Member
Posts: 60
Joined: Dec 2002
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posted on behalf of a brother
Asalaamu alaikum wa rahmathullaahi wa barakathu-hu
We are hoping for the tulaabul 'ilm insha'Allaah to answer the following question. The excerpt below is from Sahih al-Bukhari 9.532b, Nar. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri:
"...Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape (soorah) other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, 'I am your Lord,' and they will say, 'You are not our Lord.' And none will speak to Him then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, 'Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?' They will say. 'The Shin,' and so Allah will then uncover His Shin whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation..."
Our question is two-fold insha'Allaah:
i) When the Prophet (alayhi wa salaatu wa salaam) said: "Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape (soorah) other than the one which they saw the first time", how do we understand the part "in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time"? i.e. what period/ event is this referring to?
And
How do we understand the word 'shape (soorah)' since it may be asked by the Mujassima:
"If Allaah can come in a certain shape to His creation then is it not possible for Him to come down in the form of a human, which is also a shape"? What would be the correct response in relation to what ahlul 'ilm have said concerning the word 'shape' in this hadith?
ii) How do we understand the statement: "Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?" Is there a tafseer explaining how they first came to know of this sign being 'His Shin'?
We apologise for putting forth such a seemingly long-winded question but we would dearly like to know the most appropriate answer from our ulema in order to firstly understand this ourselves and then to have a sufficient answer ready for any impending doubts that may be forwarded by the Mushabihah and especially the Mujassima, such as the Christians,
wa barakallaahu feekum
Was-salaamu alaikum wa rahmathullaahi wa barakathu-hu
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abdulbaasit.malik
13-02-2003 @ 12:00 AM
