This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zahir Amn Puri's book "Where is Allah?".
Distortion and negation, takyif and tamthil, and comparison are prohibited regarding the attributes of Allah.
Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله (748 AH) writes:
كان الناس في عافية وسلامة فطرة حتى نبغ جهم فتكلم في الباري تعالى وفي صفاته بخلاف ما أتت به الرسل وأنزلت الكتب، نسأل الله السلامة في الدين.
"People were of correct belief and sound nature until Jahm ibn Safwan appeared. He began to speak about Allah and the attributes of Allah in a manner that contradicted the teachings of the Messengers and the revealed books. We ask Allah تعالى to grant us safety in our religion."
Sheikh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
طريقة سلف الأمة وأئمتها: أنهم يصفون الله بما وصف به نفسه وبما وصفه به رسوله، من غير تحريف ولا تعطيل، ولا تكييف ولا تمثيل، إثبات بلا تمثيل، وتنزيه بلا تعطيل، إثبات الصفات ونفي مماثلة المخلوقات.
"The methodology of the righteous predecessors and the Imams of the religion regarding the attributes of Allah is that they attribute to Allah those attributes with which He has attributed Himself or which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has attributed to Him. They do not engage in distortion, negation, takyif, or tamthil regarding these attributes, but rather affirm them without comparison and glorify them without negation. They affirm the attributes and deny any resemblance to the creations."
Imam Waki' ibn al-Jarrah رحمه الله (196 AH) states:
أدركنا إسماعيل بن أبي خالد وسفيان ومسعرا يحدثون بهذه الأحاديث ولا يفسرون شيئا.
"I saw Ismail ibn Abu Khalid, Sufyan, and Mas'ar رحمتہ اللہ; they used to narrate those (attributes of Allah) hadiths without providing any interpretation."
The Ash'ari and Maturidi sects believe in only seven attributes of Allah, which are: hearing, sight, knowledge, speech, power, will, and life. They interpret all other attributes.
The statement of Allah تعالى is:
الرحمٰن على العرش استوى.
"The Most Merciful is established on the Throne."
The Imams of the righteous predecessors have taken the apparent meaning of this verse. They all agree that Allah is established on His Throne, not everywhere.
Believing that Allah is everywhere is the doctrine of the misguided Jahmiyyah, not that of Ahl al-Sunnah.
Some scholars have said:
Regarding this verse, all scholars have stated that its apparent meaning is not intended; then some have declared it metaphorical and said that it refers to dominance and power, etc., while others have said that this verse is among those ambiguous verses about which Allah, the Exalted, has said:
وما يعلم تأويله إلا اللٰه.
"None knows its interpretation except Allah."
Their statement is contrary to reality.
Shaykh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
هذه التأويلات من باب تحريف الكلم عن مواضعه، والإلحاد في آيات الله، وهي من باب الكذب على الله وعلى رسوله وكتابه ، ومثل هذه لا تجعل حقا حتى يقال: إن الله استأثر بعلمها، بل هي باطل ، مثل شهادة الزور، وكفر الكفار يعلم الله أنها باطل، والله يعلم عباده بطلانها بالأسباب التي بها يعرف عباده من نصب الأدلة وغيرها وأصل وقوع أهل الضلال في مثل هذا التحريف الإعراض عن فهم كتاب الله تعالى كما فهمه الصحابة والتابعون، ومعارضه ما دل عليه بما يناقضه، وهذا هو من أعظم المحادة لله وللرسول، لكن على وجه النفاق والخداع.
"These interpretations are a clear distortion of the words of Allah and an aberration in the clear verses. It is a lie against Allah, His Messenger, and the Qur'an. If you are told that the meanings of these attributes are with Allah alone, do not accept it as truth; rather, it is entirely false. Just as Allah knows that false testimony and the disbelief of the disbelievers are false, in the same way, Allah makes their falsity clear to His servants through certain means, such as evidence, etc. The main reason for the deviation of the misguided is that they have not understood the Book of Allah as the Companions رضي الله عنهم and the great Tabi'in رحمهم الله understood it. Another significant reason is opposing the meanings of the Book and Sunnah. They are also enemies of Allah and the Messenger ﷺ, but the difference is that their enmity is based on hypocrisy and deceit."
He also states:
تأويل هؤلاء المتأخرين عند الأئمة تحريف باطل.
"According to the Imams of truth, the interpretations of these later individuals are a false distortion."
Declaring the verses of attributes as ambiguous is, in fact, the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah. They refer to the texts concerning attributes as ambiguous, meaning that the meanings of the attributes of Allah and the Most Beautiful Names are known only to Allah. The Salaf al-Salih and the Imams of Ahl al-Hadith were free from this. They entrusted the knowledge of their nature to Allah, but they were aware of the meanings of concepts such as Istawa 'ala al-'Arsh and descent. To declare the verses concerning attributes as ambiguous is a deviation from Tawhid and a contradiction to the Salaf al-Salih. No belief is credible that opposes the Salaf. By declaring the verses of Tawhid as ambiguous, the Qadariyyah, Jabriyyah, Jahmiyyah, Ash'ariyyah, Maturidiyyah, Rafidah, Mu'tazilah, and Khawarij have greatly benefited. Thus, many clear verses have been rendered meaningless and have become suspended. Every knowledgeable person knows that the attributes of Allah are the foundation of the belief in Tawhid and are established through definitive verses.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
من هنا قال من قال من التفاة: إن طريقة الخلف أعلم وأحكم، وطريقة السلف أسلم، لأنه ظن أن طريقة الخلف فيها معرفة النفي، الذي هو عنده الحق، وفيها طلب التأويل لمعاني نصوص الإثبات، فكان في هذه عندهم علم بمعقول، وتأويل لمنقول، ليس في الطريقة التي ظنها طريقة السلف، وكان فيه أيضا رد على من يتمسك بمدلول النصوص، وهذا عنده من إحكام تلك الطريق، ومذهب السلف عنده عدم النظر في فهم النصوص ، لتعارض الاحتمالات، وهذا عنده أسلم ، لأنه إذا كان اللفظ يحتمل عدة معان، فتفسيره ببعضها دون بعض فيه مخاطرة، وفي الإعراض عن ذلك سلامة من هذه المخاطرة. فلو كان قد بين وتبين لهذا وأمثاله أن طريقة السلف إنما هي إثبات ما دلت عليه النصوص من الصفات، وفهم ما دلت عليه، وتدبره وعقله، وإبطال طريقة النفاة، وبيان مخالفتها لصريح المعقول وصحيح المنقول، علم أن طريقة السلف أعلم وأحكم وأسلم، وأهدى إلى الطريق الأقوام، وأنها تتضمن تصديق الرسول فيما أخبر به، وفهم ذلك ومعرفته، وأن ذلك هو الذي يدل عليه صريح المعقول، ولا يناقض ذلك إلا ما هو باطل وكذب، وأن طريقة النفاة المنافية لما أخبر به الرسول طريقة باطلة شرعا وعقلا، وأن من جعل طريقة السلف عدم العلم بمعاني الآيات، وعدم إثبات ما تضمنته من الصفات، فقد قال غير الحق ، إما عمدا وإما خطا، كما أن من قال على الرسوله إنه لم يبعث بإثبات الصفات، بل بعث بقول النفاة، كان مفتريا عليه. وهؤلاء النفاة هم كذابون، إما عمدا وإما خطا، على الله وعلى رسوله، وعلى سلف الأمة وأئمتها، كما أنهم كذابون، إما عمدا وإما خطا، على عقول الناس، وعلى ما نصبه الله تعالى من الأدلة العقلية، والبراهين اليقينية.
The denier of the attributes of Allah claims that our method is more precise and knowledgeable, while the method of the Salaf is more submissive. This is because he believes that in the method of the later generations, there is a negation which he considers to be the truth, and in the verses affirming the attributes, there is a path for interpretation. In this method of the later generations, there is a knowledge of rational matters and such interpretations in transmitted texts that, in his opinion, are not found in the method of the earlier generations. This also refutes the person who follows the implications of the texts. Thus, he considers this method of the later generations to be definitive. He assumes that the doctrine of the Salaf is to pay no attention to the understanding of the texts because the possibilities are varied; therefore, this method is more submissive. In his view, when a word has multiple meanings, ignoring all other meanings and choosing only one is not without risk, and refraining from interpretation is safety.
If it became clear to him or others like him who deny the attributes that the method of the Salaf is to affirm the meanings of the verses regarding the attributes, to understand, contemplate, and grasp them, to refute the doctrine of those who deny the attributes, and to clarify that their method is contrary to explicit rationalities and authentic transmissions, then he would know that the method of the Salaf is indeed the most sound, the most correct, and the most knowledgeable. Furthermore, this is the most straightforward path and encompasses the confirmation of the news of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, its understanding, and knowledge. This path aligns with clear reason, and any method contrary to it is false and erroneous.
The deniers of the attributes, who adopt a path contrary to the news of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, have a method that is invalid both legally and rationally. Whoever has declared the lack of knowledge of the meanings of the texts and the non-affirmation of the attributes therein as the method of the Salaf has either knowingly or unknowingly spoken a falsehood. Just as some have falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he was not sent to affirm the attributes, but rather was sent to support the deniers of the attributes. Such a person is a liar. These deniers of the attributes are also knowingly or unknowingly lying about Allah, His Messenger ﷺ, the predecessors of the Ummah, and the noble Imams. Similarly, they are knowingly or unknowingly lying about the intellects of people and the rational arguments and certain proofs given by Allah Almighty.
Moreover, it is stated:
من آتاه الله علما وإيمانا، علم أنه لا يكون عند المتأخرين من التحقيق، إلا ما هو دون تحقيق السلف لا في العلم ولا في العمل، ومن كان له خبرة بالنظريات والعقليات، وبالعمليات، علم أن مذهب الصحابة دائما أرجح من قول من بعدهم، وأنه لا يبتدع أحد قولا في الإسلام إلا كان خطأ، وكان الصواب قد سبق إليه من قبله.
"Whomever Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed the wealth of knowledge and faith upon will surely understand that whether it is knowledge or action, the research of the later scholars is, in any case, lesser than that of the earlier ones. Those who are experienced in theories, rationalities, and practices are well aware that the stance of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ has always been superior to that of those who came after them. The earlier scholars have already taken the lead in the correct matters; therefore, anyone who introduces something new in Islam will err."
Allama Shankiti رحمه الله (1393 AH) states:
لأن آيات الصفات لا يطلق عليها اسم المتشابه بهذا المعنى من غير تفصيل، لأن معناها معلوم في اللغة العربية وليس متشابها، ولكن كيفية اتصافه جل وعلا بها ليست معلومة للخلق.
"In the context of the verses of attributes, the term 'mutashabih' is not used without any elaboration, because their meaning is known in the Arabic language and is not ambiguous. However, the manner in which the Exalted One is characterized by these attributes is unknown to the creation."
Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri writes:
"Our belief regarding such verses is that we have faith in them and do not discuss their nature. We certainly know that Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, is free from the attributes of creation and is devoid of signs of deficiency and occurrence, as is the opinion of our earlier scholars. And the interpretations that our later scholars have provided for these verses, which are correct and permissible in terms of language and Shari'ah, so that the less knowledgeable may understand, for example, that 'istawa' may mean dominance and 'hand' may mean power, are also considered true by us. However, we do not deem it permissible to affirm direction and location for Allah, the Exalted, and we say that He is free from direction, location, and all signs of occurrence."
