--
Aqidah of the Pious Predecessors
Sahih
Muslim
The
Holy Prophet صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم is
related to have said in Sahih Muslim:
“O
Allah, You are the first: there is nothing before You; and You are
the last:
there
is nothing after You. You are the Manifest (al-Zahir): there is
nothing above You. You are the Hidden (al-Batin): there is nothing
below You.”
The
Holy Prophet صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said: "Allah
was when there was nothing else than Him, and His Throne was
upon the water, and He wrote in the Reminder (al-dhikr) all things,
and He created the heavens and the earth."
--
more/info
: [Imam al-Bayhaqi (d.458H)] see: Here
--
Sahih
al-Bukhari
Narrated from 'Imran
ibn Husayn by al-Bukhari, Sahih, book of
the Beginning of Creation.
There
are other wordings of this hadith such as the wordings:
kâ
na allâ hu wa lâ shay'a ma'ahu / ghayruhu / qablahu
"Allah
was and there was nothing other
than Him /together with 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.
---
Abu
Bakr As-Siddiq (RA) (13H) said:
"العجز
عن درك الإدراك إدراك والبحث عن ذاته كفر
وإشراك"
"Recognising his
inability to come to know the Being of Allah is in itself a knowledge
and seeking to conceive His Being leads to disbelief and association"
[Reported
by Imam Badrou d-Din Az-Zarkachi in his book "Tachnifou l-Maçami
'"]
(This
word was quoted by the Muhaddith, the Faqih, the specialist of the
science of foundations ('ousouli) Badrou d-Din Az-Zarkachi(ra), born
in 745 and died in 794(AH.)
More info/ scans: Here
==============
40
AH
==============
Sayyidina
Ali bin Abi Talib (d.4oH) is
reported to have said:
تفسير مدارك التنزيل وحقائق التأويل/ النسفي
قول علي رضي الله عنه: الاستواء غير مجهول والتكييف غير معقول والإيمان به واجب والسؤال عنهبدعة لأنه تعالى كان ولا مكان فهو على ما كان قبل خلق المكان لم يتغير عما كان.
“al-Istiwa
is not unknown, and the modality is altogether inconceivable. To
affirm it is obligatory and to ask questions about it is an
innovation, this is because Allah was, when there was nothing, and He
created place before there was a place, and He is in no need for a
place”.
[Reported
(without chain) in Tafsir Madaarik al-Tanzeel wa Haqaa’iq
al-Ta’weel by an-Nasafi, under surah Taha (20) ayat (5)]
--
Sayyidina
Ali bin Abi Talib is also reported to have said:
قال الإمام علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه :-" من زعم أن إلهنا محدود فقد جهل الخالق المعبود" ا.هـرواه أبو نعيم في حلية الأولياء
"He
who a claims that our Lord is limited is ignorant about the Creator
who is worshipped."
[Reported
by Hafidh Abu Nu'aym (without chain) in his Hilyatul
Awliya]
--
كان
الله ولا مكان، وهو الان على ما عليه كان “
Allah
was without place, and He is now as He was
[Also
cited by 'Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi in his al-Farq Bayn al-Firaq (p.
256) [(1/333)]
--
Sayyidina
Imam ‘Ali ibn abi Talib said; “Indeed, Allah the
Exalted created the Throne as a manifestation of His Power and not a
place for His Essence. He was in the beginning, while there was no
place or time and He is now as He ever was” [Imam ‘Abd al-Qahir
al-Baghdadi, Al-Farq Bayn al-Firaq, page, 41]
--
Ibn
Hajar al-Haytami (d.974AH) writes: "When
a Jew asked: Sayyidina
Imam Ali,
"Since
when is the existence of our Allah?" Sayyidina
Ali's colour changed and
he said:
"He
existed without how when there was no makan and nothing. He does not
have a "before" or an "end" with respect to time.
Everything other than Him comes to an end."
Source: [Al-Sawa'iq
al-Muhriqah, Section on Imam Ali's virtues (Section 9, Part 4: The
part on Sayyidina Ali's Karamats, Judgements, Knowledge, Wisdom and
Zuhd). Translated from Turkish.]
--
Sayyidina
Imam Ali is also
reported to have said:
عن علي رضي الله عنه قال: سيرجع قوم من هذه الأمة عند اقتراب الساعة كفارا قال رجل:يا أمير المؤمنين كفرهم بماذا أبالاحداث أم بالانكار فقال:بل بالانكار ينكرون خالقهم فيصفونه بالجسم و الأعضاء
في كتاب نجم المهتدي لابن المعلم القرشي ص 588
"Some
people from this ummah will revert to blasphemy near the time of the
day of judgement, a man said: Is it because of innovations
or denial? He said: Denial (of Allah or His attributes), they
deny the Attributes of their creator and attribute to him with the
body and organs (bodily parts)".
[see: *Imam
Al-Tabari (d.310H)]
==============
50
AH
==============
Sayyidah
Aishah (d.58H) said
that the Prophet(s) said: "If you find the people
who follow the Mutashabih from the Qur'an, then those whom
Allah said about them (there's misguidance (Zaygh) in their hearts),
so be warned from them" [Narrated
by al-Bukhariy.]
----
Taking Mutashabih verses
in al-Qur'an literally contradicts
the Qurt'an itself and the hadith, and so it leads to Tashbeeh and
Tajseem. (Mushabbihah,
those who liken Allah to his creations,Mujassimah,
those who attribute the body and bodily parts to Allah). More
info Here
---
Sayyidina
Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (d.68 H)
Ibn
Abbas and the Companions of the Prophet, sallahu
alayhi wa salam:
Concerning
the verse, “The day that a Shin will be laid
bare,” (Quran 68:42)
Ibn
Abbas interpreted the “shin”
to mean “severity.” Commenting on
this verse, Imam al Tabari said, “A group of
the Prophet’s companions and their disciples, and the
people of figurative interpretation have said, ‘He
will uncover a severe matter.’ And among those who
interpreted the shin to mean
‘severity’ from the Imams of Quranic
exegesis are Mujahid, Said Bin Jubayr, Qataba and others. Allah
be He exalted said, ‘And the sky we
built with hands. And it is We who give expanse.’ (Quran
51:47).
Ibn
Abbas said
concerning it: “With
strength.” (Tafsir
al Tabari) That is, “We
built it with strength.”
--
{ يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ }
“On
a day when shin shall be exposed, they shall be ordered to prostrate,
but be unable”
(Qur’an 68:42)
It
shows that the great Sahabi, Abdullah
ibn ‘Abbas actually made ta’wil (figurative
interpretation) of this word. It is also
a rebuttal to
those who disputed its authenticity.
--
"...The
Holy Prophet(s) said: May Allah
grant him (Ibn
Abbas) deep understanding of religion."
[Sahih
Muslim Book :031, Hadith No.6055]
Sa`ad
ibn Abi Waqqas said, Ibn Abbas would speak and Umar would
not disregard what he had to say.”
--
Ibn
Abbas said, “I am of those well grounded in knowledge, who
know the meaning (of the allegorical verses).” [Imam Suyuti,
Itqan, Vol: 2, page, 4]
--
In
his famous work "Al-Asma-or wa s-Sifat" (Volume 2 page 80
of this edition) Imam Al-Bayhaqi said:
"Regarding
the explanation of the word" yawma youkchifou 'an saq} [-surat
Al-Qalam / 42-, which means: "The
day when a saq will be discovered"],
It was reported from Ibnu'
Abbas 'He
said,' An intensity and anxiety '. Abu
Sulayman Al-Khattabi (d.388AH)) said: "It is possible
that the meaning of his word {yawma youkchifou rabbouna 'an saqih}
[meaning" the day our Lord will show his saq "] is: Is
manifested by intensity and difficulty.”
---
Abû
al-Aliya (d. 90H) and al-Rabî (d.
139AH) said of 2:210: "It
means the angels come in the clouds. It is confirmed by
His saying: {A day when the heaven with the
clouds will be rent asunder and the angels will be sent down, a great
descent} (25:25)."
[Narrated
from Abû al-`Aliya [al-Riyâhî the student of Ibn `Abbâs]
by al-Bayhaqî in al-Asmâ' (Kawtharî ed. p. 448; Hâshidî ed.
2:370 §943) through al-Hâkim with a chain containing Abû Ja`far
al-Râzî (`Isâ ibn Abî `Isâ Mâhân) whom al-Khatîb and Ibn
Hajar declared "truthful but poor in
memorizing" - although considered trustworthy (thiqa)
by Ibn al-Madînî, Ibn Ma`în, Abû Hâtim, and al-Diyâ' al-Maqdisî
- and by al-Tabarî, Ibn Abî Hâtim, al-Qurtubî, and al-Suyûtî in
their Tafsîr (verse 2:210), also by Abû `Ubayd ibn Sallâm and Ibn
al-Mundhir as stated in al-Suyûtî's al-Durr al-Manthûr.]
--
Al-Bayhaqî said:
"[Abû al-`Aliya's] commentary rightly establishes that the
clouds are a place and vehicle only for the angels, whereas there is
neither place nor vehicle for Allâh Almighty." [Al-Bayhaqî,
Al-Asmâ' wal-Sifât (Kawtharî ed. p. 448; Hâshidî ed.
2:370).] Read more: Here
---
Imam
Zayn al-'Abidin (d.95H) is
reported to have said:
وروى الحافظ اللغوي محمد مرتضى الزَّبيديُّ في شرح الإحياء بالإسناد المتصل أن الإمام عليًّا زينالعابدين كان يقول:
"سبحانك لا يحويك مكان" اهـ، وزين العابدين كان أفضل أهل البيت في زمانه
“glory
be to you who has no place”
[Documented
in Imam Murtada Zabidi’s Sharh al-Ihya 'ulum ud Deen, with
a Mutasil Isnad]
--
Imam
Zayn al-‘Abidin ‘Ali Ibnul-Hussayn said: “You
are Allah, the One who is not confined to place”
[‘as-Sahifah as-Sajjadiyyah’]
--
Imam
Zayn ul-Abidin said that Allah is
no place and that He is not limited.
Here
the Imam Zayn ul-Abidin said that Allah is not in a place and he is
free of limits. Here is the belief of Muslims from all periods and
all places, the belief of the scholars of the Salaf, the belief of
the people of the family of the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu the
Lahou 3alayhi wa sallam). "'It-s-hafou Sadati
the-Mouttaqin" (Volume 4, page 643-644 of this edition) Here
==============
100
AH
==============
Imam
Mujahid ibn Jabar (d. 102H)
This
is the most widespread interpretation (ta’wîl)
of the issue among the Salaf: al-Baghawi
said that the meaning of the verse (The
Merciful established Himself over the Throne) (20:5)
according to Ibn ‘Abbas and most of the commentators of
Qur’an is "He elevated Himself"
(irtafa‘a). This is the interpretation quoted by al-Bukhari in
his Sahih from the senior Tâbi‘iRufay‘ ibn Mahran Abu
al-‘Aliya (d. 90).
Al-Bukhari also
cites from Mujahid (d. 102 AH) the
interpretation "to rise above"
or "exalt Himself above" (‘alâ).Ibn
Battal declares the latter to be the true position and the
saying of Ahl al-Sunna because Allah described Himself as "the
Sublimely Exalted" -- ( al-‘Alî) (2:255) and said: ( exalted
be He (ta‘âlâ) over all that they ascribe as partners (unto
Him)!) (23:92).
--
The
‘Makan’ Narration Attributed to Imam Mujahid
...some
observations on the narration attributed to Imam Mujahid ibn Jabar
regarding the
ascription of a Makan (“Place”) for Allah…
Read Full Article: Here
---
Ibn
Taawoos (106H) kaysan
interprets the verse "the Yadou Fawqa aydihim-Lah" in Surat
Al-Fath [Reported by Al-Qurtubi]Here he explains that the verse "يد
الله فوق أيديهم"
(l-Lah Yadou Fawqa aydihim) means that "The
power of Allah and his help are greater than their power and help."
He therefore interpreted the word "yad"
with "power"
and "rescue".
And it proves that people sometimes had the Salaf used
to interpret ambiguous texts (moutachabih). The mufassir-exegete
Muhammad Ibn-Ahmad Al-Ansari al-Qurtubi died in 671 AH, (l-Lah
rahimahou) that is to say there are over 760 years. It is the
Madh-hab (school of jurisprudence) of Imam Malik. His tafsir
"al-Jami3ou li'Ahkami the Qur'an" is an indispensable
reference. Here
---
Imam
Al-Hasan al-Basri (d.110H)
Imam
Al-Hasan interpreted the verse “Nay,
both His hands are spread wide, and He bestows as He wills”
(5:64) to refer to Allah’s kindness and goodness. [Ibn
al-Jawzi, Daf` Shubah al-Tahsbih(Saqqaf ed. p. 115).]
Similarly,
he interpreted Allah’s qadam to
mean “those whom He has sent forth”
(qaddamahum) in the hadith of the Prophet — Allah bless
and greet him –:
Hellfire
will keep asking: “Is there more?”
until the Lord of Might places His qadam (lit. “foot”)
in it. Then it will say: “Enough! Enough!” (qatt qatt) and gather
up all its parts together. There will still remain room
in Paradise until Allah originates a creation which He will
place in the remainder of Paradise.[ Narrated from Anas by Bukhari
and Muslim.
Al-Khattabi said:
“The meaning of 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). Cf. Ibn al-Jawzi, Daf` Shubah
al-Tahsbih(Saqqaf ed. p. 15).]
