1.

Al-Qawaa'id al
by Shaykh Saali
Ustaadh Moosaa Richardson

Notes by Umm Sufyaan Fatimah
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Qawaa'id al-Muthlaa
Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Moosaa Richardson
Class 03









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2.




All praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him, seek His aid and His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from
the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allaah guides there is none to misguide him
and whomsoever Allaah misguides there is none to guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of
worship except Allaah alone without any partners and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and
Messenger.




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3.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE
CONCERNING ALLAAH'S NAMES

1.3 - THEY MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE A RELATED RULING AND IMPLICATION

If the Name refers to a transitive description,
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then it includes three things:

[1] An established Name of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic,

[2] An established Attribute that is included in the meaning of the Name,
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[3] And an established ruling and implication.

For example, if we say Allaah is Al-Ghafaar (Allaah Forgave) in English, we are waiting for the object (or third
party). Who did Allaah Forgive? Allaah Forgave a man or woman. So, from the Name Al-Ghafaar (the All-
Forgiving) we understand that this is a title to Allaah firstly, and secondly it is a reference that Allaah has the
Attribute of Forgiveness. And thirdly, there must be a maghfoor lah (someone who is forgiven). So this Name
indicates that some of the creation are affected by this Attribute since they will be forgiven by Him.

Another example, the people of knowledge have said that highway robbers who repent (before being caught)
may be exempted from punishment, using as proof the Statement of Allaah, the Exalted:

{ w vu ts r qp
~}|{zyx z

As for those who repented before they fell into your power,
then know that Allaah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful. [5:34]

This is because the related ruling and implication of these two Names is that Allaah, the Exalted, has forgiven
them of their sins and bestowed Mercy on them by cancelling the legislated punishment.

So when Allaah mentioned these two Names at the end of the verse, it was all three things intended,

[1] A reference to Allaah,

[2] A reference to His two Attributes of Forgiveness and Mercy

[3] And an indication that if robbers or thieves turn themselves in to the authorities before they are
captured, then they should receive forgiveness and mercy. They should be excused from the
punishment of the crime.

An illustration of this principle is that as-Samee` (the All-Hearing) includes:

1
In Arabic (

..,) a description that includes a direct external effect, like the Name as-Samee` (the All-Hearing)
and how it affects others, in that Allaah hears them. The opposite of this, a non-transitive description, does not include
any external effect, like al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) for example.
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Each of Allaah's Names refers to an Attribute by way of tadam-mun. Tadam-mum is discussed thoroughly in the next
principle.
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4.

[1] The Name as-Samee` for Allaah, the Exalted,

[2] The Attribute of Hearing,

[3] And a relating ruling and implication - that He hears all secret and concealed talks.

Allaah, the Exalted, has said:

{ TSRQ P ONM L z

And Allaah hears the dispute between you both.
Verily Allaah is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. [58:1]

Between who? Between the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and Khawlah, the one who came
to complain about her husband. When she came to complain and show distress of the situation she was in,
Allaah had revealed that he had heard their conversation. What is the significance? `Aaishah (radiallaahu ta'aala
`anha) narrates that she was in the other side of the room and Khawlah was being discreet with the Messenger
(salallaahu `alayhi wa sallam). So `Aaishah said: Exonerated be Allaah the One Whose Hearing encompasses
everything! I was in the room and I could not hear the conversation that took place, but Allaah from Above
the heavens heard the conversation between the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and
Khawlah!

So the first kind of Name is a Name that has a transitive description (includes an effect on a third party).
However, what about a name based on an Arabic word that does not have a transitive description like Al-
Hayy (the Ever Living)?

If the Name refers to a non-transitive description, then it only includes two things:

[1] A Name of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic

[2] And an Attribute that is included in the meaning of the Name.

An illustration of this is how the Name, Al-Hayy (the Ever-Living), includes:

[1] The Name Al-Hayy for Allaah, the Exalted,

[2] And the Attribute of Life.

