CHAPTER 5: THEIR CLAIM REGARDING INCARNATION AND IMMANENTISM
They said, “As regards the personification of the creating Word of God and its immanent in a created man and their birth together; that is the Word and the human entity. The Creator did not speak to any of the prophets unless by Inspiration or from behind a veil. It is mentioned in this book saying, which means, “it is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave.” (Ash-Shura’, 42: 51)
Since abstract matters do not appear except in concrete forms like the Holy Spirit and other things, then, does the Word of God, which has created the concrete as well as the abstract, appear without a cover? The answer is no.
That is why isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) appeared, for man is the most exalted among the creations of god. That is why he spoke to people and they saw what they saw.”
The answer is found in the following:
First: We say: that which they mentioned and claimed to be the personification of the creating Word of god and its immanent in a created man and their birth together; i.e., the Word end the human entity, which is called the unification of div ne and human entities, is impossible and incomprehensible. Messengers never teach matters that are known to be incomprehensible, for it is inherent in their nature that they would only tell mankind those things that are true and perceivable.
Second: Divine revelations are clear concerning the fact that Christ, the servant of god, had nothing to do with the creation of the universe. Christians say: He is a complete god and a complete human being.
Third: The reason for the above-mentioned conclusion is found in the following:
One: To say: that which is unified with Christ can either be the entity characterized by speaking or speech itself. If you wish, you could say: the object unified with it is either speech with the entity or speech without: the entity. If the object unified with it is speech with the entity, then Christ is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, Christ would have become the three hypostases.
This is not accepted by the consensus of Christians, the people of other religions, and the divine books, it is also invalid according to sound reason.
If the object that is unified with it is simply the Word, then the Word is an attribute. An attribute can never stand independently without what it is attributed to. An attribute is not a creating god while Christ, according to them, is. Thus, their claim is invalid both ways. If they said, “That which is unified with it is characterized by the attribute,” then that which is characterized by the attribute is the Father, but Christ, according to them, is not the Father. And if they said, “it is the attribute alone,” then the attribute can never be separated or can never stand independently without what it is attributed to. An attribute cannot create or provide sustenance, it is not the god, and they say that the attribute is on the right side of what it is attributed to. Christ, according to them, ascended to the heavens and sat on the right side of his Father. As regards his being only the father and the entity free from attributes, this is simply impossible.
Two: If the entity unified with the human entity of Christ, he has two entities after that union and if there are two essences as they were before the union, then there is no union.
If it were said, “It became one essence,” or as some of them say, “They became like fire with iron,” or “Like milk with water,” this necessitates the transformation of both and changes to each one’s attributes and reality. This is the same as when water and milk transform after they are mixed, as well as like fire and iron. Then, this means that the divine entity must have transformed and Its Attributes and Reality must have been modified. Transformation does not happen except with the nonexistence of something and the existence of another. This necessitates the nonexistence of something from among the original that is essentially found within itself. That which is essentially original can never be non-existent and that which exists can never be non-existent. The original is so, because it is essential within itself or because it is concomitant with what is essential within itself. If it were not concomitant with it, it would not be original. Thus, the invalidity of the premise necessitates the invalidity of the conclusion.
Three: To say: If Christ is the Word of god, the Word of god is nothing but the creator of the heaven and the earth. It does not forgive sins or reward people for their deeds, whether the Word is an attribute of Him or a creature of His like the rest of His attributes and creatures. The Knowledge, Power, and Life of God did not create the world. No one ever says, “O Knowledge of God! Forgive my sin,” nor, “0 Power of God! Accept my repentance,” nor, “O Speech o f God! Have mercy on me!” No one ever says, “O His Torah,” or, “O His Bible,” or, “O His Qur’an! Forgive me and have mercy on me!” Rather, he prays to God, the Exalted, To Him is attributed all the attributes of perfection. Since this is so, how could Christ be the Word of God himself?
Then, Christ is an independent essence and speech is an attribute dependent on the speaker but he is not the same speaking god. The Speaking God is the one they call the Father while Christ is not the Father, according to them, but the Son. Thus, it is wrong to say that there are three hypostases while the Attributes of God can never be attributed to three.
Another error is to say that the attribute is a creator while the attribute is incapable of creating.
Also, to say that Christ himself is the Word of God while Christ was created by the Word, for it was said to him, “Be” and he was.
It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless by Inspiration, or from behind a veil
That which they mention is a proof against them, for if God does not speak to any of His prophets unless by Inspiration or from behind a veil, then God should not speak to Christ, ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) bin Maryam (Mary, peace be upon her), except by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or that He sends a messenger to him.
Allah, the Almighty says,
which means, “It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave.” (Ash-Shura’, 42: 51)
When Allah revealed this verse, He meant all human beings, including Christ and others. If Allah did not talk to him except by Inspiration or from behind a veil, then He certainly did not unite with him or be immanent in him. If He united with him or was immanent in him, then He would be talking to him without a veil, while they have already admitted that God does not speak to any human being unless (it be) by Inspiration or from behind a veil.
The Christian human entity is a human being. If he could not see God, then how can he unite with Him, be adjacent to Him, or become with Him just like milk with water, fire with iron, or soul with body?
It is known that seeing Him is by reason easier than uniting with Him or being immanent in Him. If seeing Him in this worldly life was forbidden by Allah as He told us through His messengers Musa (Moses, peace be upon him), ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him), and Muhammad (peace be upon them), then how can He have contact with human beings and unite with them?
By: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah
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