--
For
example: the establishment is the conquering (istila') and dominion
(tasallut), Allah's hand is
His strength in His saying: "Allah's
hand is over their hand" (48:10)
and His generosity in His saying: "Nay,
both His hands are spread wide, and He bestows as He wills"
(5:64). [Ibn al-Jawzi interpreted
the former verse as Allah's favor (ni`ma) and power (qudra),
and the latter, according to Hasan al-Basri, as
His kindness and goodness.] [Ibn al-Jawzi, Daf` shubah
al-tahsbih p. 115.]
--
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.
---
Imam
Abu Ja’far al-Sadiq (d.148H) : “Whoever
claims that Allāh is in something, or from something, or on
something has associated a partner with Allāh , because if He was
in something, then He would be confined; and if He was on something,
then He would be carried; and if He was from something, then He would
be something that has a beginning.”
--
Imam
Abu Ja’far al-Sadiq said: “He
who claims that Allah is in anything or on anything or from anything
commits shirk (type of blasphemy). Because, had He been on anything,
He would have been carried, had He been in anything, He would have
been contained, and had He been from anything, He would have been a
creation”. [Narrated
by Imam al-Qushayriyy (d.465AH) in his book ‘ar-Risalah’.]
[Al-Risala
al-Qushayriyya Fi 'Ilm al-Tasawwuf'. The author of the Epistle on
Sufism, Abu ’l-Qasim al-Qushayri(b.376/986–d.465/1074), was
a famous Sunni scholar and mystic (Sufi) from Khurasan in Iran.
His Epistle is probably the most popular Sufi manual ever. from the
Great Books of Islamic Civilization series.
Written
in 437/1045, it has served as a primary textbook for many generations
of Sufi novices down to the present. [More
Info: Here ][Also
see Here his
son Imam Abu Nasr ibn al-Qushayri (d.514 AH)]
---
Imam
Abu Hanifa (d.
150H)
said: "Had
He been in a placeand needing
to sit and rest before
creating the Throne, then the question: 'Where
was Allah?' would have applied to Him,which is
impossible."
[Abu
Hanifa, Wasiyya al-Imam al-A'zam Abu Hanifa, ed. Fu'ad 'Ali Rida
(Beirut : Maktabat al-Jamahir, 1970) p. 10.]
In
his “Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar” Imam Abu Hanifah said,
ومعنى
الشىءِ إثباتُهُ بلا جسمٍ ولا جوهرٍ ولا
عَرَضٍ، ولا حدَّ لهُ، ولا ضدَّ لهُ، ولا
ندَّ له، ولا مِثلَ لهُ.
“When
we say that Allah is shay’ we mean that He exists without
a body, essence, or temporary attributes. He does not have a limit,
an opposite, a substitute, or a like in any sense of likeness at
all.” (Al Fiqh Al Akbar 63)
Imam
Abu Hanifah said in Al Fiqh Al Absat:
كان
الله ولا مكان ، كان قبل أن يخلق الخلق ،
كان ولم يكن أين ولا خلق ولا شىء وهو خالق
كل شىء فمن قال لا أعرف ربي أفي السماء أم
في الأرض فهو كافر .
كذلك
من قال إنه على العرش ولا أدري العرش أفي
السماء أم في الأرض
Allah
existed and there was no place. He existed before he created
creation. He existed and there was no “where,” no creation or
anything else. He is the Creator of everything. So the one that
says, “I do not know about by Lord, is
He in the Sky or on Earth,” is a blasphemer. Likewise,
the one who says “Verily He is over the
throne, but I do not know whether the throne is in the sky or on
Earth.”
[Abu
Hanifah, An Nu`maan ibn Thaabit (80-150 AH/ 699-767. Al Fiqh Al
Akbar. Kairo, Egypt: Maktabah Al-Azhariyah Li Al-Turaath,
1421/2001.]
--
Imam
Abu Hanifah said this because in both expressions it is clear
that the speaker ascribes a place to Allah, and is not intending to
say aboveness without direction or place. This is obviously what Abu
Hanifah means, as he stated right before it, “Allah existed and
there was no place.”
Note again
that the Prophet made it clear
that Allah’s abovenes isnot
in place or direction, but in status, when He
said: “You are Al-Thahir so there is nothing above You. And You are
Al Batin, so there is nothing below you.” This hadith makes it
explicit that Allah’s aboveness is not one of place and direction."
[Read
the Full article here: Abuu
Ĥaniifah]
--
Imam
Abu Hanifah from Al-Fiqh
Al-Akbar on the beatific vision:
"Allāh
Most High will be seen in the Hereafter. The believers will see Him,
while in Paradise, with their own eyes, without any comparison
or modality. There will not be any distance between Him and His
creation."
Iamm
Abu Haifah also says in Al-Waṣiyya:
“The
meeting of Allāh with the people of Paradise is a reality
[and is to occur] without modality, corporealism, or direction.” (The
commentary of Imams 'Ali Al-Qari and Al-Maghnisawi are
found in the link above.)
---
Al-Awza’i (d.157H) said,
“I asked az-Zuhri and Makhul about the ayat pertaining to the Sifat
(Attributes of Allah), so they said, ‘Leave them as they are.”
(Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee in SharhUsulul-I’tiqad 3/430 and Ibn
Qudamah al-Maqdisi in Dhammut-Ta‘wil, p. 18 and the chain of
narration is hasan.)
Again nothing about
taking them upon their literal meaning
or apparent meaning.
---
Sufyan
al-Thawri (d.
161H) interpreted istiwâ’ in
the verse (The Merciful established Himself over the Throne) (20:5)
as "a command concerning the Throne" (amrun fi al-‘arsh),
as related by Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni and quoted
by al-Yafi‘i in the latter’s book Marham al-‘Ilal
al-Mu‘dila fi Daf‘ al-Shubah wa al-Radd ‘ala al-Mu‘tazila
("Book of the Resolution of Difficult Problems for the Removal
of Doubts and the Refutation of the Mu‘tazila"):
The
understanding of istiwâ’ as
the turning of Allah to a particular command concerning the Throne is
not far-fetched, and this is the ta’wîl of
Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, who took as corroborating evidence for it the
verse: (Then turned He (thumma istawâ) to the heaven when
it was smoke) (41:11), meaning: "He proceeded to it"
(qasada ilayhâ).
--
Sufyan
al Thawri said concerning Allah’s saying, “And
He is with you where ever you are” (Quran 57:4) “It
means with His knowledge.” (Tashih al Mahafim al Aqadiyya)
---
Imam
Malik (d.179AH) answered:
’Istiwa s not unknown,
and its how [manner] is not conceivable (al-istiwa
ghayr majhul wa l-kayf ghayr ma’qul).
(Ibn
Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d.386AH) Kitab al-Jami fi
s-sunan wa al-adab wa l-maghazi wa t-tarikh)
--
Imam
Malik said: ‘"The Merciful is
established over the Throne" just as He described Himself. One
cannot ask "how." "How"
does not apply to Him.
From
Yahya ibn Yahya al-Tamimi and Malik’s shaykh Rabi`a ibn Abi `Abd
al-Rahman:
Imam
Malik said: ‘The establishment is
not unknown; the "how" is not conceivable;”
(Narrated
by Imam al-Bayhaqi(d.458AH) with a sound chain in al-Asma' wa
al-Sifat)
[More
info Here]
---
Ibn
Al-Mubarak (d.181H)
The
statement of Ibn al-Mubarak : Quote:
[قال ابن المبارك :
"لا نقول كما قالت الجهمية إنه في الأرض ههنا، بل على العرش استوى" وقيل له :كيف تعرف ربنا ؟ قال :
" فوق سماواته على عرشه "
]
Khalq says: Ibn
al-Mubarak said: We do not say what the Jahmiyyah said
that Allah
is here on the earth, but
we say that He rose on the Throne / ala al-arsh istawa .
Ibn
al-Mubarak was also asked: How
do you know of our Lord?He replied: That
He is above His heavens above His Throne.
--
Answer:
Yes, we attribute Allah with whatever He
attributed Himself with and He has attributed Himself with being
established on the throne. Therefore, we do not say what
the Jahmites say that He is
in every location - we seek refuge with Allah!-but rather
He is without locality and distinct from His creation.
We
know this by what has come in clear texts and reports of His being
above the throne. This is affirmation of that which is textually
established in the Book and the Sunna, without any affirmation of an
outwardly sensory meaning.
--
Imam
al-Bayhaqi says in al-Asma' wal-Sifat (Kawthari ed. p. 426-427;
Hashidi ed. 2:334-336:… so He is on the Throne as He related.
By saying this, he meant to belie the Jahmiyya who
claimed that He is in every place.
His
other report confirms this From `Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Shaqiq:
'I
heard `Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak say, "We
know our Lord to be above (fawq) seven heavens, [He established
Himself over His Throne], distinct(ba'in) from His creation,
and we do not say as the Jahmiyya said, that He is right here' -
and he pointed to the ground (hahuna fil-ard)."'
By
the term 'distinct' he means, as he explained directly afterwards, to
negate the claim [of intermixing
(imtizaj)] of the Jahmiyya, NOT to suggest direction on
the opposite side. He means what the Law said in absolute terms
'Abd
Allah Ibn al-Mubarak was simply emphasising the point that
Allah is not mixed in creation but rather He is distinct from
it. More Info: Here
--
Quote: “Ishaq
bin Ibraheem Al-Handhali narrated
that Ibn
Al-Mubarak said: "The
Top of the Minaret is closer to Allah than it's Bottom"
? Answer/Reply: Here
---
Al-Walid
ibn Muslim (d. 194H) said,
“I asked Malik, al-Awza’i, Laytb ibn Sa’d and Sufyan al-Thawri,
may Allah have mercy upon them, concerning the reports related about
the Attributes, so they all said, ‘Leave them as they are
without asking ‘How?” (Reported by al-Aajurri in
Ash-Sha’ri’ah, p. 314, al-Bayhaqi in Al-Asma was-Sifat, p. 453
and also al-I’tiqad, p.118 and the chain of narration is
hasan.) Again nothing about taking them upon their literal
meaning.
---
Imam
Sufyan bin Uyayna (d.198AH) said: All
that Allah described Himself with in the Glorious Qur'an then "ITS
RECITATION IS IT'’S INTERPRETATION. There is no Kayfia (asking how
it's meant) nor likeness (tamtheel or tashbeeh) [As-Sifaat” by
Imam al Daraqutni, Page # 70]
==============
200 AH
==============
Imam
Al-Shafi'i (d.204H) is
reported to have stated,
" إنه تعالى كان ولا مكان فخلق المكان وهو على صفة الأزلية كما كان قبل خلقه المكان لا يجوز عليهالتغيير في ذاته ولا التبديل في صفاته " اهـ.
[إتحاف السادة المتقين (2/
24 ]
"Verily,
He the exalted was, without makaan (station
or place).He created Makaan and He was upon His attribute of
eternality just as He was before he created makaan. It
is not permitted upon Him to change his essence or to change in His
attributes." [It-Haaf As-Saadah Al Muttaqeen 2/24]
--
Imam
Al-Shafi'i has stated: "If it is said that "Allahu
ta'ala said "Rahman did istiwa over
Arsh,"" then the following response is given:
These
(types of) ayats are among the mutashabihat that perplex those who
don't have the desire to achieve depth in ilm when answering these
and others like them. That is, they should accept these ayats as they
are and they should refrain from research and talking about them.
This is because, one cannot ensure avoiding doubt and danger when he
does not have rusukh [deep understanding] in ilm. He must
believe in Allahu ta'ala's attributes as we have mentioned.
No makan can contain Allahu
ta'ala. Time does not pass
over Him. He is exalted beyond having limits and end
points; He is mustaghni [independent]
from makan and directions.
"There is nothing like Him." (42/11)"
Source: Imam
ash-Shafi'i, al-Fiqh al-Akbar, 17. Quoted by: Dr. Ebubekir Sifil,
Milli Gazete [daily newspaper in Turkish], Jan 8, 2006. Dr. Sifil
states: See Kashf al-Zunun, II, 1288. Katib Chalabi points out the
doubt about the attribution of this book to Imam
ash-Shafi'i. However, Professor Fuad Sezgin reports
that a copy of this book written in the year 292 is present in the
al-Azhar Library and states: "If this date is correct, the doubt
about the attribution of this book to Imam ash-Shafi'i is
removed." (Tarikh al-Turath, I, 491)
--
Shaykh
ul Islam Imam As-Suyutiy(ra) in his book: Al-Ashbah
wan-Nadha'ir
Imam
al-Shafi (ra) said:
[ﺍﻟْﻤُﺠَﺴِّﻢُ
ﻛﺎﻓﺮ]
which means: “The one who
attributes a body to Allah is a kafir (non-Muslim).”
Imam
al-Shafi (ra) also
said: “Whoever believes
that Allah is a body sitting on the Throne is
a kafir (non-Muslim).”
Imam
al-Shafi'i said: 'The one who attributes to Allah bodily
characteristics blasphemes.'
This
was narrated by Imam al- Suyuti in the book: Al-Ashabah wa
Anatha'ir. (Al Ishbah Wa'n Nadha'ir Fi Qawa'id wa Furu Fiqh
Shafi'i)
---
Al-Qasim
ibn Sallam ibn Abd Allah, Abu Ubayd al-Harawi (d.224AH)
Abbas
al-Duri said: "I heard Abu `Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam mention
the vision of Allah [in the
hereafter], the Footstool (kursi)
where the two Feet are placed,
our Lord's laughter, and where
He was [before creation], then he said: `All these are
sound (sahih) narrations transmitted by the scholars of hadith and
fiqh one from another; we consider them the truth and do not doubt
them. But if it were asked: How does He
laugh? or: How does He place His Foot? We reply: We do
not explain this; nor did we ever hear anyone explain it.'"
