فَرَحْمَةُThe mercyاللَّهِof AllahعَزَّThe Exaltedوَجَلَّand Majesticثَابِتَةٌis establishedبِالدَّلِيلِby the evidenceالسَّمْعِيِّof hearingوَالدَّلِيلِand the evidenceالْعَقْلِيِّof intellect
The mercy of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, is established by the evidence of hearing and the evidence of intellect.
وَأَنْكَرَAnd deniedالأَشَاعِرَةُthe Asharitesوَغَيْرَهُمْand othersمِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofالتَّعْطِيلِta'til (negation of attributes)أَنْthatيَكُونَHe beاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىthe ExaltedمُتَصِفًاDescribedبِالرَّحْمَةِwith mercy
And the Asharites and others from the people of ta'til denied that Allah, the Exalted, is described with mercy.
قَالُواThey said::لِأَنَّbecauseالْعَقْلَthe intellectلَمْdid notيَدِلَّindicateعَلَيْهَاon itوَثَانِيًاAnd secondly::لِأَنَّbecauseالرَّحْمَةَmercyرِقَّةًis tendernessوَضَعْفًاand weaknessوَتَطَامُنًاand humility,,لِلْمَرحُومِfor the one who is shown mercyوَهَذَاand thisلَاis notيَلَائِقٌappropriateبِاللَّهِto Allahعَزَّthe Exaltedوَجَلَّand Majestic؛;
They said: because the intellect did not indicate on it. And secondly: because mercy is tenderness and weakness and humility for the one who is shown mercy, and this is not appropriate to Allah, the Exalted and Majestic.
لِأَنَّBecauseاللَّهَAllahأَعْظَمُis greaterمِنْthanأَنْtoيَرْحَمَhave mercyبِالْمَعْنَىin the meaningالَّذِيthatهُوَisالرَّحْمَةُmercy,,وَلَاand cannotيُمْكِنُbeأَنْtoيَكُونَbeلِلَّهِfor Allahرَحْمَةٌmercy!!!!
Because Allah is greater than to have mercy in the meaning that is mercy, and cannot be for Allah mercy!!
وَقَالُواAnd they said::الْمُرَادُthe intendedبِالرَّحْمَةِwith mercy::إِرَادَةُthe willالإِحْسَانِof kindness,,أَوْorالإِحْسَانُkindness itselfنَفْسُهُitself;;أَيْthat isإِمَّاeitherالنِّعَمَthe blessings,,أَوْorإِرَادَةَthe willالنِّعَمِof blessings
And they said: the intended with mercy is the will of kindness, or kindness itself; that is, either the blessings, or the will of blessings.
فَتَأَمَّلْSo contemplateالْآنَnowكَيْفَhowسَلَبُواthey deprivedهَذِهِthisالصِّفَةَattributeالْعَظِيمَةَthe great,,الَّتِيthatكُلَّeveryمُؤْمِنٍbelieverيَرْجُوهَاis hoping forوَيُؤَمِّلُهَاand expects itكُلَّeveryإِنْسَانٍhumanلَوْifسَأَلَتَّهُyou asked him::مَاذَاwhatتُرِيدُdo you want؟?قَالَHe would say::أُرِيدُI wantرَحْمَةَmercyاللَّهِof Allah،,﴿﴿إِنَّIndeedرَحْمَتَthe mercyاللَّهِof Allahقَرِيبٌis nearمِّنَfromالْمُحْسِنِينَthe doers of good﴾﴾
So contemplate now how they deprived this great attribute, which every believer hopes for and every human if you asked him: What do you want? He would say: I want the mercy of Allah, ﴿ Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good. ﴾ [Al-A'raf: 56].
أَنْكَرُواThey deniedهَذَاthis؛;
They denied this;
قَالُواThey said::لَاNoيُمْكِنُcanأَنْtoيُوَصَفَbe describedاللَّهُAllahبِالرَّحْمَةِwith mercy!!!!
They said: No, Allah cannot be described with mercy!!
وَنَحْنُAnd weنَرِدُّreplyعَلَيْهِمْto themقَوْلَهُمْtheir sayingمِنْfromوَجْهَيْنtwo aspectsبِالتَّسْلِيمِby submissionوَالْمَنْعِand prevention::التَّسْلِيمُSubmissionأَنْthatنَقُولَwe say::هَبْGrantedأَنْthatالْعَقْلَthe intellectلَاdoes notيَدُلُّindicateعَلَيْهَاon it،,وَلَكِنْbutالسَّمْعُthe hearingدَلَّindicatedعَلَيْهَاon it؛;فَثَبَتَتْSo it is establishedبِدَلِيلٍby evidenceآخَرَanother,,وَالْقَاعِدَةُand the principleالْعَامَّةُgeneralعِندَamongجَمِيعِallالْعُقَلَاءِthe wise::أَنْthatانْتِفَاءَthe absenceالدَّلِيلِthe evidenceالمُعَيَّنِspecificلَاdoes notيَسْتَلْزِمُentailانْتِفَاءَthe absenceالْمَدْلُولِthe signified؛;لَأَنَّهُbecauseقَدْcouldيُثْبَتَproveبِدَلِيلٍby evidenceآخَرَanother؛:فَهَبْSo grantedأَنْthatالرَّحْمَةَmercyلَمْdid notتَثْبُتْbe establishedبِالْعَقْلِby intellect،,لَكِنَّbutثَبَتَتْis establishedبِالسَّمْعِby hearing،,وَكَمْand how manyمِنْofأَشْيَاءَthingsثُبِتَتْhave been establishedبِأَدِلَّةٍby evidenceكَثِيرَةٍmany؛;أَمَّاAs forالْمَنْعُthe prevention؛;فَنَقُولُwe say::إِنَّIndeedقَوْلَكُمْyour sayingإِنَّthatالْعَقْلَthe intellectلَاdoes notيَدُلُّindicateعَلَىonالرَّحْمَةِmercyقَوْلٌthe sayingبَاطِلٌis falseبَلْbutالْعَقْلُthe intellectيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىonالرَّحْمَةِmercy؛;فَهَذِهِtheseالنِّعَمُthe blessingsالْمَشْهُودَةُobservedوَالْمَسْمُوعَةُand heardوَهَذِهِand theseالنِّقَمُthe calamitiesالْمَرْفُوعَةُremoved؛;مَاwhatسَبَبُهَاis the reason for it؟!?!إِنَّIndeedسَبَبُهَاits reasonالرَّحْمَةُmercyبِلَاWithoutشَكٍّdoubt,,وَلَوْAnd ifكَانَwasاللَّهُAllahلَاnotيَرْحَمُhave mercyالْعِبَادَthe servants؛;مَاwhatأَعْطَاهُمُwould He give themالنِّعَمَاتِthe blessings
As for the prevention; we say: Indeed, your saying that the intellect does not indicate on mercy is false, but the intellect indicates on mercy; these blessings that are observed and heard, and these calamities that are removed; what is the reason for them?! Indeed, the reason for this is mercy without doubt, and if Allah does not have mercy upon the servants; what would He give them the blessings.