How to believe in the names and attributes of Allaah in the way
that He prescribed; without tahreef (distortion), tamtheel (resemblance),
takyeef (stating how) nor ta’teel (denial).
And they do not disbelieve in the Names of Allaah and His Attributes, and they do not try to determine their modality and they do not liken His Attributes to the Attributes of the creation.
Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
"And from faith in Allaah is faith in what He described Himself with in His Book and what His Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) described Him with, without tahreef or taateel and without takyeef or tamtheel."
Commentary:
Sheykh Salih Al-Fawzaan says:
After the writer briefly mentioned the foundations that are obligatory to have faith in, he mentions
And they do not disbelieve in the Names of Allaah and His Attributes, and they do not try to determine their modality and they do not liken His Attributes to the Attributes of the creation.
Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
"And from faith in Allaah is faith in what He described Himself with in His Book and what His Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) described Him with, without tahreef or taateel and without takyeef or tamtheel."
Commentary:
Sheykh Salih Al-Fawzaan says:
After the writer briefly mentioned the foundations that are obligatory to have faith in, he mentions
them in a detailed way and he begins with the first
foundation, which is faith in Allaah the Exalted. So he mentions that entering
into it is faith in the Attributes of Allaah which He described Himself with in
His Book, or those that He was described with by His Messenger (sallallaahu
alayhi wa
sallam) in his Sunnah. So we affirm these for Him as they came in the
Book and the Sunnah wi
th their terminology and meanings, without tahreef in
their terminology or taateel in their meanings, and without making tashbeeh for
them with the attributes of the creation.
Tahreef (alteration): It is the distortion and disinclination of something from
its apparent meaning. It is said: he altered such and such so he distorted it.
It is of two types:
(alteration): It is the distortion and disinclination of something from its
apparent meaning. It is said: he altered such and such so he distorted it. It
is of two types:
The First Type: Tahreef in terminology - It changing the word to other than its
apparent meaning, either by adding a word, or by taking it out, or by deleting
a diacritical mark as in the statement of the people of misguidance concerning
the statement of Allaah the Exalted:
Tahreef in terminology - It changing the word to other than its apparent
meaning, either by adding a word, or by taking it out, or by deleting a
diacritical mark as in the statement of the people of misguidance concerning
the statement of Allaah the Exalted:
"And your Lord will come."
[They say] that is the Command of your Lord. So they added a word. Similarly,
there is their statement regarding the statement of Allaah the
Exalted:
"And Allaah spoke to Moosaa directly." [They] reaffirm it to another
term.
So they change a diacritical mark.
The Second Type: Tahreef in meaning - It is changing a word from its apparent
meaning and its reality, and presenting the word with the meaning of another
word. Such as the statement: Verily the meaning of Mercy is wanting reward and
the meaning of Anger is wanting punishment.
Tahreef in meaning - It is changing a word from its apparent meaning and its
reality, and presenting the word with the meaning of another word. Such as the
statement: Verily the meaning of Mercy is wanting reward and the meaning of
Anger is wanting punishment.
Taateel (void): Void language - It is used to make the word empty, that is, to
void, and the meaning here is to negate the Attributes from Allaah the
Glorified and Exalted. The difference between tahreef and taateel is that
tahreef negates the correct meaning without changing it to different meaning,
like a chaotic action. So everyone who performs tahreef also performs taateel
but everyone who performs taateel does not perform tahreef.
(void): Void language - It is used to make the word empty, that is, to void,
and the meaning here is to negate the Attributes from Allaah the Glorified and
Exalted. The difference between tahreef and taateel is that tahreef negates the
correct meaning without changing it to different meaning, like a chaotic
action. So everyone who performs tahreef also performs taateel but everyone who
performs taateel does not perform tahreef.
Takyeef (to ask how) - It is to distinguish the modality of the Attributes. It
is said: One can determine the modality of something if its modality known. So
to determine the modality of the Attributes of Allaah is to determine their how
and condition which they are upon. This is not possible for human beings
because it is from that knowledge which Allaah has kept to Himself. So there is
no path to attain it because it is from His Essence. So just as it is not
possible for humankind to know the Essence of Allaah, they cannot determine the
modality of His Attributes. So when Imaam Maalik was asked:
(to ask how) - It is to distinguish the modality of the Attributes. It is said:
One can determine the modality of something if its modality known. So to
determine the modality of the Attributes of Allaah is to determine their how
and condition which they are upon. This is not possible for human beings
because it is from that knowledge which Allaah has kept to Himself. So there is
no path to attain it because it is from His Essence. So just as it is not
possible for humankind to know the Essence of Allaah, they cannot determine the
modality of His Attributes. So when Imaam Maalik was asked:
"The Most Merciful ascended (istawaa) above His Throne."
"How did He ascend?" So he said: "Istawaa is known and its
modality is unknown and faith in it is obligatory and questions concerning it
are an innovation." This is the statement concerning the Attributes.