---
Imam
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (d.241H)
said: 'The one who
says Allah is a body not like other
bodies Blasphemes'.
[Narrated
by Abu Muhammad al Baghdadiy in his book: Al Khisal and Badr al-Din
al-Zarkashi in his book: Tashnif Al Masami']
Similarly, Hafiz
al-Bayhaqi quotes Imam Ahmad in Manaqib Ahmad:
"A
person commits an act of disbelief (kufr)
if he says Allah is a body, even if he says: Allah is a body but not
like other bodies." In I'tiqad Imam Ahmad bi
Riwaya Tamimi (page 4) theImam is quoted as saying:
Allah
ta'ala has Yadayn. They are attributes of His Essence which are not
two limbs, nor two composite parts, nor a body...وكان
يقول إن لله تعالى يدين وهما صفة له في
ذاته ليستا بجارحتين وليستا بمركبتين و
لا جسم ولا من جنس الأجسام ولا من جنس
المحدود والتركيب ولا الأبعاض والجوارح
Itiqaad
Al-Imaam Al-Mubajjal Ibn Ĥanbal, Page, 297:
"Aļļaah
taˆaalaa did not change or
experience any substitution (in His attributes), and has not been
attributed with any limits before creating the Arsħ and not after
creating it”
--
Imam
Ahmad ibn Hanbal said about ‘Istawa”[Istiwa’]: It
means height/exaltation (`uluw) and elevation (irtifa`). Allah –
Most High – is ever exalted (`ali) and elevated (rafi`) without
beginning, before He created the Throne. He is above
everything (huwa fawqa kulli shay’), and He is exalted over
everything (huwa al-`ali `ala kulli shay’). He
only specified the Throne because of its particular significance
which makes it different from everything else, as the Throne is the
best of all things and the most elevated of them. Allah –
Most High – therefore praised Himself by saying that He
{established Himself over the Throne}, that is, He exalted Himself
over it (`alayhi `ala). It is
impermissible to say that He established Himself with a contact or a
meeting with it. Exalted is Allah above that! Allah is not
subject to change, substitution, nor limits, whether before or after
the creation of the Throne” (Tabaqat al-Hanabila, 2:296-297).
--
ON
ATTRIBUTING A BODY (JISM) TO ALLAH
[The
Imam and hadith master (hafiz) Ahmad Ibn Al-Husayn] Al-Bayhaqi (d.
458/1066) relates in his Manaqib
al-Imam Ahmad [The
memorable actions of Imam Ahmad] with his chain on the authority of
Abu al-Fadl that he said:
“[Imam]
Ahmad censured the one who believed in corporeality [qala bi
al-jism], saying, ‘The Names of things are taken from the Shari’a
and the Arabic language. The language’s possessors have used this
word [body] for something that has height, breadth, thickness,
construction, form, and composition, while Allah Most High is beyond
all of that, and may not be termed a “body” because of being
beyond any meaning of embodiedness. This has not been conveyed by the
Shari’a, and so is refuted ‘ ” source
وروى
البيهقي في مناقب الإمام أحمد بسنده عن
أبي الفضل هذا أنه قال :”أنكر
أحمد على من قال بالجسم وقال إن الأسماء
مأخوذة من الشريعة واللغة، وأهل اللغة
وضعوا هذا الإسم على ذي طول وعرض وسمك
وتركيب وصورة وتأليف ، والله تعالى خارج
عن ذلك كله فلم يجز أن يسمى جسماً لخروجه
عن معنى الجسمية ولم يجيء في الشريعة ذلك
فبطل .”
Imam
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: ‘The one who says Allah is a body not like
other bodies Blasphemes’.
[Narrated
by Abu Muhammad al Baghdadi in his book Al Khisal and Badr al-Din
al-Zarkashi in his book Tashnif Al Masami’
Similarly, Hafiz
al-Bayhaqi quotes Imam Ahmad in Manaqib Ahmad:
“A person commits an act of disbelief (kufr) if he says Allah is a
body, even if he says: Allah is a body but not like other bodies.” ]
ON
ATTRIBUTING LIMBS TO ALLAH
In I’tiqad
Imam Ahmad bi Riwaya Tamimi (page 4) the Imam is
quoted as saying:
Allah
ta’ala has Yadayn. They are attributes of His Essence which are not
two limbs, nor two composite parts, nor a body…
وكان
يقول إن لله تعالى يدين وهما صفة له في
ذاته ليستا بجارحتين وليستا بمركبتين و
لا جسم ولا من جنس الأجسام ولا من جنس
المحدود والتركيب ولا الأبعاض والجوارح
[Ahmad’s]
disciples reported that one day a man recited Q 39:67 (The earth
altogether shall be His handful . . .) and while reciting, pointed at
his own fist. Ahmad was angry with the man, and cursed him, saying
that God would cut off his hand.
(Ahmad
b. hanbal, Masail, 1:307-8).
In
another report, Ahmad b. hanbal and Dawud b. Ali al-Isfahani
(d. 270) said that whoever moved his hand while reciting Q 38:75 (. .
. that I created with My own hands?), or made a gesture using his two
fingers while transmitting “the heart of the believer is between
two of the Merciful’s fingers,” must have his hand cut off [in
the first case] and his finger detached [in the
second] (Al-Shahrastani, Milal, 1:104).
ON
ASCRIBING LIMITS TO ALLAH
Al-Khallal reports
from Imam Ahmad:
Allāh
has a Throne and the Throne has carriers carrying it while Allāh is
on His Throne although He has no limit, and Allāh knows best its
limit.
[Ahmad
ibn Hanbal, al-Aqīda Riwayata Abī Bakr al-Khallāl, ed. Abd al-Azīz
Izz al-Dīn al-Sayrawan (Damascus: Dār Qutayba, 1988) p. 78.]
Hanbal
ibn Ishāq, the Imām’s cousin reports from Imam
Ahmad:
Allāh
is not to be described more than whatever He described Himself with,
or His Prophet described Him with, without limit nor delimitation
(bilā h.addin walā ghāya)
[Narrated
by Ibn Qudāma in Dhamm al-Ta’wīl (p. 20 #32)]
and
also via Hanbal, We believe that Allāh is on the Throne in the
manner He wishes and however He wishes, without limit nor description
anyone could give or define Him by.
[Narrated
by Abū Ya’lā in Ibtāl al-Ta’wīl per Ibn Taymiyya, Bayān
Talbīs (2:173).]
and,
in commentary of the verse “And He is with you wheresoever you may
be (57:4): [I.e.] His knowledge. His knowledge encompasses all, and
our Lord is over the Throne without limit (bilā h.add) nor
description.
[Narrated
by al-Dhahabī cf. Mukhta.sar al-‘Uluw (p. 190 #229) and by
al-Lālikāī.]
ON
ASCRIBING CHANGE (& LIMITS) TO ALLAH
Abū
al-Fadl al-Tamīmī narrates from Imam Ahmad: Allāh is not subject
to change, substitution, nor limits, whether before or after the
creation of the Throne.
[Narrated
by Ibn Abī Ya’lā, Tabaqāt al-Hanābila (2:296-297).] source
POSITION
TOWARDS THE ‘ATTRIBUTE’ VERSES
Ibn
Qudama in his Lum’at al-I’tiqad narrates:
Imam
Abu `Abdullah Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Hanbal – may Allah be
pleased with him – has said regarding the Prophet’s statements –
sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam- that Allah descends to the lowest
heaven, that Allah will be seen on the day of Resurrection, and what
resembles such statements. “We have faith and believe in them
without [saying] how [is their modality] or [interpreting their]
meaning. We do not reject any of [these reports]. We know that what
the Messenger came with is the truth. We do not reject what the
Messenger of Allah – sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – has
brought. Nor do we describe Allah with more than what He has
described Himself without [ascribing to Him] a limit or an end. ‘Like
Him there is naught. And He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.’
(42:1 1). We say as He has said and we describe Him as He has
described Himself. We do not transgress that. The descriptions of men
do not reach Him. We believe in the whole of the Qur’an – its
definitive (mukham) and its equivocal (mutashabih). We do not
separate from Him any of His attributes due to the protests of
anyone. We do not transgress the Qur’an and the hadith. Nor do we
know the reality of [these attributes] except by believing the
Messenger – sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam – and affirming the
Qur’an.”
قال
الإمام أبو عبد الله أحمد بن محمد بن حنبل
رضي الله عنه في قول النبي صلى الله عليه
وسلم إن الله ينزل الى سماء الدنيا و إن
الله يرى في القيامة وما أشبه هذه الأحاديث
نؤمن بها ونصدق بها لا كيف ولا معنى ولا
نرد شيئا منها ونعلم أن ما جاء به الرسول
حق ولا نرد على رسول الله صلى الله عليه
وسلم ولا نصف الله بأكثر مما وصف به نفسه
بلا حد ولا غاية (ليس
كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير)
الشورى
11
ونقول
كما قال ونصفه بما وصف به نفسه لا نتعدى
ذلك ولا يبلغه وصف الواصفين نؤمن بالقرآن
كله محكمه ومتشابهه ولا نزيل عنه صفة من
صفاته لشناعة شنعت ولا نتعدى القرآن
والحديث ولا نعلم كيف كنه ذلك إلا بتصديق
الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وتثبيت القرآن .
HIS
TA’WIL OF CERTAIN VERSES
The Qadi
Abu Ya’la reported Ahmad b. Hanbal as
having said that the verse “Allah
will come to them” means that [he will come to
them] through His power (qudra) and His command (amr), and in support
of this interpretation he cited the verse “The command of your Lord
(amru rabbika) will come.” The expression “Your Lord will come,”
which is also found in the Torah, [was explained by Ahmad as meaning
that] it is His power (qudra) only [that will come].
[Ibn
al-Jawzi, Daf Shubah al-Tashbih; c.f Ibn Hazm in al-Fisal 2:173]
وكلامه
في نفي التشبيه وترك الخوض في الكلام
والتمسك بما ورد في الكتاب والسنة عن
النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وعن أصحابه.
وروى
البيهقي عن الحاكم عن أبي عمرو بن السماك
عن حنبل أن أحمد بن حنبل تأول قول الله
تعالى:
(وجاء
ربك)
[ الفجر:
22 ] أنه
جاء ثوابه.
ثم قال البيهقي: وهذا إسناد لا غبار عليه.
ثم قال البيهقي: وهذا إسناد لا غبار عليه.
Regarding
the verse:
“And
your Lord shall come . . .” (Qur’an
89:22),
Hafiz
al-Bayhaqi narrates Imam Ahmad explaining
its meaning as “His recompense (thawab) shall come.”
Al-Bayhaqi
adds, “This chain of narrators has absolutely nothing wrong in
it”
[al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya,10.342; c.f. Ibn al-Jawzi in Daf Shubah al-Tashbih source]
[al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya,10.342; c.f. Ibn al-Jawzi in Daf Shubah al-Tashbih source]
ON
ALLAH’S SPEECH
Imam
Ahmad was asked: “{Never comes there unto them a new (muhdath)
reminder from their Lord} (21:2). Can something new be anything but
created?”
He
replied: “Allah said: {Sad. By the Qur’an that contains the
Reminder} (38:1). ‘The’ reminder is the Qur’an, while the other
verse does not say ‘the’.”
[Narrated
by Abu `Uthman al-Sabuni from Salih ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal from his
father in Sirat al-Imam (p. 38).]
Another
version states that he answered: “It is possible that it is the
Qur’an’s revelation to us (tanziluhu ilayna) that is muhdath,
not the dhikr itself.”
[Both
narrated by al-Bayhaqi cf. Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya (10:342-343).]
--
Ibn
Kathir has written in his al-Bidayah wa Nihayah 10/361:
وروى
البيهقي من طريق إسماعيل بن محمد بن
إسماعيل السلمي عن أحمد أنه قال:
من
قال:
القرآن
محدث فهو كافر.
Al-Bayhaqi
has narrated through the route of Ismail ibn Muhammad ibn Ismail
al-Salami from Ahmad that he said: Whoever calls the Qur’an
a muhdath is
a kafir!
Something Ibn
Shaddad had written was handed to Abu Bakr
al-Marwazi which contained the phrase: “My pronunciation
of the Qur’an is uncreated” and the latter was asked to show it
to Ahmad ibn Hanbal for corroboration. The latter crossed out the
phrase and wrote instead: “The Qur’an, however used (haythu
yusraf), is uncreated.” (1)
In
another sound narration, Abu Bakr al-Marwazi, Abu Muhammaed
Fawran [or Fawzan], and Salih ibn Ahmad ibn
Hanbal witnessed Ahmad rebuking one
of his students named Abu Talib with the words: “Are
you telling people that I said: ‘My pronunciation of the Qur’an
is uncreated’?”
Abu
Talib replied: “I only said this from my own.”
Ahmad
said: “Do not say this – neither from me, nor from you! I never
heard any person of knowledge say it. The Qur’an is Allah’s
speech uncreated, whichever way it is used.”
