3.2 Who are Those Who Prescribe to this False Belief?

When mentioning this disgraceful statement, know that some of the wayward Sufis engaged in philosophy and the knowledge of signs along with the knowledge of the ancients, they are the ones who have prescribed to this disgraceful belief; and that is Allah the All Exalted above what they claim has dissolved into all creation and become one with it. This unity and absorption is either general or specific.

Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah-may Allah show him mercy-said:
“Know that I do not of anyone form among the nations before them who have claimed these statements of beliefs in the fashion they did. However, I have seen in some of the books of philosophy reported on Aristotle that he reports on how some philosophers with the words: verily existence is one for which he repudiated. Suffice you the school for which the Sabian theologians were content with. Rather, these claims originated with the creation of the Tataarian state but the matter is that disbelief is in the belief of general absorption or unity or special absorption. This is because the matter is four fold; because whosoever renders the Lord as a true servant either claims his dissolving in him or his unity with him. On either case, it may be that it is rendered specific to a particular creation like the Messiah, or that it is general pertaining to all creation. Here are the four divisions:

• First
• Second
• Third
• Fourth

3.2 Who are Those Who Prescribe to this False Belief?

Specific Absorption: this is the claim of the Nestorian sect of Christianity and their like who have claimed: that the divine has dissolved into mankind and is encompassed by it like the absorption of water in the glass. They confirm the disbelief of the Christians due to their mixing with the Muslims. The first of them appeared in the time of al-Ma’mun. This is also the claim of those wayward extremists from among this ummah like the Raafidites who claim that Allah dissolved into Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Imam’s of his house, just as it also appeared in the wayward ascetics who claim such positions for their saints and those who claim custodianship from among them are foremost on such claims like al-Hallaj, Yunus and al-Hakim and their likes.

Specific Unity: this is the claim of the Jacobite sect of Christianity who states the vilest claims. They are Coptics and Sudanese who claim: the divine and mankind have mixed and transformed like milk and water. This is also the claim of those wayward extremists who claim to be Muslims.

3.2 Who are Those Who Prescribe to this False Belief?

General Absorption: this is the claim for which the Sunni scholars have ascribed to a group from among the early al-Jahamiyyah which happens to be their general belief. They say: Allah in His essence is everywhere and they engage in the ambiguous verses of Quran like His words:

((

وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الأَرْضِ

))

He is Allah in the Heavens and Earth
And like his words: ((وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ)) And He is with you. The refutation of such people is plenty and popular in the sayings of the Sunni Imams and the knowledgeable and scholars of Hadith.

General Unity: this is the claim of those atheists who claim that Allah is the essence of existent entities. They are greater in disbelief than the disbelief of the Jews and Christians.” Here ends his remarks.

3.2 Who are Those Who Prescribe to this False Belief?

As for the heads of the wayward Sufis prescribing to the belief of Absorption and Unity they are:

• Ibn Arabi
• Ibn al-Farid

Abu Bakr Muhyyi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad al-Haatimi al-Taa’i al-Andalusi, popularly known as Ibn Arabi. He was born in Murcia year 560 h. wherein he grew up. He travelled throughout the nations and died in Damascus year 638 h. It is mentioned by the author of ‘Clarity of the Two Eyes’ that he was tested in fiqh and other sciences which is considered to be non-credible statements, like: the permissibility of wiping both feet for ablution, and the permissibility of woman Imams leading both men and women, and water that has been corrupted with impurities which has not changed any of its basic characteristics is a cleanser that in itself is not pure, and that Pharaoh was a believer, and no punishment for a person who leaves prayers intentionally.” Here ends his remarks.

3.2 Who are Those Who Prescribe to this False Belief?

AAbu Hafs Umar ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Hamawi of Egyptian origins birth, home and death, famously known as Ibn al-Farid. He was born in the year 576 h. in Cairo and dies year 632 h. From among his poetry regarding absorption and unity what has been mentioned by the author of ‘The Demise of Tasawwuf’:

She has my prayers by the position I stand
And I bear witness that she has prayed to me
We are all praying prostrating towards
A reality through combined unity in all prostrations
I have not prayed except to myself and
My prayers have not been for any other than
Myself in each rak’ah.

Among them are al-Hallaj, al-Afif al-Talmisani, al-Quuni, Ibn Hud, Ibn Sab’een and his student al-Shashtari, Ibn Mazhfar and al-Saffar along with those who have followed them from among the Shiites, and for which the Islamic law and rational mind rejects as we will explain in the following point.