❖ Question: Are the Verses Regarding Allah’s Attributes Considered Mutashābihāt (Ambiguous)?
Source: Fatāwā Amaanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri
No, the verses concerning the Attributes of Allah ﷻ (Āyāt al-Ṣifāt) are not from the mutashābihāt (ambiguous verses).
Declaring them as such is a form of ilḥād (deviation) and represents the belief of the Mufawwidhah — a sect who falsely claimed that the meanings of these verses are entirely unknown, even to the Prophets and the righteous.
Those who label the verses of Ṣifāt (Divine Attributes) as mutashābihāt do so under the claim that:
❝Only Allah knows the meanings of His Names and Attributes.❞
However, this is not the view of the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥīn (righteous predecessors) or Ahl al-Ḥadīth.
The Salaf affirmed:
They would say:
❝We affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself, without taḥrīf (distortion), taʿṭīl (denial), takyīf (asking how), or tamthīl (likening to creation).❞
Labeling the attributes-related verses as ambiguous has led various deviant sects to misinterpret or reject them, such as:
◉ Qadariyyah
◉ Jabriyyah
◉ Jahmiyyah
◉ Ashāʿirah
◉ Māturīdiyyah
◉ Rāfiḍah
◉ Mufawwidhah
◉ Khawārij
These groups took undue advantage of this distortion and rendered clear, powerful āyāt meaningless or suspended, thus becoming Muʿaṭṭilah (deniers of attributes).
✔ Verses concerning Allah’s Names and Attributes are from the muḥkamāt (clear and foundational verses) — not the mutashābihāt.
✔ They form the foundation of the belief in Tawḥīd.
✔ The true understanding is that the meanings are clear and affirmed, and only the exact nature of the attributes is unknown, and left to Allah ﷻ.
Declaring the attributes of Allah as mutashābih is a grave deviation and opposition to the creed of the Salaf.
✔ The correct view is to affirm them as real, clear, and known in meaning, without delving into how they are.
✔ All claims contrary to this are invalid, and any belief opposed to the path of the Salaf is unreliable and rejected.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Source: Fatāwā Amaanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri❖ The Answer:
No, the verses concerning the Attributes of Allah ﷻ (Āyāt al-Ṣifāt) are not from the mutashābihāt (ambiguous verses).
Declaring them as such is a form of ilḥād (deviation) and represents the belief of the Mufawwidhah — a sect who falsely claimed that the meanings of these verses are entirely unknown, even to the Prophets and the righteous.
❖ Understanding the Misconception:
Those who label the verses of Ṣifāt (Divine Attributes) as mutashābihāt do so under the claim that:
❝Only Allah knows the meanings of His Names and Attributes.❞
However, this is not the view of the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥīn (righteous predecessors) or Ahl al-Ḥadīth.
❖ The Correct Understanding of the Salaf:
The Salaf affirmed:- The meanings of the attributes (e.g., istiwāʾ, nuzūl) are known.
- The reality and modality (kaifiyyah) of these attributes is known only to Allah ﷻ.
They would say:
❝We affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself, without taḥrīf (distortion), taʿṭīl (denial), takyīf (asking how), or tamthīl (likening to creation).❞
❖ Deviation from This Leads to Error:
Labeling the attributes-related verses as ambiguous has led various deviant sects to misinterpret or reject them, such as:
◉ Qadariyyah
◉ Jabriyyah
◉ Jahmiyyah
◉ Ashāʿirah
◉ Māturīdiyyah
◉ Rāfiḍah
◉ Mufawwidhah
◉ Khawārij
These groups took undue advantage of this distortion and rendered clear, powerful āyāt meaningless or suspended, thus becoming Muʿaṭṭilah (deniers of attributes).
❖ The Danger in Misclassifying These Verses:
✔ Verses concerning Allah’s Names and Attributes are from the muḥkamāt (clear and foundational verses) — not the mutashābihāt.
✔ They form the foundation of the belief in Tawḥīd.
✔ The true understanding is that the meanings are clear and affirmed, and only the exact nature of the attributes is unknown, and left to Allah ﷻ.
❖ Conclusion:
Declaring the attributes of Allah as mutashābih is a grave deviation and opposition to the creed of the Salaf.✔ The correct view is to affirm them as real, clear, and known in meaning, without delving into how they are.
✔ All claims contrary to this are invalid, and any belief opposed to the path of the Salaf is unreliable and rejected.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