Shaykh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
لفظ الجهة قد يراد به شيء موجود غير الله فيكون مخلوقا، كما إذا أريد بالجهة نفس العرش أو نفس السماوات، وقد يراد به ما ليس بموجود غير الله تعالى، كما إذا أريد بالجهة ما فوق العالم. ومعلوم أنه ليس في النص إثبات لفظ الجهة ولا نفيه، كما فيه إثبات العلو والاستواء والفوقية والعروج إليه ونحو ذلك، وقد علم أن ما ثم موجود إلا الخالق والمخلوق، والخالق مباين للمخلوق سبحانه وتعالى، ليس في مخلوقاته شيء من ذاته، ولا في ذاته شيء من مخلوقاته. فيقال لمن نفى الجهة: أتريد بالجهة أنها شيء موجود مخلوق، فالله ليس داخلا في المخلوقات، أم تريد بالجهة ما وراء العالم، فلا ريب أن الله فوق العالم، بائن من المخلوقات. وكذلك يقال لمن قال: إن الله في جهة، أتريد بذلك أن الله فوق العالم، أو تريد به أن الله داخل في شيء من المخلوقات؟ فإن أردت الأول فهو حق، وإن أردت الثاني فهو باطل.
"The term 'direction' may sometimes refer to something other than Allah, in which case it would be called creation. Similarly, if direction is understood to mean the Throne or the heavens (it would also be creation), and at times it refers to something non-existent other than Allah, as when direction is taken to mean the upward aspect beyond the universe. It is known that the term 'direction' is neither affirmed nor denied in the texts, but the affirmation of elevation, establishment, superiority, and ascension, etc., is present. It is also a fact that in the universe there is either a Creator or a creation (there is no third option). The Creator is separate from the creation, and neither is there any part of the Creator's essence in the creation, nor is there any part of the creation's essence in the Creator. The denier of direction will be told that if you refer to a present and created thing as direction, then Allah is not included among the creations, and if you mean a position beyond the universe by direction, then Allah تعالى is above the universe and separate from the creations. To one who believes in direction concerning Allah, it will also be asked whether you mean that Allah تعالى is above the universe or that He is included in some creation? If the former is meant, it is true, and if the latter is meant, it is false."
They also write:
هؤلاء أخذوا لفظ الجهة بالاشتراك وتوهموا وأوهموا أنه إذا كان في جهة كان في كل شيء غيره، كما يكون الإنسان في بيته، وكما تكون الشمس والقمر والكواكب في السماء، ثم رتبوا على ذلك أنه يكون محتاجا إلى غيره، والله تعالى غني عن كل ما سواه، وهذه مقدمات كلها باطلة.
"They (the Jahmiyyah) considered the term direction to be common (between Creator and creation). They themselves fell into delusion and led others into delusion by claiming that if Allah has any direction, then everything must be in some direction, just as a human is in his house and the sun, moon, and stars are in the sky. They then said that each of these is dependent on the other, while Allah تعالى is in need of no one. Therefore, Allah تعالى has no direction. All these premises are false."
To permit interpretations of the attributes of Allah based on the Arabic language in opposition to the righteous predecessors, so that the less knowledgeable may understand, is in fact contrary to the belief in Tawhid. To divert the attributes of Allah from their apparent meanings towards metaphorical interpretations is against the intent of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Tawhid is not something that should be distorted for the public. The matter is quite simple: the attributes of Allah are befitting of Him, while the attributes of the creation are befitting of them. The attributes of Allah possess perfection and permanence, whereas the attributes of creation do not. The need for distortion and interpretation arises only if someone claims that the attributes of the Creator are like those of the creation.
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz رحمه الله (792 AH) writes:
لذلك صار كلام المتأخرين كثيرا، قليل البركة، بخلاف كلام المتقدمين، فإنه قليل، كثير البركة، لا كما يقوله ضلال المتكلمين وجهالتهم: إن طريقة القوم أسلم، وإن طريقتنا أحكم وأعلم، ولا كما يقوله من لم يقدرهم من المنتسبين إلى الفقه: إنهم لم يتفرغوا لاستنباط الفقه وضبط قواعده وأحكامه اشتغالا منهم بغيره، والمتأخرون تفرغوا لذلك، فهم أفقه! فكل هؤلاء محجوبون عن معرفة مقادير السلف، وعمق علومهم، وقلة تكلفهم وكمال بصائرهم.
"The discourse of the later scholars is lengthy and lacks blessings. In contrast, the speech of the early scholars was concise and filled with abundant blessings. The misguided and ignorant theologians have claimed that the way of the predecessors was more submissive, while our way is more precise and knowledgeable. Similarly, the so-called jurists have claimed that the predecessors were unable to compile jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, and rulings due to other engagements, and that the later scholars paid attention to these matters; therefore, the later scholars are greater jurists! Their statement is entirely false, for these individuals are unaware of the value and status of the predecessors, the depth of knowledge, the simplicity of expression, and the abundance of insight."
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi writes:
’’After the denial of similarity, there are two approaches. One approach is that of the Salaf, who interpret it in its literal meaning and attribute the essence of that meaning to the knowledge of Allah, without specifying any quality. The second approach is that of the Khalaf, who engage in appropriate interpretation to prevent misguided sects, such as the Mushabbihah and Mujassimah, from falling into error. We seek refuge with Allah! The response to this doubt, although according to the method of the Salaf, is that establishment is indeed affirmed, but it is not necessary that it be like our establishment, which would necessitate corporeality; rather, it is something else that we do not know, and this response is also correct. However, it is difficult to explain to the common people that there is indeed establishment, but it is not like ours. Therefore, the scholars of the Khalaf devised this method to interpret such realities in a way that neither the Qur'an and Hadith are abandoned nor do they fall into the belief of corporeality and similarity. For example, they interpreted “استوى على العرش” merely as a metaphor for the enforcement of commands and said that “hand” means power, and “placing a foot” means subjugation.’’
When you say that the correct methodology of the Salaf al-Salih is in the attributes of Allah, it refutes the Mushabbihah and Mujassimah, so what is the need to follow any other path that is not established by the Salaf?
Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani writes:
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah consider it necessary to interpret all these attributes; "hand" refers to power, because there are two approaches regarding these similarities among Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah. The Salaf al-Salih say: لله يد كما يليق بشأنه، لا كأيدينا، کیونکہ “ليس كمثله شيء” according to which He is free from comparison and also free from what is inappropriate, but the later scholars found it difficult to explain these issues to the public, so they began to say that "hand" might mean blessings or power, as this usage has been consistent in Arabic, thus the Khalaf interpreted them.
They also write:
For example, in verses like “على العرش استوى” etc., the Wahhabi sect establishes a literal interpretation of "Istawa" and directions, which necessitates the affirmation of corporeality, etc. However, these sacred elders, like the Salaf, refrain from the implications of corporeality and creation in all these verses and hadiths, or like the Khalaf, they permit interpretations of them.
If "Istawa" is taken in its literal meaning, it necessitates the affirmation of corporeality, etc. The question arises: is the belief of the Salaf deficient and that of the Khalaf correct? While this is self-evidently false, because the belief of the Salaf is more submissive, more precise, and more knowledgeable. If holding the attributes of Allah in their literal meanings necessitated corporeality, then what would be necessitated by the affirmation of the essence of Allah? Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah say that Allah is that essence which possesses these attributes, and these attributes are affirmed for Him in a manner befitting His majesty. Allah Almighty has informed us that He is established on the Throne, therefore we will also say that Allah is established on the Throne, but how? In a manner befitting His majesty.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
كما أن الرب نفسه ليس كمثله شيء، فصفاته كذاته.
"Since there is nothing like Allah's essence, therefore His attributes are also like His essence."
He also states:
كنه ذاته وصفاته التي لا يعلمها غيره.
"The knowledge of the reality of Allah's essence and attributes is with Him alone."
Mufti Taqi Usmani states:
"To affirm descent and ascension for the Almighty, while He is free from place and direction, is metaphorical. Just as the kings of the world descend from their palaces to their subjects, similarly, on the last night, the attention of the Almighty descends to the creation. Another explanation is: يَنْزِلُ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ أَوْ مِلْكُ اللهِ. The third explanation from the Salaf is that we keep these narrations in their original meaning, but we do not know their nature: يَنْزِلُ كَمَا يَلِيقُ بِشَأْنِهِ, just as the rays of the sun descend, the descent of angels and jinn is not like our descent."
The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the descent of the Almighty is that Allah Himself descends. This is the true descent of Allah, as befits Him. No one knows its nature except Him. The people of falsehood and those who interpret and distort say that it is the descent of Allah's command:
◈ This theory contradicts the authentic hadiths and the consensus of the righteous Salaf.
◈ Allah's command descends at all times, not specific to any part of the day or night.
◈ It is not possible for Allah to say: من يدعوني فأستجيب له.
Allah's descent to the worldly heaven does not contradict His exaltedness, because there is nothing like Allah. Allah's descent will not be compared to the descent of creation.
Imam Abu Ja'far Tirmidhi Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Nasr رحمه الله (295 AH) was asked by a questioner about the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ: إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا
فالنزول، كيف يكون؟ يبقى فوقه علو؟
’’If descent is accepted, how can the attribute of exaltation remain?‘‘
He رحمه الله said:
النزول معقول، والكيف مجهول، والإيمان به واجب، والسؤال عنه بدعة.
The meaning of descent is known, the manner is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and questioning about it is an innovation.
Maulana Idris Kandhlawi writes:
“Understand it in such a way that the apparent and sensory meaning of استواء علی العرش is not that Allah تعالى is sitting on the Throne, but it indicates the exalted status and high rank of Allah, as He تعالى said: رَفِيعُ الدَّرَجَاتِ ذُو الْعَرْشِ۔ and similarly, in the hadith where it is mentioned that Allah تعالى descends to the lowest heaven every night, it does not mean that God is a body that descends from the Throne to the lowest heaven, rather it refers to the descent of His mercy or the descent of an angel of mercy to the lowest heaven at that specific time.”
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله (561 AH) states:
ينبغي إطلاق صفة الاستواء من غير تأويل، وأنه استواء الذات على العرش، لا على معنى القعود والمماسة كما قالت المجسمة والكرامية، ولا على معنى العلو والرفعة كما قالت الأشعرية، ولا على معنى الاستيلاء والغلبة كما قالت المعتزلة، لأن الشرع لم يرد بذلك، ولا نقل عن أحد من الصحابة والتابعين من السلف الصالح من أصحاب الحديث، بل المنقول عنهم حمله على الإطلاق.
“The attribute of استواء should be explained without any interpretation. It refers to the exaltation of the Divine Being over the Throne, not sitting or touching, as claimed by the Mujassima and the Karamiya. Nor does it refer to exalted status and high rank, as per the Ash'ari stance, nor does it mean dominance and superiority, as claimed by the Mu'tazila, because all these meanings are not established by the Shari'ah, nor are they reported from any companion, follower, or hadith scholar among the righteous predecessors, rather it is established to interpret it according to its apparent meaning.”
Maulana Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi writes:
“It is contrary to reason for God to have hands, face (as transmitted), therefore these verses are obligatory to interpret.”
Muhammad Abdul Hakim Sharaf Qadri writes:
"In the Hadith, the affirmation of 'Yad' (hand) and 'Anamil' (fingers) for Allah تعالى is present, and they are among the Mutashabihat, the reality of which our intellect cannot comprehend. Allah تعالى is free from body, hands, and fingers."
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله (751 AH) states:
قوله تعالى: (ما منعك أن تسجد لما خلقت بيدى) (بل يده مبسوطتن)
"Regarding Allah تعالى's statement: (ما منعك ان تسجد لما خلقت بيدى) (بل يده مبسوطين)
◈ The reality is the original, and claiming metaphor contradicts the original.
◈ This also contradicts the apparent meaning, thus both the original and the apparent refute this claim.
◈ The one who claims metaphor must provide several conditions:
He must present some evidence that diverts from the literal meaning, as the one who takes it literally has both the original and the apparent (two proofs) available, and the one opposing the literal meaning is also opposing the original and the apparent.
It must be shown whether the word from which a metaphorical meaning is derived has the potential for that meaning in the language; otherwise, it would be his own modern invention.
It must be shown whether such a meaning can be considered in this context; for it is not the case that the word can have any meaning overall, and this specific context can also hold that possibility. Many have erred at this point, failing to distinguish between the original linguistic possibilities of the word (which, although they may not hold that meaning in this specific construction) and the meaning they attribute to it."
Arguments will be presented for taking the metaphorical meaning, as it is impossible to derive a meaning from a word that does not indicate it without any context. When they are asked for these four things, their defeat will become evident.
