The Sources from Which the Creed of the People of the Sunnah and the Community Is Derived

Question:
I have read a great deal in books on tawhid (the oneness of Allah). What is your guidance regarding a comprehensive book on the names and attributes and the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community? And is it permissible to say that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is with His creation by His knowledge, by His power, and by His will? I mean by that the preposition "ba" (with), because I say that "ba" implies closeness. I hope for guidance in these matters?

Answer:
The best book, the most noble book, and the greatest book in explaining the names and attributes of Allah and His right over His servants is the Book of Allah, the great Qur'an. There is no book after it. Allah is the Greatest. The most noble book, the greatest book, the best book, and the highest book for one who seeks the truth, and there is no book above it. In it is guidance, in it is clarification, and in it is indication to every good. Then comes the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), may Allah send prayers upon him. The authentic hadiths in the two Sahihs, and what is established in the Sunan and other authentic hadiths, are also the main reliance in this chapter. Then comes seeking assistance from the books of the scholars of knowledge that contain much good from the Salaf, such as the books of the well-known imams, al-Muwatta of Malik, Musnad of Ahmad, and others, because they are books that narrate authentic hadiths and narrate the athar (reports) from the righteous Salaf. Then what the scholars compiled after them in the chapter of the scholars of names and attributes, such as the Book of Tawhid by Ibn Khuzaymah, the Book of Sunnah by Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and the Book of al-Darimi by Asma' ibn Sa'id in refutation of Bishr al-Muhasibi. And similar to that are the books written on the Sunnah, the books of al-Bayhaqi, even though they contain some ta'wil (figurative interpretation) in which he agreed with the Asha'irah, but generally they are beneficial books. However, one must be aware of some of the defects and ta'wil in them. Among the best of the later books are the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, such as Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Dhahabi. These are among the best of the scholars in the eighth century, and Shaykh al-Islam is also among the notables of the seventh century, and he combined between the two centuries, so he is among the notables of both the eighth and the seventh, what Allah willed.
As for Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Dhahabi, and their like, they are among the notables of the eighth century and they are among the imams of guidance, so their books contain much good. Look.
And so are their like from the people of the Sunnah, such as al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir and others, and Ibn Rajab. And from the later scholars is Shaykh al-Islam the reformer, Muhammad ibn al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), for he is from the people of the Sunnah, and among those who wrote on the Sunnah in the twelfth century,