O Allaah Forgive Me if You Want
Compiled & Translated By Abbas Abu Yahya
· The Connection of this Issue with Tawheed
Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen (d.1421 A.H.) said:
‘The connection of this chapter with Tawheed is in two ways:
1- With regard to Ruboobeeyah (Lordship), since the one who has this feeling [forgive me if You want] insinuates that Allaah is forced to do things, so he has not established the perfect Ruboobeeyah of Allaah Ta’ala.
Since from the perfection of Ruboobeeyah of Allaah is that there is none that can coerce Allaah, rather He is not asked about what He does; just like Allaah Ta’ala said:
لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ
<< He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned. >> [al-Anbiya: 23]
This also has a deficiency from another point of view of Ruboobeeyah, in that Allaah regards what He gives as great, so this type of supplication is an attack on Allaah’s Generosity and His Kindness.
2- In terms of the slave of Allaah; in that he feels that he can do without his Lord. This is a deficiency in the Tawheed of a human being, whether it is in Ulooheeyah (worship) or Ruboobeeyah (Lordship) or ‘Asma wa Sifaat (Names and Attributes) and this is why the author mentioned this issue in the chapter connected to ‘Asmaa wa Sifaat.’
[Summarized from: Qawl al-Mufeed ala Kitab al-Tawheed 2/334 – Shaykh al-Uthaymeen]
· The Need of Allaah’s Mercy
Shaykh Sulayman ibn Abdullaah ibn Muhammad ibn AbdulWahhab (d. 1233 A.H.) said:
‘Since a slave of Allaah cannot do without the Mercy of Allaah and His Forgiveness even for the blink of an eye, rather he is very needy in his essence to the One Who is not needy in His essence, just like Allaah Ta’ala said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاء إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ
<< O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah, but Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants and needs), Worthy of all praise. >> [Fatir: 15]
Allaah prohibited the statement of ‘forgive me if You want’, since this statement has in it a deception of not needing the forgiveness of Allaah and His mercy, and that is opposite to Tawheed.’
[Summarized from: Tayseer al-Azeez al-Hameed- p.491]
Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen (d.1421 A.H.) said:
‘There are three points concerning the prohibition of this statement:
1– that one feels, that Allaah is coerced to do something, and that there is someone behind Allaah who is capable to prevent Allaah from giving.
2– regarding the statement of the person ‘if You will’ – it is as if the person sees that if he asks Allaah then it is as if it is a difficult task and imposing upon Allaah, and perhaps Allaah will not Will this thing due to it being great/imposing to Him.
So this statement ‘if You will’, in that you want to make asking something from Allaah as of little importance for Him, then Allaah -Azza wa Jal – does not need for anyone to say : ‘If You will’ because Allaah does not see anything that He gives as imposing, this is why Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘Ask for whatever, because indeed Allaah does not view anything as imposing upon Him.’
[Collected by Muslim]
Allaah Ta’ala said:
زَعَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَن لَّن يُبْعَثُوا قُلْ بَلَى وَرَبِّي لَتُبْعَثُنَّ ثُمَّ لَتُنَبَّؤُنَّ بِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ وَذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ
<< Say: “Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for Allaah.>> [Taghabun: 7]
3– That one feels that the one supplicating is not in need of Allaah.’
[Summarized from: Qawl al-Mufeed ala Kitab al-Tawheed 2/331 – Shaykh al-Uthaymeen]
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