Friday, November 5, 2021

Salafi Aqidah Vs Sunni Aqidah

Post Originally Published : 04/10/2010



Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafi's say:
"al-Istawa' means Istiqrar / Settlement upon the Arsh"



Ibn Uthaimeen
regarding istawa:

ونحن نعلم معنى الاستواء ونؤمن به ونقره وهو أنه سبحانه وتعالى علا عرشه واستوى عليه علوا واستقرارا يليق به سبحانه وتعالى ولكننا لا نعلم كيفية هذا الاستواء


We know the meaning of istawa and we believe it and and accept/approve it and He subhanahu wa ta'ala is upon His arsh and His establishment thereupon is of aboveness and settledness (istiqrar) Glorified and Exalted be He. We don't know the modality of this al-istawa'.


See: Here 

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Sunni Aqidah

Imam Abu Hanifa in Wasiyya al-Imam al-A‘zam ila Abi ‘Amr ‘Uthman al-Batti (p. 10).

We assert that Allah established Himself over the throne without His need (hâja) nor settlement (istiqrâr) upon it, for He it is Who preserves the Throne and other than it without needing any of them.” 

al-Hafiz ibn Hajar al Asqalani's Fath al-Bari:

قوله (وقال مجاهد استوى: علا على العرش) وصله الفريابي عن ورقاء عن ابن أبي نجيح عنه قال ابن بطال اختلف الناس في الاستواء المذكور هنا فقالت المعتزلة معناه الاستيلاء بالقهر والغلبة واحتجوا بقول الشاعر: قد استوى بشر على العراق من غير ودم مهراق وقالت الجسمية معناه الاستقرار

Here is a translation of part of what is mentioned above: The Mu`tazila said its meaning is "establishing dominion through subjugation and overpowering" (al-istila' bi al-qahr wa al-ghalaba), citing as a proof the saying of the poet: Bishr established mastery over Iraq without sword and without shedding blood. The Anthropomorphists (al-jismiyya) said: "Its meaning is settledness (al-istiqrar)." This meaning was also rejected by Imam al-Izz Ibn Abdas Salaam (b.578H- d.660H) (1182CE-1261CE)

The Belief of the People of Truth (Al-Mulha Fī I’tiqād Ahl al-Haqq)

Sultān al-‘Ulamā al-‘Izz Ibn ‘Abd al-Salām (Sultan of the Scholars, al-`Izz ibn `Abd al-Salam al-Sulami)

قال الشيخ عز الدين بن عبد السلام رحمه الله ورضي عنه وعنّا به الحمد لله ذي العزة والجلال والقدرة والكمال والإنعام والإفضال الواحد الأحد الفردُ الصمد الذي لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد ليس بجسم مصوَّر ولا جوهرٍ محدودٍ مقدر ولا يشبه شيئا ولا يشبهه شيءٌ ولا تحيط به الجهات ولا تكتنفه الأرضون ولا السموات كان قبل أن كوَّن المكان ودبَّر الزمان وهو الآن على ما عليه كان خلَق الخلق وأعمالهم وقدّر أرزاقهم وآجالهم فكلُّ نعمة منه فهي فضلٌ وكلّ نقمة منه فهي عدلٌ (لا يُسئَلُ عمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسئَلُونَ ) استوى على العرش المجيد على الوجه الذي قاله وبالمعنى الذي أراده استواء منزها عن المماسَّة والاستقرار والتمكُّن والحلول والانتقال فتعالى الله الكبير المتعال عما يقوله أهل الغي والضلال بل لا يحمله العرشُ بل العرشُ وحملَتُه محمولون بلطف قدرته مقهورون في قبضته أحاط بكلِّ شيءٍ عِلما وأحصى كلَّ شيء عددا مطّلِعٌ على هواجس الضمائر وحركات الخواطر حيٌّ مريدٌ سميعٌ بصيرٌ عليمٌ قديرٌ متكلم بكلامٍ قديم أزليٍّ ليس بحرفٍ ولا صوت ولا يُتصوَّر في كلامه أن ينقلب مِداداً في الألواح والأوراق شكلا ترمُقه العيون والأحداق كما زعم أهل الحشو والنِّفاق بل الكتابة من أفعال العباد ولا يُتصوَّر في أفعالهم أن تكون قديمة ويجب احترامها لدلالتها على كلامه كما يجب احترام أسمائه لدلالتها على ذاته وحُقَّ لما دلَّ عليه وانتسب إليه أن يُعتقد عظمته وترعى حرمته ولذلك يجب احترام الكعبة والأنبياء والعُباد والصُّلحاء

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Here is a short translation [Shaykh GF Haddad]:

What Allah Is Not

He is not a body endowed with form. He is not a substance confined by boundary or measurement. He resembles nothing and nothing resembles Him. Directions and sides do not encompass Him. Neither the earths nor the heavens contain Him.

His Preternity (Beginninglessness)

He was before He brought place and time into existence, and He is now as He ever was. (1)

His Acts

He created creatures as well as their actions. He decreed the extent of their sustenance and the term of their lives. Every benefit from Him is from His favor, and every punishment is from His justice. (He will not be questioned as to what He does, but they will be questioned.) (21:23)

He established Himself over the glorious Throne in the way that He says and the meaning He intends, “established” in a manner transcending contact (mumâssa), settledness (istiqrâr), fixity (tamakkun), indwelling (hulûl), or movement (intiqâl). (2)

Exalted is Allah the Greatest, the Most High, far above the claims of the people of error and misguidance!

Never can the Throne carry Him, rather the Throne and the Throne-Bearers are carried up by the subtlety of His infinite might, and all are powerless (maqhûrûn) in His grasp. (3)

The footnotes to the above also contain some important quotes:

Footnotes for the above:

(1)- Cf. hadith of the Prophet r: kâna allâhu wa lâ shay’a ma‘ahu / ghayruhu / qablahu – “Allah existed and nothing existed together with Him / other than Him / before Him.” Narrated from Burayda by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2:341), who declared it sound (sahîh) – al-Dhahabi concurred – and from ‘Imran ibn Husayn by Bukhari, Ibn Hibban with two sound chains in his Sahih (14:7 #6140, 14:11 #6142), and Ibn Abi Shayba in his Musannaf. See Appendix, “Allah is now as He ever was.”

(2) See the appendix entitled “Istiwâ’ is a Divine Act” in the translation of Bayhaqi’s al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat, published separately. Note that the “Salafis” deny most of the above: “ The ‘Salafis’ and Ibn Taymiyya assert that settledness takes place over the Throne…. Ibn Taymiyya strenuously asserts that Allah descends, and can be above (fawq) and below (taht) ‘without how’…. and that the school of the Salaf is the affirmation of everything that the Qur’an stated concerning aboveness (fawqiyya), belowness (tahtiyya), and establishment over the Throne.” Abu Zahra, al-Madhahib al-Islamiyya (p. 320-322). Ibn Rushd in Sharh al-‘Utbiyya stated that Malik’s position is: “The Throne is not Allah’s location of settledness (mawdi‘ istiqrâr Allâh).”As quoted in Fath al-Bari (1959 ed. 7:124 #3592).

(3) “We assert that Allah established Himself over the throne without His need (hâja) nor settlement (istiqrâr) upon it, for He it is Who preserves the Throne and other than it without needing any of them.” Abu Hanifa, Wasiyya al-Imam al-A‘zam ila Abi ‘Amr ‘Uthman al-Batti (p. 10). “Allah established Himself over the Throne in the sense that He said and the meaning that He wills, with an establishment that transcends touch, settlement, location, immanence, and displacement. The Throne does not carry him, rather the Throne and its carriers are carried by the subtleness of His power, subdued under His grip.” Al-Ash‘ari, al-Ibana ‘an Usul al-Diyana, Mahmud ed. (p. 21); Sabbagh ed. (p. 35),“The carrier of the Throne and of its carriers is in reality Allah Himself.” Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi (d. 386) as quoted in Bayhaqi, al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat (al-Hashidi ed. 2:279-280).

The Belief of the People of Truth (Al-Mulha Fī I’tiqād Ahl al-Haqq)

Read the full Pdf : Here

Here is how Ibn Hajar quoted Ibn Rushd's saying from Imam Malik:

قال أبو الوليد بن رشد في " شرح العتبية " إنما نهى مالك لئلا يسبق إلى وهم الجاهل أن العرش إذا تحرك يتحرك الله بحركته كما يقع للجالس منا على كرسيه، وليس العرش بموضع استقرار الله، تبارك الله وتنزه عن مشابهة خلقه.

And finally, here is

Imam al-Bayhaqi on Istiwa and rejection of Istiqrar, in his al-I'tiqad:

الِاعْتِقَادُ لِلْبَيْهَقِيِّ >> بَابُ الْقَوْلِ فِي الِاسْتِوَاءِ >> " يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ56 أخبرنا علي بن محمد بن عبد الله بن بشران ، ثنا أحمد بن سلمان ، قال : قرئ على سليمان بن الأشعث ، وأخبرنا أبو علي الروذباري ، أنا أبو بكر بن داسة ، ثنا أبو داود ، ثنا القعنبي ، عن مالك ، عن ابن شهاب ، عن أبي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن ، وعن أبي عبد الله الأغر ، عن أبي هريرة ، رضي الله عنه ، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " ينزل الله عز وجل كل ليلة إلى سماء الدنيا حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخر فيقول : من يدعوني فأستجيب له ، من يسألني فأعطيه ، من يستغفرني فأغفر له " قال رحمه الله : وهذا حديث صحيح رواه جماعة من الصحابة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وأصحاب الحديث فيما ورد به الكتاب والسنة من أمثال هذا ، ولم يتكلم أحد من الصحابة والتابعين في تأويله ، ثم إنهم على قسمين : منهم من قبله وآمن به ولم يؤوله ووكل علمه إلى الله ونفى الكيفية والتشبيه عنه . ومنهم من قبله وآمن به وحمله على وجه يصح استعماله في اللغة ولا يناقض التوحيد . وقد ذكرنا هاتين الطريقتين في كتاب الأسماء والصفات في المسائل التي تكلموا فيها من هذا الباب ، وفي الجملة يجب أن يعلم أن استواء الله سبحانه وتعالى ليس باستواء اعتدال عن اعوجاج ولا استقرار في مكان ، ولا مماسة لشيء من خلقه ، لكنه مستو على عرشه كما أخبر بلا كيف بلا أين ، بائن من جميع خلقه ، وأن إتيانه ليس بإتيان من مكان إلى مكان ، وأن مجيئه ليس بحركة ، وأن نزوله ليس بنقلة ، وأن نفسه ليس بجسم ، وأن وجهه ليس بصورة ، وأن يده ليست بجارحة ، وأن عينه ليست بحدقة ، وإنما هذه أوصاف جاء بها التوقيف ، فقلنا بها ونفينا عنها التكييف ، فقد قال : ليس كمثله شيء ، وقال : ولم يكن له كفوا أحد ، وقال : هل تعلم له سميا

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Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:

Salafis object to declaring:
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala transcendent beyond possessing body, parts and limbs:

^Ibn Baz said:
أهل السنة لا ينفون عن الله إلا ما نفاه عن نفسه
9- ثم ذكر الصابوني - هداه الله - تنزيه الله سبحانه عن الجسم والحدقة والصماخ
واللسان والحنجرة ، وهذا ليس بمذهب أهل السنة بل هو من أقوال أهل الكلام
المذموم وتكلفهم ، فإن أهل السنة لا ينفون عن الله إلا ما نفاه عن نفسه أو
نفاه رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا يثبتون له إلا ما أثبته لنفسه أو أثبته له
رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يرد في النصوص نفي هذه الأمور ولا إثباتها
فالواجب الكف عنها وعدم التعرض لها لا بنفي ولا إثبات ، ويغني عن ذلك قول
أهل السنة في إثبات صفات الله وأسمائه أنه لا يشابه فيها خلقه وأنه سبحانه لا
ند له ولا كفو له. قال الإمام أحمد رحمه الله: (لا يوصف الله إلا بما وصف به نفسه
أو وصفه به رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يتجاوز القرآن والحديث).
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9 - Then As-Sabuni –May Allah guide him- mentioned declaring Allah transcendent beyond possessing body (al-jism), pupils (al-hadaqa), auditory meatus (al-simâkh), tongue (al-lisân), and larynx (al-hanjara); [End of Sabuni's words-]

[beginning of Ibn Baz's words]:

...and this is not the position of Ahl al-Sunna but rather that of the scholars of condemned kalâm and their contrivance , for Ahl As-sunnah do not negate something about Allah except what He negates about His self or what his Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم negated, and they do not affirm for Him (Allah) except what He affirmed for His self or what the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم affirmed for Him, and it was not mentioned in the nusoos (the Quran and Sunnah) negation of these things (that As-Sabuni mentioned) or its affirmation; so it is obligatory to stop there and not to confront it with neither negation or affirmation, and what Ahl As-sunnah said suffices in the affirmation of Allah's attributes and names that He does resemble in it his creation, and that He (glorified be He) has no match. Imam Ahmad [rahimahu Allah] said: "Allah is not to be described except with what He described Himself with or what His Messenger described Him with, it does not exceed the Quran and Hadith".


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Sunni Aqidah

Compare this statement to what Imam Abu Ja'far at-Tahawi says in point number 38 of his creedal work:

38. He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are.

So what then is the shaykh's opinion of Imam Abu Ja'far at-Tahawi?

Our liege lord `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Allah be well-pleased with him is reported by Abu Nu`aym in Hilyat al-Awliya' (1:73) to have said:

"He – glorious and exalted – spoke to Musa directly (takliman) without limbs, without organs, without lips, and without uvula!"

Similarly, Shah Wali Allah al-Dihlawi said in his al-I`tiqad al-Sahih, printed with Siddiq Hasan Khan's commentary on the margins of Nu`man al-Alusi's Jala' al-`Aynayn:

"He is neither an indivisible substance, nor an accident, nor a body, nor is He spatially bounded, nor does He possess direction."

Imam al-Kawthari said about Ibn Taymiyya's similar obfuscation: "These words are complete impudence. What did he do with all the verses declaring Allah Most High to be far removed from anything like unto Him? 

Does he expect that the idiocy that every single idiot can come up with be addressed with a specific text? 

Is it not enough that Allah Most High said: {There is nothing whatsoever like Him} (42:11)? Or does he consider it permissible for someone to say: Allah eats this, chews that, and tastes this, just because no text mentions the opposite?  This is disbelief laid bare and pure anthropomorphism."  [Al-Kawthari, Maqalat (p. 350-353).]

Also, in Imam al-Kawthari's فتن المجسمة وصنوف مخازيهم it is mentioned that Imam ‘Abd al-Qāhir al-Baghdādi mentioned in his book al-Asmā’ wa ’l-Sifāt:
إن الأشعري وأكثر المتكلمين قالوا بتكفير كل مبتدع كانت بدعته كفرا أو أدت إلى كفر كمن زعم أن لمعبوده صورة أو أن له حدا ونهاية أو أنه يجوز عليه الحركة والسكون . ولا إشكال لذي لب في تكفير الكرامية مجسمة خراسان في قولهم إن الله جسم له حد ونهاية من تحته وإنه مماس لعرشه وإنه محل الحوادث وإنه يحدث فيه قوله وإرادته أهــ

Indeed, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash‘ari [(d. 324 / 936; Baghdad) the supreme imam of orthodox Muslims in the field of beliefs and al-tauhīd], and most experts in orthodox belief and its proof and defense [al mutakallimun] insisted on the unbelief of every sectarian [mubtadi‘] whose heresy was in itself outright unbelief, or directly implied unbelief as, for example, whoever held that what he worshipped had an image [sūrah], or a limit [hadd], or extremity [nihāyah], or that [what he worshipped] might move or be still. There is no difficulty for anybody who has a mind to comprehend the unbelief of the Karrāmiyah, the anthropomorphists [al-mujassimah] of Khurāsān, for claiming that He, the Transcendent, is a body, and has a limit, and an extremity underneath Him, and that He contacts His throne, and that He is the site of occurrences, and that speech and will recur to Him again and again, [whereas the truth of the matter is that His speech and His will are preeternal and one and single].

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Wahabi/Salafi Creed:


Salafis On Allah possessing limits


Ibn Baz

on his 'commentary' on al-`Aqida al-Tahawiyya:

فمراده بالحدود يعني التي يعلمها البشر، فهو سبحانه لا يعلم حدوده إلا هو سبحان
By hudood (limits) the author means such as known by humans since no one except Allah Almighty knows his limits. *See footnote 3: Here
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Sunni Aqidah

This is, of course, in complete contradiction to what Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi himself says:

38. He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are.

By the way, Abu Sa'id ad-Darimi, the author of al-Radd ala Bishr al-Marisi, said, as quoted by Ibn Taymiyah in Dar' at-Ta'arud without rebuke (2/28-29):

Ibn Taymiyya said: The section on the Hadd (limit) and the 'Arsh

Abu Sa'id said: The opponent also claimed that Allah does not possess a Hadd (limit), Ghayah (restriction), or Nihayah (end). He said: And this is the basis upon which Jahm (ibn Safwan) built his misguidnace and derived all of his errors. It has not reached us that anyone besides Jahm in the world proceeded him with it. Someone who was discussing this with him (Jahm) said to him: I have come to know your intent oh non-Arab. You intend that Allah is nothing, because all of the creation have known that there is nothing that is called a "thing" except that it has a Hadd (limit), a Ghayah (restriction) and an attribute, and that what has no limit, restriction or attribute is nothingness.

So that which is a "thing" must necessarily be described with attributes. Nothingness is described with no limit or restriction. Your statement: He has no limit means that He is nothing.

Abu Sa'id said: Allah Ta'ala has a limit that no one knows but Him and it is not allowed for anyone to imagine a limit to His limit in himself, however, he is to believe in the limit and relegate the knowledge of that to Allah. His place (Makan) also has a limit and He is upon His 'Arsh above the seven heavens- so these are two limits.

Ibn Taymiyya himself said in Muwaafaqat al-Manqul (2:29) 

Republished as : Dar' Ta'aarud al-`Aqli wal-Naql (2:58-59): Quote:

There is agreement one and all among the Muslims and the disbelievers [sic] that Allah Most High is in the heaven and they ascribed it to Him as a limit except al-Marrisi the misguided and his friends. Even little boys that have not reached puberty know this: when a boy is sad he raises his hand to his Lord and calls unto Him in the Heaven and nowhere else. Everybody knows of Allah and His place (makanih) better than the Jahmiyyah! [..]. All this and its like are corroborations and proofs for a limit, and whoever does not admit it has committed disbelief in the Divine Revelation and has denied the verses of Allah!

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Imam at-Tahawi (rah) the great Hanafi scholar said in his magnificent book called "Aqida at-Tahwiyyah":

38. He is "BEYOND HAVING LIMITS" placed on Him, or being restricted, or having "PARTS OR LIMBS" . Nor is He contained by the "SIX DIRECTIONS" as all created things are.

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Bin Baaz, the leading authority of Wahhabis/Salafis got Baffled on this and said:

فمراده بالحدود يعني التي يعلمها البشر، فهو سبحانه لا يعلم حدوده إلا هو سبحانه

Translation: (Imam at-Tahawi) meant by "Al-hudood (limits)" the ones which are known to human. However in case of Allah nobody knows "HIS LIMITS EXCEPT GOD HIMSELF[Sharh of Aqida at-Tahwiyyah]

Now Remember Imam at-Tahawi (rah) was a Hanafi Muqalid and his Aqida at-Tahwiyyah actually refutes Wahabism as it proves Allah not having limbs, limits, nor direction etc... The Wahabis cleverly wrote Sharah on this so that innocent Muslims can be confused in believing things like Allah has Limits which He Knows ... Audhobillah Min Dhalik !

So it is clear that they believe in a God with limits who has a place - contrary to Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi and the rest of Ahl al-Sunnah!

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Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis say al-Istawa' is Julus - sitting

al-Uthaimeen in Majmu Fatawa (vol. 1, no. 57) quoting Ibn al-Qayyim:

الرحمن على العرش استوى((1) قوله: "وهل يكون الاستواء إلا الجلوس". ا.هـ. وقد ورد ذكر الجلوس في حديث أخرجه الإمام أحمد عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما مرفوعاً. والله أعلم

"with respect to the sitting, Ibn al-Qayyim has reported in As-Sawaaiq 1303/4 from Kharijah bin Mus'ab with respect to the saying of Allah the Exalted :

The ayah: Ar-Rahmanu Alal Arshi Istawa,

"How can the ascension be anything other than sitting?"
and the mention of sitting has been reported in the Hadeeth from Imam Ahmad from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, in a Marfu' fashion. And Allah Knows best" 


Note!

Ibn al-Qayyim is talking about a non-existent narration in the Musnad of Ahmad [i.e. he has fabricated] through Kharija who is actually matruk in hadith anyway!

This also reminded me of the book Kitab al-sunna attributed to `Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 290) by the pseudo-salafis, but whose stand in relation to the Sunna and anthropomorphism can be judged by the following excerpts: 
10 حدثني أحمد بن سعيد أبو جعفر الدارمي قال سمعتُ أبي يقول سمعت خارجة يقول الجهمية كفار بلغوا نساءهم أنهن طوالق وأنهن لا يحللن لازواجهن لا تعودوا مرضاهم ولا تشهدوا جنائزهم ثم تلا : ﴿طه * مَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَى * إِلاَّ تَذْكِرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى * تَنزِيلاً مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلَى * الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾ ، وهل يكون الاستواء الا بجلوس.
---
Quote:
"Is istiwa other than by sitting (julus)?" page 5, Kitab al-sunna (Cairo: al-Matba`a al-Salafiya, 1349/1930).

Quote:
"He saw Him on a chair of gold carried by four angels: one in the form of a man, another in the form of a lion, another in that of a bull, and another in that of an eagle, in a green garden, outside of which there was a golden dais."  Page 35, Kitab al-sunna (Cairo: al-Matba`a al-Salafiya, 1349/1930).

The contemporary salafi preacher Dr. Aidh al-Qarni also describes Allah as 'sitting' on His throne as can be seen in a recording of one of his khutbas. 

