Clarification made upon the statement of Imam At Tabari regarding his negation of silence for Allah ﷻ.
Translation: Imam At Tabari says: That He is the manager of all things, alone in that without any partner or supporter; that He is Al-Samad, the One who is unlike anything else; the All-Knowing, whose knowledge encompasses everything; the All-Powerful, for whom nothing is beyond His will; the Speaker, for whom silence (sukut) is not permissible.
The Muhaqiq Ali bin Abdul Aziz in the footenote says: This phrase is not to be taken absolutely, as the attribute of speech is an inherent attribute (sifat al-dhat) of the essence, in terms of its type, and it is connected to His will (irada) in its particulars.
The statement of Ibn Jarir (d. 310 AH): “It is not permissible for Him to remain silent (al-sukut)” might give the impression that the speech of Allah is eternally existent in an absolute sense, and that He has always been speaking continuously, as claimed by the Salimiyyah al-iqtiraniyyah and as the Ash’aris say regarding the intrinsic meaning. The correct position, as indicated by both revelation and reason (‘aql), is that Allah has always been capable of speech and speaks whenever He wills, about whatever He wills. Therefore, speech in terms of Allah’s ability to speak, is an eternal attribute of His essence (sifat al-dhatiyyah qadimah). However, in terms of it being subject to His will (mashiyyah), it is an emergent action (sifat fi’liyyah mutajaddidah) that follows His will and decree.
Therefore, it is impermissible to deny the possibility of silence (al-sukut) for Him. References to silence being attributed to Allah are mentioned in narrations, including the hadith raised by Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani (d. 75 AH): “And He remained silent about things out of mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not seek after them.” This was recorded by al-Daraqutni (d. 385 AH) and others and authenticated by al-Nawawi in Al-Arba’in (The Forty Hadith). See Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam (pg. 275). I believe what Imam Ibn Jarir (d. 310 AH) intended by “silence” is that which is the opposite of being described by the attribute of speech (kalam), and this would imply muteness (al-khars), from which Allah is infinitely exalted. This understanding is because, in the context of his earlier and later statements, he ascribed to every attribute its opposite-thus, ability (al-qudrah) was contrasted with incapacity (al-‘ajz), and so on.
At Tabsiratu fi Ma’aalim al-Deen by Imam At Tabari Pg 127
The Prophet ﷺ affirmed that Allah ﷻ has remained silent on certain matters in two authentic hadiths recorded by Imam Daraqutni (d.385AH).
Translation: 4396-Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani said: The Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed, Allah the Exalted has prescribed obligations, so do not neglect them. He has set prohibitions, so do not violate them. He has set limits, so do not transgress them. And He has remained silent (sukut) about certain things, out of mercy and not forgetfulness, so do not delve into them.”
Footenote: Al-Bazzar also recorded this hadith with an acceptable (salih) chain of narration. Al-Hakim (2/375) authenticated it from a narration of Abu al-Darda (d. 32 AH), who raised it (to the Prophet), with the wording: “What Allah has made lawful in His Book is lawful, and what He has prohibited is prohibited. And what He has remained silent about is a concession.”
Sunan Ad Daraqutni (5/325-326)
Translation: Abu al-Darda raised the hadith to the Prophet, saying: “What Allah has made halal in His Book is lawful, and what He has made haram is prohibited, and what he has remained in sukut (silence) about is a concession (‘afiyah). So accept Allah’s concession (‘afiyah), for Allah does not forget.” Then he recited this verse: “And your Lord is never forgetful” (Surah Maryam: 64).
Recorded by Al-Hakim (2/375) and Al-Bayhaqi (12/10).
Sunan Ad Daraqutni (3/59)
Secondly, Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله explains silence, when referring to the attribute:
The attribute of silence is [upon two meanings]:
– Sometimes being silent from speaking
– Or Sometimes refraining from mentioning something
Translation: The fuqaha speak of the implications of what is explicitly stated and what is not where what has been explicitly stated by the Lawgiver (al-Shari’, meaning Allah and His Messenger) is clear, while what is left unspoken can sometimes have a stronger implication for ruling than what is explicitly stated-this is known as mafhum al-muwafaqah (a meaning in agreement with the explicit statement).
At other times, it opposes the explicit ruling-this is mafhum al-mukhalafah. And at other times, it resembles the explicit ruling-this is qiyas mahad It is established by the Sunnah and ijma’ that Allah is described with sukut (silence). However, sukut can refer either to refraining from speech or to withholding the manifestation or declaration of speech. For example, it is narrated in al-Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim) from Abu Hurayrah who asked the Messenger of Allah: “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say during your silence (sukutak) between the takbir (opening declaration of Allah’s greatness) and the recitation?” Не replied: “I say: ‘O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West…” to the end of the hadith. However, these two known meanings of sukut do not apply according to the view of those who say that Allah speaks, just as He is knowing without speaking directly to His servants.
Instead, they argue He creates for them the perception needed to hear His eternal speech (kalam qadim), whether this speech is understood as an abstract meaning (ma’na mujarrad) or as meaning with letters. This is the view of Ibn Kullab (d. 240 AH), al-Ash’ari (d. 324 AH), and those among the jurists, hadith scholars, and Sufis who follow this interpretation, including the Kullabiyyah and others. According to these scholars, they either deny the attribute of sukut entirely-this is their most well-known position-or they use the term while interpreting it to mean refraining from creating the perception through which creation hears His eternal speech. Yet they are confronted by texts that challenge their view, such as the hadith: “When Allah speaks the revelation, the inhabitants of the heavens hear a sound like the clanging of a chain on a smooth rock.”
Majmu Al Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah 6/189- 190)
Then Ibn Taymiyyah explains why silence is also rejected for Allāh in the context of absolute silence:
Its not possible that they (the scholars) said that Allāh is silent in the same way as the narrations. Rather they reinterpret it [to mean that] Allāh creates idrak (perception/understanding) from the perspective of creation because is munazzih (exonerated from the deficiency of) muteness by consensus of the Ummah.”
So this is what is clearly meant by at-Tabarī when he says “Allāh is mutakallim, and it is not permissible to say He is silent”
What is meant is that the opposite of mutakallim (The speaking one) is al-sukūt (The silence).
So when a person claims Allāh is silent, he possibly could mean that Allāh is absolutely silent and not eternally mutakallim. That is definitely falsehood, we agree with Tabarī.
But we also accept that He is attributed with silence in the way that came in the athar.
Translation: It is not permissible, according to them, to say that Allah has remained in sukut (silence) about anything, as the athar (narrations) have stated. Instead, they interpret sukut to mean the absence of creating the perception (idrak) necessary for creation to hear His speech, while affirming that Allah is exalted above muteness (khars), by consensus of the ummah. This is part of their argument for the eternal nature of Allah’s speech. They say that if Allah were not mutakallim (a speaker), it would necessitate that He be characterized by its opposite, such as sukut (silence) or khars (muteness). This, according to them, is impossible, whether the sukut is said to be absolute or silence regarding a specific matter.
Sharh al-Asfahaniyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah Pg 57
Next we move onto the claim of Ibn Khuzaymah negating silence for Allah ﷻ and we will dive into why he said this.
Translation: The explanation is that the speech of our Lord, does not resemble the speech of created beings, because the speech of Allah is continuous (mutawassil), with no pause (sukut) or silence (samt) between it. It is not like the speech of humans, which has pauses and silences due to the interruption of breath, remembering, or playful talk. Allah is exalted and purified from such characteristics-tabaraka wa ta’ala. It is preferable to avoid such expressions because, as it seems, this discusses the manner (kayfiyyah) of the attribute of Allah’s speech which is an unseen matter. The author did not mention any hadith that points to this manner. As is well-known, the rule is to affirm the attribute of speech for Allah in the most complete manner, without delving into how it is, unless there is a clear transmission (naql) to support it.
Kitab At Tawheed by Ibn Khuzaymah Pg 349
Shayk al-Islām Ibn Taymiyya reports from Sheikh al-Islām al-Harawī that Ibn Khuzaymah was of the opinion that Allāh speaks whenever He wants, and is silent whenever He wants.
Translation: Know that Allah is a Speaker (Mutakallim), praising Himself by speaking. He criticised the idols and the calf, stating that they do not speak. He is the One who speaks whenever He wills, speaking words for which there is no preventer or coercion. The Qur’an is His speech, and He spoke it. Ibn Aqil interpreted the words of Shaykh al-Islam in a way similar to how the Qadi interpreted the words of Ahmad. Shaykh al-Islam also said in his book “Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal” in the section on his methodology in the fundamentals (usul): when he mentioned his speech on the issues of the Qur’an and the start of the innovations that appeared in it, and how they claimed it was created. The great trial (mihnah) occurred, followed by the issue of al-Lafdhiyyah raised by Hussayn al-Karrabisi and others. He said: Then a group came forward saying, “Allah does not speak after He has spoken,” meaning His speech is created. He said: “This is another form of mockery that tarnishes the religion, not just one error.”
Abu Bakr ibn Ishaq al-Lanjurudi (d. 311 AH) and Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH) were keen to preserve the authentic teachings of Islam, and Naysabur at that time was the center for athar to which scholars would travel. It was a place where scholars and pious individuals gathered for knowledge, truth, piety. What do you think of the gatherings that were denied access to the Thaqafi and al-Dabbi (scholars known for their knowledge of hadith and fiqh)? They gathered with sincerity, piety, and caution, and such gatherings nurtured those like Ibn Khuzaymah, Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Siraj, and Abu Hamid al-Sharqi. Shaykh al-Islam said: “That trial reached its peak with Imam Abu Bakr, who continued to decry it and write in refutation, as if he were the herald of an army, until it was documented and ingrained in the hearts: ‘Allah speaks when He wills, and He remains silent when He wills.’ May Allah reward that Imam and those noble individuals for defending His religion and honouring His Prophet with the best of rewards.
Majmu Al Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah (6/177-178)
Al-Ḥākim transmitted authentically that Ibn Khuzaymah said, “Some of these ignorants (the Kullābiyyah) claimed that Allāh does not repeat His Speech—they do not understand the Kalām of Allāh!” This demonstrates that Ibn Khuzaymah believed Allāh speaks sequentially.
Firstly, it is known that the Jahmiyyah said the Speech of Allāh is His fiʿl in the sense of it being mafʿūl and created.
Ibn Khuzaymah’s statement was likely directed at this group, since he described as Jahmis those who say Allāh’s Speech is a Ṣifah al-fiʿl.
Translation: I heard Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Bālawih say: I heard Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH) say: Some of these ignorant people claim that Allah does not repeat speech, and they do not understand the speech of Allah. For Allah has informed in various places that He created Adam, repeated the mention of Mūsā, praised Himself in various places, and repeated “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” [ar-Rahmān: 13]. I cannot imagine any Muslim thinking that Allah does not speak something more than once.
Tadhkirat al-Huffadh by Imam adh-Dhahabi (2/211)
