Source Attribution
This excerpt is taken from the book “Where Is Allah?” by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amānpūrī.
هذه الصفات من الاستواء والإتيان والنزول قد صحت بها النصوص، ونقلها الخلف عن السلف، ولم يتعرضوا لها برد ولا تأويل، بل أنكروا على من تأولها مع اصفاقهم بأنها لا تشبه نعوت المخلوقين، وأن الله ليس كمثله شيء، ولا تنبغي المناظرة، ولا التنازع فيها، فإن في ذلك محاولة للرد على الله ورسوله أو حوما على التكييف أو التعطيل.
Translation:
“These attributes, such as Istiwā’ (Allah rising over the Throne), Itiyān (His coming on the Day of Judgment for judging the servants), and Nuzūl (His descending every night to the lowest heaven), are established by authentic texts. The later generations transmitted them from the earlier ones. They did not engage in rejecting them or interpreting them figuratively. Rather, they rebuked those who indulged in interpretation, while being unanimously agreed that Allah’s attributes do not resemble the attributes of created beings, and that there is nothing like Him. Engaging in debate and disputation regarding these attributes is not appropriate, because it amounts to attempting to refute Allah and His Messenger, or drifting toward anthropomorphism or negation.”
كون عز وجل في السماء متواترا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تواترا لفظيا.
Translation:
“The fact that Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is above the heavens is established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with verbal mutawātir transmission.”
هو قول أهل السنة قاطبة أن كيفية الاستواء لا نعقلها، بل نجهلها، وأن الاستواء معلوم كما أخبر في كتابه، وأنه كما يليق به، لا نتعمق، ولا نتحذلق، ولا نخوض في لوازم ذلك نفيا ولا إثباتا، بل نسكت ونقف كما وقف السلف…
Translation:
“This is the belief of all Ahl al-Sunnah: the modality (how) of Istiwā’ is beyond our comprehension, rather we are ignorant of it. Istiwā’ itself is known, as Allah has informed in His Book, and it is in a manner befitting His Majesty. We do not delve deeply, nor do we fabricate explanations, nor do we enter discussions about what it may imply in terms of affirmation or negation. Rather, we remain silent and stop where the Salaf stopped. We know with certainty that if this attribute had a valid interpretation, the Companions and Tābiʿīn would have preceded us in explaining it. Yet they allowed affirming it as it is and remained silent about its modality. Along with this, we are absolutely certain that Allah has no likeness in His attributes, His Istiwā’, or His Nuzūl. Exalted is Allah far above what the wrongdoers say.”
قول عموم أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن الله في السماء…
Translation:
“The belief of the entire Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ is that Allah is above the heavens. They affirm this in absolute terms just as the textual evidences have affirmed it, without indulging in the interpretations of the theologians, while firmly believing that nothing is like Allah.”
قلت: الجهمية يقولون: إن الباري تعالى في كل مكان، والسلف يقولون: إن علم الباري في كل مكان…
Translation:
“I say: The Jahmiyyah claim that Allah Himself is everywhere, whereas the Salaf say that Allah’s knowledge is everywhere. They use as evidence the statement of Allah:
﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ﴾
[Al-Ḥadīd: 4]
meaning ‘with you by His knowledge’. And they say that Allah rose over His Throne as stated by the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is well known among scholars of all schools that the methodology of the Salaf is to pass the verses and narrations regarding attributes as they came, without interpretation, distortion, resemblance, or asking how. Speaking about attributes is a branch of speaking about the Divine Essence. Muslims know that Allah’s Essence truly exists and has no likeness; likewise, His attributes truly exist and have no likeness.”
الله فوق عرشه كما أجمع عليه الصدر الأول، ونقله عنهم الأئمة.
Translation:
“Allah is above His Throne, as the earliest generations unanimously agreed, and the Imams have transmitted this consensus from them.”
إننا على أصل صحيح وعقد متين…
Translation:
“We stand upon a sound foundation and a firm creed: that Allah, whose name is sanctified, has no likeness. Belief in His established attributes is as obligatory as belief in His sacred Essence, for attributes follow the one described. Just as we affirm Allah’s existence without comprehending His essence, likewise we affirm His attributes, acknowledging their existence without likening, specifying how, or comparing them to the attributes of creation. Allah is far exalted above such notions.”
Translation:
“The Muslims, namely the Companions and the Tābiʿīn, are unanimously agreed that Allah is above His Throne, above His heavens, and distinct from His creation.”
Translation:
“Jahm ibn Ṣafwān, to whom the Jahmiyyah sect is attributed, claimed that Allah is everywhere by His essence. Exalted is Allah far above what they say.”
كيف لا يوثق بما اتفق عليه أهل القرون الثلاثة…
Translation:
“How can one not rely upon that which the people of the three generations (the Companions, Tābiʿīn, and their followers) unanimously agreed upon, when the Lawgiver ﷺ testified that these are the best generations?”
This excerpt is taken from the book “Where Is Allah?” by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amānpūrī.
Clarifications of Ahl al-Sunnah in the Eighth Century
Statement of Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī رحمه الله (d. 748 AH)
Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī رحمه الله wrote:هذه الصفات من الاستواء والإتيان والنزول قد صحت بها النصوص، ونقلها الخلف عن السلف، ولم يتعرضوا لها برد ولا تأويل، بل أنكروا على من تأولها مع اصفاقهم بأنها لا تشبه نعوت المخلوقين، وأن الله ليس كمثله شيء، ولا تنبغي المناظرة، ولا التنازع فيها، فإن في ذلك محاولة للرد على الله ورسوله أو حوما على التكييف أو التعطيل.
