What is the Deoband response to the claim about Allah’s power and is it okay to say certain phrases?

In the name of Allah with whom all accuracy lays:

Wa ‘Alaykum assalam

Please read the whole Fatwa.

Lying is plausible with ones entity (self), impossible by external reasons. Because a lie is vile it can never be a proclamation which can be made by Allah nor will this ever happen. Allah is not a liar (and we seek Allah protection that such thoughts ever come from us) .Whosoever is conceding that Allah is a liar or has spoken a lie then without doubt that person is a Kaafir. The same has being related in Fatawa Rashidiya.

But just because the committing of the act can never take place does not necessarily mean that the authority and power does not exist to carry out the act. If one does not believe in the power and ability to be present in Allah then one is saying that Allah Ta’aalaa is not Qadeer over all things. In essence he is saying that lowliness and powerlessness becomes incumbent upon Allah because he can not do a certain act. This is against the Ayah:

?Verily Allah has power over all things?.

But if one says that Allah is a liar then one becomes a Kaafir
(disbeliever) as mentioned earlier. So either way a person will become psychologically trapped. This is a trick of Shaytaan (Satan) to try and mislead and deceive the human mind, the human thought. Now if we look at the answer and solution to this show to us by the Wisdom filled Qur’aan we come to an acceptable conclusion.

In the Quranic Verse it is stated:

?and who is there more truthful in speech other than Allah?.(Surah Verse)

By this one comprehends that Allah has the power of the opposite of truth which is to lie, because if he does not have this power to lie then the truth will be obligatory on Him. Therefore to elucidate and explain such a topic is also necessary. That is, to say ?to be forced onto one thing and not have the power or capability on its contradictory article?.

Allah is Alim (All knowing) and Hakeem (All Wise) together with being Qadeer (All powerful). And so many other qualities are attributed to Allah which are all mentioned in the Quran, Hadith and other Deeni books. Because Allah is All wise it is obvious for one to say that Allah will never make a mistake. Hence, the absolute power which Allah holds and will always hold will never be misused. Allah will never do anything which is against his majesty and might, he will never lie even though he has the power to, because he is All Wise.

A detestable and vile action is detestable and vile in nature but to have the ability upon carrying out that action is not despicable or wicked. Every human has the ability to carry out a murder but some humans will never ever do this throughout their entire lives, it is against their nature, against their being. Having the ability to murder does not make each and every human being a murderer. I hope this example helps shed some light on the topic. This Mas’alah is present in ?Sharhee Maqaasid, Sharhee Mawaaqif, Tafseer kabeer fatawaa Shami etc.

(FATAWA MAHMOODIYAH, PG 69-70 VOL 6, PUBLISHED BY ZAKARIYAH BOOK DEPORT, DEOBAND, FATAWA RAHIMIYAH VOL 6, pg 23)

“It is satisfying to say “Laa’Illaaha il-lal Laahu Ashraf Ali Rasool-ul-Laah” and “Al-Laahumma Salli ‘Ala Saiyyidina Nabiyina Ashraf Ali” and there is no harm in saying so.”

This is related to an incident in which a Mureed of Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi saw a dream in which he heard the above words being said. The person seeing the dream was naturally shocked and perplexed. He enquired from an Alim what the dream meant. And its interpretation was that Maulana Ashraf Ali Taanvi is strong in following the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam.

It does not mean that he became a Nabi may Allah protect us from such thoughts Ameen or that there was some form innovation going on etc as I am aware many have jumped to such conculsions. Furthermore, one must bear in mind that dreams are just dreams they are not ?Hujat-e-Sharr’ee? from which laws can be derived.

The person who saw the dream didn?t need to tell anyone and he could have kept it to himself but he told someone not out of pride but to find out what it meant and by doing so the ummah became aware that Hadhrat Maulana Asfraf Ali May Allah show mercy on him was very close to the way of our beloved Prophet.

If someone says “Laa’Illaaha il-lal Laahu Ashraf Ali Rasool-ul-Laah” and “Al-Laahumma Salli ‘Ala Saiyyidina Nabiyina Ashraf Ali” thinking and believing Maulana Ashraf Ali Taanvi to be a Nabi then this is Kufr. It is not satisfying as you have incorrectly quoted. Please refer to Fatawa Rahimiyah,Vol 6 pg 15-45 for a full explanations and answers regarding all the allegations made upon the Deobandi ulamaa

And Allah the Wise knows best

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Mufti Abubakr Karolia
Batley, U.K
Founder of the “Islamic Foundation for Theology and Research” (I.F.T.A.R)