Salih
said to Abu Talib: “If you told people what you said, now
go and tell the people that Abu ‘Abd Allah [Imam
Ahmad] forbade to say it.” (2)
------------------------------------------
(1)
AS (p. 265); ASG (2:18). Narrated with a sound chain by
Bayhaqi. Al-Kawthari commented on this and the next
narration as follows: “Due to such equivocal expressions, many of
Ahmad’s companions erroneously thought that anything remotely
connected with the Qur’an is pre-eternal (qadim). Bukhari said
in Khalq
Af’al al-Ibad : ‘ As for what the two parties
from the school of Ahmad have claimed as proof, each for his own
position: Much of what they relate is not established
as authentic. It is probably they did not comprehend
the subteleness of his postion. What is known from Ahmad and
the people of knowledge is that Allah’s speech is uncreated and all
else is created. But they hated to
discuss and explore obscure matters, avoiding dialectic theologians
and their queries and disputations, except in what was a matter of
knowledge and which the Prophet (s) clarified.’ ”
(2)
AS (p.265-266); ASH (2:18) This is a sound narration also found in
Salih ibn Ahmad’s book al-Mihna (p. 70-71), Ibn al-Jawzi’s
Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad (p.155), and Ibn
Taymiya in Majmu’ al-Fatawa (12:360, 12:425)
--------------------------------------------
----------------------
Dhun
Nun al-Misri (d.245H)
“Az-Zahid,
Shaykh of Misr (Egypt), Thawban bin Ibrahim. He narrated from Imam
Malik, Imam Layth, Bin Luhay’a, Fudayl bin ‘Ayyad, Salim
al-Khawwas, Sufyan bin ‘Uyayna and others. Those who narrated from
him include: Ahmed bin Sabih al-Fayumi, Rabi’ah bin Muhammed
at-Tai, Ridwan bin Muhaymid, Hasan bin Mus’ab, al-Junayd bin
Muhammed az-Zahid, Miqdam bin Dawud ar-Ra’ini, and others. He
narrated only a few hadith, and wasn’t an expert in it.
Daraqutni said,
“he narrated from Malik Ahadith, in which are difficulties, and was
a religious orator.”
Bin
Yunus said, “he was a wise eloquent scholar he passed away in
Dhil Qi’dah in the year 245 Hijri.”
‘Ali
bin Hatim said, ‘I heard Dhu an-Nun say, ‘Quran
is the Speech of Allah ta’ala, and is not created (is eternal).”
Yusuf
bin al-Husayn said, “I heard Dhu an-Nun say, “what
image comes in your mind, then Allah is not that”.
--
Dhul
Nūn al-Misrī was asked about the saying
of Allāh: “al-Rahmān `alāl `arsh
istawā”
He
answered: “He affirmed His existence, and denied that He has a
place. So He Himself exists independently, while other things exist
by His Wisdom as He Wills.”
--
Imam Ibn
Kathir , Bidaya wa an-Nihaya:
‘Thawban
bin Ibrahim, one of famous Mashayikh, Ibn Khalkan wrote a
biographical note about him in al-Wafayat, and mentioned his merits
and states, and stated his death was in the year 245 Hijri. He’s
considered amongst those who narrated Muwatta from Imam Malik, Ibn
Yunus mentioned him in Tarikh Misr, and he was eloquent and wise.”
--
It
should be kept in mind that there is no censure on the
terminology (of the Sufis) as long as the meaning is sound, and
what Dhun Nun al-Misri spoke about and is
recorded doesn't contradict any ‘Aqidah of Ahlus
Sunnah, his statements of ‘Aqidah, two of which are recorded here,
are in clear conformity with Ahlu Sunnah. Scholars have accepted
him and quoted him abundantly which shows that he wasn't deviant,
scholars such as Imam Nawawi, Hafidh Ibn Hajar, Hafidh Ibn Qayyim and
others.
--
"Dhū
al-Nūn Misrī was a person known by people to be mad,
he was labelled deviant and kāfir. When
he passed away, 40 awliyā’ saw the Messenger of
Allāh(s) in their dreams that night. The Messenger
of Allāh(s) said to each of them, ‘I have come to Baghdād to
welcome the soul of Dhū al-Nūn, the lover of Allāh!"
---
-----------------------------
Imam
al-Bukhari (d.256H)
In
the chapter of Exegesis (Kitab at-Tafsir) of his Sahih, in volume 3
p.171 of the edition used, says:
“Surat al-Qasas
: kullu shay’in haalikun illa wajhah :’Everything will be
destroyed, except His wajh [i.e.]: except His ‘Dominion’ (
illa mulkah).’
[Explanation: This
phrase means ‘Everything will be destroyed except his ‘wajh‘. The
term wajh has several meanings: the one that comes
immediately to the mind is ‘face’,
however this is not a meaning
suitable for Allah as this would contradict the explicit verses from
the Qur’an such as the one meaning that He does not resemble
anything. Therefore, that is why al-Bukhari here explains the term
wajh with one of its other meanings which is ‘Dominion’, i.e.
everything will be destroyed, but the fact that Allah owns and
controls everything will not be destroyed.]. (The commentary of Imam
as-Sindi (d.1138AH) can be seen on the margin confirms that this
interpretation is correct.)
--
Sahih
al-Bukhari: from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet (Allah
bless him and give him peace) said, Allah Most High laughs about two
men, one of whom kills the other, but both of whom enter
paradise: the one fights in the path of Allah and is killed, and
afterwards Allah forgives the killer, and then he fights in
the path of Allah and is martyred, the hadith
master al-Bayhaqi records that the scribe of Bukhari
[Muhammad ibn Yusuf] al-Farabri related that Imam
al-Bukhari said, "The meaning of laughter in
it is mercy" [Kitab al-asma’ wa al-sifat, 298)]
--
Imam
al- Bukhari believed that Allah exists without a
place. Imam Ibn Hajar repeats the belief that Allah is
without a place many times. (ibn
hajar, fath al-bari 13:357; Cf. 3:23, 6:102,
13:309,328,351,354,355,357,366,369-370, 414.)
--
Sahih
Bukhari states:
Narrated Ibn
'Umar: The Prophet(s) saw expectoration in the direction of
the Qibla of the mosque while he was leading the prayer, and
scratched it off. After finishing the prayer, he said, "Whenever
any of you is in prayer he should know that Allah is in front of
him. So none should spit in front of him in the prayer." [Volume
1, Book 12, Number 720]
--
[Imam
al-Bukhari attributed a specific meaning to the term "illa
wajhahu" in Surat al Qasas, ayah 88. He
said, "illa mulkahu," i.e., he said that word "wajh"
which is an attribute of Allah means "Mulk" or"Dominion."
Following
this method, one would say: "His
istiwa' means 'He
preserves the throne,' His
yad means 'His
Care,' His
wajh means 'His
Self,' 'His Dominion, as al-Bukhari said' or 'His
Qiblah.' as Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said. In Surat al-Qalam,
ayah 42, Allah said: {يوم يكشف عن ساق}
The scholars of the Salaf explained the term "saq"
by 'hardship,' and the ayah to mean 'a day of anguish and
hardship.' This explanation is known to have been given by: Ibn
Abbas, Mujahid, Ibrahim an Nakhiy, Qatadah, Said Ibn Jubayr…others]
--
The
explanation of Imam Bukhari (ra) himself on "WAJH
(FACE)" of Allah, according to
Salafis all such attributes are to be taken literally and
giving Taweel on any of them makes the person as Jahimi,
now let us see if Salafis are
true to their words.
28 ـ
سورة الْقَصَصِ
{كُلُّ
شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلاَّ وَجْهَهُ} إِلاَّ مُلْكَهُ،
وَيُقَالُ إِلاَّ مَا أُرِيدَ بِهِ وَجْهُ
اللَّهِ.
وَقَالَ
مُجَاهِدٌ {الأَنْبَاءُ}
الْحُجَجُ.
Imam
Bukhari (rah) interpreted “Wajh (Face)”
as "DOMINION OF ALLAH" [Sahih Bukhari, Kitab
at-Tafseer]
[More
info Here]
---
------------------------------
Imam
al-Tirmidhi (d.279H)
Imam
al Tirmidhi in his al-Jami (vol.5, pp. 376-377, no.
3298, under Kitab Tafsir al Qur'an, as edited by
the "Salafi" - Ahmad Shakir)
narrated:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم حدثنا عبد بن حميد ، وغير واحد ، والمعنى واحد ، قالوا : حدثنا يونس بن محمد قال : حدثنا شيبان بن عبد
الرحمن ، عن قتادة ، قال : حدث الحسن ، عن أبي هريرة ، قال : بينما نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جالس وأصحابه إذ أتى عليهم سحاب ، فقال نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :
" " هل تدرون ما هذا ؟ "
" فقالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
"
" هذا العنان هذه روايا الأرض يسوقه الله تبارك وتعالى إلى قوم لا يشكرونه ولا يدعونه "
" ثم قال :
" " هل تدرون ما فوقكم "
" ؟ قالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
" " فإنها الرقيع ، سقف محفوظ ، وموج مكفوف "
" ، ثم قال :
" " هل تدرون كم بينكم وبينها ؟ "
" قالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
" " بينكم وبينها مسيرة خمس مائة سنة "
" . ثم قال :
" " هل تدرون ما فوق ذلك ؟ "
" قالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
" " فإن فوق ذلك سماءين ، ما بينهما مسيرة خمسمائة عام "
" حتى عد سبع سماوات ، ما بين كل سماءين ما بين السماء والأرض ، ثم قال :
" " هل تدرون ما فوق ذلك ؟ "
" قالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
" " فإن فوق ذلك العرش وبينه وبين السماء بعد ما بين السماءين "
" . ثم قال :
" " هل تدرون ما الذي تحتكم "
" ؟ قالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
" " فإنها الأرض "
" . ثم قال :
" " هل تدرون ما الذي تحت ذلك "
" ؟ قالوا : الله ورسوله أعلم . قال :
" " فإن تحتها أرضا أخرى ، بينهما مسيرة خمس مائة سنة "
" حتى عد سبع أرضين ، بين كل أرضين مسيرة خمس مائة سنة . ثم قال :
"
" والذي نفس محمد بيده لو أنكم دليتم بحبل إلى الأرض السفلى لهبط على الله " "
. ثم قرأ هو الأول والآخر والظاهر والباطن وهو بكل شيء عليم . هذا حديث غريب من هذا الوجه . ويروى عن أيوب ، ويونس بن عبيد ، وعلي بن زيد ، قالوا : لم يسمع الحسن من أبي هريرة ، وفسر بعض أهل العلم هذا الحديث ، فقالوا : إنما هبط على علم الله وقدرته وسلطانه . علم الله وقدرته وسلطانه في كل مكان ، وهو على العرش كما وصف في كتابه *
The red highlighted
portion of the Hadith translates as:
"By
Him in whose hand Muhammad's soul is, if you were to drop a rope to
the lowest ard (land/earth), it would descend upon Allah."
Imam
al-Tirmidhi expounded on this narration by saying (blue text):
"Some
of the people of knowledge explained this Hadith by saying: Verily it
would descend upon the knowledge of Allah, and His power and His
authority, for Allah's knowledge, His power and His authority is in
every place, and He is upon the Throne, as He described Himself in
his Book"
Now,
ibn Qayyim al Jawziyya, the student of ibn Taymiyya commented on this
in his al-Sawa'iq al-Mursala:
قال ابن القيم في الصواعق ص 400
فقوله " لو دليتم بحبل لهبط على الله " اذا هبط في قبضته المحيطة بالعالم فقد هبط عليه والعالم في قبضته وهو فوق عرشه , ولو ان احدنا امسك بيده او برجله كرة قبضتها يده من جميع جوانبها ثم وقعت حصاة من اعلى الكرة الى اسفلها لوقعت في يده وهبطت عليه , ولم يلزم من ذلك ان تكون الكرة والحصاة فوقه وهو تحتها , ولله المثل الاعلى وانما يؤتى الرجل من سوء فهمه او من سوء قصده من كليهما , فاذا هما اجتمعا كمل نصيبه من الضلال
واما تأويل الترمذي وغيره له بالعلم فقال شيخنا : هو ظاهر الفساد من جنس تأويلات الجهمية بل بتقدير ثبوته , فانما يدل على الاحاطة , والاحاطة ثابتة عقلا ونقلا وفطرة
The red portion
above states that the Ta'wil of
al Tirmidhi and other than him was commented on by his
Shaykh - meaning ibn
Taymiyya - as follows:
"It
is manifest depravity (zahir
al fassad) from
the sort of figurative
interpretation's (Ta'wilat)
of the Jahmiyya..." Quote to: ibn Taymiyya's own
work (Al-Risala al -Arshiyya) Here
--
Hadeeth
of Abu Razeen al-`Uqailee
It
was narrated that Abu Razeen said: O Messenger of Allah, where was
our Lord before He created His creation? He said: “Nothing
existed but Him, with nothing beneath Him and nothing above Him. Then
He created His Throne above the
water.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (3109), Ibn
Maajah (182) and Ahmad (15755).
[Hadith
was classed as saheeh by
at-Tabari; as hasan by at-Tirmidhi, adh-Dhahabi
and Ibn
Taymiyah]
--
---
-------------------------------------------------------------
Imam
Abu Muhammed Sahl ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Tustari (d.283AH)
Sahl
ibn `AbdAllah al-Tustari said;
"Do not acquaint newcomers with the secrets before they become
firmly settled in their belief that the Allah عزوجل is
One and that the subject of monotheism is Unique, Everlasting, and
transcends modality and place. Thoughts cannot encompass Him nor can
hearts conceive of Him in terms of `How''.
[Shaykh
Ibn Jahbal al-Kilabi al-Halabi ash-Shaf'i' al-Ash'ari . al-Radd
`ala Man Qala bi al-Jiha (Refutation of Ibn Taymiyya) Point 12]
Ibn
Taymiyya included him as an adherent of “Ahlus Sunnah
wal Jamah” saying:
“The
great shaykhs mentioned by Abu `Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami in Tabaqat
al-sufiyya, and Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri in al-Risala, were adherents
of the school of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a and the school of Ahl
al-hadith, such as al-Fudayl ibn `Iyad, al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, Sahl
ibn `Abd Allah al-Tustari, `Amr ibn `Uthman al-Makki, Abu `Abd Allah
Muhammad ibn Khafif al-Shirazi, and others, and their speech is found
in the Sunna, and they composed books about the Sunna.”