Translation:
“These attributes, such as Istiwā’ (Allah rising over the Throne), Itiyān (His coming on the Day of Judgment for judging the servants), and Nuzūl (His descending every night to the lowest heaven), are established by authentic texts. The later generations transmitted them from the earlier ones. They did not engage in rejecting them or interpreting them figuratively. Rather, they rebuked those who indulged in interpretation, while being unanimously agreed that Allah’s attributes do not resemble the attributes of created beings, and that there is nothing like Him. Engaging in debate and disputation regarding these attributes is not appropriate, because it amounts to attempting to refute Allah and His Messenger, or drifting toward anthropomorphism or negation.”
Reference: Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalā’: 11/376
Allah Being Above the Heavens
He further said:كون عز وجل في السماء متواترا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تواترا لفظيا.
Translation:
“The fact that Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is above the heavens is established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with verbal mutawātir transmission.”
Reference: Kitāb al-Arbaʿīn, p. 53
Belief of Ahl al-Sunnah Regarding Istiwā’
He also wrote:هو قول أهل السنة قاطبة أن كيفية الاستواء لا نعقلها، بل نجهلها، وأن الاستواء معلوم كما أخبر في كتابه، وأنه كما يليق به، لا نتعمق، ولا نتحذلق، ولا نخوض في لوازم ذلك نفيا ولا إثباتا، بل نسكت ونقف كما وقف السلف…
Translation:
“This is the belief of all Ahl al-Sunnah: the modality (how) of Istiwā’ is beyond our comprehension, rather we are ignorant of it. Istiwā’ itself is known, as Allah has informed in His Book, and it is in a manner befitting His Majesty. We do not delve deeply, nor do we fabricate explanations, nor do we enter discussions about what it may imply in terms of affirmation or negation. Rather, we remain silent and stop where the Salaf stopped. We know with certainty that if this attribute had a valid interpretation, the Companions and Tābiʿīn would have preceded us in explaining it. Yet they allowed affirming it as it is and remained silent about its modality. Along with this, we are absolutely certain that Allah has no likeness in His attributes, His Istiwā’, or His Nuzūl. Exalted is Allah far above what the wrongdoers say.”
Reference: Kitāb al-ʿUluww, p. 104
Consensus of the Ummah
He further stated:قول عموم أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن الله في السماء…
Translation:
“The belief of the entire Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ is that Allah is above the heavens. They affirm this in absolute terms just as the textual evidences have affirmed it, without indulging in the interpretations of the theologians, while firmly believing that nothing is like Allah.”
Reference: Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalā’: 11/70–71
Refutation of the Jahmiyyah
While mentioning the belief of the Jahmiyyah, he wrote:قلت: الجهمية يقولون: إن الباري تعالى في كل مكان، والسلف يقولون: إن علم الباري في كل مكان…
Translation:
“I say: The Jahmiyyah claim that Allah Himself is everywhere, whereas the Salaf say that Allah’s knowledge is everywhere. They use as evidence the statement of Allah:
﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ﴾
[Al-Ḥadīd: 4]
meaning ‘with you by His knowledge’. And they say that Allah rose over His Throne as stated by the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is well known among scholars of all schools that the methodology of the Salaf is to pass the verses and narrations regarding attributes as they came, without interpretation, distortion, resemblance, or asking how. Speaking about attributes is a branch of speaking about the Divine Essence. Muslims know that Allah’s Essence truly exists and has no likeness; likewise, His attributes truly exist and have no likeness.”
Reference: Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalā’: 8/402
Explicit Consensus of the Early Generations
He stated:الله فوق عرشه كما أجمع عليه الصدر الأول، ونقله عنهم الأئمة.
Translation:
“Allah is above His Throne, as the earliest generations unanimously agreed, and the Imams have transmitted this consensus from them.”
Reference: Al-ʿUluww li al-ʿAliyy al-Ghaffār, p. 596
Creed of Ahl al-Sunnah
He said:إننا على أصل صحيح وعقد متين…
Translation:
“We stand upon a sound foundation and a firm creed: that Allah, whose name is sanctified, has no likeness. Belief in His established attributes is as obligatory as belief in His sacred Essence, for attributes follow the one described. Just as we affirm Allah’s existence without comprehending His essence, likewise we affirm His attributes, acknowledging their existence without likening, specifying how, or comparing them to the attributes of creation. Allah is far exalted above such notions.”
Reference: Al-ʿUluww li al-ʿAliyy al-Ghaffār, p. 13
Statements of Other Scholars
Imām Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (d. 751 AH)
أجمع المسلمون من الصحابة والتابعين أن الله على عرشه فوق سماواته، بائن عن خلقه.Translation:
“The Muslims, namely the Companions and the Tābiʿīn, are unanimously agreed that Allah is above His Throne, above His heavens, and distinct from His creation.”
Reference: Mukhtaṣar al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Mursalah, p. 418
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله (d. 774 AH)
الجهم بن صفوان… يقولون: إن الله في كل مكان بذاته.Translation:
“Jahm ibn Ṣafwān, to whom the Jahmiyyah sect is attributed, claimed that Allah is everywhere by His essence. Exalted is Allah far above what they say.”
Reference: Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah: 13/199
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (d. 852 AH)
Regarding Istiwā’ ʿalā al-ʿArsh, he said:كيف لا يوثق بما اتفق عليه أهل القرون الثلاثة…
Translation:
“How can one not rely upon that which the people of the three generations (the Companions, Tābiʿīn, and their followers) unanimously agreed upon, when the Lawgiver ﷺ testified that these are the best generations?”
Reference: Fatḥ al-Bārī: 13/407–408