◈ The usage of this word being established (according to rules and regulations), its being of various types, and its repeated usage prevent taking a metaphorical meaning.
Furthermore, it is stated:
كذلك قوله: (خلقت بيدي) يعني بقدرته ونعمته، قال: فيقال له: هذا باطل، إذ قوله: (بيدي) يقتضي إثبات يدين هما صفة له، فلو كان المراد بهما القدرة لوجب أن يكون له قدرتان، وأنتم تزعمون أن لله تعالى قدرة واحدة، فكيف يجوز أن تثبتوا قدرتين؟ وقد أجمع المسلمون المثبتون للصفات والنافون لها على أنه لا يجوز أن يكون لله تعالى قدرتان، فبطل ما قلتم.
Similarly, the statement of Allah, (خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ) "I created with My hands" is understood to mean His power and blessing. It will be said that this meaning is false because the word "بِيَدَيَّ" necessitates the proof of two hands, which are attributes of His. If power is meant here, it would imply that He has two powers, whereas you also understand that Allah تعالى has only one power. How can you justify asserting two powers for Allah تعالى? There is a consensus among both groups of Muslims, those who affirm and those who deny attributes, that it is not permissible to assert two powers for Allah تعالى; therefore, your claim is invalid.
Some statements of Mawdudi that deviate from the Salaf:
ثم استوى على العرش is translated as:
"Then He manifested Himself over the dominion."
This is against the Quran, Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah. It is established by the Quran, Hadith, consensus, and nature that Allah, the Most Merciful, is exalted above His Throne.
As for the statement that God's Throne was on water, its meaning comes to our understanding as that God's dominion was over the water.
This understanding is an interpretation and distortion. None of the scholars of truth express this meaning.
“The only interpretations and concepts of the Quran and Sunnah that are valid are those that are established from the Companions and the Imams of the Salaf.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله (597 AH) writes:
إجماع السلف منعقد على أن لا يزيدوا على قراءة الآية، وقد شذ قوم فقالوا: العرش بمعنى الملك، وهذا عدول عن الحقيقة إلى التجوز مع مخالفة الأثر، ألم يسمعوا قوله عز وجل: (وكان عرشه على الماء)، أتراه كان الملك على الماء؟
The consensus of the righteous Salaf is that no addition should be made to the recitation of the verse. Some people have taken an aberrant view by saying that the meaning of the Throne is kingship. This is a deviation from reality to metaphor, and it also contradicts the Hadith. Did they not hear the command of Allah, the Exalted: وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ (His Throne was upon the water)? Was kingship upon the water?
“Allah, the Creator, is not established in any place.”
Allah, the Exalted, has informed us that He is elevated above the Throne.
If a child is asked where Allah is, he will point upwards or say with his tongue: “He is above.”
“It cannot be conceived regarding Allah, the Exalted, that He resides in any specific place, for His essence is free from the constraints of time and space.”
And the concept of the Divine Essence that has been given to us in the Holy Quran also prevents the thought that He, being a transcendent being free from body, direction, and place, could be established somewhere and that any creation could carry Him.
When a person becomes independent of the righteous Salaf, then truth also appears to him as falsehood.
The Ahl al-Sunnah are cautious regarding the attributes of Allah, the Exalted. They take the texts in this regard according to their apparent meanings. They affirm what Allah has informed about Himself, deny what He has denied, and remain silent regarding what the Salaf remained silent about.
Sheikh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
حقيقة الأمر في المعنى أن ينظر إلى المقصود، فمن اعتقد أن المكان لا يكون إلا ما يفتقر إليه المتمكن، سواء كان محيطا به أو كان تحته، فمعلوم أن الله سبحانه ليس في مكان بهذا الاعتبار، ومن اعتقد أن العرش هو المكان، وأن الله فوقه، مع غناه عنه، فلا ريب أنه في مكان بهذا الاعتبار، فمما يجب نفيه بلا ريب افتقار الله إلى ما سواه، فإنه سبحانه غني عما سواه، وكل شيء فقير إليه، فلا يجوز أن يوصف بصفة تتضمن افتقاره إلى ما سواه.
"The reality is that the purpose should be observed. Whoever understands that a place is that which requires an inhabitant, whether it surrounds him or is beneath him, it is clear that in this regard Allah تعالى is not in any place. Whoever believes that the Throne is a place and that Allah is above it, but Allah تعالى is not in need of it, then in this regard, undoubtedly Allah تعالى is in a place. Therefore, what must be negated is that Allah تعالى is in need of anyone; everything is in need of Him. It is not permissible to attribute to Him any quality that would necessitate His being in need."
He also states:
لكن قياس الله الخالق لكل شيء الغني عن كل شيء الصمد الذي يفتقر إليه كل شيء بالمخلوقات الضعيفة المحتاجة عدل لها برب العالمين، ومن عدلها برب العالمين فإنه في ضلال مبين.
"However, Allah تعالى—who is the Creator of all, the Self-Sufficient, and so independent that everything is in need of Him—comparing Him to needy and weak creatures is tantamount to equating the creation with the Lord of the worlds, and whoever equates the creation with the Lord of the worlds is clearly in misguidance."
Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله (751 AH) writes:
استواؤه وعلوه على عرشه سلام من أن يكون محتاجا إلى ما يحمله أو يستوي عليه بل العرس محتاج إليه وحملته محتاجون إليه فهو الغني عن العرش وعن حملته وعن كل ما سواه فهو استواء وعلو لا يشوبه حصر ولا حاجة إلى عرش ولا غيره ولا إحاطة شيء به سبحانه وتعالى بل كان سبحانه ولا عرش ولم يكن به حاجة إليه وهو الغني الحميد بل استواؤه على عرشه واستيلاؤه على خلقه من موجبات ملكه وقهره من غير حاجة إلى عرض ولا غيره بوجه ما ونزوله كل ليلة إلى سماء الدنيا سلام مما يضاد علوه وسلام مما يضاد غناه وكماله سلام من كل ما يتوهم معطل أو مشبه وسلام من أن يصير تحت شيء أو محصورا في شيء تعالى الله ربنا عن كل ما يضاد كماله وغناه وسمعه وبصره سلام من كل ما يتخيله مشبه أو يتقوله معطل وموالاته لأوليائه سلام من أن تكون عن ذلك كما يوالي المخلوق المخلوق، بل هي موالاة رحمة وخير واحسان وبر.
"The exaltation of Allah تعالى and His being above the Throne is free from the need for any bearer or anything upon which He is elevated; rather, the Throne and its bearers are in need of Him. Allah تعالى is self-sufficient from the Throne, the bearers of the Throne, and everything else. This exaltation and elevation is such that it does not include any limitation or need. Allah تعالى does not need the Throne or anything else, nor is He encompassed by anything; rather, at one time Allah تعالى existed, but the Throne did not exist, nor did He have a need for the Throne. He is self-sufficient and praiseworthy. Indeed, His being exalted above the Throne and His dominion over His creation is among the causes of His kingship and might, without any need. His descent every night does not contradict His elevation, self-sufficiency, and perfection. Similarly, He is free from all the delusions of the Mu'tazilah and the anthropomorphists. He is also free from being subordinate to anything or being confined within anything. Our Lord is free from every deficiency that contradicts His perfection, self-sufficiency, hearing, and sight. The Exalted is free from the thoughts of anthropomorphists and the inventions of the Mu'tazilah. His love and allegiance to His friends is not like the love of creation for creation, but this love is due to mercy, goodness, kindness, and righteousness."
"The meaning of having power in His hand does not imply that He possesses a physical hand, but rather it is used in the metaphorical sense of 'grasp' as a meaning. Just as in Arabic, in our language, when we say that authority is in someone's hands, it means that he is the owner of all authority, and no one else has any interference in it."
The belief attributed to Imam Abu Hanifah is:
له يد ووجه ونفس كما ذكره الله تعالى في القرآن، فما ذكره الله تعالى في القرآن من ذكر الوجه واليد والنفس فهو له صفات بلا كيف، ولا يقال: إن يده قدرته أو نعمته، لأن فيه إبطال الصفة وهو قول أهل القدر والاعتزال، ولكن يده صفته بلا كيف.
“The hand, face, and essence of Allah, the Exalted, are as mentioned in the Holy Quran. The attributes mentioned by Allah, the Exalted, in the Holy Quran regarding the face, hand, and essence are His attributes, the nature of which cannot be described, nor can it be said that His hand refers to power or bounty, as this would lead to the negation of the attribute, which is the belief of the Qadariyyah and Mu'tazilah. Rather, the hand is an attribute of Allah, the Exalted, whose nature is unknown.”
It is also said:
لا يوصف الله تعالى بصفات المخلوقين، وغضبه ورضاه صفتان من صفاته بلا كيف وهو قول أهل السنة والجماعة وهو يغضب ويرضى ولا يقال: غضبه عقوبته ورضاه ثوابه ونصفه كما وصف نفسه أحد صمد لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد حي قبوم قادر بصير عالم، يد الله فوق أيديهم ليست كأيدي خلقه وليست جارحة، وهو خالق الأيدي ووجهه ليس كوجوه خلقه وهو خالق كل الوجوه ونفسه ليست كنفس خلقه وهو خالق كل النفوس (ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصيره).
Allah, the Exalted, will not be described with the attributes of creation. Anger and pleasure are both attributes of Allah, the Exalted, and their nature will not be described; this is the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah. Allah, the Exalted, becomes angry and is also pleased. It cannot be said that Allah's anger refers to His punishment and His pleasure refers to His reward. We will describe Allah's attributes as Allah أحد صمد لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد حي قيوم قادر سميع بصير عالم has described His attributes. يد الله فوق أيديهم “The hand of Allah is above their hands.” Allah's hand is not like the hands of creation, nor is it a physical limb; He is the Creator of all hands. Similarly, His face is not like the faces of creation; He is the Creator of all faces. His essence is not like the essences of creation; He is the Creator of all essences. The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is: ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
Khatib Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi رحمه الله (d. 463 AH) states:
أما الكلام في الصفات، فإن ما روي منها في السنن الصحاح، مذهب السلف إثباتها وإجراؤها على ظواهرها، ونفي الكيفية والتشبيه عنها، وقد نفاها قوم، فأبطلوا ما أثبته الله، وحققها قوم من المثتين، فخرجوا في ذالك إلى ضرب من التشبيه والتكبيف، والقصد إنما هو سلوك الطريقة المتوسطة بين الأمرين، ودين الله تعالى بين الغالي فيه والمقصر عنه. والأصل في هذا أن الكلام في الصفات فرع الكلام في الذات، ويحتذى في ذلك حنوه ومثاله، فإذا كان معلوما أن إثبات رب العالمين إنما هو إثبات وجود لا إثبات كيفية، فكذالك إثبات صفاته إنما هو إثبات وجود لا إثبات تحديد وتكييف، فإذا قلنا: لله يد وسمع وبصر، فإنما هي صفات أثبتها الله لنفسه، ولا نقول: إن معنى اليد القدرة، ولا إن معنى السمع والبصر العلم، ولا نقول: إنها جوارح، ولا نشبهها بالأيدي والأسماع والأبصار التي هي جوارح وأدوات للفعل، ونقول: إنما وجب إنباتها لأن التوقيف ورد بها، ووجب نفي التشبيه عنها لقوله: (ليس كمثله شى) (الشورى: 11) ، (ولم يكن له كفوا احد) (الإخلاص:4)
The attributes of Allah, as reported in authentic Hadiths, are affirmed by the righteous predecessors who take their apparent meanings while denying any resemblance or modality. Some groups have denied these attributes, rendering invalid what Allah has affirmed. Others have affirmed them but have fallen into the errors of resemblance and modality. The correct approach is to adopt the middle path between these two groups, as the religion of Allah is between exaggeration and deficiency.