And finally, in his Tafsir named "an-Nahrul-Madd", the Grammarian 

Abu Hayyan al-'Andalusi reported about Ibn Taymiyah

Quote: "In his handwriting, a book of Ahmad Ibn Taymiyah, who was contemporary with us, which he called "Kitab-ul-‘Arsh", I read: "Allah sits on al-Kursi and has left a space for the Messenger of Allah to sit with Him...." (see scan)

As for us:

Ibn `Asakir in Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari (p. 150-151) as quoted here says:
The
 Mushabbiha and Hashwiyya said: Descent is the descent of His person (dhat) through movement (haraka) and displacement (intiqal), and istiwa' is His sitting on the Throne and indwelling on top of it. Al-Ash`ari took the middle road and said: Descent is one of His attributes and istiwa' is one of His attributes and an action He did pertaining to the Throne, called istiwa'.

Imam al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma wa al-Sifat :

The Preternal One (al-Qadîm) is thus elevated over His Throne but neither sitting on (qâ'id) nor standing on (qâ'im) nor in contact with (mumâss), nor separate from (mubâyin) the Throne - meaning separate in His Es-sence in the sense of physical separation or distance.

For "contact" and its opposite "separation," "standing" and its opposite "sitting," are all the characteristics of bodies (ajsâm)whereas "Allah is One, Everlasting, neither begetting nor begotten, and there is none like Him." (112:1-4) Therefore what is allowed for bodies is impermissible for Him.

--------------------------------

Now note: Anyone notice any similarities with the beliefs expounded by some of the above 'salafis' and the following:



In the ^Bible they wrote :

Revelation 4:2-11

(9) And when the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever, (10) the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him Who sits on the throne, and will worship Him Who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, For Thou hast maintained my just cause; Thou dost sit on the throne judging righteously.’Psalms 9:4”.

They wrote: “God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” Psalms 47:8

...I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.” Isaiah 6:1

Isaiah Chapter 6, it is written : “1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

In the book called Revelation 19:1-10 they wrote: "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.” The Vision of Rabbi Ishmael Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 7a:

It was taught: “Said Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha: Once I entered into the inner sanctum to offer incense. And I beheld Akatriel Yah LORD of Hosts sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.”

-------------------------------
Allah's Refuge is sought!

--------------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis say the Vision of Allah is in a direction
Dr. Muhammad Khalil Harras [described here as "a great Salafi Aalim and research scholar"] writes in his “Sharh Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah,” page 73:

Quote
“The Mutazila deny the vision. This denial is based on refusing to accept Allah in any direction for it is necessary for a thing being seen to be in the direction of the seer...”

---------------------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi says:

35. The Seeing of Allah by the People of the Garden is true, without their vision being all-encompassing and without the manner of their vision being known. 

As the Book of our Lord has expressed it: "Faces on that Day radiant, looking at their Lord." (al-Qiyama 75:22-3) The explanation of this is as Allah knows and wills. Everything that has come down to us about this from the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in authentic traditions, is as he said and means what he intended. We do not delve into that, trying to interpret it according to our own opinions or letting our imaginations have free rein.

No one is safe in his religion unless he surrenders himself completely to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified and to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and leaves the knowledge of things that are ambiguous to the one who knows them. And again:

38. He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are.

The father of the idea's spread by the Ahlul Bid'a wal Dalala today was no doubt ibn Taymiyya and his pupil Ibn al Qayyim al Jawziyya, in the name of the Salaf.

Here is a recent list of works on the Taymiyyan way as mentioned by DR GF Haddad:

1. Fataawaa Ibn Taymiyya fil-Meezaan [Ibn Taymiyya's Fatwas under Investigation]. By the Mauritanian Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Ahmad Miskah ibn al-`Ateeq al-Ya`qubi, Allah reward him. 500 p. (Damascus 2000.)

2. Al-Kaashif al-Sagheer `an `Aqaa'id Ibn Taymiyya [Minor Exposure of the Beliefs of Ibn Taymiyya]. By Sa`id `Abd al-Latif Fawdah. 500 p. (Amman 2000).

3. Risaala fil-Radd `ala Ibn Taymiyya fi Mas'alati Hawaaditha laa Awwala Laha [Epistle in Refutation of Ibn Taymiyya in the Question of 'Created Matters without Beginning']. By al-Imam Baha' al-Din al-Ikhmeemi al-Misri (700-764). Ed. Sa`id `Abd al-Latif Fawdah. 128 p. (Amman 1998) This was written in refutation of Ibn Taymiyya's belief that the world is of a pre-eternal nature and exists with Allah since pre-eternity as an "ever-abiding created object" (makhluqan da'iman!), thus making it necessarily existent in His Essence (mujaban bi al-dhat) and [making Him] not acting deliberately (la fa`ilan bi al-ikhtyar), elevated is He beyond that! Dr. al-Buti in Kubra al-Yaqeenaat al-Kawniyya pointed out that this is nothing other than Aristotelian philosophy and, before him, Imam Abu Ishaq al-Isfarayini said that whoever holds such a doctrine is considered a kafir.

4. Risaala Shareefa feemaa Yata`allaqu bi Kam al-Baaqi min `Umr al-Dunya [Noble Epistle Concerning the Remainder of the Life of this World]. by Imam al-San`ani. Ed. al-Wasabi al-Mathani. (San`a', 1992). This is a refutation of the same heresy as in #3.

5. Al-Qawl al-Wajeeh fi Tanzeeh Allah Ta`ala `an al-Tashbeeh [The Eminent Discourse Concerning Divine Transcendence beyond All Resemblance to Created Things]. By Shaykh al-Sayyid Abul-Hasanayn `Abd Allah ibn `Abd al-Rahman al-Makki al-Hashimi rahimahullah. 111 p. (Amman 1995.)

6. Al-Salafiyya al-Mu`aasira: Munaaqashaat wa Ruduud [Contemporary Salafism: Discussions and Refutations]. By Shaykh al-Sayyid Abul-Hasanayn al-Makki al-Hashimi rahimahullah. 230 p. (Amman 1996.)

7. Al-Farq al-`Azeem bayn al-Tanzeeh wal-Tajseem wayaleeh al-Muqtataf fi Naqd al-Tuhaf [THe Tremendous Difference between Transcendence and Anthropomorphism]. By Sa`id `Abd al-Latif Fawdah. 72 p. (Amman 2001.) Contains a valuable commentary on al-Shawkaani's `Aqida titled al-Tuhaf fi Madhhahib al-Salaf.

8. Tasheeh al-Mafaaheem al-`Aqdiyya fil-Sifaat al-Ilaahiyya [The Redress of Doctrinal Understandings of the Divine Attributes]. By Shaykh `Isa ibn Maani` al-Himyari. 300 p. (Cairo 1998.)

----------------------------------

Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis say Allah has 'Two Real Eyes'
al-Uthaimeen says in:
عقيدة أهل السنة والجماعة
al-Uthaimeen said:
ونؤمـن بأن لله تعالى عينين اثنتين حقيقيتين
We believe that Allah possesses two real eyes

--

The author is trying to establish an attribute of 
TWO REAL EYES for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Quote:

" The Muslim's Beleif " 
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin

---

Quote: " The Muslim's Beleif "  

Chapter IOUR CREED

We believe that Allah is well above His creatures in His Person and His Attributes, because He says: "He is the High, the Great" (2:22); "He is Supreme over His servants, and He is the Wise, the All-aware" (6:18 ).

We believe that Allah possesses two real eyes, because He said: "And build the ark under Our eyes as We reveal" (11:37). The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "His veil is light. Had He removed it, the sublimity of His countenance  would have burnt all that His sight reached" (Muslim and Ibn Majah).

The Sunnites unanimously have agreed that He has two eyes. This is supported by the Prophet's saying about the Dajjal (the anti-Christ) that "he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed" (Bukhari and Muslim).

[The Muslim's Belief by Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin, preface by  Shaikh Ibn Baz,Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani ]



--------------------------------------------------



Sunni Aqidah:

Ibn Hazm stated in Al-Fisal fil-Milal (2:166):

"Saying: 'He has two eyes' is null and void and part of the belief of the anthropomorphists... Allah[subhanahu wa ta'ala] said`ayn (literally: 'eye') and a`yunin (literally 'eyes')... so it is not permissible for anyone to describe Him as possessing 'two eyes' because no text has reached us to that effect." 

Just to elaborate on Ibn Hazm's words:
The Qur'an states `ayni (literally: "My Eye") (see 20:39) in the singular and (literally: "Our Eyes") (see 52:48, 54:14) in the plural but never two eyes in the dual and nothing about 'two real eyes'.

Quote:
فاصبر لحكم ربك فإنك بأعيننا }
“So wait patiently (O Muhammad) for the Decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes.” [Soorah at-Toor: 58]
وحملناه على ذات ألواح ودسر . تجري بأعيننا جزاء لمن كان كفر }
“And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails, Floating under Our Eyes, a reward for him who had been rejected!” [Al-Qamar: 13-14]
وألقيت عليك محبة مني ولتصنع على عيني }
“And I endued you with love from Me, in order that you may be brought up under My Eye.” [TaaHaa: 39]

Some of the narrations from our Nabi salallahu alayhi wa sallam brought by some in their support for their belief: "The Antichrist (al-dajjal) is A'war (one-eyed) whereas your Lord is not A'war (one-eyed)" 
[Narrated from Ibn `Umar in al-Bukhari, Muslim, and the Sunan]

Ibn al Jawzi in Akhbar al-Sifat said (point 40):

“In the same category are the following verses: ‘…In order that you might be reared under My (watchful) eyes.’ And ‘build an ark under Our eyes.’ The expressionUnder Our eyes’ is taken by (some) exegetes to mean ‘under our command’ (amr)’, and by others to mean ‘under Our oversight (mar’an minna).’ 
Abu Bakr b. al-Anbari pointed out that among the Arabs the plural (pronoun) is sometimes used even when the referent is singular; hence, one may say: ‘We travelled to Basra (when one really means ‘I travelled to Basra’).’ This use of the plural derives from the practice of kings who are in the habit of saying ‘our command’ or ‘our prohibition.’ 
The Qadi (Abu Ya’la) maintained that ‘eye’ is an attribute added to the divine essence (za’ida ala dh-dhat). 
Already before him Abu Bakr b. Khuzayma said, in connection with the above verses: ‘Our Lord has two eyes by which He sees.” 
Ibn Hamid said: ‘We must believe that God has two eyes.’ 
This view, however, is an innovation for which there is no justification in scripture. (Champions of this view) attribute two eyes to God only through a kind of inferential reason (Dalil al-Khitab) based on the Prophet’s (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) statement: ‘He is not one eyed.’ These words, however, were meant only to deny that imperfection of any sort can be ascribed to God….”
In points 217-219, ibn al Jawzi said:
In the Sahihs of Bukhari and Muslim there is a tradition from Anas b. Malik in which it is reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said while discussing (the signs of) the Antichrist (dajjal): “He will have one eye (a’war), but your Lord is not one-eyed.”
The Ulama maintain that the chief aim of this saying is to assert that God cannot be described in any way that might imply imperfection, for being one-eyed is obviously an indication of imperfection. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) did not mean to ascribe to God bodily organs, for there is nothing praiseworthy in the attribution of such to God.
Ibn `Aqil said: “The ill informed sometimes assume that since (the Prophet) denied that God is one eyed He meant to establish by a kind of inferential reason (dalil al-khitab) that God has two eyes. This is a serious misunderstanding (of the saying), for by denying that God is one-eyed (the Prophet) merely intended to negate (the possibility of) imperfection in Him….

