Search In Fatwa

Allaah's happiness does not resemble creations' happiness

Question

I want to ask question related to tawheed asma siffat....my question is what is the diffence between the happines of allah and the happines of creation? My second question is allah says if you remember me and i will remember you so my question is what is the diffrence between his remebrance and creation remebrance ..jazakAllah khair..

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

To answer your question, we will mention a general principle which scholars have mentioned in their writings on the Divine Attributes: What is said in relation to the Divine Essence also applies to the Divine Attributes. In other words, just as the Divine Essence is unique and does not resemble the essence of created beings, the Divine Attributes are unique and do not resemble the attributes of created beings.

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said:

"What applies to the Divine Essence applies to the Divine Attributes. Allaah The Exalted is unique; nothing compares to Him in terms of His Essence, Attributes and Actions. Since Allaah The Exalted has a Divine Essence that is unique and is not like that of any of the created beings, this Divine Essence has Attributes that are also unique and do not resemble any of those of created beings. If a person asked about the Istiwaa’ (Allaah's mounting the Throne), he should be answered with the well-known answer of Maalik and Rabee‘ah  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them: 'The Istiwaa’ of Allaah is known, the 'how' of it is unknown, faith in it is obligatory, and asking about it is a heretical innovation because no human being can answer such a question." [End of quote]

The answer given by Maalik and Rabee‘ah applies to all the Divine Attributes. The Divine Attribute of Happiness in this context is undoubtedly unique and perfect and befits the greatness and grandeur of Allaah, and it does not resemble the happiness of created beings.

Another important principle concerning this is that the similarity of names or attributes does not necessarily entail similarity in the nature of those names or attributes. Ibn Taymiyyah  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said: "It should be established that Allaah The Exalted is unique and His Attributes are perfect and superlative, that He does not resemble His creation in His Divine Essence and in any of His Attributes and Actions. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: 'There are no pleasures of Paradise similar to those in this world except for their names,' meaning that the nature of the pleasures of Paradise, which Allaah has promised His believing slaves, such as gold, silk, wine and milk, differs from those with the same name in this world. Allaah is even more removed from resembling His creations in a way that people do not comprehend – His nature is not like the nature of anything among them." [End of quote]

On the other hand, when a person mentions/engages in remembrance of Allaah, it is with veneration and by saying the known utterances of glorification (i.e. Tasbeeh, "Subhan Allaah"; Takbeer, "Allaahu Akbar"; Tahleel, "La Ilaaha Illa Allaah"; Tahmeed, "Al-hamdulillaah") and all other forms of Thikr. When Allaah The Exalted mentions/remembers His slave, it is by praising Him in the heavens, and He speaks in the real sense. Shaykh Al-Barraak  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said: "This means that Allaah The Exalted mentions His slave by speaking about him to Himself without informing the Angels. He may also mention him in the presence of the Angels as well like when He praises him before whichever angels He wills and informs them that He loves him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: 'When Allaah loves a slave, Jibreel (Gabriel) announces in the heavens, 'Allaah loves such a person, so love him.' Therefore, it is clear that the figurative interpretation that suggests that when Allaah mentions His slave it means that He gives him mercy, grace or reward, consists in interpreting the words outside of their apparent indication without evidence. It is as if the one who believes such a thing says that Allaah The Exalted does not speak in the real sense, in such a way that He causes whomever of His slaves He wills to hear it."

The difference between the remembrance of Allaah and the remembrance of the slave is like the difference between the Creator and the created.

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa