The Meaning of the Salaf's Statement: "The One Who Ascribes a Body to Allah Worships an Idol, and the One Who Denies the Divine Attributes Worships Non-Existence"

The questioner : The brother is asking, meaning he seeks clarification of the phrase: "The one who ascribes a body to Allah worships an idol." What is the meaning of "the one who ascribes a body to Allah worships an idol"?

The Shaykh : It means those who liken Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to some of His creations. I do not know—for example, if you have seen or been afflicted by it—the Christians, for instance, sometimes depict their Lord, their object of worship, as an old man with a large beard, and so on. This is their god! And the Jews state explicitly in their distorted Torah, without doubt, that Jacob (peace be upon him) met Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) and wrestled with Him and overpowered Him. Jacob overpowered his Lord! And He did not release him until He took a covenant from him to bless his children. This type is ascribing a body to Allah. There is no one among the Muslims, specifically those who call to following the Book and the Sunnah, who has any kind of likening or ascribing a body to Allah in their mind. So, the intended meaning is that this group of those who ascribe a body to Allah has perished. They used to believe that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) resembles one of His creations, like a large, tall, and massive person, and so on. This is ascribing a body to Allah. And this, in fact, has perished, by the grace of Allah. So, what remains are those who used to fight this ascribing of a body to Allah; they live in figurative interpretation, which is the brother of denial of the divine attributes. So, if we say, as we stated earlier, regarding every attribute of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) , and it is such and such, and it is such and such, regarding all His names (Blessed and Exalted is He) and attributes.
And now I remembered a word from some of the scholars among the hadith scholars; namely al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, the author of "History of Baghdad." He has a small treatise, but it is very useful, in the manuscripts of the Zahiriyyah Library. He says: "The statement regarding the attributes is like the statement regarding the Essence." So, all these disputants, whether from the Salafis, the Khalafis, or the Mu'awwidin, all agree that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has an Essence, and all the attributes—attributes of perfection—belong to Him. But does any one of them say two things: that Allah is not an Essence? Because if we said Essence, we would have likened Him. No one says this. Likewise, does anyone say that the Essence of Allah is like the essence of one of Allah's creations? No one says that. So, Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has an Essence. If you wish not to say "Essence," say "Existence." And we cannot say anything other than this. So, Allah has existence, and Allah has an Essence. What we say regarding the Essence of Allah and His existence, we say likewise regarding all the attributes of Allah and His names, affirming and negating. We affirm what He affirmed, and we purify or negate what He negated. And we do not say anything other than what our Lord said. We say regarding the Essence what is said regarding the attributes. Do we know how the Essence is? No one does. Do we know how the attributes are? No one knows. Do we negate the Essence out of fear of likening? No. Do we negate an attribute out of fear of likening? No. This is the most concise thing said on this subject: that we believe regarding the Essence of Allah what we believe regarding His attributes, and that we believe regarding His attributes what we believe regarding His Essence, in negation and affirmation. We negate from Him what He negated of likening, and we affirm for Him what He affirmed of attributes. And sufficient for the believers is the battle.