The Ruling on Narrating the Hadiths of the Attributes by Meaning
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His Eminence the Shaykh: What is the ruling on narrating the hadiths of the attributes by meaning?
I fear that the one who narrates the hadiths of the attributes by meaning is from the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes), so he narrates the hadith according to the meaning he believes. For example, he speaks about the descent of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the lowest heaven, and the hadith is: (Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?) So this narrator says by meaning, believing that the meaning of the hadith is: an angel from the angels descends and says: such and such. Then he narrates this hadith according to what he believes to be its meaning, and this results in great misguidance.
Therefore, narrating the hadith by meaning by the people of bid'ah (religious innovation) is not permissible with regard to the hadiths of the attributes; because they may narrate them according to what they believe of innovations, thereby distorting the words from their places in both wording and meaning.
I fear that the one who narrates the hadiths of the attributes by meaning is from the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes), so he narrates the hadith according to the meaning he believes. For example, he speaks about the descent of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the lowest heaven, and the hadith is: (Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?) So this narrator says by meaning, believing that the meaning of the hadith is: an angel from the angels descends and says: such and such. Then he narrates this hadith according to what he believes to be its meaning, and this results in great misguidance.
Therefore, narrating the hadith by meaning by the people of bid'ah (religious innovation) is not permissible with regard to the hadiths of the attributes; because they may narrate them according to what they believe of innovations, thereby distorting the words from their places in both wording and meaning.