Salafi say:
As ‘Ataa’ has narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (ra) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘When the slave stands in Prayer, he stands between the Two Eyes of ar- Rahmaan…’”
(Narrated by Ibn al-Qayyim in As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mursalah (256))

This is probably the weakest of dalils.
First off if we take the hadith literally, would it mean that there is a big gap between Allah’s two eyes?
More importantly the sanad for that tradition has been declared weak by the scholars that the salafiyya refer to: Naasir ad-Deen Al-Albaanee said in As-Silsilah Al-Dha’eefah (1024), “Dha’eef Jiddan”. Also narrated by Al-‘Uqaylee in Al-Dhu’afaa’ (pg. 24), and Al-Bazzaar in his Musnad (553 – Kashf Al-Astaar). 
And Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen also declared it Dha’eef in his long Sharh to Al-‘Aqeedah Al-Waasitiyyah (1/313-314).

Next is the narration of Abu Hurayra that “The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam recited the verse 
"Lo! Allāh commands you that you restore deposits to their owners, and, if you judge between mankind, that you judge justly. 
Lo! excellent is this which Allāh admonishes you. 
Lo! Allāh is ever Hearer, Seer" (4:58) whereupon he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam placed his thumb on his ear and his index finger on his eye.”

Abu Iyad al-Salafi & Dawud Burbank state in their reference to this very Hadith:
19 Abu Daawood (3/1324) and it is saheeh
Indeed the hadith is narrated by Abu Dawud, and Ibn Hibban (1:498 #265) with a sound chain, also from his shaykh Ibn Khuzayma in al-Tawhid, al-Hakim (1:24), al-Lalika’i in Sharh I‘tiqad Ahl al-Sunna (3:410 #788) and al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma’ wal-Sifat.

Yet, where has the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has TWO eyes?
The Hadith is cited by Ibn Hibban.
What follows is his own commentary (see: 1:498 #265):
Ibn Hibban says:
"By placing his fingers on his ear and eye the Prophet [salallahu alayhi wa sallam] wanted to let people know that Allah Almighty does not hear by means of the ear that has an auditory meatus and curves, nor does He see with the eye that has eyelids, a pupil, and a white part. Highly exalted is our Lord above any likeness with His creatures in any way whatsoever! Rather, He hears and sees without organ (āla) in any way He wishes."

Imam Al-Bayhaqi said of the same hadīth in Al-Asma’ wal-Sifat (Hashidi ed. 1:462-463):
What is meant by the gesture narrated in this report is the verification that Allāh is described as possessing hearing and sight. He therefore pointed to the two places of hearing and sight in us to affirm that Allah possesses the Attributes of hearing and sight.

We can go on and on quoting scholars but what is the point when there is no decisive evidence?
------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis say Allah is Surrounding the World

Sheikh al-Albani
Quote:
said:
قال في تعليقه على صحيح الترغيب والترهيب ( 1 / 116 ) من طبعة المكتب الإسلامي الثانية 1406 هـ‍ ما نصه :
فائدة هامة : اعلم أن قوله في هذا الحديث : فإن الله قبل وجهه .
وفي الحديث الذي قبله فإن الله عز وجل بين أيديكم في صلاتكم لا ينافي كونه تعالى على عرشه ، فوق مخلوقاته كلها كما تواترت فيه نصوص الكتاب والسنة ، وآثار الصحابة والسلف الصالح رضي الله عنهم ، ورزقنا الاقتداء بهم ، فإنه تعالى مع ذلك واسع محيط بالعالم وقد أخبر أنه حيثما توجه العبد فإنه مستقبل وجه الله عزوجل ، بل هذا شأن مخلوقه المحيط بما دونه ، فإن كل خط يخرج من المركز إلى المحيط ، فإنه يستقبل وجه المحيط ويواجهه .
وإذا كان عالي المخلوقات يستقبل سافلها المحاط بها بوجهه من جميع الجهات والجوانب ، فكيف بشأن من هو بكل شئ محيط ، وهو محيط ولا يحاط به ؟ وراجع بسط هذا في كتب شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية كالحموية والواسطية وشرحها للشيخ = ( * ) زيد بن عبد العزيز بن فياض ( ص 203 - 213 )
---

He said in his footnotes on Sahih at-Targhib wat-tarhib, from the 1406 Hijri edition of al-Maktab al-Islami ath-thani, and I quote:
'Important (point of) benefit:

"know that his statement in this hadith, 'Allah is in front of his face,' and in the previous hadith, 'Allah Azza wa jalla is in front of you during your Salat,' does not negate His being on/above the throne (and) above all of his creations, as the text of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and the reports of the Companions and Pious Predecessors report by tawatur (may Allah be pleased with them and may He grant that we follow them). Despite that, Allah is expansive and encompasses the world, and has informed us that wherever the slave faces, he is facing the Face of Allah (azza wa jalla). In fact, this is even the state of that of His creation which surrounds something other than itself as all lines that come from the centre towards what it is surrounded by face the surrounding object. 

So if a creation high up faces what it is lower than and is surrounded by, with its surface, from all directions and sides, then what about the One that surrounds everything, and He is surrounding and not surrounded?

See the detail of this in books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and like Al-Hamawiyah and al-Wasitiyah and its sharh by Shaykh Zayd Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Fayyad (p. 203 - 213)"

al-Albani is saying that the world is physically surrounded or encompassed by Allah, implying that the world is physically inside of Him practically likening Him to a pregnant woman!


-----------------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

There are plenty of quotes from the salaf and khalaf denying that Allah is in any direction or place.
Here is one for now
Imam al-Hafidh al-Bayhaqi said in his book, Al-Asma' was-Sifat, on page 400 [Kawthari edition]: 
والذي روي في اّخر هذا الحديث إشارة إلى نفي المكان عن الله تعالى، وأن العبد أينما كان فهو في القرب والبعد من الله تعالى سواء، وأنه الظاهر فيصح إدراكه بالأدلة، الباطن فلا يصح إدراكه بالكون في مكان. واستدل بعض أصحابنا في نفي المكان عنه بقول النبي صلّى الله عليه و سلّم أنت الظاهر فليس فوقك شىء، وأنت الباطن فليس دونك شىء، وإذا لم يكن فوقه شىء ولا دونه شىء لم يكن في مكان
".... What was mentioned towards the end of the hadith is an indication of denying Allah has a place and denying the slave is alike to Allah, wherever he was, in proximity or remoteness. Allah, the Exalted, is adh-Dhahir--hence, it is valid to know about Him by proofs. Allah is al-Batin--hence, it is invalid that He would be in a place." He also said:  "Some of our companions used as a proof to refute the place to Allah the saying of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam :
'You are adh-Dhahir and there is nothing above You, and You are al-Batin and there is nothing underneath You.' Therefore, if there is nothing above Him and nothing underneath Him, He is not in a place."
-----------------
More Quotes Here:  Part1-Part2-Part3
-------------------
------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:



Salafis say Allah has 
'Fingers'

Mu-hammed Ibn Abdul Wahab an Najdi, 
the founder of wahhabism said:
Quote:
The agreement between the Scripture of the Jews and Islam, in that they both confirm that Allah has Fingers, though they are unlike our fingers and exactly how they are is unknown to us.



(ibn abdul wahab- kitab at tawhid_chapter 64- Translated by Sameh Strauch
Published by International Islamic Publishing House)
-----------------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

Muhiyudeen Shaykh Abd Al Qadir Al Jilani al Hanabali (rahimahullah) in his Kitab sirr al Asrar wa Mazhar al Anwar said:

Our Master the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wassallam) said, ' The hearts of the children of Adam are between the two fingers of the All-Merciful. He turns them whichever way He wills.'

The two fingers of Allah are His attributes of the irresistible power of punishment and the loving and delicate beauty of the beneficence. "

(chapter 14, interpreted/translated by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti)


-----------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis say: "Allah has a Shadow"


Ibn Baz says: 
Quote:

---
مسألة في الصفات
في حديث السبعة الذين يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله، فهل يوصف الله تعالى بأن له ظلاً؟
نعم كما جاء في الحديث، وفي بعض الروايات: ((في ظل عرشه))[1] لكن الصحيحين ((في ظله))، فهو له ظل يليق به سبحانه لا نعلم كيفيته مثل سائر الصفات، الباب واحد عند أهل السنة والجماعة. والله ولي التوفيق.
---
[1] أخرجه البخاري في كتاب الأذان، باب من جلس في المسجد ينتظر الصلاة، برقم 660، ومسلم في كتاب الزكاة، باب فضل إخفاء الصدقة، برقم 1031.
مجموع فتاوى ومقالات متنوعة المجلد الثامن والعشرون
---

Issue relating to the Attributes [of Allah]:

In the hadith of the seven of those who will be shaded by Allah in His shadow on the day that there is no shadow save His shadow, is this attributing Allah the Exalted with a shadow?
Answer: Yes, as is reported in the Hadith and in some transmissions : "in the shadow of His throne". But, in the Sahihayn it is : "in His shadow" for He has a shadow that is befitting to Him, the Glorious, and we do not know its modality (Kayf) just like the rest of His attributes..."
---

Q:  “Regarding the narration of the seven in the shadow of Allah on the Day where there is no shadow save His Shadow, does this mean Allah Ta’ala has a shadow?”


Answer


Ibn Baz said: “Yes, as is reported in this narration and in some transmissions, ‘in the shadow of His Throne’.  However, in the Swahihayn, it is, ‘in His shadow’ for He has a shadow that is befitting His Glory, and we do not know its form, just like the rest of His Attributes.”

----------------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

Shaykh Gibril commented:

Even in the compilations usually adduced by the anthropomorphists - let alone the commentaries of the impeccable Ahl al-Sunna - the hadiths mentioning the words "in His shade" (al-Bukhari, Muslim, Muwatta') are understood in the context of the hadiths mentioning "in the shade of His Throne" (al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad and others). No one to my knowledge has claimed such a Divine attribute as "the shade" even among those who did their best to gather all the attributes from a literalist perspective such as Ibn Khuzayma, al-Harawi al-Ansari, and Abu Ya`la.

Thus Ibn Mandah in al-Tawhid has a chapter entitled "Another exposition showing that the shade of the Throne is used to shade whomever Allah wishes among His servants" which he begins by mentioning the hadith "in the shade of His Throne" then he follows it up with the hadith "in His shade."

Similarly Ibn Hibban in his Sahih has a section-title mentioning "the shade of His Throne" but the only hadith in that section has the wording "His shade."

Similarly, Qadi `Iyad in Sharh Sahih Muslim explains "His shade" as a possessive adjective of possession (milk) and that what is meant here is the shade of the Throne, to which Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari adds: "and honor (tashrif)," adding that he considers its explanation as "the shade of His Throne" preponderant in light of the narration mentioning it explicitly.

Ibn Rajab in his own Fath al-Bari also said "What is meant by 'His shade' is the shade of His Throne" in light of the hadiths mentioning the latter explicitly.

It is true, as Ibn Baz said, that the hadiths mentioning "His shade" are in the two Sahihs, contrary to the hadiths mentioning "the shade of His Throne." What he missed, however, is that the latter as a whole are even more authentic since, as al-Dhahabi said in al-`Uluw, they are mass-transmitted.

--

The matn of the hadits in the Shaykhayn and al-Muwathha’has “in His Shadow”.  The matn of the same hadits in Sunan at-Tirmidzi, Musnad ibn Hanbal and elsewhere is more explicit, saying, “in the shadow of His Throne”.  