From this aforementioned illustration we do not see a related ruling or implication (as opposed to a transitive
description). However, based upon the first principle, anyone who has perfect and complete life must have
hearing, seeing, knowledge, greatness, and capabilities. So, in this case, by way of the things that we
understand from Al-Hayy, we can indirectly say that it impacts our life. Allaah is the All-Living, Ever-Living.
He is the Only One Who has this Attribute. There is none before Him and none after Him. So it must have
an effect on us somehow, but it is indirect through the other Attributes - it must necessitate complete
hearing, complete vision and complete understanding, awareness, and capabilities and honor. All of this must
be included in someone who has perfect life. But indirectly from the verb that establishes this Name, we
cannot understand that this Attribute has an impact.

Another example is Al-`Atheem (the Most Great):
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5.

[1] The Name Al-`Atheem for Allaah, the Exalted,

[2] And the perfect and complete Attribute of Greatness.

As for the third principle, what is the effect of this third principle upon us? In Arabic, we say `athooma fulaan
(so and so became great), however we are not waiting for anything to complete the sentence in Arabic. So,
here, it is wasf muta'adee (it is an attribute that does not have a transitive description) - it does not have an
effect or object. So, indirectly we can understand that if He is Al-`Atheem, then He must have other Attributes
as well, and those other Attributes must have impacts on His creation. However, He is Great and He is
described with Greatness, but it does not include a transitive description.









































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6.

The difference between verbs that are transitive and verbs that are intransitive:

Muta`addi has an object and Laazim does not have one.

Example of Muta`addi: Zayd hit `Amr.

Example of Laazim: Zayd sat.

When you say Zayd hit and you stop, people are waiting for you to finish the sentence - who or what did
Zayd hit? So the meaning of the verb either carries on into the object or the meaning of the verb stays within
the doer of the verb. In Arabic, we have some verbs that are the root of the Name that Allaah has described
Himself with. A Name that Allaah has which has a direct transitive effect with the creation is Al-Muheet (the
All-Encompassing One). What is He encompassing? He is encompassing everything without exception. He is
encompassing all of the creation by way of His Knowledge, His Hearing, so on and so forth.


~

The first example that the author gave in regards to transitive verbs was concerning the highway robbers:

{ w vu ts r qp
~}|{zyx z

As for those who repented before they fell into your power,
then know that Allaah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful. [5:34]

When the highway robbers surrender to the authorities, they are to be forgiven and excused. They are to be
allowed to make repentance and to be excused from the punishment of highway robbery. This is because
Allaah closes this aayah with:

{ ~} | z

All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.

The scholars of tafseer said Al-Ghafoor is the All-Forgiving and Raheem is the All-Merciful. Allaah did not close
the aayah by saying He is Powerful, Capable, All-Wise, All-Knowing, or Severe in Punishment. Rather he
ended the verse saying that He is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful. So what we understand is He has mentioned
His own Names, He has referred to Himself with an Attribute, and there must be an implication. What is the
implication that Allaah wanted us to understand from His Book? The implication is that His maghfirah (His
Forgiveness) and Mercy reaches the highway robbers who surrendered themselves.

So we are looking at Names of Allaah that have an impact on a third party versus Names that are based on
Attributes that do not seem to have an object that they would take.

An illustration of a intransitive verb is the Name Al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) that refers to Allaah. It is an
Attribute of perfect Life. We believe that Allaah is the possessor of perfect Life that is neither preceded by
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7.
birth nor followed by death. This Life is an Attribute that we affirm for Him. But how does this impact us?
What reaches us from this perfect Life? There is nothing directly understood from it, except indirectly we
could say that if He has perfect life, then He must be All-Seeing, All-Hearing, All-Capable and All-Great, etc.
So these Attributes, that we deduced from His perfect Life, could have effects on us. But the very name Al-
Hayy does not have a direct impact on the creation.

