶

.Perfect is Allah, far removed from all imperfections and for Him is all praise ⁷

:The Arabic Text

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