In essence, discussing the attributes of Allah is a branch of discussing the essence of Allah. The same methodology will be applied to the attributes as is applied to the essence. It is an obvious fact that affirming the Lord of the worlds is affirming the existence of His essence, not the modality of it. Similarly, affirming the attributes is affirming existence, not modality or limitation. Therefore, when we say that the attributes of Yad, Samaa, and Basar are affirmed for Allah, it means that these are attributes that Allah has affirmed for Himself. We will not say that Yad (hand) means power, nor that Samaa and Basar mean knowledge, nor will we consider them as bodily parts, nor will we liken them to hands, ears, and eyes. Rather, we will say that their affirmation is obligatory because it is established by the Shari'ah, and denying resemblance is also necessary, as Allah says: (ليس كمثله شيء)
(Siyar A'lam an-Nubala by Al-Dhahabi: 284/18, and its chain is authentic)
The original words are: جاء ربك, which translates literally as: "Your Lord will come." However, it is evident that there is no question of Allah تعالى moving from one place to another.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله (751 AH) writes:
مما يوضح لك ذلك أن التزول والمجيء والإنيان، والاستواء، والصعود والارتفاع كلها أنواع أفعال، وهو الفعال لما يريد، وأفعاله كصفاته قائمة به، ولولا ذلك لم يكن فعالا ولا موصوفا بصفات كماله، فتزوله ومجيته واستواؤه وارتفاعه وصعوده ونحر ذلك، كلها أفعال من أفعاله، التي إن كانت مجازا فأفعاله كلها مجان ولا فعل له في الحقيقة، بل هو بمنزلة الجمادات، وهذا حقيقة من عطل أفعاله، وإن كان فاعلا حقيقة فأفعاله نوعان: لازمة ومتعدية، كما دلت النصوص التي هي أكثر من أن تحصر على النوعين. وبإثبات أفعاله وقيامها به تزول عنك جميع الإشكالات، وتصدق النصوص بعضها بعضا وتعلم مطابقتها للعقل الصريح، وإن أنكرت حقيقة الأفعال وقيامها به سبحانه اضطرب عليك هذا الباب أعظم اضطراب، وبقيت حائرا في التوفيق بين النصوص وبين أصول النفاة، وهيهات لك بالتوفيق بين النقيضين والجمع بين الصدين. يوضحه: إن الأوهام الباطلة والعقول الفاسدة لما فهمت من نزول الرب ومجيثه، وإثيانه وهبوطه ودنوم ما يفهم من مجيء المخلوق وإثيانه وهبوطه ودنوه وهو أن يفرع مكانا ويشغل مكانا نفت حقيقة ذلك فوقعت في محذورين: محذور التشبيه ومحذور التعطيل، ولو علمت هذه العقول الضعيفة أن نزوله سبحانه ومجيته وإنيانه لا يشبه نزول المخلوق وإنيانه ومجيته، كما أن سمعه وبصره وعلمه وحياته كذالك، بل يده الكريمة ووجهه الكريم كذلك، وإذا كان نزولا ليس كمثله نزول، فكيف تنفى حقيقته ، فإن لم تنف المعطلة حقيقة ذاته وصفاته وأفعاله بالكلية وإلا تناقضوا، فإنهم أي معنى أثبتوه لزمهم في نفيه ما ألزموا به أهل السنة المثبتين لله ما أثبت لنفسه، ولا يجدون إلى الفرق سبيلا.
It is clear from this that the attributes of descent, coming, arrival, establishment, ascension, and elevation are all attributes of action. Allah تعالى can certainly do what He wills. His attributes of action are similar to His essential attributes. If this were not the case, He would not be the doer (the one who does everything well) nor would He be described with attributes of perfection. The attributes of descent, coming, arrival, establishment, ascension, elevation, and other attributes of Allah are among His actions. If these attributes of action are metaphorical, then all His actions would be metaphorical, and in reality, no action would remain, rather all actions would become like those of inanimate objects. This is the essence of the Mu'tazilah.
If Allah تعالى is acknowledged as the true doer, then His actions will fall into two categories:
◈ Necessary
◈ Transitive
Countless texts indicate both of these categories. The affirmation of the attributes of action and recognizing them as established with the Divine Essence removes all your doubts and uncertainties. All texts confirm one another, and you will begin to understand them in accordance with clear reason. If you deny these attributes or do not recognize them as established with the Divine Essence, you will fall into severe turmoil regarding this issue and will continue to seek reconciliation between the texts and the deniers of the attributes of Allah تعالى. It is impossible to reconcile two contradictions and opposites.
Further clarification: When false imaginations and corrupt intellects interpret the descent, coming, lowering, and nearness of the Lord, the Exalted, in a manner similar to the descent, coming, lowering, and nearness of creation (which necessitates a transfer from one place to another), they will deny the reality of these attributes of the Lord and fall into two misguidances:
◈ Anthropomorphism
◈ Negation
If these weak intellects understood that the descent and coming of Allah, the Most High, is not akin to the descent and coming of creation, likewise, the hearing, sight, knowledge, and life of the Creator are not similar to those of creation, and that His hand and face are also not like those of creation. If the descent of Allah is not considered similar to that of creation, then the reality of it will not be denied either. The Mu'tazilah have completely negated the reality of Allah's essence, attributes, and actions, falling into contradiction, because whatever meaning they affirm, the same objection arises against them regarding the negation of attributes that they raise against the Ahl al-Sunnah in affirming the attributes of the Lord, and they find no way to differentiate between the two.
Moreover, it is stated:
هذا النزول إلى الأرض يوم القيامة قد تواترت به الأحاديث والآثار ودل عليه القرآن صريحا.
The hadiths and reports from the Companions regarding the divine descent on the Day of Resurrection are mutawatir, and the Qur'an also explicitly indicates this.
Maulana Sarfaraz Khan Safdar writes:
The position of the early scholars regarding the descent of the Lord, the Exalted, is that the reality of descent is intended, but the manner is unknown to us. Similarly, the position of the early scholars regarding hearing, sight, hand, and the establishment on the Throne is the same. The later scholars interpret this to mean the pleasure of Allah, satisfaction, and attention. The superior opinion is that of the early scholars.
Indeed, the excellent statement is that of the predecessors. The interpretations made by some later scholars are a deviation from the methodology of the Salaf and a form of negation.
"It is understood that the soul which has been breathed into man is, in fact, a reflection or manifestation of the divine attributes."
Maulana Taqi Usmani has rightly stated:
There are many points in Tafheem-ul-Quran that contradict the established beliefs and statements of the majority, therefore, it is not correct to read it without critique as per the request of the questioner.
One person says:
"I stated: My Imam's belief is that Allah is everywhere."
He further said:
"The belief of Nu'man and the Hanafis regarding the essence of the Lord is that Allah is everywhere, except that Allah is not on the Throne."
This belief is not conclusively established from Imam Abu Hanifah.
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi رحمه الله (792 AH) writes:
لا يلتفت إلى من أنكر ذلك ممن ينتسب إلى مذهب أبي حنيفة، فقد انتسب إليه طوائف معتزلة وغيرهم، مخالفون له في كثير من اعتقاداته، وقد ينتسب إلى مالك والشافعي وأحمد من يخالفهم في بعض اعتفاداتهم، وقصة أبي يوسف في استتابة بشر المريسي، لما أنكر أن يكون الله عز وجل فوق العرش مشهورة.
Among those who claim to be Hanafis, anyone who denies this belief is not worthy of attention, because many groups from the Mu'tazilah and others attribute themselves to Imam Abu Hanifah while opposing him on various doctrinal issues. Some who oppose the beliefs of Imams Malik, Shafi'i, and Ahmad رحمهم الله also claim to be associated with them. The story of Qadi Abu Yusuf رحمه الله is well-known; when Bishr al-Marisi denied Allah's existence on the Throne, he advised him to repent.
Sheikh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) writes:
كذلك الحنفي يخلط بمذاهب أبي حنيفة شيئا من أصول المعتزلة والكرامية والكلابية، ويضيفه إلى مذهب أبي حنيفة.
Similarly, the Ahnaf have incorporated many elements into the school of Abu Hanifah that were, in fact, principles and beliefs of the Mu'tazilah, Karamiyyah, and Ash'ariyyah, and then attributed them to the school of Abu Hanifah.
Furthermore, it is stated:
ما من إمام إلا وقد انتسب إليه أقوام هو منهم بريء قد انتسب إلى مالك أناس مالك برىء منهم وانتسب إلى الشافعي أناس هو بريء منهم وانتسب إلى أبي حنيفة أناس هو بريء منهم.
"Every Imam has some people attributed to him, while that Imam is free from them..."
Allama Abu Muzaffar al-Isfarayini رحمه الله (471 AH) writes:
قد نبغ من أحداث أهل الرأي، من تلبس بشيء من مقالات القدرية والروافض مقلدا فيها وإذا خاف سيوف أهل السنة نسب ما هو فيه من عقائده الخبيثة إلى أبي حنيفة تسترا به فلا يغرنك ما ادعوه من نسبتها إليه فإن أبا حنيفة بريء منهم ومما نسبوه إليه.
(O addressee!) Do not be deceived by their attributions, for Imam Abu Hanifah is completely free from them and their attributed beliefs.
Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri رحمه الله (1346 AH) writes:
هذا الحديث يثبت كونه سبحانه وتعالى فوق عرشه، والجهمية ينكرونه.
"This Hadith proves that Allah, the Exalted, is above His Throne, while the Jahmiyyah deny this."
The conclusion is that the Salaf did not interpret the attributes of Allah in a metaphorical sense, and for us, there is safety and success in adhering to this. To say that if the attributes of Allah are accepted according to the methodology of the Salaf, it would lead to this or that consequence is unfounded, for the methodology of the Salaf is indeed the most submissive, just, and knowledgeable. The Salaf were the foremost in knowledge and piety, far removed from excessive formalities, and they articulated the correct interpretations of the texts of the Qur'an and Hadith.
The Attributes of Allah and the Deviant Sects
Distortion and negation, takyif and tamthil, and comparison are prohibited regarding the attributes of Allah.
Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله (748 AH) writes:
كان الناس في عافية وسلامة فطرة حتى نبغ جهم فتكلم في الباري تعالى وفي صفاته بخلاف ما أتت به الرسل وأنزلت الكتب، نسأل الله السلامة في الدين.
"People were of correct belief and sound nature until Jahm ibn Safwan appeared. He began to speak about Allah and the attributes of Allah in a manner that contradicted the teachings of the Messengers and the revealed books. We ask Allah تعالى to grant us safety in our religion."
Reference: (History of Islam: 389/3)
Sheikh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
طريقة سلف الأمة وأئمتها: أنهم يصفون الله بما وصف به نفسه وبما وصفه به رسوله، من غير تحريف ولا تعطيل، ولا تكييف ولا تمثيل، إثبات بلا تمثيل، وتنزيه بلا تعطيل، إثبات الصفات ونفي مماثلة المخلوقات.
"The methodology of the righteous predecessors and the Imams of the religion regarding the attributes of Allah is that they attribute to Allah those attributes with which He has attributed Himself or which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has attributed to Him. They do not engage in distortion, negation, takyif, or tamthil regarding these attributes, but rather affirm them without comparison and glorify them without negation. They affirm the attributes and deny any resemblance to the creations."
Reference: (Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah: 523/2)
Imam Waki' ibn al-Jarrah رحمه الله (196 AH) states:
أدركنا إسماعيل بن أبي خالد وسفيان ومسعرا يحدثون بهذه الأحاديث ولا يفسرون شيئا.
"I saw Ismail ibn Abu Khalid, Sufyan, and Mas'ar رحمتہ اللہ; they used to narrate those (attributes of Allah) hadiths without providing any interpretation."
Reference: (History of Ibn Ma'in as narrated by al-Duri: 2543, Names and Attributes of Al-Bayhaqi: 759)
The Ash'ari and Maturidi sects believe in only seven attributes of Allah, which are: hearing, sight, knowledge, speech, power, will, and life. They interpret all other attributes.
The statement of Allah تعالى is:
الرحمٰن على العرش استوى.
"The Most Merciful is established on the Throne."
The Imams of the righteous predecessors have taken the apparent meaning of this verse. They all agree that Allah is established on His Throne, not everywhere.