The other example we looked at was the Name Al-`Atheem (the Most Great). No doubt His Greatness is seen
in the creation and in His Ability to fashion and form things. His Greatness can be seen everywhere.
However, from the Arabic language and from the description `Athooma fulaan (so-and-so became great) the
sentence is over and the description is finished. He Himself is Great. There is no object of this Greatness. It
is not an action that transcends to someone else. He is Great Himself. Of course, the reflection of His
Greatness can be seen in His creation in an indirect way. But the actual name Al-`Atheem does not include an
action that transcends into the created realm.

Most of the Names of Allaah, have transitive descriptions.

Another example is Al-Awal (the First One). He Himself is the First with none before Him. What is the
transitive description from this? There is none. We glorify Allaah with this, He is the First with none before
Him, and we affirm this as a Name for Him, but it does not have a direct object. There is no Action that
transcends into the creation. But if we said that Allaah is ash-Shakoor (the Thankful One), the One Who
thanks His creation and rewards them, then there must be someone who is thanked. There must be someone
who has done something to earn the pleasure of Allaah and there must have been a good action. Therefore,
we have a transitive description.

Al-Aakhir (the Eternal One whom there is none after) does not have a direct object in the Arabic language.
Therefore, it is intransitive. We only understand two things from it:

[1] It is a reference to Allaah,

[2] It is a reference to Him being Eternal with none after Him.

Al-`Ahad (...) = intransitive.

Al-Baseer (the All-Seeing) = transitive. This has a direct impact on the creation. We know with certainty that
Allaah is Seeing us now. Nothing we do can escape His Sight. So then, it has a transitive description and it has
a direct object and implication on His creation. So Al-Baseer establishes three things for us, not just two:

[1] It is a Name of Allaah,

[2] It establishes the Attribute of perfect Vision and Sight that is not obstructed nor limited by
anything, and that has no deficiency in it whatsoever,

[3] And there are actions and movements that are seen by Him,

At-Tawaab (the Acceptor of repentance) = transitive.

[1] It is a Name of Allaah,

[2] It establishes the perfect Attribute of accepting repentance,

[3] And there is repentance being offered, and it is accepted by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aala).

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8.
Al-Hafeeth (the Preserver) = transitive. So it establishes three things:

[1] It is a Name of Allaah,

[2] The Attribute of Perseveration

[3] Allaah preserves some of His creation.

Aboo Tayyib At-Tabaree (an early scholar), for example, was an old man - about a hundred years old. He was
remarkable in that he was 100 years old and his vision and his hearing were sharp. He was physically capable
of running and performing actions just like the young man. He once came back from a trip by sea - and you
could imagine, during that time period, traveling by sea would exhaust people. Rather even today, by the time
you land from an 8-houred flight, you are exhausted. This is with an air-conditioned seat and being served
food, yet you are still exhausted. What about weeks and months at sea?

So when the boat landed and everyone was exhausted, Aboo Tayyib At-Tabaree jumps off the boat and hops
down to the land. People were amazed. How could you be a hundred years old and jump around like this? He
said:

When I was a young man, I preserved these bodily limbs from the disobedience of Allaah and Allaah
preserved them for me in my old age.

You can find this story mentioned by Ibn Rajab in his explanation to 'Preserve Allaah and He will preserve
you,' of 40 Ahaadeeth of An-Nawaawee.

Al-Qawee` (the All-Mighty) = intransitive. As an indirect implication, Allaah being Strong and All-Capable
and possessing perfect Strength is something that is definitely going to have an impact on how we understand
what He has done, how He has created things and how He has fashioned the earth, the rivers, the mountains,
and all of that. He is Al-Qawee`. But the Attribute of Quwaa is mentioned as a description of Allaah (`Azza wa
Jall) and when we say Allaah is Al-Qawee` we are not waiting for the object of the sentence. So in this case, it
is intransitive.








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