[Ibn Taymiyya, al-Risala al-Safadiyya (Riyad: matabi` hanifa,
1396/1976) 1:267.]
Some
of the sayings of Sahl al Tustari (may Allah preserve his
secrets) in commentary to the verses of the Quran are quoted below:
On
opposition to heretical bidah
Sahl
b. Abd Allah al-Tustari said: “No one
has ever innovated a thing in matters of religious knowledge, but
that he is questioned about it on the Day of Resurrection; should he
conform to the Sunna, well and good; otherwise, he shall
perish.” [Ibn Qudama in Tahrim al-Nazar fi Kutub al
al-Kalam]
{As
for those who have divided their religion and broken up into
factions} He [Sahl] said:
They
are the people of whims (ahwāʾ) and innovations (bidaʿ) in
religion. For them there is no form of
repentance. Thus, has it been related from the Prophet(s) that
he said, ‘For every sin there is a form of repentance except for
that of the people of whims and innovations, for truly I disown them
just as they disown me, and God, Mighty and Majestic is He, has
excluded them from repentance (tawba).’ That is, He has made
the way to repentance difficult for them.
{You
will not find a people who believe in God and the Last Day loving
those who oppose God and His Messenger, even were they to be their
fathers} He [Sahl] said:No person whose
faith is sound enjoys the company of the innovator (mubtadiʿ), nor
does he comply with him, eat with him, drink with him or keep his
company. Rather, he shows him hostility and loathing from himself. On
the other hand, whoever fawns over an innovator will have the
sweetness of [following] the Prophet’s ways (sunan) removed from
him by God, and whoever shows love for an innovator, seeking honour
in this world and some worldy gain (ʿaraḍan minhā), will find
that God humiliates him with that honour and impoverishes him through
that wealth. Moreover, whoever jokes with an innovator will find that
God removes the light of faith from his heart. As for the one who
doubts this, let him try it for himself.
On
the meaning of the verse {the Hand of God is above their hands}
{the
Hand of God is above their hands} He said: That is, the power (ḥawl)
of God and His strength (quwwa) is above their strength (quwwa) and
their action (ḥaraka). This is in their saying to the
Messenger at the time of the pledge (bayʿa), ‘We have
pledged to you that we will not flee, and we will fight for
you.’ There is another possible meaning of the Hand of God is
above their hands, which is, the grace (minna) of God is above
them in their being guided to take the pledge, and His reward
(thawāb) for them is above their pledge and their obedience for you.
On
Quran as the Speech of Allah
{And
there would never come from the Compassionate One any reminder that
is new, but that they used to disregard it.} He said: That is,
whenever there came to them, through revelation, knowledge of the
Qurʾān which was new to them and of which they had no prior
knowledge, they would turn away from it. This is not to say that the
Reminder (dhikr) itself is created (muhdath), however, for it is from
among the attributes of the essence of God, and is therefore neither
existentiated (mukawwan) nor created (makhlūq).
On
the creation of the Prophet(s)
He
created Adam from the clay of might consisting of the light of
Muḥammad(s)
God,
Glorified and Exalted is He, created him as a light within a column
of light (nūran fī ʿamūd al-nūr), a million years before
creation, the light of the prophets is from his [Muḥammad’s](s)
light, the light of the heavenly dominions is from his light
and the light of this world and the Hereafter is from his light.
(link/source find: Here)
-
Sahl
al-Tustari (d. 283 AH)
Al-Tustari addressed
the issue of Allah's establishment
(istiwâ')
over the Throne in the manner of Imam al-Ash`ari, by
declaring it a divine act that is neither qualified nor enquired
about: "Reason alone cannot point to One
Who is without beginning and without end above a Throne that is
brought into being. Allah erected the Throne
as a sign and as tidings for us so that by it the hearts should be
guided to Him without trespassing. He did
not require the hearts to obtain knowledge of its exact
nature. Therefore, His establishment over it is
unqualified (lâ kayfa lahu) and it is impermissible to
ask: 'How does istiwâ' apply to the
Creator of istiwâ'?' The believer must only accept and
submit, due to the Prophet's saying: 'He is over His Throne'* (innahu
`alâ `arshihi)." (* See
the "hadith of the groaning of the Throne" narrated from
Jubayr ibn Mut`am from his father from his grandfather, and also the
"hadith of the mountain-goats" narrated from
al-`Abbas.) Al-Dhahabi quotes the above but expresses
caution elsewhere in his Siyar and in Mukhtasar
al-`Uluw, in commentary of a similar statement by `Uthman
ibn Sa`id al-Darimi (d. 280): In his book al-Naqd he
said: "The Muslims all agree that Allah is above His Throne,
above His heavens." I say: The clearest thing on this
topic is Allah's saying: {The Merciful established Himself over the
Throne} (20:5). Therefore, let it pass as it came, just as we learned
to do from the school of Salaf. (Al-Dhahabi, Siyar
(10:643). Al-Darimi's book
also contains bizarre findings in
which he exaggerates the affirmation [of the divine Attributes],
concerning which, silence would have been more in keeping with the
way of the Salaf both then and now." (Al-Dhahabi, Mukhtasar
al-`Uluw (p. 214). End of al-Dhahabi's words.
---
==============
300 AH
==============
Imam
al-Tabari (d.310H)
Abu
Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Imam
al-Tabari says in his Muqaddimah to his Tarikh,“That
(essence) which is not devoid of al-Hadath (accidents) there is no
doubt that it is Muhdath (has a beginning).”
Imam
al-Tabari says in Tafsir, “He’s the speaker
(al-Mutakallim) upon whom silence is not allowed (i.e. It is
negated).”
He
says in another place, “There is consensus of the people of Tawhid
from the Ahlul Qiblah upon the incorrectness or falacy of qualifying
Allah ta’ala with Harakat (movement)
and Sukun (stillness).”
Imam
al-Tabri says in his Tafsir, “Indeed Allah ta’ala
negated regarding Himself through it (the
following): change (Taghayur),movement (tanaqqul)
from one place to another, occurrence of
change which occurs in humans and other creation,”
--
Imam
al-Tabari says in At-Tabsir fi Ma’alim ad-Din, “And
whoever rejects what we said regarding it, it will be said to him,
“tell us about the speech which you described that the Eternal is
Mutakallim, did He created it in His Essence or created it in
something else or subsists in His essence? “If he believes that He
created it in His Essence then he has necessitated that His Essence
is a locus for creation, and this is Kufr according
to everyone.”
--
Imam
al-Tabari's tafsir of the ayah [2:186]:
{ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْيَرْشُدُونَ }
And
when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am
near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls
upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me
that they may be [rightly] guided.
--
Imam
al-Tabri interprets:
يعنـي تعالـى ذكره بذلك: وإذا سألك يا مـحمد عبـادي عنـي أين أنا؟ فإنـي قريب منهم أسمع دعاءهم،وأجيب دعوة الداعي منهم.
By
that, the Most High means: And when My servants, O Muhammad, ask you
about Me and where I am, then verily I am near to them: I hear their
supplications and respond to the supplicant among them
and
he goes on to quote a Mursal hadith from al-Hasan al-Basri:
حدثنا الـحسن بن يحيى، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال: أخبرنا جعفر بن سلـيـمان عن عوف، عنالـحسن، قال: سأل أصحاب النبـي صلى الله عليه وسلم النبـي صلى الله عليه وسلم: أين ربنا؟ فأنزل اللهتعالـى ذكره:
{ وَإذَا سألكَ عِبَـادي عَنِّـي فإنّـي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إذَا دَعان...
} الآية.
Al-Hasan said,
"The Prophet's Companions asked the Prophet, 'Where
is our Lord?' And so, Allah, Exalted is His mention, revealed: 'And
when My servants ask concerning Me. . .'"
--
Imam
al- Tabri In the Tafseer of Aayatul Kursi
(2:255):
The
explanation Al Imam At Tabari gave in his tafseer for the Highness of
Allah :
والعلـيّ: ذو العلوّ والارتفـاع علـى خـلقه بقدرته.
And
Al 'Alee: The One possessing Highness and Exaltedness over His
creation through His Omnipotence (bi qudratih).
And
he also said in his explanation of the name The Exalted or Elevated
(Al Muta'aali) {13:9} :
الـمتعال: الـمستعلـي علـى كلّ شيء بقدرته
The
Elevated (Al Mutal'aali) He who is elevated over everything in His
Omnipotence (bi qudratih)
In
both places, his definition of Allah's Highness was not Him
being physically high in Himself (bi Nefsihi) or His
essence (bi thaatihi), but high
above everything in power.
--
Imam
al-Tabari saying: “The
outward wording of the Qur’an indicates the correctness of the
saying of Ibn Abbas that is related by Ja’far ibn
Abi’l Mughira from Sa’eed ibn Jubayr from him (Ibn
Abbas), that he said: ‘It
is His Ilm’ (His
knowledge).” …“And
the Asl (original sense) of al-Kursi is al-Ilm.”
Read more: Here
--
Imam
al-Tabari Refutes the Christians and
in Doing so Refutes Pseudo-Salafis -
Allah is not located in a place:
للَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلأَرْضِ وَمَا فِيهِنَّ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ }
يقول تعالى ذكره: أيها النصارى { لِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ والأرْضِ } يقول: له سلطان السموات والأرض،{ وَما فِيهِنَّ } دون عيسى الذين تزعمون أنه إلهكم ودون أمه، ودون جميع من في السموات ومن فيالأرض فإن السموات والأرض خلق من خلقه وما فيهنّ وعيسى وأمه من بعض ذلك بالحلول والانتقال،يدلان بكونهما في المكان الذي هما فيه بالحلول فيه والانتقال أنهما عبدان مملوكان لمن له ملك السمواتوالأرض وما فيهنّ. ينبههم وجميع خلقه على موضع حجته عليهم ليدبروه ويعتبروه، فيعقلوا عنه.
{وَهُوَ على كُلّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ } يقول تعالى ذكره: والله الذي له ملك السموات والأرض وما فيهنّ، قادر علىإفنائهن وعلى إهلاكهن وإهلاك عيسى وأمه ومن في الأرض جميعاً كما ابتدأ خلقهم، لا يعجزه ذلك ولاشيء أراده لأن قدرته القدرة التي لا يشبهها قدرة وسلطانه السلطان الذي لا يشبهه سلطان ولا مملكة.
Imam
Tabri in his tafsir of Surah Ma'idah verse 120 he
refutes the Christians and in doing so negates that fact that God can
be in a place - again a very rough translation:
"To
Allah doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all
that is therein, and it is He Who hath power over all things. "
The
Exalted said: O Christians "To Allah doth belong the dominion of
the heavens and the earth]", He said: He has sovereignty over
the heavens and the earth "and what they contain" without,
you claim, 'Isa (Jesus) whom you consider your God, and without his
mother, and without all of those who are in heaven and on earth.The
heavens and the earth are a creation from amongst His creations and
what they contain - Isa (Jesus) and his mother are part of it. By
dwelling in it and displacement (Al hulul wal intiqal) it is proven
that they are in a place and, therefore they are two slaves belonging
to the One who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and all
it contains.
--
Imam,
Hafidh and Mujtahid Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Jarir at-Tabariyy (d.
310 AH) In his book ‘Tarikh al-‘Umam wal-Muluk’ the
History of Nations and their Kings), said on the subject of the
Attributes of Allah said: “Delusions cannot
grasp the Reality of Allah, places do not contain Him, sights do not
attain Him, rather He knows about them all. Verily He is The One
Whose Reality cannot be grasped by delusions and Whose Knowledge
encompasses all”.
--
Imam
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d.310) said in his commentary on the
verse “Then turned He (Thumma istawa) to the heaven” (2:29):The
meaning of istiwa in this verse is height and elevatio, but if anyone
claims that this means displacement for Allah, tellhim, He
is high and elevated over the heaven with the height of sovereignity
and power, not the height of displacement and movement to and fro.
(ibn jarir al-tabari, tafsir 1:192)
The
above position is exactly that of the Ash‘ari school, as shown
by Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi’s and Ibn Hajar’s numerous
comments to that effect directed
against those who attribute altitude to Allahn their interpretation
of His ‘uluw such as Ibn Taymiyya. The
latter stated: "The
Creator, Glorified and Exalted is He, is above the world and His
being above is literal, not in the sense of dignity or rank."
This doctrine was comprehensively refuted by Ibn Jahbal
al-Kilabi (d. 733) in his Radd ‘ala Man Qala bi al-Jiha
("Refutation of Ibn Taymiyya Who Attributes A Direction to Allah
") and Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabahani (1265-1350) in his
Raf‘ al-Ishtibah fi Istihala al-Jiha ‘ala Allah ("The
Removal of Doubt Concerning the Impossibility of Direction for
Allah"). More info: Here
--
*Imam
Al-Tabari (d.310H) said:
[Chapter:
The way to prove that Allah is Qadeem and first
before everything, and that He is
the originator of everything with His power.]
So
it is clear that the Qadeem, the creator of things
and their maker, is He who was before everything, He shall remain
after everything, He is the First before everything, and the Last
after everything, and He was when there
was no time, era, day, night, darkness,
light (except for the light of His Magnificent Face), sky,
earth, sun, moon or stars, and that everything apart from him is
created, regulated and made. He was alone in all their
creation without partner, helper or supporter. He, the Powerful and
Dominant, is free from blemish! (Tarikh al-Tabari, al-Tabari, 1/30)
--
Imam
at-Tabari says in Tārīkh al-Umam wa l-Mulūk, (1/3):
لا تحيط به الأوهام، ولا تحويه الأقطار
''The
Mind can not be comprehend him and the locations do not contain
him.''