Believing that Allah is everywhere is the doctrine of the misguided Jahmiyyah, not that of Ahl al-Sunnah.
Some scholars have said:
Regarding this verse, all scholars have stated that its apparent meaning is not intended; then some have declared it metaphorical and said that it refers to dominance and power, etc., while others have said that this verse is among those ambiguous verses about which Allah, the Exalted, has said:
وما يعلم تأويله إلا اللٰه.
"None knows its interpretation except Allah."
Their statement is contrary to reality.
Shaykh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
هذه التأويلات من باب تحريف الكلم عن مواضعه، والإلحاد في آيات الله، وهي من باب الكذب على الله وعلى رسوله وكتابه ، ومثل هذه لا تجعل حقا حتى يقال: إن الله استأثر بعلمها، بل هي باطل ، مثل شهادة الزور، وكفر الكفار يعلم الله أنها باطل، والله يعلم عباده بطلانها بالأسباب التي بها يعرف عباده من نصب الأدلة وغيرها وأصل وقوع أهل الضلال في مثل هذا التحريف الإعراض عن فهم كتاب الله تعالى كما فهمه الصحابة والتابعون، ومعارضه ما دل عليه بما يناقضه، وهذا هو من أعظم المحادة لله وللرسول، لكن على وجه النفاق والخداع.
"These interpretations are a clear distortion of the words of Allah and an aberration in the clear verses. It is a lie against Allah, His Messenger, and the Qur'an. If you are told that the meanings of these attributes are with Allah alone, do not accept it as truth; rather, it is entirely false. Just as Allah knows that false testimony and the disbelief of the disbelievers are false, in the same way, Allah makes their falsity clear to His servants through certain means, such as evidence, etc. The main reason for the deviation of the misguided is that they have not understood the Book of Allah as the Companions رضي الله عنهم and the great Tabi'in رحمهم الله understood it. Another significant reason is opposing the meanings of the Book and Sunnah. They are also enemies of Allah and the Messenger ﷺ, but the difference is that their enmity is based on hypocrisy and deceit."
Reference: (Dar' Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-Naql: 383/5)
He also states:
تأويل هؤلاء المتأخرين عند الأئمة تحريف باطل.
"According to the Imams of truth, the interpretations of these later individuals are a false distortion."
Reference: (Majmu' al-Fatawa: 295/13)
Declaring the verses of attributes as ambiguous is, in fact, the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah. They refer to the texts concerning attributes as ambiguous, meaning that the meanings of the attributes of Allah and the Most Beautiful Names are known only to Allah. The Salaf al-Salih and the Imams of Ahl al-Hadith were free from this. They entrusted the knowledge of their nature to Allah, but they were aware of the meanings of concepts such as Istawa 'ala al-'Arsh and descent. To declare the verses concerning attributes as ambiguous is a deviation from Tawhid and a contradiction to the Salaf al-Salih. No belief is credible that opposes the Salaf. By declaring the verses of Tawhid as ambiguous, the Qadariyyah, Jabriyyah, Jahmiyyah, Ash'ariyyah, Maturidiyyah, Rafidah, Mu'tazilah, and Khawarij have greatly benefited. Thus, many clear verses have been rendered meaningless and have become suspended. Every knowledgeable person knows that the attributes of Allah are the foundation of the belief in Tawhid and are established through definitive verses.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
من هنا قال من قال من التفاة: إن طريقة الخلف أعلم وأحكم، وطريقة السلف أسلم، لأنه ظن أن طريقة الخلف فيها معرفة النفي، الذي هو عنده الحق، وفيها طلب التأويل لمعاني نصوص الإثبات، فكان في هذه عندهم علم بمعقول، وتأويل لمنقول، ليس في الطريقة التي ظنها طريقة السلف، وكان فيه أيضا رد على من يتمسك بمدلول النصوص، وهذا عنده من إحكام تلك الطريق، ومذهب السلف عنده عدم النظر في فهم النصوص ، لتعارض الاحتمالات، وهذا عنده أسلم ، لأنه إذا كان اللفظ يحتمل عدة معان، فتفسيره ببعضها دون بعض فيه مخاطرة، وفي الإعراض عن ذلك سلامة من هذه المخاطرة. فلو كان قد بين وتبين لهذا وأمثاله أن طريقة السلف إنما هي إثبات ما دلت عليه النصوص من الصفات، وفهم ما دلت عليه، وتدبره وعقله، وإبطال طريقة النفاة، وبيان مخالفتها لصريح المعقول وصحيح المنقول، علم أن طريقة السلف أعلم وأحكم وأسلم، وأهدى إلى الطريق الأقوام، وأنها تتضمن تصديق الرسول فيما أخبر به، وفهم ذلك ومعرفته، وأن ذلك هو الذي يدل عليه صريح المعقول، ولا يناقض ذلك إلا ما هو باطل وكذب، وأن طريقة النفاة المنافية لما أخبر به الرسول طريقة باطلة شرعا وعقلا، وأن من جعل طريقة السلف عدم العلم بمعاني الآيات، وعدم إثبات ما تضمنته من الصفات، فقد قال غير الحق ، إما عمدا وإما خطا، كما أن من قال على الرسوله إنه لم يبعث بإثبات الصفات، بل بعث بقول النفاة، كان مفتريا عليه. وهؤلاء النفاة هم كذابون، إما عمدا وإما خطا، على الله وعلى رسوله، وعلى سلف الأمة وأئمتها، كما أنهم كذابون، إما عمدا وإما خطا، على عقول الناس، وعلى ما نصبه الله تعالى من الأدلة العقلية، والبراهين اليقينية.
The denier of the attributes of Allah claims that our method is more precise and knowledgeable, while the method of the Salaf is more submissive. This is because he believes that in the method of the later generations, there is a negation which he considers to be the truth, and in the verses affirming the attributes, there is a path for interpretation. In this method of the later generations, there is a knowledge of rational matters and such interpretations in transmitted texts that, in his opinion, are not found in the method of the earlier generations. This also refutes the person who follows the implications of the texts. Thus, he considers this method of the later generations to be definitive. He assumes that the doctrine of the Salaf is to pay no attention to the understanding of the texts because the possibilities are varied; therefore, this method is more submissive. In his view, when a word has multiple meanings, ignoring all other meanings and choosing only one is not without risk, and refraining from interpretation is safety.
If it became clear to him or others like him who deny the attributes that the method of the Salaf is to affirm the meanings of the verses regarding the attributes, to understand, contemplate, and grasp them, to refute the doctrine of those who deny the attributes, and to clarify that their method is contrary to explicit rationalities and authentic transmissions, then he would know that the method of the Salaf is indeed the most sound, the most correct, and the most knowledgeable. Furthermore, this is the most straightforward path and encompasses the confirmation of the news of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, its understanding, and knowledge. This path aligns with clear reason, and any method contrary to it is false and erroneous.
The deniers of the attributes, who adopt a path contrary to the news of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, have a method that is invalid both legally and rationally. Whoever has declared the lack of knowledge of the meanings of the texts and the non-affirmation of the attributes therein as the method of the Salaf has either knowingly or unknowingly spoken a falsehood. Just as some have falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he was not sent to affirm the attributes, but rather was sent to support the deniers of the attributes. Such a person is a liar. These deniers of the attributes are also knowingly or unknowingly lying about Allah, His Messenger ﷺ, the predecessors of the Ummah, and the noble Imams. Similarly, they are knowingly or unknowingly lying about the intellects of people and the rational arguments and certain proofs given by Allah Almighty.
Reference: (Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa al-Naql: 378/5-379)
Moreover, it is stated:
من آتاه الله علما وإيمانا، علم أنه لا يكون عند المتأخرين من التحقيق، إلا ما هو دون تحقيق السلف لا في العلم ولا في العمل، ومن كان له خبرة بالنظريات والعقليات، وبالعمليات، علم أن مذهب الصحابة دائما أرجح من قول من بعدهم، وأنه لا يبتدع أحد قولا في الإسلام إلا كان خطأ، وكان الصواب قد سبق إليه من قبله.
"Whomever Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed the wealth of knowledge and faith upon will surely understand that whether it is knowledge or action, the research of the later scholars is, in any case, lesser than that of the earlier ones. Those who are experienced in theories, rationalities, and practices are well aware that the stance of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ has always been superior to that of those who came after them. The earlier scholars have already taken the lead in the correct matters; therefore, anyone who introduces something new in Islam will err."
Reference: (الإيمان، ص 417)
Allama Shankiti رحمه الله (1393 AH) states:
لأن آيات الصفات لا يطلق عليها اسم المتشابه بهذا المعنى من غير تفصيل، لأن معناها معلوم في اللغة العربية وليس متشابها، ولكن كيفية اتصافه جل وعلا بها ليست معلومة للخلق.
"In the context of the verses of attributes, the term 'mutashabih' is not used without any elaboration, because their meaning is known in the Arabic language and is not ambiguous. However, the manner in which the Exalted One is characterized by these attributes is unknown to the creation."
Reference: (مذكرة في أصول الفقه، ص 65)
Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri writes:
"Our belief regarding such verses is that we have faith in them and do not discuss their nature. We certainly know that Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, is free from the attributes of creation and is devoid of signs of deficiency and occurrence, as is the opinion of our earlier scholars. And the interpretations that our later scholars have provided for these verses, which are correct and permissible in terms of language and Shari'ah, so that the less knowledgeable may understand, for example, that 'istawa' may mean dominance and 'hand' may mean power, are also considered true by us. However, we do not deem it permissible to affirm direction and location for Allah, the Exalted, and we say that He is free from direction, location, and all signs of occurrence."
Reference: (المهند على المفند، ص 48)
Shaykh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
لفظ الجهة قد يراد به شيء موجود غير الله فيكون مخلوقا، كما إذا أريد بالجهة نفس العرش أو نفس السماوات، وقد يراد به ما ليس بموجود غير الله تعالى، كما إذا أريد بالجهة ما فوق العالم. ومعلوم أنه ليس في النص إثبات لفظ الجهة ولا نفيه، كما فيه إثبات العلو والاستواء والفوقية والعروج إليه ونحو ذلك، وقد علم أن ما ثم موجود إلا الخالق والمخلوق، والخالق مباين للمخلوق سبحانه وتعالى، ليس في مخلوقاته شيء من ذاته، ولا في ذاته شيء من مخلوقاته. فيقال لمن نفى الجهة: أتريد بالجهة أنها شيء موجود مخلوق، فالله ليس داخلا في المخلوقات، أم تريد بالجهة ما وراء العالم، فلا ريب أن الله فوق العالم، بائن من المخلوقات. وكذلك يقال لمن قال: إن الله في جهة، أتريد بذلك أن الله فوق العالم، أو تريد به أن الله داخل في شيء من المخلوقات؟ فإن أردت الأول فهو حق، وإن أردت الثاني فهو باطل.
"The term 'direction' may sometimes refer to something other than Allah, in which case it would be called creation. Similarly, if direction is understood to mean the Throne or the heavens (it would also be creation), and at times it refers to something non-existent other than Allah, as when direction is taken to mean the upward aspect beyond the universe. It is known that the term 'direction' is neither affirmed nor denied in the texts, but the affirmation of elevation, establishment, superiority, and ascension, etc., is present. It is also a fact that in the universe there is either a Creator or a creation (there is no third option). The Creator is separate from the creation, and neither is there any part of the Creator's essence in the creation, nor is there any part of the creation's essence in the Creator. The denier of direction will be told that if you refer to a present and created thing as direction, then Allah is not included among the creations, and if you mean a position beyond the universe by direction, then Allah تعالى is above the universe and separate from the creations. To one who believes in direction concerning Allah, it will also be asked whether you mean that Allah تعالى is above the universe or that He is included in some creation? If the former is meant, it is true, and if the latter is meant, it is false."
Reference: (التدمرية، ص 66-67)
They also write:
هؤلاء أخذوا لفظ الجهة بالاشتراك وتوهموا وأوهموا أنه إذا كان في جهة كان في كل شيء غيره، كما يكون الإنسان في بيته، وكما تكون الشمس والقمر والكواكب في السماء، ثم رتبوا على ذلك أنه يكون محتاجا إلى غيره، والله تعالى غني عن كل ما سواه، وهذه مقدمات كلها باطلة.