No authority in Islam has ever said that "Allah has a shadow".  For Allah (SWT) to give off a literal shadow, He must have a definitive form.  And if Allah (SWT) has a form, then He must be limited to a place, and that place must be larger than His form to contain Him, and that means Allah (SWT) is no longer Omnipresent.  This is clear shirk.  In Islam, we understand these terms metaphorically, never literally.

---------------------------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:



Salafis say: Allah performs 
Jogging / Trotting

In Fatawa al-Aqida by 
Mu-hammad b. Salih b. Uthaimin, 
page 112, he says:
Quote:
وأي مانع يمنع من أن نؤمن بأن الله تعالى يأتي هرولة
"What could forbid us from believing that 
Allah performs jogging/trotting [harwala]?" 
--

Quote:

If My slave comes to Me walking, I go to him running”. Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 9, Book 93, Number 627

Ibn Baz cites the hadith in his Fatawa and adds: Interpreting such hadith metaphorically and avoiding relying upon their literal meanings is the practice of the heretic Jahmiyyah and Mu’taziliyyah”.  [Fatawa Ibn Baz, vol. 5, p. 374]

Al-Albani is very explicit on the point: “Running is an attribute of Allah that we lack a base for denying”. 

[Fatawa Al-Albani, p. 506]

Again, Ibn Baz adds:

Question: Is running an attribute of Allah?

Answer: Yes, as it has been shown in the holy divine hadith....."and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running. narrated bukhari and muslim.

Ibn Baaz, The Everlasting Garden for Scientific Research and Legal Opinions Vol.3 Page 196.

The heading of the subject where this fatwa was issued is called "Sifat al-harwala" , the attribute (Sifa) of running.

The fatwa issued here is number 6932 Book title: Fatawa al-Janna al-Da'ima Lilbuhuth al'ilmiyah wa al'ifta

Author: Ahmed bin Abd Alrazaq al Dewish Published in Riyadh by the Ministry of Scientific Research and Fatwa Management.

Date: 1996 Description: A collection of fatwas by various prominent scholars.
In Fatawa al-Aqida by ibn Uthaimin, page 112: 
What could forbid us from believing that Allah performs jogging?” 




Salih bin Uthaymeen
 the leading authority of Wahabi cult said in his Aqida section of Fatawa (Pg. 112) and this is also mentioned in Lajna (3/196)
--
فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء ج3ص196 :
س : هل لله صفة الهرولة ؟
ج : نعم ، على نحو ما جاء في الحديث القدسي الشريف على ما يليق به قال تعالى : إذا تقرب إليّ العبد شبرا تقربت إليه ذراعا وإذا تقرب إليّ ذراعا تقربت منه باعاً وإذا أتاني ماشياً أتيته هرولة . رواه البخاري وسلم

--
Question: Is Running/jogging (al-Harwala) amongst the Sift of Allah?
Uthaymeen answers: Yes! as it has been mentioned in the Hadith al-Qudsi al-Shareef ..."and if my servant comes to Me walking, I go to him running." Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. [
End Quote]
--------------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

Compare that to what is quoted from al-Khattabi:

Allah Almighty is not described by movement, since movement and stillness follow one after the other in the same entity: it is specifically possible to attribute movement to whatever can be attributed stillness, and both of them are among the accidents of originated matter (min a`rad al-hadath) and the attributes of creatures. Whereas Allah is exalted high above them, {There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him.} (42:11)

Shaykh Gibril also said regarding the hadith: "If My servant comes near Me one hand-span I come near him one cubit. If he comes near Me one cubit I come near him an arm's length. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running." In al-Bukhari, Muslim and others.

---

Imam al-Tirmidhi said in his Sunan: "It is narrated from al-A`mash regarding the explanation of this hadith, 'Whosoever comes near Me one cubit I come near him an arm's length,' that it means with forgiveness and mercy. Thus did some of the people of learning explain it.

They said: Its meaning is only that He says, 'If the servant draws near Me by obeying Me and doing what I commanded, I am very swift to draw near him with My forgiveness and My mercy.'"

وَيُرْوَى عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ فِي تَفْسِيرِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي

شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ ذِرَاعًا

يَعْنِي بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ وَهَكَذَا فَسَّرَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ

هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا

مَعْنَاهُ يَقُولُ إِذَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ الْعَبْدُ بِطَاعَتِي وَمَا أَمَرْتُ

أُسْرِعُ إِلَيْهِ بِمَغْفِرَتِي وَرَحْمَتِي

---

"Qatada said: 'Allah is fastest in forgiving.... What is meant is to express the swiftness of the response and forgiveness of Allah, as we narrated from Qatada."

Al-Bayhaqi, al-Asma' wal-Sifat (Kawthari ed. p. 285-286; Hashidi ed. 2:51-54).

Al-Baji:

"He did not mean by this hadith a coming-near in terms of distance, for such is impossible and inexistent. All he meant was the servant's coming-near in terms of good works, and the coming-near of Allah in terms of answer and acceptance."  

Al-Baji, al-Muntaqa (1:357)

Ibn `Abd al-Salam:

"The meaning of His coming closer to us by descending to the nearest heaven, or by His drawing-near a cubit and an arm's length, is that He treats us with munificence (ikram) in the manner of the liege-lord that walks towards his servants and condescends to them, turning to them with full attention (muqbilan `alayhim) and examining their needs one by one." 

Ibn `Abd al-Salam, al-Ishara ila al-Ijaz (p. 106).

Al-Nawawi:

"This hadith is among the narrations of the Divine Attributes and it is impossible take it in its outward meaning. We already spoke many times about the hadiths on the Divine Attributes. Its meaning is, 'Whoever comes near Me with obedience to Me, I come near him with My mercy and success, and help, and if he does more, I do more. If he comes walking and hastens to obey Me, I come running, that is, I pour mercy over him and overtake him so that I do not make him need to walk much in order to attain his goal.' The message is that his reward is many times over proportional to his coming near."  Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim (17:3-4).

---

Quote: “Allah Can Jog/Trot [Harwala] Acc To Ibn Uthaimin [And Explaining The Hadith Qudsi: "Whoever comes near Me..."] 

Regarding the hadith: "If My servant comes near Me one hand-span I come near him one cubit. If he comes near Me one cubit I come near him an arm's length. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running." In al-Bukhari, Muslim and others. 

Imam al-Tirmidhi said in his Sunan: "It is narrated from al-A`mash regarding the explanation of this hadith, 'Whosoever comes near Me one cubit I come near him an arm's length,' that it means with forgiveness and mercy. Thus did some of the people of learning explain it. They said: Its meaning is only that He says, 'If the servant draws near Me by obeying Me and doing what I commanded, I am very swift to draw near him with My forgiveness and My mercy.'" 

"Qatada said: 'Allah is fastest in forgiving.... What is meant is to express the swiftness of the response and forgiveness of Allah, as we narrated from Qatada." Al-Bayhaqi, al-Asma' wal-Sifat (Kawthari ed. p. 285-286; Hashidi ed. 2:51-54). 

"He did not mean by this hadith a coming-near in terms of distance, for such is impossible and inexistent. All he meant was the servant's coming-near in terms of good works, and the coming-near of Allah in terms of answer and acceptance." Al-Baji, al-Muntaqa (1:357) 

"The meaning of His coming closer to us by descending to the nearest heaven, or by His drawing-near a cubit and an arm's length, is that He treats us with munificence (ikram) in the manner of the liege-lord that walks towards his servants and condescends to them, turning to them with full attention (muqbilan `alayhim) and examining their needs one by one." Ibn `Abd al-Salam, al-Ishara ila al-Ijaz (p. 106). 

"This hadith is among the narrations of the Divine Attributes and it is impossible take it in its outward meaning. We already spoke many times about the hadiths on the Divine Attributes. Its meaning is, 'Whoever comes near Me with obedience to Me, I come near him with My mercy and success, and help, and if he does more, I do more. If he comes walking and hastens to obey Me, I come running, that is, I pour mercy over him and overtake him so that I do not make him need to walk much in order to attain his goal.' The message is that his reward is many times over proportional to his coming near." Al- Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim (17:3-4). 

Re: In Fatawa al-Aqida by Muhammad b. Salih b. Uthaimin, page 112, he says:  "What could forbid us from believing that Allah performs jogging/trotting {harwala}?" 

A: "Whoever possesses one iota of reason harbors no doubt whatsoever that change, displacement, and removal are among the attributes of bodies." Imam al-Haramayn, al-Nizamiyya (Kawthari ed. p. 20) 

"Since you understand that the one who 'descends' towards you is near to you, content yourself with the knowledge that He is near you, and do not think in terms of bodily nearness." Ibn al-Jawzi, Daf` Shubah al-Tashbih (Saqqaf ed. p. 196). 

[Ibn al-Jawzi:] "After they imagined a huge image on the Throne, they took to interpreting away all that contradicts its being located on the Throne. 

For example His saying: 'and whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running,' concerning which they said: 'Coming near is not meant {literally}, but only the nearness of rank and favor.' They also said that the statement of Allah should come unto them in the shadows of the clouds (2:210) must be understood literally to mean the coming of His very Essence. So they declare it permissible one year and they declare it forbidden another. ... They said: 'We affirm this according to its external sense!' Then they placated the commonality by adding: 'But we do not affirm limbs.' It is as if they said: 'So-and-so is standing but he is not standing.' ... Those are less intelligent than Juha.... I mentioned some of their statements only so that one should not accept any of them. For CAUTIONING AGAINST SUCH PEOPLE IS WORSHIP."  Ibn al-Jawzi, Sayd al-Khatir (p. 91-95). 

[GF Haddad 2009-02-16 http://mac.abc.se/ho...IbnUthaimin.txt]

-----------------------



Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis say Allah has a 'Form'

Abd Allah al-Hashidi the "Salafi" editor of al-Bayhaqi's al-Asma' wal-Sifat (2:60) openly attributes form and shape to Allah Most High:

Quote:"As for our Lord, we affirm that He possesses a form (sura)"

and (2:67) 

Quote:"As for us we affirm a form (sura) for Allah unlike forms."

Similarly, the Egyptian 'Salafi' scholar Mohammed Khalil Harras......

هو العلاَّمة، السلفيُّ، المحقِّق، محمد خليل هرَّاس
كان رحمه الله سلفي المعتقد، شديدًا في الحقّ، قويّ الحجّة والبيان، أفنى حياته في التعليم والتأليف ونشر السنة وعقيدة أهل السنة والجماعة

....who salafis describe as:


"He was Salafi in creed, stern in establishing the truth, persuasive in establishing his proof, he spent his life teaching, authoring, and spreading the creed of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'a"


says on p. 39 of his commentary on "At-Tawhid" by Ibn Khuzayma

Quote:

فالصورة لا تضاف إلى الله كإضافة خلقه إليه لأنها وصف قائم به
"So 'Image' is not attributed to Allah the way his creation is attributed to Him, because it (His image), is an attribute which subsists in His essence"



and on pg. 156 - Quote:
ثم تبدى الله لنا بصورة غير صورته التي رأيناه فيها أول مرة ، وقد عاد لنا في صورته التي رأيناه فيها أول مرة فيقول أنا ربكم
"Then he appeared to us with an image which is different then what we have previously seen, and He returned to us in the image we first saw him in and says:
'I am your Lord' "
------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah: 

Meanwhile scholars of Ahl al-Sunna like Ibn `Abd al-Salam in his Mulha state: "He is not a body endowed with form." 

Similarly Ibn al-Jawzi in Daf` Shubahi al-Tashbih (al-Kawthari ed. 1998 repr. p. 35) states: "Know that it is obligatory upon every Muslim to firmly hold that it is impermissible to attribute to Allah Most High form (sura), which consists in physiognomy (hay'a) and features (ta'lif)."

Imam al Khattabi saidWhat is upon us and all Muslims to believe is that our Lord does not possess a sura (image) or hay'a (form), for an image implies a modality (kayfiya) and that is negated from both Allah and His attributes.

قال الإمام أبو سليمان الخطابي (ت 388 هـ) فيما رواه عنه الحافظ البيهقي في [الأسماء والصفات] ما نصه:

" إن الذي يجب علينا وعلى كل مسلم أن يعلمه أن ربنا ليس بذي صورة ولا هيئة، فإن الصورة تقتضي الكيفية وهي عن الله وعن صفاته منفية" اهـ

Imam Al-Subkī said: Al-Ash'arī and most of the Scholars of kalām have declared as disbelievers any innovator whose innovation constitutes or leads to disbelief. For example, if he claims that the object of his worship possess an image (sūra), or a limit (hadd) and boundary (nihāya), or that it is permissible to attribute to him movement and stillness. [Cited in al-Kawtharī, Maqālāt (p. 374)]

Having a certain shape means that there must be someone who specified it.

Anything that has a “shape” will also have a border- physical limit (or size), because of its shape.

Aļļah is not specified or created, and is definitely eternal; it must be true that Aļļah exists without shape and physical limits [Ta-Ha 20:50] He said, "Our Lord is One Who gave everything its proper shape, then showed the path." Allah exists without any need for a shape, place, direction or a limb (hand) O People, you are the desolate in absolute need of Aļļaah, and Aļļaah is the One that does not need anything or anyone, and He is the One that deserves all praise.” (Faaţir ,15)

--

IMAM AĤMAD IBN ĤANBAL SAID:

"Aļļaah taˆaalaa did not change or experience any substitution (in His attributes), and has not been attributed with any limits before creating the ˆArsħ and not after creating it (Iˆtiqaad Al-Imaam Al-Mubajjal Ibn Ĥanbal, P. 297)

Al-Bayhaqiyy: “O Aļļaah, You are the First, so there is nothing before You, and You are the Last so there is nothing after You. You are Al-Ţħaahir so there is nothing above You. And You are Al-Baaţin, so there is nothing below you.”

If there is nothing above Him and nothing below Him, then he is not a body or in a direction, and He does not have phys-ical specification.

------------------------


Major Salafi Scholar 
says:

  There is some degree of similarity 

between the Creator and the created



Ibn ‘Uthaymin (d.1421 AH/d.2001CE) said: [as mentioned in the book:

Majmu’ Fatawa wa Rasa`il Ibn ‘Uthaymin]:

--

والتعبير بنفي التمثيل أحسن من التعبير بنفي التشبيه، لوجوه ثلاثةأحدها: أن التمثيل هو الذي جاء به القرآن وهو منفي مطلقا، بخلاف التشبيه، فلم يأت القرآن بنفيه
الثانيأن نفي التشبيه على الإطلاق لا يصح، لأن كل موجودين فلا بد أن يكون بينهما قدر مشترك يشتبهان فيه ويتميز كل واحد بما يختص به، فالحياة مثلا وصف ثابت في الخالق والمخلوق، فبينهما قدر مشترك، ولكن حياة الخالق تليق به وحياة المخلوق تليق به
الثالث: أن الناس اختلفوا في مسمى التشبيه، حتى جعل بعضهم إثبات الصفات التي أثبتها الله لنفسه تشبيها، فإذا قلنا من غير تشبيه، فهم هذا البعض من هذا القول نفي الصفات التي أثبتها الله لنفسه

--

The expression of denying attributing likeness (Tamthil) [between the Creator and the creation] is better than expressing the denying of attributing similarity (Tashbih),and this is from three sides:

The first: Attributing likeness (Tamthil) is that which the Qur`an came to deny absolutely unlike attributing similarity (Tashbih), which the Qur`an did not deny.

The second: Denying attributing similarity (Tashbih) in an absolute way is not correct, because every two existing beings / things must have [at least] a common degree between them (Qadar Mushtarak) where they are similar to each other while every one of them is different in that which makes him special.

Life (Hayat) for example is a proven description for the Creator and the creation, so there is a common degree (Qadar Mushtarak) between them, but the life of the Creator is [one] befitting Him and the life of the creation is [one] befitting them.

The third: That the people have disagreed regarding that which is named as “Tashbih” to the degree that some of them turned the affirmation of the attributes that Allah affirmed for Himself as attributing similarity (Tashbih). So if we say “without attributing similarity” some would understand from this statement the negation of the attributes that Allah affirmed for Himself.

And Ibn ‘Uthaymin also said [in the same book]:

--

فإذا قلتما هي الصورة التي تكون لله ويكون آدم عليها؟ قلنا: إن الله عز وجل له وجه, وله عين, وله يد, وله رجل – عز وجل – لكن لا يلزم من أن تكون هذه الأشياء مماثلة للإنسان، فهناك شيء من الشبه لكنه ليس على سبيل المماثلة، كما أن الزمرة الأولى من أهل الجنة فيها شبه من القمر لكن بدون مماثلة

--

If it is asked: What is the image (Sura) that Allah and Adam are [both] upon?
Then we say: Allah – ‘azza wa jall – has a face, an eye, a hand, a foot -‘azza wa jall-, but this does not necessitate that these [descriptions] are like that of human beings, for there is some [sort of] of similarity (!), but not upon the way of likeness (Mumathala); just like the first group from the people of paradise are similar to the moon (i.e. shining), but without likeness.


And Ibn ‘Uthaymin said in one of his lectures (taken word by word from a “Salafi” website!):

--

نقول مثلاً وجه الله ولم نقل وجه وأطلقنا فوجه الله يكون لائقا لذاته أو لائقا بذاته ، كما لو قلت وجه الفرس ووجه القط الهر هل تفهم من قولك وجه الفرس أنه مثل وجه الهر ؟ أبداً

--

We say for example “face of Allah” and we do not just say “face” in general [terms], because the face of Allah is befitting to His essence or befitting His essence.

Just like when you say “face of a horse” and “face of a cat”: Do you understand from your statement “face of a horse” that it is like (mithl) the “face of a cat”?

Never… [end of quote]

-----------------------------

Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen

Quote said: “ The Prophet’s words [as they claim is his words, but aren’t -Ed.], “Adam was created in His image” means that Allaah created Adam in His image, “FOR HE HAS A FACE, AN EYE, A HAND, AND A FOOT, and Adam had a face, an eye, a hand, and a foot… but that does not mean that these things are exactly the same. “THERE IS SOME SIMILARITY, BUT IT IS NOT EXACTLY THE SAME” Similarly the first group to enter Paradise are likened to the moon, but they are not exactly the same. This confirms the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, who say that none of the attributes of Allaah can be likened to the attributes of created beings, without distorting or misinterpreting, or discussing how or likening Him to His creation. See Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/107, 293. – End Quote.

https://islamqa.info/en/20652 [20652: Commentary on the hadeeth, “Allaah created Adam in His image”]

--------------------------------


^Sunni Response:

"...it is kufr to say there is some similarity. It is in plain contradiction to several statements in the Qur’aan, let alone sound reason. The meaning of “his image” in the hadiith referred to is known from the context of the hadiith in which a slave had been beaten in the face. The Prophet (sall-Allaahu 3alayhi wa sallam) forbade such beating, i.e. to the face. He (sall-Allaahu 3alayhi wa sallam) explained why, stating that Allaah created Adam in the same image as the slave. So the pronoun “his” in “his image” is referring to the slave, not to Allaah. It means that the human face is respected in the religion and cannot be beaten without a valid reason.

It boggles the mind how the author explicitly affirms similarityWhat an ugly kufr it is. It shows a profound ignorance of the Creator. Actually, in the same text the author admits that he is committing tashbiih, he just doesn’t like being called “mushabbih” (someone who makes tashbiih). He encourages his students therefore to use the word “tamthiil” instead of “tashbiih”, which means the same.

Read More:  Here (The difference between the Wahabi creed and Islam)

---

So this is how these people speak of Allah ta’ala!

Allah’s refuge is sought from this ugly Tashbih to the degree that they do not even shy away from mentioning animals while speaking about Allah ta’ala!

So the degree that Allah ta’ala is different from his creation – according to the above statements made by Ibn ‘Uthaymin – is similar to the difference between the first group to enter paradise and the moon or similar to the difference between the face of a horse and that of a cat!?

Is this the Tawhid?!

Well, this sounds more like Wathaniyya (paganism)!

-------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:

Salafis say, Allah has ShinS

Mujasmi inclinations, Kindly *Note* how Muhsin/Hilali change a singular shin into plural **SHINS (LEGS)** Audhobillah min Dhalik, If this is not Anthropomorphism, then what is?

Plus they attribute a lie to vast majority of religious scholars of the Quran who not only kept silent on Mutashabihaat but rather gave metaphorical explanations

Reference: The Noble Quran, Page No.81. English Translation by Dr Muhammad Taqi ud-Din Hilali and Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Published by King Fahd Complex, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Muhammad Taqi Al-Din Al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan in 'Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an' - the official Wahhabi translation of the Qur’an in the English language - say:

Quote: "All that has been revealed in Allah’s Book as regards the Qualities of Allah, the Most High, like His Face, Eyes, Hands, Shins (Legs), His Coming, His rising over His Throne and others, of all the Allah’s Messenger qualified Him in the true authentic [sic] Prophet’s [Hadith] as regards His Qualities like His Descent or His Laughing and others, the religious scholars of the Qur’an and Sunna believe in these Qualities of Allah and they confirm that these are really His Qualities, without Ta’wil (interpreting their meanings into different things) or Tashbih (giving resemblance or similarity to any of the creatures) or Ta`ţil (i.e. completely ignoring or denying them, i.e. there is no Face, or Eyes, or Hands, or Shins for Allah). Here

----------------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

Anyone know where they derive plural shins from?
Maybe 
one shin is not enough for them like one eye?

Attached is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah as exposed by Ibn al-Jawzi :

Attached File(s) Here: and Pdf

We say to him:

What do you say concerning the mention of "several eyes" (a‘yun), the mention of the "flank" (janb), the mention of the single "shin" (saq), and the mention of the "several hands" (aydi)? If we take these literally then we must affirm a being that has one face with many eyes, a single side, many hands, and a single shin! What being on earth is possibly uglier? And if you take the liberty of interpreting this and that to be dual or singular, then why does Allah not mention it, nor the Prophet, nor the Salaf of the Community?

