The Attributes of Allah and the Righteous Predecessors (Salaf al-Salih)
❖ Esteemed Statements of the Imams Regarding the Attributes of Allah
Imam al-Shafi’i (204 AH) stated:
_"Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has praised the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ in the Qur'an, the Torah, and the Gospel. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also praised them in a way unmatched by anyone after them. May Allah shower His mercy upon them and grant them the highest ranks among the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. They conveyed the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ to us, witnessed the revelation, and understood what he meant in general and specific rulings. They were more knowledgeable, diligent, pious, and wise than us. Their opinions are more commendable and worthy for us to follow than our own."
(Manāqib al-Shāfiʿī lil-Bayhaqī, 1/442)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (728 AH) said:
"Every opinion that a latecomer holds independently of the early generations, without anyone preceding him in that view, is a mistake. As Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: ‘Beware of speaking in a matter in which you have no Imam.’"
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, 21/291)
Ibn al-Qayyim (751 AH) emphasized:
"The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The best generation is the one in which I was sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.' This implies that they are superior in every form of goodness. Were others to surpass them in identifying correct rulings in which the Companions erred, then those later generations would be superior in that regard—which contradicts the claim that the Companions are the best."
(Iʿlām al-Muwaqqiʿīn, 4/77-78)
Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (795 AH) said:
"We have been tested by ignorant people who believe that those who come later and speak more extensively are more knowledgeable than the early generations. They assume verbosity equates to scholarship, while in truth, the Salaf possessed profound understanding with minimal speech. Their words are full of blessing, unlike the excessive, unblessed words of the latecomers."
(Bayān Faḍl ʿIlm al-Salaf ʿalā al-Khalaf, p. 4-5)
Imam al-Shatibi (790 AH) explained:
"One must rely on the books of the early scholars. Their depth of knowledge far surpasses that of the later scholars. Experience and authentic reports prove that latecomers never reach the level of thoroughness attained by their predecessors."
(al-Muwāfaqāt, 1/74)
❖ The Attributes of Allah and Deviant Sects
Al-Hafidh al-Dhahabi (748 AH) writes:"People were upon sound natural belief until Jahm ibn Safwan appeared, introducing ideas about Allah and His attributes contrary to those revealed in the scriptures and taught by the Prophets."
(Tārīkh al-Islām, 3/389)
Ibn Taymiyyah outlines the correct methodology:
"The way of the Salaf is to affirm what Allah and His Messenger described Him with—without distortion, denial, asking how, or likening Him to creation. Attributes are affirmed without likening, and His transcendence is upheld without denial. Attributes are affirmed without similarity to created beings."
(Minhāj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, 2/523)
He further warns:
"These interpretations (ta'wilāt) by the later ones are distortions and deviation. They are lies against Allah and His Messenger and contradict clear reason and authentic reports."
(Dirʾ Taʿāruḍ al-ʿAql wa al-Naql, 5/378–379)
❖ The Belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah
Ahl al-Sunnah affirm the names and attributes of Allah as revealed in the Qur'an and Sunnah, without interpreting them metaphorically or likening them to creation. They neither deny nor distort, nor do they delve into the ‘how’. They affirm that:- Allah is above His Throne, distinct from His creation.
- He descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night in a manner that befits His majesty.
- His Hands, Face, and Eyes are affirmed as attributes—without likening them to creation and without denying them or reinterpreting them.
The Imams of the Salaf, such as Abu Hanifa, Malik, al-Shafi’i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Awza’i, and others, affirmed these attributes with the understanding that their realities are known to Allah alone, and not comparable to human attributes.
❖ Final Reflections
Imitating the rhetoric of deviants in the name of making belief easy for commoners is a gateway to misguidance. The truth is that the methodology of the Salaf is the safest, most knowledgeable, and most wise path. It protects against both anthropomorphism and denial. Every form of deviation from the clear understanding of the righteous predecessors opens the door to heresy.May Allah preserve us upon the sound creed of the Salaf and grant us steadfastness in upholding the truth.
Ameen.