"They (the Jahmiyyah) considered the term direction to be common (between Creator and creation). They themselves fell into delusion and led others into delusion by claiming that if Allah has any direction, then everything must be in some direction, just as a human is in his house and the sun, moon, and stars are in the sky. They then said that each of these is dependent on the other, while Allah تعالى is in need of no one. Therefore, Allah تعالى has no direction. All these premises are false."
Reference: (منهاج السنة النبوية: 648/2)
To permit interpretations of the attributes of Allah based on the Arabic language in opposition to the righteous predecessors, so that the less knowledgeable may understand, is in fact contrary to the belief in Tawhid. To divert the attributes of Allah from their apparent meanings towards metaphorical interpretations is against the intent of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Tawhid is not something that should be distorted for the public. The matter is quite simple: the attributes of Allah are befitting of Him, while the attributes of the creation are befitting of them. The attributes of Allah possess perfection and permanence, whereas the attributes of creation do not. The need for distortion and interpretation arises only if someone claims that the attributes of the Creator are like those of the creation.
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz رحمه الله (792 AH) writes:
لذلك صار كلام المتأخرين كثيرا، قليل البركة، بخلاف كلام المتقدمين، فإنه قليل، كثير البركة، لا كما يقوله ضلال المتكلمين وجهالتهم: إن طريقة القوم أسلم، وإن طريقتنا أحكم وأعلم، ولا كما يقوله من لم يقدرهم من المنتسبين إلى الفقه: إنهم لم يتفرغوا لاستنباط الفقه وضبط قواعده وأحكامه اشتغالا منهم بغيره، والمتأخرون تفرغوا لذلك، فهم أفقه! فكل هؤلاء محجوبون عن معرفة مقادير السلف، وعمق علومهم، وقلة تكلفهم وكمال بصائرهم.
"The discourse of the later scholars is lengthy and lacks blessings. In contrast, the speech of the early scholars was concise and filled with abundant blessings. The misguided and ignorant theologians have claimed that the way of the predecessors was more submissive, while our way is more precise and knowledgeable. Similarly, the so-called jurists have claimed that the predecessors were unable to compile jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, and rulings due to other engagements, and that the later scholars paid attention to these matters; therefore, the later scholars are greater jurists! Their statement is entirely false, for these individuals are unaware of the value and status of the predecessors, the depth of knowledge, the simplicity of expression, and the abundance of insight."
Reference: (Sharh al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, p. 78)
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi writes:
’’After the denial of similarity, there are two approaches. One approach is that of the Salaf, who interpret it in its literal meaning and attribute the essence of that meaning to the knowledge of Allah, without specifying any quality. The second approach is that of the Khalaf, who engage in appropriate interpretation to prevent misguided sects, such as the Mushabbihah and Mujassimah, from falling into error. We seek refuge with Allah! The response to this doubt, although according to the method of the Salaf, is that establishment is indeed affirmed, but it is not necessary that it be like our establishment, which would necessitate corporeality; rather, it is something else that we do not know, and this response is also correct. However, it is difficult to explain to the common people that there is indeed establishment, but it is not like ours. Therefore, the scholars of the Khalaf devised this method to interpret such realities in a way that neither the Qur'an and Hadith are abandoned nor do they fall into the belief of corporeality and similarity. For example, they interpreted “استوى على العرش” merely as a metaphor for the enforcement of commands and said that “hand” means power, and “placing a foot” means subjugation.’’
Reference: (Bawadir al-Nawadir, p. 603)
When you say that the correct methodology of the Salaf al-Salih is in the attributes of Allah, it refutes the Mushabbihah and Mujassimah, so what is the need to follow any other path that is not established by the Salaf?
Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani writes:
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah consider it necessary to interpret all these attributes; "hand" refers to power, because there are two approaches regarding these similarities among Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah. The Salaf al-Salih say: لله يد كما يليق بشأنه، لا كأيدينا، کیونکہ “ليس كمثله شيء” according to which He is free from comparison and also free from what is inappropriate, but the later scholars found it difficult to explain these issues to the public, so they began to say that "hand" might mean blessings or power, as this usage has been consistent in Arabic, thus the Khalaf interpreted them.
Reference: (Taqrir al-Tirmidhi, p. 581)
They also write:
For example, in verses like “على العرش استوى” etc., the Wahhabi sect establishes a literal interpretation of "Istawa" and directions, which necessitates the affirmation of corporeality, etc. However, these sacred elders, like the Salaf, refrain from the implications of corporeality and creation in all these verses and hadiths, or like the Khalaf, they permit interpretations of them.
Reference: (Al-Shihab al-Thaqib, p. 243)
If "Istawa" is taken in its literal meaning, it necessitates the affirmation of corporeality, etc. The question arises: is the belief of the Salaf deficient and that of the Khalaf correct? While this is self-evidently false, because the belief of the Salaf is more submissive, more precise, and more knowledgeable. If holding the attributes of Allah in their literal meanings necessitated corporeality, then what would be necessitated by the affirmation of the essence of Allah? Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah say that Allah is that essence which possesses these attributes, and these attributes are affirmed for Him in a manner befitting His majesty. Allah Almighty has informed us that He is established on the Throne, therefore we will also say that Allah is established on the Throne, but how? In a manner befitting His majesty.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
كما أن الرب نفسه ليس كمثله شيء، فصفاته كذاته.
"Since there is nothing like Allah's essence, therefore His attributes are also like His essence."
Reference: (Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa al-Naql: 198/10)
He also states:
كنه ذاته وصفاته التي لا يعلمها غيره.
"The knowledge of the reality of Allah's essence and attributes is with Him alone."
Reference: (Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa al-Naql: 207/1)
Mufti Taqi Usmani states:
"To affirm descent and ascension for the Almighty, while He is free from place and direction, is metaphorical. Just as the kings of the world descend from their palaces to their subjects, similarly, on the last night, the attention of the Almighty descends to the creation. Another explanation is: يَنْزِلُ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ أَوْ مِلْكُ اللهِ. The third explanation from the Salaf is that we keep these narrations in their original meaning, but we do not know their nature: يَنْزِلُ كَمَا يَلِيقُ بِشَأْنِهِ, just as the rays of the sun descend, the descent of angels and jinn is not like our descent."
Reference: (Dars-e-Tirmidhi: 528-527)
The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the descent of the Almighty is that Allah Himself descends. This is the true descent of Allah, as befits Him. No one knows its nature except Him. The people of falsehood and those who interpret and distort say that it is the descent of Allah's command:
◈ This theory contradicts the authentic hadiths and the consensus of the righteous Salaf.
◈ Allah's command descends at all times, not specific to any part of the day or night.
◈ It is not possible for Allah to say: من يدعوني فأستجيب له.
Allah's descent to the worldly heaven does not contradict His exaltedness, because there is nothing like Allah. Allah's descent will not be compared to the descent of creation.
Imam Abu Ja'far Tirmidhi Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Nasr رحمه الله (295 AH) was asked by a questioner about the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ: إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا
فالنزول، كيف يكون؟ يبقى فوقه علو؟
’’If descent is accepted, how can the attribute of exaltation remain?‘‘
He رحمه الله said:
النزول معقول، والكيف مجهول، والإيمان به واجب، والسؤال عنه بدعة.
The meaning of descent is known, the manner is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and questioning about it is an innovation.
Reference: (Tareekh Baghdad lil-Khateeb: 382/1, and its chain is authentic)
Maulana Idris Kandhlawi writes:
“Understand it in such a way that the apparent and sensory meaning of استواء علی العرش is not that Allah تعالى is sitting on the Throne, but it indicates the exalted status and high rank of Allah, as He تعالى said: رَفِيعُ الدَّرَجَاتِ ذُو الْعَرْشِ۔ and similarly, in the hadith where it is mentioned that Allah تعالى descends to the lowest heaven every night, it does not mean that God is a body that descends from the Throne to the lowest heaven, rather it refers to the descent of His mercy or the descent of an angel of mercy to the lowest heaven at that specific time.”
Reference: (Aqaa'id al-Islam, Part Two, pp. 40-41)
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله (561 AH) states:
ينبغي إطلاق صفة الاستواء من غير تأويل، وأنه استواء الذات على العرش، لا على معنى القعود والمماسة كما قالت المجسمة والكرامية، ولا على معنى العلو والرفعة كما قالت الأشعرية، ولا على معنى الاستيلاء والغلبة كما قالت المعتزلة، لأن الشرع لم يرد بذلك، ولا نقل عن أحد من الصحابة والتابعين من السلف الصالح من أصحاب الحديث، بل المنقول عنهم حمله على الإطلاق.
“The attribute of استواء should be explained without any interpretation. It refers to the exaltation of the Divine Being over the Throne, not sitting or touching, as claimed by the Mujassima and the Karamiya. Nor does it refer to exalted status and high rank, as per the Ash'ari stance, nor does it mean dominance and superiority, as claimed by the Mu'tazila, because all these meanings are not established by the Shari'ah, nor are they reported from any companion, follower, or hadith scholar among the righteous predecessors, rather it is established to interpret it according to its apparent meaning.”
Reference: (Ghinayat al-Talibin: 50/1)
Maulana Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi writes:
“It is contrary to reason for God to have hands, face (as transmitted), therefore these verses are obligatory to interpret.”
Reference: (Jaa al-Haq, Part Two, p. 50)
Muhammad Abdul Hakim Sharaf Qadri writes:
"In the Hadith, the affirmation of 'Yad' (hand) and 'Anamil' (fingers) for Allah تعالى is present, and they are among the Mutashabihat, the reality of which our intellect cannot comprehend. Allah تعالى is free from body, hands, and fingers."
Reference: (Aqaid wa Nazariyat, p. 210)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله (751 AH) states:
قوله تعالى: (ما منعك أن تسجد لما خلقت بيدى) (بل يده مبسوطتن)
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 64)
قالت الجهمية: مجان في النعمة أو القدرة، وهذا باطل من وجوه: أحدها: أن الأصل الحقيقة فدعوى المجاز مخالفة للأصل الثاني: أن ذلك خلاف الظاهر فقد اتفق الأصل والظاهر على بطلان هذه الدعوى، الثالث: أن مدعي المجاز المعين يلزمه أمور، أحدها: إقامة الدليل الصارف عن الحقيقة، إذ مدعيها معه الأصل والظاهر ومخالفها مخالف لهما جميعا، نانيها: بيان احتمال اللفظ لما ذكره من المجاز لغة وإلا كان منشنا من عنده وضعا جديدا، ثالتها: احتمال ذلك المعنى في هذا السياق المعين، فليس كل ما احتمله اللفظ من حيث الجملة يحتمله هذا السياق الخاص ، وهذا موضع غلط فيه من شاء الله ولم يبين أو يميز بين ما يحتمله اللفظ بأصل اللغة وإن لم يحتمله في هذا التركيب الخاص وبين ما يحتمله فيه رابعها: بيان القرائن على المجاز الذي عينه بأنه المراد إذ يستحيل أن يكون هذا هو المراد من غير قرينة في اللفظ تدل عليه ألبتة، وإذا طولبوا بهذه الأمور الأربعة تبين عجزهم. الوجه الرابع: أن اطراد لفظها في موارد الاستعمال وتنوع ذلك وتصريف استعماله يمنع المجاز."Regarding Allah تعالى's statement: (ما منعك ان تسجد لما خلقت بيدى) (بل يده مبسوطين)
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 64)
'Whom I created with My own hands' and 'Indeed, both of His hands are wide open,' the Jahmiyyah claim that this refers metaphorically to blessings or power. This is invalid for several reasons:◈ The reality is the original, and claiming metaphor contradicts the original.
◈ This also contradicts the apparent meaning, thus both the original and the apparent refute this claim.
◈ The one who claims metaphor must provide several conditions:
He must present some evidence that diverts from the literal meaning, as the one who takes it literally has both the original and the apparent (two proofs) available, and the one opposing the literal meaning is also opposing the original and the apparent.
