Chapter 26: Affirming Fingers for Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) Imām Abu Ismā’īl Al-Harawi (died 481 AH)

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all creation, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and all his Companions.

These are chapters from Shaikhul-Islām Abu Ismā’īl Al-Harawī’s: “The Book Of Forty Narrations In The Evidences Of Tawhīd.” Born 396H and died 481H may Allah’s mercy be upon him. Verified and annotated by Shaikh ʿAli Nāsir al-Faqīhi. This compilation is an amazing series of narrations in the establishment of the Tawhīd of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, especially in the arena of the Names and Attributes that has left the Jahmiyyah and their offspring such as the Ashā’irah and Māturīdīs dumbstruck just as Allāh has said:

وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

“And say: ‘The Truth has come and falsehood has been vanquished. Surely! Falsehood is ever bound to be vanquished.’” (Al-Isrā 17:81)

Chapter 26: Affirming Fingers for Allah (the Mighty and Majestic).

Abu Ismā’īl Al-Harawī (481H) with his chain of narration to al-Hasan that ʿA’ishah (radiyallāhu ʿanhā) said: ‏

“Allāh’s Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) would often supplicate with: ‘O Turner of the hearts! Make my heart firm upon your Religion.’”

ʿA’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “O Messenger of Allah, I see that you often supplicate with this duʿā.” He (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is not a person except that his heart is between the two Fingers from the Fingers of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic. So, if He wishes to make him upright, He makes him upright―and if He wills for him to go astray, He sends him astray.”

References: As-Sunnah of Ibn Abi ʿĀsim 1/100 no. 224 from the report of Umm Muhammad from ʿA’ishah. Shaikh al-Albāni pointed to the narration of Ahmad (6/91) and said: The narrators in the isnād are trustworthy (thiqāt), the narrators of [Imam] Muslim, were it not for al-Hasan and he is al-Basri and he is a mudallis. However, al-Albāni points to the hadeeth being saheeh due to what preceded it and came after it―meaning due to supporting narrations. It is reported by Ahmad 6/91, 6/251, 4/282, Ibn Mājah no. 199, ad-Dāruqutni in as-Sifāt page no. 4/1, Ibn Khuzaymah in at-Tawhīd p. 80, and others.

Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.

---