---
-------------------------------------------------------------
The
Hanbali Imam Ahmad ibn
Muhammad al-Khallal (d. 311H) who
took his fiqh from Imam Ahmad’s students, relates in
his book al-Sunna through his chain of narrators
from Hanbal ibn Ishaq al-Shaybani, the son of the
brother of Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s father, that Imam
Ahmad was asked about the hadiths mentioning
"Allah’s
descending," "seeing Allah," and "placing His
foot on hell"; and the like,
and Ahmad replied: "We believe in them and consider them
true, without ‘how’ and without ‘meaning’ (bi la kayfa
wa la ma‘na)."
And
he said, when they asked him about Allah’s istiwa’ [translated
above as established]:
"He
is ‘established’ upon the Throne (istawa ‘ala al-‘Arsh)
however He wills and as He wills, without any limit or
any description that be made by any describer (Daf‘ shubah
al-tashbih, 28).
This
demonstrates how far Imam Ahmad was from anthropomorphism,
though a third example is even more explicit. The Imam and hadith
master (hafiz) al-Bayhaqi relates in his Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad [The
memorable actions of Imam Ahmad], through his chain of narrators
that:
Ahmad
condemned those who said Allah was a "body," saying,
"The names of things are taken from the Shari‘a and the
Arabic language. The language’s possessors have used this word
[body] for something that has height, breadth, thickness,
construction, form, and composition, while Allah Most High is beyond
all of that, and may not be termed a "body" because of
being beyond any meaning of embodiedness. This has not been conveyed
by the Shari‘a, and so is rebutted" (al-Barahin
al-sati‘a, 164).
These
examples provide an accurate idea of Ahmad’s ‘Aqida, as conveyed
to us by the hadith masters (huffaz) of the Umma, who have
distinguished the true reports from the spurious attributions of the
anthropomorphists’ opinions to their Imam, both early and late. But
it is perhaps even more instructive, in view of the recrudescence of
these ideas today, to look at an earlier work against Hanbali
anthropomorphists about this bid‘a, for the light this literature
sheds upon the science of textual interpretation, and I will conclude
my talk tonight to it.
As
you may know, the true architect of the Hanbali madhhab was not
actually Imam Ahmad, who did not like to see any of his positions
written down, but rather these were conveyed orally by various
students at different times, one reason there are often a number of
different narratives from him on legal questions. It is probably no
exaggeration to say that the real founder of the Hanbali madhhab was
the Imam and hadith master (hafiz) ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzi, who
died 597 years after the Hijra, and who recorded all the
narratives from Imam Ahmad, distinguished the well-authenticated from
the poorly-authenticated, and organized them into a coherent body of
fiqh jurisprudence.
---
---------------------------------
Imam Al-Zajjaj (d.311H) (from the era of the Salaf) interprets 'istawa' as 'istawla' (dominated by His omnipotence) [as Reported by Imam Al-Nasafi]
In his famous tafsir when explaining the verse, "ٱلرحمن على ٱلعرش ٱستوى" "Al-Rahman 'ala al-'arsh istawa" (Surah Taha/5), Imam Al-Nasafi said : "The meaning of "istawa" is "dominated by His omnipotence" (istawla) according to Al-Zajjaj" The Arabic Language Specialist (Linguist) Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Ibn Mouhammad Ibn al-Sourri Al-Zajjaj Al-Baghdadi, is one of the best-known linguists and was from the Salaf. He is often cited as a reference by the exegetes (mufassirun). Here it says that the meaning of "istawa" in verse "Ar-Rahman-3ala the 'arsh istawa" is "dominated by His omnipotence" (istawla). We recall that Az-Zajjaj is not only of the Salaf, but he is also one of the leading experts of the Arabic language (linguists).
In relation to God, the meaning of "istawla" is not: to dominate/conquer after battling to overcome, which would imply a change, and change does not apply to Allah the Exalted. or to physically dominate with an elevated position, which would imply a place and a direction, which does not apply to Allah ta3ala.
Az-Zajjaj himself relates the interpretation of "istawla" in his book "غريب القرءان و تفسيره" (Gharib al-Qur'an wa Tafsirih).
Al-Zajjaj, The Grammarian and Mufassir “Ibrahim bin as-Sirri bin Sahl Abu Ishaq az-Zajjaj, was from the people of virtue and religion, of good path and belief, from his works are Ma’ani al-Quran an exegis, Khalq ul Insan, Tafisr Jami’ al-Mantiq, He said in his last breath, “O Allah ta’ala raise me upon the madhab (path) of Ahmed bin Hanbal, as is mentioned in Mawdu’at al-‘Ulum of Tash Kobri and Tarikh Mir’at al-Jinan.” (Page 16 Tabaqat al-Mufassirin of Ahmed bin Muhammed al-Udnarwi)
---
Ibn Kathir in Al-Bidaya wan Nihaya: “Ibrahim bin as-Sirri bin Sahl Abu Ishaq az-Zajjaj, he was a virtuous religious individual, of good (correct) belief, he authored great works, from them Ma’ani al-Quran and other beneficial works.”
Ibn al-Jawzi says the same in al-Muntadham, page 512. That he was of good ‘Aqidah.
‘Al-Imam, the Grammarian of his time, Abu Ishaq…” Siyar al-‘Alam an-Nubala’ li Dhahabi, Page: 2588)
---
Major Mufassirin quote him in their works. For those who want to attack him because of ta’wil, then it should be made clear that the Salaf did ta’wil, and what Zajjaj did wasn't something new or in contradiction to Ahlus Sunnah.
---
--------------------
Ibn Khuzayma (d.311AH)
He wrote a large volume which he named Kitab al-tawhid (Book of the declaration of oneness),
Which
he later regretted having authored, as established by two reports
cited by Bayhaqi with their chains of transmission.[Bayhaqi, al-Asma'
wa al-sifat, ed. Kawthari, p. 267.]
Ibn Khuzayma cites, as
a proof for establishing that Allah has a foot and other
limbs, the verse: "Have
they feet where with they walk or have they hands where with they
hold, or have they eyes where with they see, or have they ears
wherewith they hear?" (7:195). This
contravenes the sound position of the Salaf expressed by al-Muqri as
related by Abu Dawud in his Sunan: "Allah hears
and sees" means: He
has the power of hearing and seeing (not the organs)." [Abu
Dawud, Sunan, Kitab al-Sunna]
--
Imam
Al-Dhahabi then mentions the quote of Ibn
Khuzaimah: "Whoever doesn't
acknowledge that
Allah is above His throne, and has done Istiwa over His seven
heavens, then he is a Kafir whose blood is permissible, and his
wealth is booty". After this quote of Ibn Khuzaimah, Imam
Al-Dhahabi explains the text by
saying that whoever has Iman in Istiwa,
and does TAFWEEDH (does
not Interpret) of it's meaning to Allah and His Prophet ﷺ,
then he is a true believing Muslim. (Siyar Al Alam, Vol 14, Pg
373)
---
------------------------------------------------
Imam
Abu Jafar Al- Tahawi (d.321H)
------------------------------------------------
Imam
Abu Jaf’ar al-Tahawi: “ Only
a fanatic follows
another blindly! ”
-
38وتعالى (
5
) عن الحدود والغايات والأركان والأعضاء والأدوات لا تحويه الجهات الست كسائر المبتدعات (6
"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."
--
Imam
Al-Tahaawi in his Aqidah, who stated at the beginning of
it:{This is a detailed remembrance of the
belief of the People of the Sunnah and the Jamaa`ah according to the
method of the jurists of this religion, Abu Hanifah Al Nu`maan ibn
Thaabit Al-Kufi, Abu Yusuf Ya`qub ibn Ibrahiim Al Ansari, and Abu
Abdullah Muhammad ibn Al Hasan Al Shaybaani…} Then he said later
{in brackets}: {Allah is above} the status of {having limits,
extremes, corners, limbs or instruments. The six directions} up,
down, front, back, left and right {do not contain Him} because that
would make Him {like all created things}.
Aqidah
al-Tahawiyya by Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi al-Hanafi :
--
Imam
abu Ja^far At-Tahawi in
his book: Al-^Aqidah At-Tahawiyyah statement #37 said:
قالَ الإِمامُ أَبُو جَعْفََََََرٍ الطَحاوِيُّ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ في بَيانِ عَقِيدَةِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَماعَةِ :
وَتَعَالَى عَنِ الْحُدُودِ وَالغَايَاتِ وَالأرْكَانِ وَالأَعْضَاءِ وَالأَدَوَاتِ. لا تَحْوِيهِ الْجِهَاتُ السِّتُّ كسائرِالْمُبتَدَعاتِ.
Means: Allàh
is clear of all limits, boundaries, sides, organs and limbs. Nor is
He contained by the six directions as all the created things are. The
six directions are (above, below, in front, behind, right and left).
These six primary directions which are created by Allah contain only
the created things.
It
must not be believed or said that Allàh exists inside everyone or He
is everywhere. What we as Muslims believe and say: ‘Allàh has
knowledge about everything that is, wherever it is’.
--
Imam
at-Tahawi (ra) Statement # 38 said:
وتعالى
عن الحدود والغايات، والأركان والأعضاء،
والأدوات، لاتحويه الجهات الست كسائر
المبتدعات
Translation:
He is "EXALTED/ABOVE" from having limits placed on Him, or
being restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by
the six directions (i.e. up, down, right, left, front, and back) as
all created things are. [Aqida at-Tahawiyyah, Statement # 38]
---
-----------------------------------
Imam
Abu al-Hasan Al-Ashari (d.324H) Stated:
“Allah
is established on 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
nto carry him, rather the throne and its carriers are carried by the
subtleness of His power, subdued under His grip, and He is above the
throne and above everything down to the extremities of the lower
earth, with an aboveness that does not make him any closer to the
throne or to the heavens. Rather, He is as exalted high over the
throne as He is exalted high over the lower earth, and together with
this He is near every creature, and He is nearer to His servant than
his jugular vein, and He is witness over everything.”
[al-ibana an usul al-diyana, ed. Fawqiyya Husayn Mahmud (Cairo: dar
al-ansar, 1977 p.21]
--
Imam
Al-Ash'ari said:
'Allah
existed when there was no place; then He created the Throne and the
Footstool (al-'arsh wa al-kursî ) without ever being in need of
place, and He is, after creating place, exactly as He was before
creating it.' [In Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari (Saqqa ed. p.
150).]
--
In
Brief: some of Imam al-Asharis Books-Refutations:
Al-Fusul ("The
Sub-Headings") in twelve volumes, a refutation of the
philosophers, perennialists, and members of various religions such as
Brahmans, Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians. It contains a
refutation of Ibn al-Rawandi’s claim that the
world exists without beginning.
Al-Istita`a
("Potency"), a refutation of the Mu`tazila.
Al-Luma`
fi al-Radd `ala Ahl al-Zaygh wa al-Bida` ("The Sparks: A
Refutation of Heretics and Innovators"), a slim volume.
Naqd
al-Balkhi fi Usul al-Mu`tazila ("Critique of al-Balkhi and
the Principles of the Mu`tazila"), a refutation of the book of
the Mu`tazili scholar al-Balkhi entitled Naqd Ta’wil al-Adilla
("Critique of the Interpretation of the Textual Proofs").
Al-Qami`
li Kitab al-Khalidi fi al-Irada ("The Subduer: A Refutation
of al-Khalidi’s Book on the Will"), a refutation of
a-Khalidi’sdoctrine whereby Allah creates His
own will.
Al-Radd
`ala Ibn al-Rawandi ("Refutation of Ibn al-Rawandi")
concerning the Divine Attributes and the
Qur’an.
Al-Radd
`ala al-Mujassima ("Refutation of the
Anthropomorphists").
Al-Sifat ("The
Attributes"), a description of the doctrines of the Mu`tazila,
Jahmiyya, and other sects that differ from Ahl al-Sunna on the topic
of the Divine Attributes. It contains a refutation of Abu
al-Hudhayl, Ma`mar, al-Nazzam, al-Futi, and al-Nashi, and an
affirmation that the Creator possesses a face and hands.
Hikayat
Madhahib al-Mujassima ("The Tales of the Schools of
the Anthropomorphists"), a refutation of the proofs they adduce.
Mutashabih
al-Qur’an ("The Ambiguities in the Qur’an"),
in which he brought together the stands of the Mu`tazila and the
atheists in their invalidations of the ambiguities in the hadith.
A
refutation of Abu al-Hudhayl on the limitlessness
of the foreknowledge and decisions of Allah Almighty and Exalted and
another on motions.
Al-Jism ("The
Body"), a proof of the Mu`tazila’s inability to answer
essential questions that pertain to corporeality, contrary to Ahl
al-Sunna.(For more List of Books/Refutations: Here)
--
Imam
Ibn Asakir (d.571AH) In Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari fima
nusiba ila l-imam al-Ash’ari, said, p.150:
Also,
the ‘Najjariyyah’ say that the Creator, may He be exalted, is in
all places without being diffused and without a direction,whereas
the ‘Hashawiyyah’ and the ‘Mujassimah’ say that He is present
on the Throne, that the Throne is His place, and that He is sitting
on it. As for him [i.e.
al-Ash’ari], he chose a middle way between the two, and he
said that Allah existed and there was no place, then He
created the Throne and the Kursi’, He does not need a place, and He
is, after having created the places, as He has always been before He
created them.
--
Ibn
Asakir (d.571AH) said:
The
Mu`tazila said: [Allah’s] “Descent” (nuzul) is the descent of
any given sign of His, or that of His angels. The Mushabbiha and
Hashwiyya said: Descent is the descent of His person (dhat) through
movement (haraka) and displacement (intiqal). Al-Ash`ari took
the middle road and said: Descent is one of His attributes.