It must be shown whether the word from which a metaphorical meaning is derived has the potential for that meaning in the language; otherwise, it would be his own modern invention.
It must be shown whether such a meaning can be considered in this context; for it is not the case that the word can have any meaning overall, and this specific context can also hold that possibility. Many have erred at this point, failing to distinguish between the original linguistic possibilities of the word (which, although they may not hold that meaning in this specific construction) and the meaning they attribute to it."
Arguments will be presented for taking the metaphorical meaning, as it is impossible to derive a meaning from a word that does not indicate it without any context. When they are asked for these four things, their defeat will become evident.
◈ The usage of this word being established (according to rules and regulations), its being of various types, and its repeated usage prevent taking a metaphorical meaning.
Reference: (Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, p. 391)
Furthermore, it is stated:
كذلك قوله: (خلقت بيدي) يعني بقدرته ونعمته، قال: فيقال له: هذا باطل، إذ قوله: (بيدي) يقتضي إثبات يدين هما صفة له، فلو كان المراد بهما القدرة لوجب أن يكون له قدرتان، وأنتم تزعمون أن لله تعالى قدرة واحدة، فكيف يجوز أن تثبتوا قدرتين؟ وقد أجمع المسلمون المثبتون للصفات والنافون لها على أنه لا يجوز أن يكون لله تعالى قدرتان، فبطل ما قلتم.
Similarly, the statement of Allah, (خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ) "I created with My hands" is understood to mean His power and blessing. It will be said that this meaning is false because the word "بِيَدَيَّ" necessitates the proof of two hands, which are attributes of His. If power is meant here, it would imply that He has two powers, whereas you also understand that Allah تعالى has only one power. How can you justify asserting two powers for Allah تعالى? There is a consensus among both groups of Muslims, those who affirm and those who deny attributes, that it is not permissible to assert two powers for Allah تعالى; therefore, your claim is invalid.
Reference: (Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, p. 404)
Some statements of Mawdudi that deviate from the Salaf:
ثم استوى على العرش is translated as:
"Then He manifested Himself over the dominion."
Reference: (Tafheem al-Quran: 262/2)
This is against the Quran, Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah. It is established by the Quran, Hadith, consensus, and nature that Allah, the Most Merciful, is exalted above His Throne.
As for the statement that God's Throne was on water, its meaning comes to our understanding as that God's dominion was over the water.
Reference: (Tafheem al-Quran: 325/2)
This understanding is an interpretation and distortion. None of the scholars of truth express this meaning.
“The only interpretations and concepts of the Quran and Sunnah that are valid are those that are established from the Companions and the Imams of the Salaf.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله (597 AH) writes:
إجماع السلف منعقد على أن لا يزيدوا على قراءة الآية، وقد شذ قوم فقالوا: العرش بمعنى الملك، وهذا عدول عن الحقيقة إلى التجوز مع مخالفة الأثر، ألم يسمعوا قوله عز وجل: (وكان عرشه على الماء)، أتراه كان الملك على الماء؟
The consensus of the righteous Salaf is that no addition should be made to the recitation of the verse. Some people have taken an aberrant view by saying that the meaning of the Throne is kingship. This is a deviation from reality to metaphor, and it also contradicts the Hadith. Did they not hear the command of Allah, the Exalted: وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ (His Throne was upon the water)? Was kingship upon the water?
“Allah, the Creator, is not established in any place.”
Reference: (Zad al-Masir: 213/3)
Allah, the Exalted, has informed us that He is elevated above the Throne.
Reference: (Tafheem al-Quran: 590/2)
If a child is asked where Allah is, he will point upwards or say with his tongue: “He is above.”
“It cannot be conceived regarding Allah, the Exalted, that He resides in any specific place, for His essence is free from the constraints of time and space.”
Reference: (Tafheem al-Quran: 87/8)
And the concept of the Divine Essence that has been given to us in the Holy Quran also prevents the thought that He, being a transcendent being free from body, direction, and place, could be established somewhere and that any creation could carry Him.
Reference: (Tafheem al-Quran: 418)
When a person becomes independent of the righteous Salaf, then truth also appears to him as falsehood.
The Ahl al-Sunnah are cautious regarding the attributes of Allah, the Exalted. They take the texts in this regard according to their apparent meanings. They affirm what Allah has informed about Himself, deny what He has denied, and remain silent regarding what the Salaf remained silent about.
Sheikh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) states:
حقيقة الأمر في المعنى أن ينظر إلى المقصود، فمن اعتقد أن المكان لا يكون إلا ما يفتقر إليه المتمكن، سواء كان محيطا به أو كان تحته، فمعلوم أن الله سبحانه ليس في مكان بهذا الاعتبار، ومن اعتقد أن العرش هو المكان، وأن الله فوقه، مع غناه عنه، فلا ريب أنه في مكان بهذا الاعتبار، فمما يجب نفيه بلا ريب افتقار الله إلى ما سواه، فإنه سبحانه غني عما سواه، وكل شيء فقير إليه، فلا يجوز أن يوصف بصفة تتضمن افتقاره إلى ما سواه.
"The reality is that the purpose should be observed. Whoever understands that a place is that which requires an inhabitant, whether it surrounds him or is beneath him, it is clear that in this regard Allah تعالى is not in any place. Whoever believes that the Throne is a place and that Allah is above it, but Allah تعالى is not in need of it, then in this regard, undoubtedly Allah تعالى is in a place. Therefore, what must be negated is that Allah تعالى is in need of anyone; everything is in need of Him. It is not permissible to attribute to Him any quality that would necessitate His being in need."
Reference: (Dar' Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-Naql: 249/6)
He also states:
لكن قياس الله الخالق لكل شيء الغني عن كل شيء الصمد الذي يفتقر إليه كل شيء بالمخلوقات الضعيفة المحتاجة عدل لها برب العالمين، ومن عدلها برب العالمين فإنه في ضلال مبين.
"However, Allah تعالى—who is the Creator of all, the Self-Sufficient, and so independent that everything is in need of Him—comparing Him to needy and weak creatures is tantamount to equating the creation with the Lord of the worlds, and whoever equates the creation with the Lord of the worlds is clearly in misguidance."
Reference: (Bayaan Talbis al-Jahmiyyah: 622/3)
Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله (751 AH) writes:
استواؤه وعلوه على عرشه سلام من أن يكون محتاجا إلى ما يحمله أو يستوي عليه بل العرس محتاج إليه وحملته محتاجون إليه فهو الغني عن العرش وعن حملته وعن كل ما سواه فهو استواء وعلو لا يشوبه حصر ولا حاجة إلى عرش ولا غيره ولا إحاطة شيء به سبحانه وتعالى بل كان سبحانه ولا عرش ولم يكن به حاجة إليه وهو الغني الحميد بل استواؤه على عرشه واستيلاؤه على خلقه من موجبات ملكه وقهره من غير حاجة إلى عرض ولا غيره بوجه ما ونزوله كل ليلة إلى سماء الدنيا سلام مما يضاد علوه وسلام مما يضاد غناه وكماله سلام من كل ما يتوهم معطل أو مشبه وسلام من أن يصير تحت شيء أو محصورا في شيء تعالى الله ربنا عن كل ما يضاد كماله وغناه وسمعه وبصره سلام من كل ما يتخيله مشبه أو يتقوله معطل وموالاته لأوليائه سلام من أن تكون عن ذلك كما يوالي المخلوق المخلوق، بل هي موالاة رحمة وخير واحسان وبر.
"The exaltation of Allah تعالى and His being above the Throne is free from the need for any bearer or anything upon which He is elevated; rather, the Throne and its bearers are in need of Him. Allah تعالى is self-sufficient from the Throne, the bearers of the Throne, and everything else. This exaltation and elevation is such that it does not include any limitation or need. Allah تعالى does not need the Throne or anything else, nor is He encompassed by anything; rather, at one time Allah تعالى existed, but the Throne did not exist, nor did He have a need for the Throne. He is self-sufficient and praiseworthy. Indeed, His being exalted above the Throne and His dominion over His creation is among the causes of His kingship and might, without any need. His descent every night does not contradict His elevation, self-sufficiency, and perfection. Similarly, He is free from all the delusions of the Mu'tazilah and the anthropomorphists. He is also free from being subordinate to anything or being confined within anything. Our Lord is free from every deficiency that contradicts His perfection, self-sufficiency, hearing, and sight. The Exalted is free from the thoughts of anthropomorphists and the inventions of the Mu'tazilah. His love and allegiance to His friends is not like the love of creation for creation, but this love is due to mercy, goodness, kindness, and righteousness."
Reference: (Bada'i al-Fawa'id: 136/2)
"The meaning of having power in His hand does not imply that He possesses a physical hand, but rather it is used in the metaphorical sense of 'grasp' as a meaning. Just as in Arabic, in our language, when we say that authority is in someone's hands, it means that he is the owner of all authority, and no one else has any interference in it."
Reference: (Tafheem al-Quran: 41/6)
The belief attributed to Imam Abu Hanifah is:
له يد ووجه ونفس كما ذكره الله تعالى في القرآن، فما ذكره الله تعالى في القرآن من ذكر الوجه واليد والنفس فهو له صفات بلا كيف، ولا يقال: إن يده قدرته أو نعمته، لأن فيه إبطال الصفة وهو قول أهل القدر والاعتزال، ولكن يده صفته بلا كيف.
“The hand, face, and essence of Allah, the Exalted, are as mentioned in the Holy Quran. The attributes mentioned by Allah, the Exalted, in the Holy Quran regarding the face, hand, and essence are His attributes, the nature of which cannot be described, nor can it be said that His hand refers to power or bounty, as this would lead to the negation of the attribute, which is the belief of the Qadariyyah and Mu'tazilah. Rather, the hand is an attribute of Allah, the Exalted, whose nature is unknown.”
Reference: (Al-Fiqh al-Akbar: p. 27)
It is also said:
لا يوصف الله تعالى بصفات المخلوقين، وغضبه ورضاه صفتان من صفاته بلا كيف وهو قول أهل السنة والجماعة وهو يغضب ويرضى ولا يقال: غضبه عقوبته ورضاه ثوابه ونصفه كما وصف نفسه أحد صمد لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد حي قبوم قادر بصير عالم، يد الله فوق أيديهم ليست كأيدي خلقه وليست جارحة، وهو خالق الأيدي ووجهه ليس كوجوه خلقه وهو خالق كل الوجوه ونفسه ليست كنفس خلقه وهو خالق كل النفوس (ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصيره).
Allah, the Exalted, will not be described with the attributes of creation. Anger and pleasure are both attributes of Allah, the Exalted, and their nature will not be described; this is the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah. Allah, the Exalted, becomes angry and is also pleased. It cannot be said that Allah's anger refers to His punishment and His pleasure refers to His reward. We will describe Allah's attributes as Allah أحد صمد لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد حي قيوم قادر سميع بصير عالم has described His attributes. يد الله فوق أيديهم “The hand of Allah is above their hands.” Allah's hand is not like the hands of creation, nor is it a physical limb; He is the Creator of all hands. Similarly, His face is not like the faces of creation; He is the Creator of all faces. His essence is not like the essences of creation; He is the Creator of all essences. The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is: ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
Reference: (Al-Fiqh al-Akbar: p. 161)
Khatib Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi رحمه الله (d. 463 AH) states:
أما الكلام في الصفات، فإن ما روي منها في السنن الصحاح، مذهب السلف إثباتها وإجراؤها على ظواهرها، ونفي الكيفية والتشبيه عنها، وقد نفاها قوم، فأبطلوا ما أثبته الله، وحققها قوم من المثتين، فخرجوا في ذالك إلى ضرب من التشبيه والتكبيف، والقصد إنما هو سلوك الطريقة المتوسطة بين الأمرين، ودين الله تعالى بين الغالي فيه والمقصر عنه. والأصل في هذا أن الكلام في الصفات فرع الكلام في الذات، ويحتذى في ذلك حنوه ومثاله، فإذا كان معلوما أن إثبات رب العالمين إنما هو إثبات وجود لا إثبات كيفية، فكذالك إثبات صفاته إنما هو إثبات وجود لا إثبات تحديد وتكييف، فإذا قلنا: لله يد وسمع وبصر، فإنما هي صفات أثبتها الله لنفسه، ولا نقول: إن معنى اليد القدرة، ولا إن معنى السمع والبصر العلم، ولا نقول: إنها جوارح، ولا نشبهها بالأيدي والأسماع والأبصار التي هي جوارح وأدوات للفعل، ونقول: إنما وجب إنباتها لأن التوقيف ورد بها، ووجب نفي التشبيه عنها لقوله: (ليس كمثله شى) (الشورى: 11) ، (ولم يكن له كفوا احد) (الإخلاص:4)
The attributes of Allah, as reported in authentic Hadiths, are affirmed by the righteous predecessors who take their apparent meanings while denying any resemblance or modality. Some groups have denied these attributes, rendering invalid what Allah has affirmed. Others have affirmed them but have fallen into the errors of resemblance and modality. The correct approach is to adopt the middle path between these two groups, as the religion of Allah is between exaggeration and deficiency.