Ibn Jahbal Al-Kilabi, The Refutation of Him (Ibn Taymiyya) who Attributes Direction to Allah (al-Raddu ‘ala Man Qala bil-Jiha),

Introduction by Shaykh Wahbi Sulayman Ghawji, translation and notes by Gibril Fouad Haddad [Aqsa Publications, Birmingham UK 2008: http://www.aqsapublications.com], Chapter Seven. The Absurdity of His Literalism, pp. 221-223)

--------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:
Salafis say Allah has a Waist1 [Haqwu]

A well known senior Salafi shaykh named Abdullah bin Aqeel says in his book "Tanbihat ala al-Akhta'a Al-'aqadiyyah fi Fath Al-Bari" (Warnings about the Mistakes in Aqidah mentioned in Fath Al-Bari), 1/31, as a refutation of Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar who made ta'wil of haqw the following:

Quote:
--
لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله!الواجب الإيمان بما دل عليه الحديث وإمراره كما جاء على حقيقته كباقي نصوص الصفات، والإيمان بمقتضى الحديث أن لله حقواً، كما أن له سمعاً ووجهاً وقدماً، كل ذلك على الحقيقة اللائقة بالله عز وجل من غير تحريف ولا تمثيل ولا تكييف ولا تعطيل.
أما تنزيه الله عن الجارحة فكلام مجمل لم يصح نفيه عن الله ولا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وعليه فلا يجوز نفيه ولا إثباته حتى يُستفصل عن مراد قائله، لأنه يحوي حقاً وباطلاً.
وتكلُّف كونه مجازاً واستعارة مما يفضي إلى التعطيل ونفي الصفات الثابتة لله عز وجل. والواجب إثبات الصفات لله على الوجه اللائق بالله من غير تكييف ولا تمثيل، ومن غير تحريف ولا تعطيل، كما هو قول أهل السنة والجماعة، والله ولي التوفيق.

-------------------------------------------------------

Sunni Aqidah:

Notice how he clearly and explicitly states that "haqwis an attribute of the Divine Essence, and that it is to be understood literally!

And notice how he responds to Ibn Hajar by saying that it is not permissible to negate that Allah swt has limbs or parts!

Another interesting fact is that the book that this quote was taken from, was reviewed, edited and checked by some senior Salafi scholars like Abdul Aziz bin Salih Al-Fawzan and Abdullah Ghunayman.

The Hanbali Imam, Ibn al-Jawzi explained [Kitab Akhbar as-Sifat p. 242, 243] the narration from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (’alayhis salam) said, “Allah created the creation and upon finishing, the Rahim (womb) got up and took hold of the waist of Ar-Rahman (i.e. The Merciful - Allah ).

Allah said to it, ‘What is wrong?’ The womb said, ‘I seek refuge with you from Al-Qatee’ah (i.e. the one who severs the ties of the family). Allah said, ‘Would you be pleased if I bestow my favors on him who keeps your ties, and withhold My favors from he who severs your ties? The womb responded, ‘Certainly Oh Lord!’ Allah said, “That is granted!” Abu Hurayrah said, ‘If you want you can recite [the verse] ‘Would you then if given authority, do mischief in the land and cut the ties of kinship (arhaamukum)?’ [47:22]

This tradition may be construed in one of two ways. It may mean that God shows special regard for kinship (rahim); and so He strengthens those who strengthen it, weakens those who weaken it, and sees to it that its rights are respected - in the same way that one shows special regard for one's kinfold over those to whom one is not related by blood.

Or it may mean that the term rahim is derived from [the same root as] the name Rahman, as if to emphasise [rahim's] imporance by calling attention to the derivation of the term. This latter interpretation is supported by a tradition in which 'Abd ar-Rahman b. 'Awf reports, on the authority of the Prophet, that God said: "I am Rahman! I have created rahim and have dervived its name from mine.

Hence those who strengthen it, I will strenthen them, and those who sever it, I will scatter them." In another tradition, not cited in the canonical collections the following words are found: "Rahim is a branch (shajna) which is joined to the waist (haqw) of Rahman."

A variant of this tradition reads: "When God created humankind, rahim stood up and seized the waist of Rahmanand said: 'This is the place of refuge from the severing [of kinship ties]'"

Since [the above] sayings contain figures of speech ( amthal), whose meaning we have already explained, the reference to (rahim's) clinging to the waist of Rahman also ought to be constured [metaphorically], viz., as a request for aid (istijara) and protection (it'isam).

This is born out by a tradition in the two Sahihs in which 'A'isha reports that the Prophet said:

"Those who strenghten me, God will strengthen them, and those who weaken me, God will weaken them.'" Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said: "The waist (haqw) is equated with loin cloth (izar); hence the tradition [referring to rahim's attachment to God's waist] means that it is attached to [or seeks the protection of] God's power ('izz)."

1 Elsewhere sidi Ibn Ahmad provided the following on the meaning of Haqwu:

Hans Wehr: Loin, Groin. Hans Wehr gives the expression: شدد حقويه - Shaddada Haqwaihi meaning “To Gird One’s Loins.” Gird means to tie a belt around.

Al-Qamoos by Dr. Roohi Balba’kee: Loin, Groin

E.W. Lane: The waist; synonym خصر : the place where the waist-wrapper called إزار is bound; i.e., the flank; another synonym is called خاصرة or كشح which is composed of two parts collectively called حقوان .

Lisan-al-Arab

حقا: الحقو: الكشح، وقيل: معقد الإزار، والجمع أحق وأحقاء وحقي وحقاء، وفي الصحاح: الحقو الخصر ومشد الإزار من الجنب. يقال: أخذت بحقو فلان. وفي حديث صلة الرحم قال: قامت الرحم فأخذت بحقو العرش. لما جعل الرحم شجنة من الرحمن استعار لها الاستمساك به كما يستمسك القريب بقريبه والنسيب بنسيبه، والحقو فيه مجاز وتمثيل

Al-Haqw: The Waist. It was said that (it is) that which the Arab kilt (or the LOINcloth as some would have it) wraps around. Its plural forms are Ahqin, Ahqaa’, Hiqiyy, and Hiqaa’. And in the Saheeh Narrations, the Haqw is the waist and the lateral aspects of the pelvic girdle upon which the Arab kilt is dawned. It is said: He clung to the coattails of so-and-so (Literally: He took hold of the waist of fulaan). And in the hadith pertaining to the ties of the womb, it was said: The womb/kinship came to pass and it took hold of the flank of The Throne. When God made the womb anxious (regarding the mercy) of The Most Merciful; He eased (that anxiety) by willing that the womb/kinship be (forever) neigh onto Him, as He has willed that relatives and kinsman remain loyally bound to one another. Therefore, in this circumstance, Haqw is to be understood upon its allegorical and metaphorical meanings.

--------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah

--

Salafis say Allah has a Literal Leg and Feet
Dr. Ahmad Hijazi Saqqa wrote

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymin 

Reinforces his anthropomorphism by saying 

(Sharh p. 42): Sh. al-`Uthaymin said:

"It is established that Allah Most High has feet (al-qadam thâbit lillâhi ta`âlâ), and Ahl al-Sunna have explained the leg and foot (al-rijl wa al-qadam) as being literal according to what befits Allah (haqîqatan `alâ al-wajhi al-lâ'iq billâh); whereas the "People of Figurative Interpretation" (Ahl al-Ta'wîl) have explained al-rijl as being the group which Allah will place in the Fire, and al-qadam as being those who are sent forth (muqaddamîn) to the Fire... and I reject and return their explanation to them on the grounds that it contravenes the external meaning of the words (mukhâlifun li zâhir al-lafz)."


------------------------------------


Sunni Aqidah:

Shaykh Buti mentioned that Bayhaqi related from al-Khattabi, after the latter cited the hadith of Anas ibn Malik narrated by Bukhari and Muslim:

The Gehenna will keep asking: is there more? until the Lord of Might places His qadam (lit. "foot") in it. Then it will say: Enough! Enough! Then it will gather up its parts together. And there will still remain room in Paradise until Allah gives rise to a creation which he will then place in the remainder of Paradise. After mentioning what has been said about Allah's qadam and rijl (lit. "leg") through different chains of transmission Bayhaqi said:

Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi said: "It is likely that those who mentioned al-qadam and al-rijl without attributing it to Allah (i.e. by saying: "Allah's qadam" etc.) did so because of their great fear, and to avoid misinterpretation in the matter. Abu `Ubayd used to say used to say: "As for us we narrate those hadiths but we do not smear them with meanings." Abu Sulayman says: It is even more relevant for us not to be forward in that from which those who have more knowledge, antiquity, and seniority than us stood back.

However, the people of the time in which we live have joined two parties.

The first [the Mu`tazila and Jahmiyya] altogether disavow this kind of hadith and declares them forged to begin with, which implies their giving the lie to the scholars who have narrated them, that is, the imams of our religion and the transmitters of the prophetic ways, and the intermediaries between us and Allah's Messenger. 

The second party [the Mushabbiha] gives its assent to the narrations and appplies their outward meanings literally in a way bordering anthropomorphism.

As for us we steer clear from both views, and accept neither as our school. It is therefore incumbent upon us to seek for these hadiths, when they are cited and established as authentic from the perspectives of transmission and attribution, an interpretation (ta'wil) extracted according to the known meanings of the foundations of the Religion and the schools of the scholars, without rejecting the narrations to begin with, as long as their chains are acceptable and narrators trustworthy

[Al-Khattabi, Ma`alim al-sanan `ala sunan Abi Dawud (Hims ed.)5:95. Cited in al-Buti, al-Salafiyya marhalatun zamaniyyatunmubarakatun la madhhabun islami (Damascus: dar al-fikr, 1408/1988) p. 140.]

Abu Sulaiman said: "The meaning of the qadam here is possibly a reference to those whom Allah has created of old or "sent forth" for the Fire in order to complete the number of its inhabitants. Everything that is "sent forth" is a qadam, in the same way that the verbal noun of demolishing (hadama) is a hadm or ruin, and that of seizing (qabada) is qabd or a seizure. Likewise Allah said: "They have a sure foundation (qadam sidq) with their Lord" (10:2) with reference to the good works which they have sent forth. This explanation has been transmitted to us from al-Hasan al-Basri.

It is supported by the Prophet's saying in the aforementioned hadith: "As for Paradise, Allah will create for it a special creation." Both meanings (i.e. respectively pertaining to the Fire and Paradise) are in agreement with the sense that Paradise and hellfire will be provided with an additional number of dwellers to complete their respective numbers, at which point they will be full. [al-Khattabi, Ma`alim al-sunan (Hims ed.) 5:95.]

------------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:
--

Salafis say Allah is Attributed With Malal

[literally: Boredom]

See the following kalam of Sh. al-`Uthaymin:

وهذا الملل الذي يفهم من ظاهر الحديث أن الله يتصف به ، ليس كمللنا نحن ، لأن مللنا نحن ملل تعب وكسل ، وأما ملل الله عز وجل فإنه صفة يختص به جل وعلا ، والله سبحانه وتعالى لا يلحقه تعب ولا يلحقه كسل ، قال تعالى : ( وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ ) (قّ:38) هذه السماوات العظيمة والأرض وما بينهما خلقها الله تعالى في ستة أيام : الأحد والاثنين والثلاثاء والأربعاء والخميس والجمعة ، قال (وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ ) يعني ما تعبنا بخلقها في هذه المدة الوجيزة مع عظمها

"This malal [literally: boredom], which is understood as an attribute of Allah from the literal/apparent meaning of the narration, is not like our malal [literally: boredom], for our malal constitutes of tiredness and laziness. 

As for the malal of Allah, the Powerful and Exalted, then that is a special Attribute of the Most Powerful and High, and Allah (swt) is neither ascribed with tiredness nor laziness....."


