The cause of such a perplexing situation in the Law, which has
compelled its votaries to take refuge in such worthless arguments,
as would bring a smile to the lips of anybody who has made the least
effort to distinguish between different kinds of arguments, is the
exposition of anthropomorphic qualities of God to the common people,
a fact which has been prohibited by God and His Prophet. It is so
because it is very difficult for a man to believe at the same time that
there exists One without a body, who can be seen with our eyes. For
the things which the senses comprehend are in the bodies or the bodies
themselves. Hence the Mutakallimun have tried to prove that the Divine
Vision will be an addition to our existing qualities at that moment.
This also should not have been disclosed to the common people. For
since their intellect cannot go beyond their imagination that which
they cannot imagine is non-existent for them. To imagine a thing which
has no body is not possible, and hence a belief in the existence of
an object which they cannot imagine, is impossible for them. It was
for this reason that the Law refused to disclose this secret to them,
and described God, for their sake, in terms which they can imagine,
ascribing to him the attributes of hearing, seeing, having a face, &c.
&c., at the same time telling them that He is not like anything which
can be imagined. Had the intention of the Law been to make clear to
the masses the fact of His having no body, it would not have mentioned
these things in detail. But as light was the highest of imaginable
things, it was given to them as an illustration of God, for it is the
best known of the things both to the senses and to the imagination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account