(Ibn `Asakir, Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari (p. 151)
Al-Bayhaqi (d.458AH)
further reports that Imam Al-Ash`ari said:
“What
is meant by the descent is an act brought to be by Allah in the
nearest heaven every night, which [the Prophet — Allah bless and
greet him –] has named a descent, without movement nor
displacement. Exalted is Allah above the characteristics of
creatures!”
(As
quoted by al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat (Hashidi ed. 2:371)
---
------------------------------------------
Imam
Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d.333H) said;
“The
foundation of this issue is that Allah Almighty was when there was no
place, then locations were raised while He remains exactly as He ever
was. Therefore,
He is as He ever was and He ever was as He is now. Exalted
is He beyond any change or transition or movement or cessation! For
all these are portents of contingency(hudth) by which the contingent
nature of the world can be known, and the proofs of its eventual
passing away…” [Kitab at-Tawhid Imam Maturidi p. 72]
--
Imam
al-Maturidi said: Allah was when
there was no place. It is possible that no place exists with Him
remaining as He was. Therefore, He
is as He was, and He was as He is now.
He is exalted from change, movement and transforming. (Kitab
al-Tawheed, page 69).
Imam
al-Maturidi said: As for the raising
of the hands to
the heaven [in supplication], it is done so out of worship [only, not
that Allah is actually in the heaven]. Allah can make His
servants worship Him in any manner He wishes. He can make them
face anywhere He wishes. If someone thinks that the
raising of the gazes to the heaven is because Allah is in that
direction is just like that person
who thinks that Allah is in the
direction below the earth due to the fact that the face is placed on
the earth in [prostration], or like the
person who thinks Allah is in the
east and the west due to the fact that one faces these directions in
[the end of] prayer, or like the person
who thinks that Allah is towards
Makkah due to the fact that one sets out in that direction for
Pilgrimage. Allah is exalted from
all that. ( Kitab al-Tawheed, page 75- 76).
--
Imam al-Maturidi said:
when talking about the affirmation of the vision of Allah by
the Muslims in the Hereafter:
If
it is said 'How will He be
seen?', it would be said that He
shall be seen without modality, as modality is only for one who
possesses an image. So He shall be seen without the
descriptions of standing or sitting,
leaning or suspension,
connection or separation,
being in front or behind,
short or long,
light or darkness,
stationary or moving,
touching or separate,
outside or inside, or any
meaning that can be comprehended by any stretch of the
imagination or estimated
by sense - all because He is
exalted from all that. (Kitab al-Tawheed, page 85).
--
Imam
Al-Maturidi In his book: "Kitab
ut-Tawhid" (page 151), says confirming the view that
the believers will see Allah in the Hereafter without modality:
فإن قيل: كيف يرى? قيل: بلا كيف, إذ الكيفية تكون لدى صورة بل يرى بلا وصف قيام وقعود واتكاء وتعلق واتصال وانفصال ومقابلة ومدابرة, وقصير وطويل, ونور, وظلمة وساكن ومتحرك, ومماس ومباين, وخارج وداخل ولا معنى يأخذه الوهم أو يقدره العقل لتعاليه عن ذلك
Rough
translation:
[If
someone says, "How will we see
[Him]?" It is said: "Without modality / bila
kayf" because modality / kayfiyya applies
to beings with a form (surah), but He
will be seen without description by means of a comparison, without
being standing, sitting, leaning or suspended, without being in
contact or separation, without having a front or back, being long or
short, light or dark, motionless or moving, in contact or separated,
inside or outside and in no sense that the imagination could perceive
or reason could evaluate because He transcends it all.]
---
---------------------
Imam
Ibn Hibban (d.354 H) in
his Thiqaat says:
"الحمد لله الذي ليس له حد محدود فيحتوى، ولا له أجل معدود فيفنى، ولا يحيط به جوامع المكان ولايشتمل عليه تواتر الزمان". الثقات (1/
1)
He
also stated in his Saheeh:
"كان- الله- ولا زمان ولا مكان"
"Allah was
- without Time and
without Makaan (station)." [Sahih
ibn Hibban]
[More
info: Here ]
---
----------------------
----------------------
Abu
Layth As-Samarqandi (d.375H)
On
the verses pertaining to Istawa
In
commentary to the verse Q2:29, he says: Here
Cursory
Translation:
And
the Almighty said: { ثُمَّ
ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاءِ }
This ayah is from among the ambiguous. And the people in regards to
this ayah and what is similar are upon three views:
Some
of them said: We read it and we believe in it and do not explain it
and this is narrated from Malik bin Anas رحمه
الله that
a man asked about His saying { ثُمَّ
ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاءِ }
[Q 20:5] Malik said: Al-Istawa is not unknown and howness is not
comprehensible, belief in it is obligatory and asking about it is an
innovation and I see that you are astray, and he is Jahm bin Safwan.
And
some of the said: We read it and we interpret it upon what is
contained in the dhahir/outward of the language and this is the
saying of the anthropomorphists.
And
the interpretation of this ayah has two ways: One of them: { ثُمَّ
ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاءِ }
is that His command ascended to the heaven, which is His saying {Be
and it was}. And the other interpretation of His saying: { ثُمَّ
ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاءِ }
is that He proceeded to create the heaven.
--
On
the verse pertaining to “Yad”
[...]
It
was narrated from Abdallah bin Masud that he said, “The Quran was
sent down in seven ahruf. Each of these ahruf has an outward aspect
and an inward aspect” and likewise the narrations that have come
also includes outward and inward aspect. It was narrated from the
Messenger of Allah peace be upon him that he said, “Do not say so
and so is ugly because Adam was created in his image”. Whoever says
that Allah Almighty has the image of Adam (alaihy salam) is a kafir.
Instead the meaning of the report as narrated by some of the
predecessors is that Allah blessed and exalted chose from the images
an image and created Adam (alaihy salam) upon that image (…) i.e.,
in that image chosen by Allah.
--
On
the verse pertaining to “Wajh”
In
commentary to the verse Q92:20, he says: Here
Cursory
Translation:
{
إِلاَّ
ٱبْتِغَاء وَجْهِ رَبّهِ ٱلأَعْلَىٰ }
but he does that for the وجه
of
his Lord the Exalted, he does that seeking the satisfaction of the
Allah Most High the Exalted, meaning Allah Most High who is Exalted
above His creation by subjugation and dominance.
In
commentary to the verse Q2:115, he says: Here
Cursory
Translation:
Al-Zajaj
said: the meaning of his saying: { فَثَمَّ
وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ }
i.e. by وجه
الله the
Qiblah is intended as His saying {And wherever you are, turn your
faces towards it}[2:144]
More/Info: Here
---
----------------------------------------
Shaykh
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Ishaq al-Kalabadhi (d.380
AH), a Hanafi
scholar, In his book: ‘At-Ta’rif li-Madhhab Ahlit-Tasawwuf’
(The Guidance to the methodology of the true sufis), said: “The
Sufi scholars unanimously agree that Allah is not contained
by place nor is
He subject to time”.
------------------------------------
Ibn
Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d.386H) said
in his book: Kitab al-Jami fi s-sunan wa al-adab wa l-maghazi wa
t-tarikh, p.123: “A man asked Malik: «
O Abu Abd Allah [he recited the verse:] ‘al-Rahman ‘ala ‘arshi
stawa': how ‘istawa’ ?”.
Imam
Malik(d.179AH) answered: ’Istiwa
s not unknown, and its how [manner] is not conceivable al-istiwa
ghayr majhul wa l-kayf ghayr ma’qul). To ask the question about
this topic is an innovation, and to believe in it is an obligation;
and I believe you are among the [bad] innovators” and he had him
taken out”.
Ibn
Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani is a great Maliki scholar
This
version is the correct version of what Imam Malik said on the
topic of Istiwa.
To
say that the istiwa of ALLAAH is without a how is therefore the
correct way to follow Imam Malik as
he said ‘The how is inconceivable’. It
is not the same as saying ‘ we
do not know how‘ Imam Malik never said that.
There
are several narrations of this event. However the one presented
here is the most reliable one, as it is narrated from different
people in the SAME way, and in different books. This version is
authentic.
Imam
Malik never said al-istiwa ma’lum wa l-kayf majhul . He never said
‘the istiwa is known and its manner/how
is unknown’. Those who claim that he did say that do not
have the beginning of a chain of narration for it.Rather he said ‘the
how is not conceivable’, i.e. : there is no ‘how’, no manner to
it.
--
Abu
Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d.386AH)
Imam
Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani al-Maliki mentioned in
his Kitab al-Jami, translated into English by Abdas Samad
Clarke under the title: “A Madinan View on the Sunnah, courtesy,
wisdom, battles and history” (Taha publishers, London, 1999, p.
30):
Someone
said, ‘What about one who narrates the hadith, ‘Allah
created Adam on his form,’ and that ‘Allah
will unveil His shank on the Day of Resurrection,’ and that
‘He will put His hand into Jahannam and bring
out whomever He wills out of it’, and He (Malik)
rejected them strenuously, and forbade anyone to narrate
them. Someone said, ‘Ibn Ijlan has
narrated it.’ He said, ‘He was not one of the
people of fiqh.’ Malik did not reject the hadith of ‘descent’
nor the hadith of ‘laughter.’ Someone said, ‘What
about the hadith that ‘the Throne shook because of the death of
Sa’d?’ He said, ‘It should not be narrated, and
what call has a man to narrate that when he sees what danger it
contains?’”
--
Junayd said: We
have one of the foremost students of Ibn Abi Zayd stating
clearly Allah is not literally above. Imam Makki bin Abi Talib
(355-437) stated Allah is High in the sense of His power,
not higher in respect to what is supposed to be below him.
فيكفي
أن نردّ عليهم بكلام أعلم الناس بعقيدة
الإمام ابن أبي زيد وهو تلميذه الإمام
مكي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه، فقد قال في
تفسير قوله تعالى:
(وَهُوَ
القَاهرُ فَوْقَ عبادِه)[الأنعام:18]: واللهُ
المذلِّل لعباده، العالِي عليهم عُلُوَّ
قُدْرَةٍ وَقَهْرٍ، لَا عُلُوَّ انْتِقَالٍ
مِنْ سُفْلٍ، بَلْ اسْتَعْلَى عَلَى
خَلْقِهِ بِقُدْرَتِهِ، فقَهرَهُم
بالموت وبما شاء من أمره، لا إله إلا هو،
ولَـمَّا وصف نفسه تعالى بأنه الـمُذِلُّ
القاهِرُ، ومن صفة القاهر أن يكون مستعلياً.
(الهداية،
ص 1977)
--
Risala of Ibn
Abi Zayd: “And
He [Allah] is above the Throne al
majeed bi dhatihi.”
[...]
Maliki
scholars, such as Sidi Ahmed Zarruq, have said that the
line in the Risala that indicates Allah being in a direction (above
the Throne) is something that was added in
by deviant people and it
was not part of the original
manuscript [Zarruq, Sharh al Risala].
[...]
Explanation for
the line that is given by
the commentators of the Risala.
Metaphorical Aboveness
If
we are to assume that Ibn Abi
Zayd actually wrote the line,
then the explanation given by the Maliki scholars is that
he meant “above” in
a metaphorical sense and not a literal sense.
In
other words, that Allah is above the need of the throne or
that He is above it in grandness.
[...]
They
say that Ibn Abi Zayd could not have meant it in
a literal sense because that
would make him from the people that believe Allah
to be in a particular direction, which is a deviant belief.
[...]
“Everything
that you can conceive, Allah is different than that.”
[...]
Sidi
Ahmed Zarruq, may Allah be pleased with him, said that one of
the explanations of why Ibn Abi Zayd would say that Allah
is “above” His Throne is that there were people
at in his time that believed Allah to be on earth. These
people were the ‘Ubaydiyyah, also
known as the Isma’ilis, and
were deviant in many aspects
of their belief and practice
including believing that one of their rulers was God.
Therefore,
Ibn Abi Zayd was using this line to teach people that Allah is
not on earth and he is above, in a way similar to the slave woman who
was asked where Allah was [Zarruq, Sharh al Risala].
[...]
Above in
the Quran
One
thing to note is that although the line in
the Risala uses the preposition “fawq”
in Arabic to describe Allah in relation to the Throne, nowhere in the
Quran do we find this preposition used with the Throne.In the Quran,
all the verses that speak about the Throne use the preposition
“ala.” So, if one is to stay true to the texts of the Quran
and Hadith, saying “fawq al arsh” is
not acceptable.
Many
people that believe Allah to be in a direction use the
line of Ibn Abi Zayd as a proof.
The
response should be that we use the verse as it is and say “ala”.
Then,
we have to understand that the prepositions can
have literal and metaphorical interpretations.
One place where the preposition “fawq”
is used is in the verse 48:10 but it is not in relation to
the Throne.
The people
that believe Allah to be in a direction say that this
preposition of “fawq” (above)
is metaphorical, yet when they
read the preposition “ala” for
the throne, they say it is literal and
that Allah is literally on His throne.
They
have contradicted themselves by
allowing metaphorical interpretation sometimes and other times
not. Contradiction is a sign of falsehood as truth does not
contradict itself (Quran 4:82).
[...] Read
Full Article Here
--
Ibn
Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d.386AH) belonged to
the Ash`ari school which he took, among others,
from Abu Bakr ibn `Abd al-Mu’min, the student of Ibn
Mujahid, the student of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash`ari.