Tamtheel (resembling) - It is to liken Allaah by saying that His Attributes are
like those of the creation; such as saying that the Hand of Allaah is like our
hands and His Hearing is like our hearing and His Eyes are like our eyes. (far
above is Allaah from that) Allaah the Exalted said:
(resembling) - It is to liken Allaah by saying that His Attributes are like
those of the creation; such as saying that the Hand of Allaah is like our hands
and His Hearing is like our hearing and His Eyes are like our eyes. (far above
is Allaah from that) Allaah the Exalted said:
"There is nothing like Him. He is the Seeing, the Hearing."
So it cannot be said about His Attributes that they are comparable to our attributes
or that they resemble our attributes or that they are like our Attributes.
Likewise, it cannot be said that the Essence of Allaah is like our essence. So
the monotheist believer affirms all of the Attributes of Allaah upon their
apparent sense by Magnifying Allaah and His Greatness. The one who performs
taateel negates them or negates some of them and the one who likens Allaah
affirms them upon a sense not befitting of Allaah, and this is only befitting
of the creation. [1]
The people of the Sunnah and the Jamaaah do not take their faith in the fact
that there is nothing like Allaah to mean that they negate from Him what He
affirms for Himself such as those who go to an extreme in deanthropomorphizing
Him until they make Him void of His Attributes, in trying to leave of
likenesses for Him, in trying to avoid any likening of His Attributes to those
of the creation. So the people of the Sunnah say that the Attributes of Allaah
the Exalted are specific to Him and only He is described with them. The creation
have Attributes specific to them and they are described with them. There is not
similarity between the Attributes of the Creator and the attributes of the
Creation. So this warning is not necessary except for those people who distort
Allaahs Attributes. [2]
Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
"And they do not disbelieve in the Names of Allaah and His Attributes, and
they do not try to determine their modality and they do not liken His
Attributes to the Attributes of the creation."
Commentary:
Ilhaad (disbelief/heresy) in the Language: The distortion and alteration of
something, and from it meaning is digging (lahada) a grave. Due to this, it is
named as altering and moving from the road that is in the direction of the
Qiblah. Heresy in the Names of Allaah and His Signs is alteration and
distortion in them from their realities and correct meanings to falsehood.
Heresy in the Names of Allaah and His Attributes is of various types:
(disbelief/heresy) in the Language: The distortion and alteration of something,
and from it meaning is digging (lahada) a grave. Due to this, it is named as
altering and moving from the road that is in the direction of the Qiblah.
Heresy in the Names of Allaah and His Signs is alteration and distortion in
them from their realities and correct meanings to falsehood. Heresy in the
Names of Allaah and His Attributes is of various types:
The First Type: Naming idols by them. This is like naming al-Laat from al-Ilaah
and al-Uzzah from al-Azeez and al-Manaat from al-Mannaan.
Naming idols by them. This is like naming al-Laat from al-Ilaah and al-Uzzah
from al-Azeez and al-Manaat from al-Mannaan.
The Second Type: Naming Him the Glorified and exalted with what He has not been
described with. This is like the Christians who call Him Father and like the
philosophers who call Him the Reason of the Cause for Activity.
Naming Him the Glorified and exalted with what He has not been described with.
This is like the Christians who call Him Father and like the philosophers who
call Him the Reason of the Cause for Activity.
The Third Type: Describing Allaah the Glorified and Exalted with deficiencies
that He is free of. This is like the statement of the Jews who say:
Describing Allaah the Glorified and Exalted with deficiencies that He is free
of. This is like the statement of the Jews who say:
"Verily Allaah is poor and we are wealthy."
And their statement:
"The Hand of Allaah is tied up."
There is also their statement that Allaah rests on Saturday. (far above is
Allaah from what they say)
The Fourth Type: Resembling His Attributes to the Attributes of the Creation.
This is like the statement of the anthropomorphist who says: His Hand is like
my hand and other than that. (far above this is Allaah) Indeed Allaah has
threatened those who commit heresies in His Names and His Signs with a
tremendous threat. So Allaah the Exalted says:
Resembling His Attributes to the Attributes of the Creation. This is like the
statement of the anthropomorphist who says: His Hand is like my hand and other
than that. (far above this is Allaah) Indeed Allaah has threatened those who
commit heresies in His Names and His Signs with a tremendous threat. So Allaah
the Exalted says:
"And Allaah has the most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them. And
leave those who commit heresies in His Names. They will be recompensed for what
they used to do." [Sooratul Aaraaf 7:180]
Allaah says:
"Verily those who commit heresies in Our Aayaat, they are not hidden from
Us." [Sooratul Fussilat 41:40] [3]
Footnotes:
[1] This section was taken from Sharhul Aqeedatil Waasitiyyah (p. 15-16) of
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan.
[2] Sharhul Aqeedatil Waasityyah (p. 17).
[3] Sharhul Aqeedatil Waasitiyyah (p. 18).