In essence, discussing the attributes of Allah is a branch of discussing the essence of Allah. The same methodology will be applied to the attributes as is applied to the essence. It is an obvious fact that affirming the Lord of the worlds is affirming the existence of His essence, not the modality of it. Similarly, affirming the attributes is affirming existence, not modality or limitation. Therefore, when we say that the attributes of Yad, Samaa, and Basar are affirmed for Allah, it means that these are attributes that Allah has affirmed for Himself. We will not say that Yad (hand) means power, nor that Samaa and Basar mean knowledge, nor will we consider them as bodily parts, nor will we liken them to hands, ears, and eyes. Rather, we will say that their affirmation is obligatory because it is established by the Shari'ah, and denying resemblance is also necessary, as Allah says: (ليس كمثله شيء)
Reference: (Ash-Shura: 11)
There is nothing like Him. He also said: (ولم يكن له كفوا أحد)
Reference: (Al-Ikhlas: 4)
and there is none comparable to Him.(Siyar A'lam an-Nubala by Al-Dhahabi: 284/18, and its chain is authentic)
The original words are: جاء ربك, which translates literally as: "Your Lord will come." However, it is evident that there is no question of Allah تعالى moving from one place to another.
Reference: (Tafheem-ul-Quran: 333/6)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله (751 AH) writes:
مما يوضح لك ذلك أن التزول والمجيء والإنيان، والاستواء، والصعود والارتفاع كلها أنواع أفعال، وهو الفعال لما يريد، وأفعاله كصفاته قائمة به، ولولا ذلك لم يكن فعالا ولا موصوفا بصفات كماله، فتزوله ومجيته واستواؤه وارتفاعه وصعوده ونحر ذلك، كلها أفعال من أفعاله، التي إن كانت مجازا فأفعاله كلها مجان ولا فعل له في الحقيقة، بل هو بمنزلة الجمادات، وهذا حقيقة من عطل أفعاله، وإن كان فاعلا حقيقة فأفعاله نوعان: لازمة ومتعدية، كما دلت النصوص التي هي أكثر من أن تحصر على النوعين. وبإثبات أفعاله وقيامها به تزول عنك جميع الإشكالات، وتصدق النصوص بعضها بعضا وتعلم مطابقتها للعقل الصريح، وإن أنكرت حقيقة الأفعال وقيامها به سبحانه اضطرب عليك هذا الباب أعظم اضطراب، وبقيت حائرا في التوفيق بين النصوص وبين أصول النفاة، وهيهات لك بالتوفيق بين النقيضين والجمع بين الصدين. يوضحه: إن الأوهام الباطلة والعقول الفاسدة لما فهمت من نزول الرب ومجيثه، وإثيانه وهبوطه ودنوم ما يفهم من مجيء المخلوق وإثيانه وهبوطه ودنوه وهو أن يفرع مكانا ويشغل مكانا نفت حقيقة ذلك فوقعت في محذورين: محذور التشبيه ومحذور التعطيل، ولو علمت هذه العقول الضعيفة أن نزوله سبحانه ومجيته وإنيانه لا يشبه نزول المخلوق وإنيانه ومجيته، كما أن سمعه وبصره وعلمه وحياته كذالك، بل يده الكريمة ووجهه الكريم كذلك، وإذا كان نزولا ليس كمثله نزول، فكيف تنفى حقيقته ، فإن لم تنف المعطلة حقيقة ذاته وصفاته وأفعاله بالكلية وإلا تناقضوا، فإنهم أي معنى أثبتوه لزمهم في نفيه ما ألزموا به أهل السنة المثبتين لله ما أثبت لنفسه، ولا يجدون إلى الفرق سبيلا.
It is clear from this that the attributes of descent, coming, arrival, establishment, ascension, and elevation are all attributes of action. Allah تعالى can certainly do what He wills. His attributes of action are similar to His essential attributes. If this were not the case, He would not be the doer (the one who does everything well) nor would He be described with attributes of perfection. The attributes of descent, coming, arrival, establishment, ascension, elevation, and other attributes of Allah are among His actions. If these attributes of action are metaphorical, then all His actions would be metaphorical, and in reality, no action would remain, rather all actions would become like those of inanimate objects. This is the essence of the Mu'tazilah.
If Allah تعالى is acknowledged as the true doer, then His actions will fall into two categories:
◈ Necessary
◈ Transitive
Countless texts indicate both of these categories. The affirmation of the attributes of action and recognizing them as established with the Divine Essence removes all your doubts and uncertainties. All texts confirm one another, and you will begin to understand them in accordance with clear reason. If you deny these attributes or do not recognize them as established with the Divine Essence, you will fall into severe turmoil regarding this issue and will continue to seek reconciliation between the texts and the deniers of the attributes of Allah تعالى. It is impossible to reconcile two contradictions and opposites.
Further clarification: When false imaginations and corrupt intellects interpret the descent, coming, lowering, and nearness of the Lord, the Exalted, in a manner similar to the descent, coming, lowering, and nearness of creation (which necessitates a transfer from one place to another), they will deny the reality of these attributes of the Lord and fall into two misguidances:
◈ Anthropomorphism
◈ Negation
If these weak intellects understood that the descent and coming of Allah, the Most High, is not akin to the descent and coming of creation, likewise, the hearing, sight, knowledge, and life of the Creator are not similar to those of creation, and that His hand and face are also not like those of creation. If the descent of Allah is not considered similar to that of creation, then the reality of it will not be denied either. The Mu'tazilah have completely negated the reality of Allah's essence, attributes, and actions, falling into contradiction, because whatever meaning they affirm, the same objection arises against them regarding the negation of attributes that they raise against the Ahl al-Sunnah in affirming the attributes of the Lord, and they find no way to differentiate between the two.
Reference: (Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, pp. 450-451)
Moreover, it is stated:
هذا النزول إلى الأرض يوم القيامة قد تواترت به الأحاديث والآثار ودل عليه القرآن صريحا.
The hadiths and reports from the Companions regarding the divine descent on the Day of Resurrection are mutawatir, and the Qur'an also explicitly indicates this.
Reference: (Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, p. 466)
Maulana Sarfaraz Khan Safdar writes:
The position of the early scholars regarding the descent of the Lord, the Exalted, is that the reality of descent is intended, but the manner is unknown to us. Similarly, the position of the early scholars regarding hearing, sight, hand, and the establishment on the Throne is the same. The later scholars interpret this to mean the pleasure of Allah, satisfaction, and attention. The superior opinion is that of the early scholars.
Reference: (Khazain al-Safina, p. 403)
Indeed, the excellent statement is that of the predecessors. The interpretations made by some later scholars are a deviation from the methodology of the Salaf and a form of negation.
"It is understood that the soul which has been breathed into man is, in fact, a reflection or manifestation of the divine attributes."
Reference: (Tafheem-ul-Quran: 502/2)
Maulana Taqi Usmani has rightly stated:
There are many points in Tafheem-ul-Quran that contradict the established beliefs and statements of the majority, therefore, it is not correct to read it without critique as per the request of the questioner.
Reference: (Fatawa Usmani, Volume 1, p. 214)
Allegation:
One person says:
"I stated: My Imam's belief is that Allah is everywhere."
He further said:
Reference: (Khutbat Ghaman, compiled by Muhammad Bilal Jhangvi, p. 205)
"The belief of Nu'man and the Hanafis regarding the essence of the Lord is that Allah is everywhere, except that Allah is not on the Throne."
Reference: (Khutbat Ghaman, compiled by Muhammad Bilal Jhangvi, p. 200)
This belief is not conclusively established from Imam Abu Hanifah.
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi رحمه الله (792 AH) writes:
لا يلتفت إلى من أنكر ذلك ممن ينتسب إلى مذهب أبي حنيفة، فقد انتسب إليه طوائف معتزلة وغيرهم، مخالفون له في كثير من اعتقاداته، وقد ينتسب إلى مالك والشافعي وأحمد من يخالفهم في بعض اعتفاداتهم، وقصة أبي يوسف في استتابة بشر المريسي، لما أنكر أن يكون الله عز وجل فوق العرش مشهورة.
Among those who claim to be Hanafis, anyone who denies this belief is not worthy of attention, because many groups from the Mu'tazilah and others attribute themselves to Imam Abu Hanifah while opposing him on various doctrinal issues. Some who oppose the beliefs of Imams Malik, Shafi'i, and Ahmad رحمهم الله also claim to be associated with them. The story of Qadi Abu Yusuf رحمه الله is well-known; when Bishr al-Marisi denied Allah's existence on the Throne, he advised him to repent.
Reference: (Sharh al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah: p. 288)
Sheikh al-Islam Allama Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) writes:
كذلك الحنفي يخلط بمذاهب أبي حنيفة شيئا من أصول المعتزلة والكرامية والكلابية، ويضيفه إلى مذهب أبي حنيفة.
Similarly, the Ahnaf have incorporated many elements into the school of Abu Hanifah that were, in fact, principles and beliefs of the Mu'tazilah, Karamiyyah, and Ash'ariyyah, and then attributed them to the school of Abu Hanifah.
Reference: (Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah: 261/5)
Furthermore, it is stated:
ما من إمام إلا وقد انتسب إليه أقوام هو منهم بريء قد انتسب إلى مالك أناس مالك برىء منهم وانتسب إلى الشافعي أناس هو بريء منهم وانتسب إلى أبي حنيفة أناس هو بريء منهم.
"Every Imam has some people attributed to him, while that Imam is free from them..."
Reference: (Majmu' al-Fatawa: 185/3, Al-'Uqud al-Durriyah: p. 157)
Allama Abu Muzaffar al-Isfarayini رحمه الله (471 AH) writes:
قد نبغ من أحداث أهل الرأي، من تلبس بشيء من مقالات القدرية والروافض مقلدا فيها وإذا خاف سيوف أهل السنة نسب ما هو فيه من عقائده الخبيثة إلى أبي حنيفة تسترا به فلا يغرنك ما ادعوه من نسبتها إليه فإن أبا حنيفة بريء منهم ومما نسبوه إليه.
(O addressee!) Do not be deceived by their attributions, for Imam Abu Hanifah is completely free from them and their attributed beliefs.
Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri رحمه الله (1346 AH) writes:
هذا الحديث يثبت كونه سبحانه وتعالى فوق عرشه، والجهمية ينكرونه.
"This Hadith proves that Allah, the Exalted, is above His Throne, while the Jahmiyyah deny this."
Reference: (Badh al-Majhud: 144/18)
The conclusion is that the Salaf did not interpret the attributes of Allah in a metaphorical sense, and for us, there is safety and success in adhering to this. To say that if the attributes of Allah are accepted according to the methodology of the Salaf, it would lead to this or that consequence is unfounded, for the methodology of the Salaf is indeed the most submissive, just, and knowledgeable. The Salaf were the foremost in knowledge and piety, far removed from excessive formalities, and they articulated the correct interpretations of the texts of the Qur'an and Hadith.
