9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



The First Specious Argument
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy upon him) gave a fine answer to this in his book Kashf al-Shubuhaat (Dispelling Misconceptions).

The summary is the tremendous matter and major point of benefit to those who understand it; that is the statement of Allah, the Exalted:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ))
[آل عمران:٧] (( زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلا اللَّهُ
“He it is Who has revealed to you (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations – they are the substance of the Book – and others (which are) ambiguous. But those in whose hearts is deviance pursue what is ambiguous seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knows its explanation except Allah. [3:7]


9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



Also, it has been authentically reported from the Prophet (PBUH) that he said,
(( إذا رأيتم الذين يتبعون ما تشابه منه فأولئك الذين سمى الله فاحذروهم ))
رواه الإمام البخاري ومسلم
“When you see those who pursue what is ambiguous of it, those are the ones whom Allah as identified, so beware of them.” Collected by Imam al-Bukhaaree and Muslim (May Allah have mercy upon them both.

An example of that: If one of the mushriks says to you,
[يونس:٦٢] (( أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ))
“Indeed, verily the friends of Allah, there shall be no fear upon them nor will they grieve, [10:62] and intercession is real, and the prophets have a position of honor with Allah,” or he mentions a statement of the Prophet (PBUH) in order to use it to support some aspect of his falsehood, and you do not understand the meaning of what he says, answer him by saying, “Allah mentioned in His book that those in whose hearts is deviance abandon what is clear and pursue what is ambiguous. I have mentioned to you that Allah stated that the mushriks acknowledge Allah’s lordship (ruboobiyyah) and their disbelief lies in the attachment of their hearts to the angels, the prophets and the pious along with their statement,


9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



[يونس:١٨] (( هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ))
‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ [10:18]

This is a clear and definitive matter, and no one can alter its meaning, while what you have mentioned to me, O mushrik, from the Qur’an or the statements of the Prophet (PBUH), I don’t know what it means; however, I can say for sure that Allah’s word does not contradict itself and that the statements of the Prophet (PBUH) do not contradict the word of Allah.”

This is a good, straightforward answer; however, no one understands it except one to whom Allah has granted understanding; so do not underestimate it, for it is as Allah, the Exalted, said:
[فصلت:٣٥] (( وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ ))
“But none is granted it but those who are steadfast, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].” [41:35]

What the Shaykh meant by a summary answer is that this answer is appropriate for refuting any misconception or specious argument for it encompasses all of them in its refutation.

9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



The Second Specious Argument

The answer which Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (May Allah have mercy upon him) gave to this specious argument is:

The response to the People of Falsehood is of two types:

• summary
• detailed

As for the summary response: (He repeated what he said earlier in response to the first specious argument) then he said:
This is a good, straightforward answer; however, no one understands it except one to whom Allah has granted understanding; so do not underestimate it, for it is as Allah, the Exalted, said:
[فصلت:٣٥] (( وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ ))
“But none is granted it but those who are steadfast, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].” [41:35]


9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



[يونس:١٨] (( هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ))
‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ [10:18]

This is a clear and definitive matter, and no one can alter its meaning, while what you have mentioned to me, O mushrik, from the Qur’an or the statements of the Prophet (PBUH), I don’t know what it means; however, I can say for sure that Allah’s word does not contradict itself and that the statements of the Prophet (PBUH) do not contradict the word of Allah.”

This is a good, straightforward answer; however, no one understands it except one to whom Allah has granted understanding; so do not underestimate it, for it is as Allah, the Exalted, said:
[فصلت:٣٥] (( وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ ))
“But none is granted it but those who are steadfast, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].” [41:35]

What the Shaykh meant by a summary answer is that this answer is appropriate for refuting any misconception or specious argument for it encompasses all of them in its refutation.

9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy upon him), commenting upon this summary response in his commentary on Kashf al-Shubuhaat, said:
The Shaykh responded to these specious arguments with two answers: one of them is summary and general, appropriate for every specious argument, and the other is detailed. This is what the people of knowledge ought to do when engaged in debates and intellectual disputes. They should first provide a summary answer that will encompass everything that the distorters and obscurers are likely to present. Then they should provide detailed answers for each specific issue. Thus you see the people of deviance - we seek refuge with Allah [from it] - bringing ambiguous verses from the Qur’an to provide cover for their falsehood; for example they say: “Allah said such-and-such, and in another place He said such-and-such…” The man who pursues ambiguities in the Qur’an or the Sunnah and uses them to provide cover for his falsehood is one of those whom Allah identified and characterized in His statement,

[آل عمران:٧] (( فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ ))
“those in whose hearts is deviance” [3:7]


9.2 The Summary Answer to these Two Specious Arguments



Then Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) warned us to beware of them. The author then coined an example of their style: One of the mushriks says to you, “Doesn’t Allah says,
[يونس:٦٢] (( أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ))
‘Indeed, verily the friends of Allah, there shall be no fear upon them nor will they grieve’? [10:62]

Do the awliyaa’ not have an eminent status with Allah? Isn’t intercession well established in both the Qur’an and the Sunnah?” and other similar arguments of this nature. Say, “Yes, all of these things are true; however none of that contains permission for you to make shirk with those awliyaa’ or those messengers of Allah or those whom Allah will grant intercession. And your claim that these matters are indicators for any of that is a false claim which no one but a promoter of falsehood would use as evidence [in that way]. You are nothing but one of those about whom Allah said,
[آل عمران:٧] (( فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ))
‘But those in whose hearts is deviance pursue what is ambiguous of it’ [3:7]

If you were to refer this ambiguous evidence to that which is clear and definitive, you would know that there is no evidence for you in it.”