--------------------------------------------------------------



Sunni Aqidah:

And contrast this with the kalam of Ibn al-Jawzi who says in his Daf Shubah al-Tashbih

p 92 English translation by Ustadh Abdullah:

Quote:

Bukhari and Muslim related in the two Sahihs that 'A'isha, may God be pleased with her, reported that the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] appeared while she was hosting a woman. He said, "Who is this? She said: "Fulana. She is asking me about her prayer." He said: "Burden yourself with what you have the capacity to do! For God, Exalted be He, does not get bored until you get bored." In another report, the wording is ,"God, Exalted by He, does not grow weary until you grow weary."

The scholars state, "The meaning of the hadith is God, Exalted be He, does not get bored even if you get bored as the poet said: 'Hudhayl burned Mina with rags/Mischief does not get bored utnil they get bored."

The true meaning is it (mischief) does not get bored even if they get bored [of doing a certain thing]. Otherwise, Hudhayl would have superiority over them (the people of Mina). And some people said, "Whoever gets bored of something [they] abandon it." So the meaning is He does not abandon giving reward as long as they do not abandon doing good works.

As for "boredom" it means, "the dislike of something to consider it annoying for the soul to have an aversion towards it, and to grow weary of it," which is impossible in His regard, Exalted be He. If this was possible it would mean to affirm for Him change and for created things to take up residence in His being.

In Kitab Akhbar as-Sifat he also quotes Qadi Abu Ya'la as saying 'It is possible to attribute malal to God, though not the kind that is a sa'aama'.

Further details in relation to this hadith can also be found from al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma' wal-Sifat, bab: ma jaa' fil-malaal where al-Khattabi's views are also mentioned.

What is the source of this?

see: (You can find it in his sharh of Riyadh al-Salihin)

----------------------------------


Wahabi/Salafi Aqidah:


Salafis On Allah's 'Highness' and Fir’awn:

Salafis On Allah's 'Highness' and Fir’awn:

Ibn Taymiyya said:

Allah's Names and Attributes in the Qur'an
[....]

Highness:
[....]
And He has said:
"O Haman! Build me a tower, that I may reach the roads, - the roads of heavens, and that I may climb up to the God of Moses, though verily I think he [Moses] is a liar."

(Ghafir 40/36-37)

Al-Aqidah al-Wasitiyya

http://islamicweb.co.../taimiyah_5.htm
http://www.al-eman.c...toc.asp?BID=275


Salih Al-Fawzan
states in his explanation of the waasitiyyah,
as translated by Aboo Waheeda As-Salafee”:
“In it is affirmation of the ‘uluww (highness) of Allah over his creations. Such that Prophet Musa (’alayhis salaam) affirmed this and called to it. And then Fir’awn denied this.”
--------------------------------------------

Sunni Aqidah:

Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi said:

[...] They (i.e. the anthropomorphistssay: All the firm believers in the oneness of Allah raise their hands to the heavens when supplicating him, and if Musa had not said to Pharaoh: “My Lord is in the Heaven.” Pharoah would not have said: “Oh Haamaan! Build for me a lofty tower in order that I may survey the god of Moses!” (28:38)

We say: “You are lying about Musaa (’alayhis salaam), he never stated such! However, your conclusion shows that you are indeed the followers of Fir’awn, who believed that the Creator lies in directions, and thus he desired to climb up to Him on a ladder. He congratulates you for being of his followers, and he is certainly your Imam!”

Here Refer also to: Here

And from the tafsir of Imâm al-Tabarânî from his Tafsîr al-Kabîr under [28:38]: 


وقولهُ تعالى: { فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يٰهَامَانُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ }؛ أي اتَّخِذْ لِي آجُرّاً، { فَٱجْعَل لِّي صَرْحاً }؛ أي قَصْراً طَويلاً متَّسِعاً مرتفعاً، { لَّعَلِّيۤ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ }؛ أي أصعدُ إليه، ظَنَّ بجهلهِ أنه يَتَهَيَّأُ له أنْ يبلُغَ بصرحهِ إلى السَّماءِ، وظنَّ أن إلهَ مُوسَى جِسْماً مشاهَداً كما تقولُ الْمُشَبهَةُ، تَعَالَى اللهُ عَنْ ذلِكََ.

Pharaoh thought in his ignorance that by his tower he would be able to reach to the Sky, and thought that the God of Musa is a body that can be looked at, just as the anthropomorphist's say

Allah is greatly clear of and above that. 

---

comment

Quote:

Abul Hasan Mashallah! I have seen all this before and these innovators have yet to reply appropriately. The strange thing with these Ahlul Hawa is that they claim to agree with Imam al-Tahawi's creedo, but they blatantly go against it with their distortive explanations using such Mubtadi'in like: Ibn Abi'l Izz (declared a Mubtadi by Mulla Ali al-Qari), Bin Baz, Salih al Fawzan and the latest Sharh on Tahawiyya by the distorting enemy of al-Asha'ira: Safar al-Hawali - who was exposed even by his own pseudo-Salafi brethren. This al-Hawali went as far as attacking al-Albani on the issue of Irja, as did the latest Mubtadi: Falih al Harbi! This is their latest trend: Refuting and exposing each other! May Allah guide them and keep us away from their Fitna. Amin.

---

Sulayman ibn `Abd Allah ibn Mu-hammed ibn `Abd al-Wahhab
(d. 1817 CE)

the Wahhabi founder's grandson, declared as unbeliever anyone who used the term "in person" in relation to Allah being in a place, whether one place or an infinite number: "Whoever believes or says: Allah is in person (bi dhatihi) in every placeor in one place: he is a disbeliever (kafir). It is obligatory to declare that Allah is distinct from His creation, established over His throne without modality or likeness or examplarity. Allah was and there was no place, then He created place and He is exalted as He was before He created place."

---

prophet

 Wahhabi/Salafis

Ibn Taymiyyah

"Dar` Ta'arrudh al-'Aql wal Naql":

"one has to be able to [physically] point at everything, that exists by itself, (i.e. Isharah al-Hissiyah) and otherwise it must be a 'Aradh (accident), which exists in something else (which can be pointed at"!



So basically he's trying to say: 

 "either Allah is in a direction, so that I can point at Him with my finger, or he can't exist". 

And this is also what the Mashayikh of the so called "Salafiyyah" believe!

Ibn 'Uthaymin:
 "وأما قولهم: "إن الله تعالى عن الجهات الست خال"، فهذا القول على عمومه باطل لأنه يقتضي إبطال ما أثبته الله تعالى لنفسه، وأثبته له أعلم خلقه به، وأشدهم تعظيماً له، وهو رسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم من أنه سبحانه في السماء التي هي في جهة العلو، بل إن ذلك يقتضي وصف الله تعالى بالعدم، لأن الجهات الست هي الفوق، والتحت، واليمين، والشمال، والخلف، والأمام، وما من شيء موجود إلا تتعلق به نسبة إحدى هذه الجهات";
---
source: Here
---

Don't forget to read ibn Taymiyyahs Gospel:

Here - Here - Here 


The Salafi Bible "al-Naqdh 'ala Bishr al-Marisi" - which is attributed to 'Uthman bin Sa'id al-Darimi (d. 280 AH)

Which Ibn Taymiyyah highly praised his book (as it's mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) in his "Ijtima' al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah":

"وكتاباه من أجل الكتب المصنفة في السنة وأنفعها ، وينبغي لكل طالب سنة مراده الوقوف على ( ما كان ) عليه الصحابة والتابعون والأئمة أن يقرأ كتابيه ، وكان شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله يوصي بهذين الكتابين أشد الوصية ويعظمهما جدا ، وفيهما من تقرير التوحيد والأسماء والصفات بالعقل والنقل ما ليس في غيرهما").
--

Here are some of the things that can be found in "al-Naqdh 'ala Bishr al-Marisi"

Which Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al - Qayyim regard as one of the best books ever!


al-Naqdh 'ala Bishr al-Marisi:

- it's claimed that the peak of a mountain is nearer to Allah ta'ala than it's feet ("من أنبأك أن رأس الجبل ليس بأقرب إلى الله تعالى من أسفله لأنه من آمن بأن الله فوق عرشه فوق سماواته علم يقينا أن رأس الجبل أقرب إلى الله من أسفله")

- it's claimed many many times that Allah ta'ala has a place (makan)* and it's explicitly stated that He subhanahu is in one place without being in another and in one location without being in another one ("وأما قولك إن الله لم يصف نفسه أنه في موضع دون موضع، فإن كنت أيها المعارض ممن يقرأ كتاب الله ويفهم شيئا من العربية علمت أنك كاذب على الله في دعواك لأنه وصف أنه في موضع دون موضع ومكان دون مكان ذكر أنه فوق العرش") (Note: This is Kufr just like the Jahmi belief that Allah ta'ala is literally in every place!)

- it's claimed that Allah ta'ala has limits ("والله تعالى له حد لا يعلمه أحد غيره ولا يجوز لأحد أن يتوهم لحده غاية في نفسه ولكن يؤمن بالحد ويكل علم ذلك إلى الله ولمكانه أيضا حد وهو على عرشه فوق سماواته؛ فهذان حدان اثنان") (Note: One should look at the context of this saying! This is said as a respone to the saying that Allah ta'ala has no Hadd (limit), no Ghayah (restriction) and no Nihayah (end)!)

- a wrong hadith, where it's said that Allah sits on the Kursi and that there does not remain more than the space of four fingers on it ("إن كرسيه وسع السماوات والأرض وإنه ليقعد عليه فما يفضل منه إلا قدر أربع أصابع ومد أصابعه الأربع وإن له أطيطا كأطيط الرحل الجديد إذا ركبه من يثقله"), is used in the argument against the Mukhalif

- it's tried to act as if Allah ta'ala has a mass (Thiql), which causes the throne to make a special sound, when He sits on it ("ويلك فإن لم يكن على العرش بزعمك إلا آلاؤه ونعماؤه وأمره فما بال العرش يتأطط من الآلاء والنعماء؟ لكأنها عندك أعكام الحجارة والصخور والحديد فيتأطط منها العرش ثقلا، إنما الآلاء طبائع أو صنائع ليس لها ثقل ولا أجسام يتأطط منها العرش")

- it's claimed that Allah ta'ala moves and sits and stands up, when he wants - even though Harakah and Sukun are both Sifat of Ajsam!! - ("لأن الحي القيوم يفعل ما يشاء ويتحرك إذا شاء ويهبط ويرتفع إذا شاء ويقبض ويبسط ويقوم ويجلس إذا شاء، لأن أمارة ما بين الحي والميت التحرككل حي متحرك لا محالة وكل ميت غير متحرك لا محالة")

- it's claimed that Allah ta'ala created Adam - 'alayhi salam - while touching (!) him ("وولي خلق آدم بيده مسيسالم يخلق ذا روح بيديه غيره فلذلك خصه وفضله وشرف بذلك ذكره، لولا ذلك ما كانت له فضيلة من ذلك على شيء من خلقه إذ خلقهم بغير مسيس في دعواك")

- it's claimed that if Allah ta'ala wanted, he would rest upon the back of mosquito, so what about the throne ("ولو قد شاء لاستقر على ظهر بعوضة فاستقلت به بقدرته ولطف ربوبيته فكيف على عرش عظيم أكبر من السموات السبع والأرضين السبع") 

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Note: Let no one try to justify this saying! 
Read it with it's context and don't repeat the deception of the "Salafiyyah"!


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Edited by ADHM
Post Originally Published: 04-Oct-2010
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