[1] Al-Qadi `Iyad mentioned that in the year
368 Ibn Abi Zayd sent two of his students to deliver some
of his books by hand to Ibn Mujahid who had requested them,
with a full license to narrate them from him (ij’aza). [2]
Ibn
Abi Zayd notably defended the Ash`ari school
in his epistle entitled "Al-Radd `ala al-Qadariyya wa
Munaqada Risala al-Baghdadi al-Mu`tazili," a refutation of
the attacks of the Mu`tazili `Ali ibn Isma`il
al-Baghdadi. [3]
Al-Mayurqi further
narrated that Ibn Abi Zayd said: " Al-Ash`ari is
a man famous for refuting the people of Innovation, the Qadariyya and
the Jahmiyya,
and he held fast to the Sunan." [4]
--
[1]
Al-Darqash, "Abu Muhammad `Abd Allah ibn Abi Zayd" (p. 109,
237).
[2] Al-Qadi `Iyad,
"Tartib al-Madarik" (4:477). See al-Darqash, "Abu
Muhammad `Abd Allah ibn Abi Zayd" (p. 240-241).
[3] Al-Qadi `Iyad,
"Tartib al-Madarik"(2/4:486-494). See al-Darqash, "Abu
Muhammad `Abd Allah ibn Abi Zayd" (p. 286-287).
[4]
Al-Subki, "Tabaqat al-Shafi`iyya al-Kubra" (3:368).
--
Imam
Ibn Abī Zayd al-Qayrawānī was an Ash'ari and
a Defender of Shaykh Ibn
Kullab
Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī said
in al-‘Uluw: “They critisized him
[Ibn Abī Zayd al-Qayrawānī] for his statement: “with His
Essence”, so would that he had left it out.”
Now,
we are most certain that Imām Ibn Abī Zayd al-Qayrawānī did
not intend by this phrase – if it is authentically from him – the
meaning that some intend, and this is evident and clear from the
statements of those who wrote commentaries on his book. He was
an Ash‘arī and he loved Imām Abū al-Ḥasan, as is clear from
his response to someone who critisized him for his love for him. He
said: “al-Ash‘arī is no more than a man who is well-known for
refuting the people of innovation and the Qadirites and the Jahmīs,
and who holds firm to the Sunnas.” Al-Tāj al-Subkī mentioned
him among the second tier of Ash‘arīs that went
unmentioned in al-Ḥafiẓ Ibn ‘Asākir’s book, Tabyīn
Kadhib al-Muftarī.
[Source:
Ahl al-Sunna: The Ash‘arīs -The Testimony of the Scholars and
Their Proofs By: Ḥamad al-Sinān & Fawzī al-‘Anjarī]
---
------------------------
Imam
al-Khattabi (d.388
AH) in A'lamul Hadith pg.
1474 explains the meaning of the statement 'Allah
is above the throne' saying:
وليس
معنى قول المسلمين "إن
الله على العرش"
هو
أنه تعالى مماس له,
أو
متمكن فيه,
أو
متحيز في جهة من جهاته.
ولكنه
بائن من جميع خلقه
“And the
statement of the Muslims, Allah is ‘alal ‘arsh (upon the
throne) does
not mean that He is touching it or is in the place above it, or that
He is located in a direction from it. But He is separate / distinct
from all of His creations”
It
was mentioned in
relation to this statement: 'observe how he said that Allah is
distinct or separate “baa’in” from His creation after he
negated Allah being in a place or in a direction from the throne.
This shows that their understanding of distinctness and separateness
meant that they believed that Allah was totally OTHER than His
creation and that the laws of physics did not apply to Him in the
first place. Hence, the dissimilarity of Allah to the creation is the
type of "separateness" and "distinctness" we as
Ahl al-Sunnah affirm.'
-
Imam
al-Baqillani (d.403AH) said in
at-Tamhid (pp.300-301):
And
if someone says: Where is He? It is said to him: Asking
where (al-ayn) is asking about place (al-makaan) and He is not one
that a place (makaan) is permitted to enclose (yahwee), and nor [one
that] places can encompass. Except that we say: Indeed He
is Above His Throne, [but] not with the meaning of a body [being as
such] through contact and adjacency, Exalted is He above that with a
Lofty Exaltation.
Notice
how the Imam answers the question 'Where
is He?' with the reply that 'He is Above His throne' whilst
denying He is in a place or location.
Imam
Ibn Furak (d.406AH) stated: Know
that when we say that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is above
(fawqa) what He has created that does not mean that He is above
in terms of a physical place, or that He has risen above physical
places by a certain distance and He supervises these places by
applying Himself to something from them. Rather, our saying that He
is above them carries two senses; one of them means.........The
second sense is that He is above them meaning He is distinct
(mubāyin) of His creation.
-
What
is reported from the foremost students of Ibn
Abi Zayd is their stating clearly
that Allah is not literally above.
Imam
Makki bin Abi Talib (b.355-d.437),
for example, stated Allah is High in the sense of His power, not
higher in respect to what is supposed to be below him.
فيكفي
أن نردّ عليهم بكلام أعلم الناس بعقيدة
الإمام ابن أبي زيد وهو تلميذه الإمام
مكي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه، فقد قال في
تفسير قوله تعالى:
(وَهُوَ
القَاهرُ فَوْقَ عبادِه)[الأنعام:18]:
واللهُ
المذلِّل لعباده، العالِي عليهم عُلُوَّ
قُدْرَةٍ وَقَهْرٍ، لَا عُلُوَّ انْتِقَالٍ
مِنْ سُفْلٍ، بَلْ اسْتَعْلَى عَلَى
خَلْقِهِ بِقُدْرَتِهِ، فقَهرَهُم بالموت
وبما شاء من أمره، لا إله إلا هو، ولَـمَّا
وصف نفسه تعالى بأنه الـمُذِلُّ القاهِرُ،
ومن صفة القاهر أن يكون مستعلياً.
(الهداية،
ص 1977)
Hence,
there is no doubt that Imam Ibn Abi Zayd did not believe Allah
to be in a sensory direction or place ‘above’ as the Wahhabis /
pseudo- salafis of today claim.
-
Imam
al-Bayhaqi (d.458 AH) in his
Asma' wal-Sifat (Kawthari ed. p. 396-397; Hashidi ed. 2:280) states
in relation to the statement of the Muslims, 'Allah established
Himself over the throne': The meaning of what the Muslims say
whereby Allah "established Himself over the Throne" is
not that He is in contact with it, nor that He is fixed there
(mutamakkin fih), nor that He is circumscribed (mutahayyiz) by
any of its directions (jihaat). However, He is separate /
distinct (ba'in) from all of His creation. It is but a report
whose terms are ordained and so we say it, at the same time denying
any modality (takyif) for it, for {There is nothing whatsoever like
unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All Seeing} (42:11)
Imam
Al-Bayhaqi also says further down (Kawthari ed. p.
426-427; Hashidi ed. 2:334-336): From `Ali
ibn al-Hasan ibn Shaqiq: "I heard `Abd Allah ibn al- Mubarak
say, 'We know our Lord to be above (fawq) seven heavens, {He
established Himself over His Throne}, distinct (ba'in) from
His creation, and we do not say as the Jahmiyya said,
that He is right here' -
and he pointed to the ground (hahuna
fil-ard)."
By
the term "distinct" he means, as he explained
directly afterwards, to negate the claim of the Jahmiyya; * not
to suggest direction on the opposite side*. He means what the
Law said in absolute terms, and Allah knows best.
-
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn
‘Asākir (d.571AH) said:
I
read from a letter from the handwriting of the Ḥadīth scholar
of Egypt, ‘Alī b. Baqā’ al-Warrāq that was written by
the Mālikī jurist, Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdullāh b. Abī Zayd
al-Qayrawānī who was the leading scholar of Mālik’s school
in the Maghreb during his time. He wrote it ‘Alī b. Aḥmad b.
Ismā‘īl al-Baghdādī al-Mu‘tazilī as a response to a
letter written by the latter to the Mālikīs of Qayrawān in
which he offered them advice that would convert them to the Mu‘tazila
doctrine. [within the letter –
produced in full by Ibn ‘Asākir – it reads:]…[A]nd you
attributed him to innovation then you did not mention a statement
from him that can be identified as an innovation or be used to call
him an innovator. We know of no one who has accused Ibn Kullāb of
innovation. What has reached us is that he closely follows the Sunna
and takes it upon himself to refute the Jahmīyya and other
innovators…
This
is a mighty testimony from Imām Ibn Abī Zayd regarding Ibn
Kullāb and his close adherence to the Sunna and
refutations against the innovators and that he knew of no one who
accused him of innovation.
[Source: Ahl
al-Sunna: The Ash‘arīs - The Testimony of the Scholars and Their
Proofs By: Ḥamad al-Sinān & Fawzī al-‘Anjarī]
--
Qadi
ibn Farhun al-Maliki said about him:
He [Abu
al-Hasan al-Ash’ari] was a follower of the Maliki school of
law and he authored works for the people of the Sunna and he adduced
arguments for the establishment of the Sunna and those things that
the people of innovation refuted.
He
established these clear arguments and proofs from the Qur’an and
Prophetic traditions as well as sound rational arguments. He
suppressed the arguments of the Mu’tazalites and those apostates
after them. He wrote these extensive works that God has benefited the
Muslims with; he debated the Mu’tazalites and was victorious over
them.
Abu
al- Hasan al-Qabisi used to praise him and he even authored a
treatise about al-Ash’ari and his school in which he
praised him and did him justice. Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Zayd and
others from the leaders of the Muslims also praised him.
-
Imam al-Kawtharī said
in his footnote to Tabyīn Kadhib al-Muftarī (pg 123):
“The
commentators on his Risāla concur that this phrase is
either interpolated or
understood as a nominative [rafa‘], in other words: ‘…upon
the Throne, Glorious in His Essence […al-‘Arshi, al-Majīdu bī
Dhātihi].’” (as
opposed to describing the Throne as glorious and affirming that He is
above it with His Essence: “al-‘Arshi al-Majīdi bī Dhātihi”)
[Source: Ahl
al-Sunna: The Ash‘arīs -The Testimony of the Scholars and Their
Proofs By: Ḥamad al-Sinān & Fawzī
al-‘Anjarī] More info Here
---
Imam
al-Khattabi (d.388H) in A'lamul
Hadith pg. 1474 explains the meaning of the statement 'Allah
is above the throne' saying:
وليس معنى قول المسلمين "إن الله على العرش" هو أنه تعالى مماس له, أو متمكن فيه, أو متحيز في جهة من جهاته. ولكنه بائن من جميع خلقه
“And
the statement of the Muslims, Allah is ‘alal
‘arsh (upon
the throne)
does not mean that He is touching it or is in the place above it, or
that He is located in a direction from it. But He is separate /
distinct from all of His creations”
-
Allah
is distinct or separate “baa’in” from His creation after he
negated Allah being in a place or in a direction from the throne.
This shows that their understanding of distinctness and separateness
meant that they believed that Allah was totally OTHER than His
creation and that the laws of physics did not apply to Him in the
first place. Hence, the dissimilarity of Allah to the creation is the
type of "separateness" and "distinctness" we as
Ahl al-Sunnah affirm.'
-
Imam
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani , in volume 13, page 414, of his book
Fath l-Bari, while explaining a hadith relating
the Mi’raj (ascension to the skies) of the Prophet sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
“Al-Khattabi said
that in this version there is another term narrated by Sharik which
makes it different from the other [versions] and which has not been
narrated by anyone else. It is [where it is said] : “fi’lan bihi,
i.e. from Jibril to Allaah (al-Jabbaar) and [Sharik] said
: “wa huwa makaanuhu” [i.e. literally it would mean 'and it is
his place'], and [later on] the Prophet said “O My Lord
alleviate for us [the number of prayers]. He [i.e. al-Khattabi] said
: a place cannot be attributed to Allaah, therefore here it is the
place of the Prophet which is meant, i.e. that he returned where he
was standing before leaving.’ [More info: Here and Here Also: Here]
-
Imam
Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi said:
وليس معنى قول المسلمين : إن الله على العرش ، هو أنه مماس له ، أو متمكن فيه ، أو متحيز في جهة من جهاته ، لكنه بائن من جميع خلقه
And
the saying of the Muslims, that Allah is above the throne, does not
mean that He is in contact with it or that He is located there or
that He is occupied by one of it's directions, rather [it means that]
He is beyond (ba`in) all of his creation. Source: "A'lam
al-Hadith fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari" p. 1474: Here
-
Aqeeda of Abu Sulayman al Khattabi: Here
Quote Wahhabi said: “Al-Khattaabee (d.388H) said: “The madhab of the Salaf with regard to the Attributes of Allaah is to affirm them as they are with their apparent (dhaahir) meaning, negating any resemblance to the creation and without asking how they are.”….”
Answer: This is a perverted translation. The Arabic states:
“كان مذهب السلف فيها الإيمان بها ، وإجراءها على ظاهرها ونفي الكيفية عنها”
Which means: “(كان مذهب السلف فيها) the way of the salaf in this (scripture texts that might make someone ignorant liken Allah to creation) (الإيمان بها) is to believe in them (the texts) (وإجراءها) and to pass them on (على ظاهرها) as they appear, (ونفي الكيفية عنها) and denying any modality from them.” Then he narrated from Az-Zuhriyy and Makĥuul that they said “امضوا الأحاديث على ما جاءت”, which means, “(امضوا) pass on (الأحاديث) the hadiths (على ما جاءت) as they came.” There is no mention of “apparent meaning” in any of these statements.
Subĥaana Allaah, if the apparent meaning was meant, then why would the salaf make such a big deal out of it? If the apparent meaning was meant then they would not even have mentioned these ways of dealing with these types of scripture texts. Here
---------------------------------------
The
Creator is Clear from Anthropomorphism (Part 1B )
continue to: 400AH : Here
---
(Edited by ADHM)
