Continuation of the discussion on the methodology of the righteous Salaf in affirming the attributes.

The Shaykh : They interpret the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing exactly as the Salaf did, and they do not defer the meaning. This is the first methodology: believing in all the verses of the attributes and the hadiths of the attributes with their known linguistic meanings, while purifying Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in them from any resemblance to creation. It is linguistic understanding combined with purification.
The methodology of the Khalaf sometimes aligns with the Salaf in understanding and purifying, and sometimes they engage in figurative interpretation, or even denial. So there are two methodologies: the methodology of understanding the verses and hadiths of the attributes with purification, and a second understanding that involves figurative interpretation and not accepting their apparent meanings, even if accompanied by purification. This is a methodology that belongs neither to these nor to those; it is the methodology of the Mu'awwidah (those who defer the meaning).
The Mu'awwidah do not understand anything at all from the verses of the attributes, and they say: "Allah knows best what He intends." They have thus opposed the Salaf and opposed the Khalaf. They opposed the Salaf because the Salaf say: "Our Lord spoke to us in a clear Arabic tongue, so we understand." The All-Hearing is distinct from the All-Seeing, and hearing is related to hearing sounds, and seeing is related to seeing existing things. This is the Arabic meaning. However, His hearing is not like our hearing, and His seeing is not like our seeing. We said that the Khalaf agreed with the Salaf on some of these verses, such as the one mentioned earlier, but they differed with them on other verses, such as affirming the Hands for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), affirming the Eye or the Eyes, and affirming the Highness and the Rising above the Throne. The Salaf interpreted these meanings in light of .
As for the Khalaf, they engaged in figurative interpretation. They said, for example, that "Rising above" means "Dominating." Regarding the affirmation of the Hand, they cited and interpreted it figuratively. They did not affirm for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) the two Hands that befit His greatness and majesty, which do not resemble the hands of humans. Here, the Khalaf opposed the Salaf by believing in the attributes of Hearing and Seeing with the Arabic meaning and purification. Here, they engaged in figurative interpretation. As for the Mu'awwidah, they say: "We do not know, we do not know, we do not know." Therefore, these people—this exists today—some of the contemporary authors, especially from some Islamic parties, claim that deferring the meaning is the methodology of the Salaf. This is a lie against them. The Salaf know what the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing mean. They know the meaning of , but they purify Allah. This is because they take the Qur'an as a whole, in detail and in summary. They do not believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part. Therefore, it is not permissible to attribute deferring the meaning to the Salaf. It is a lie and a slander against them.
And so I told you how to use the aforementioned report from Malik as evidence: "The Rising above is known." This is proof that they did not defer the meaning. They interpreted the Qur'an with the Arabic language. In fact, they did not need to interpret it because the matter is clear. Therefore, he did not say to him "The Rising above and the Exaltation" as you said, but he said "The Rising above is known." What are you asking about the Rising above? The Rising above is known, and it is the Highness. This is what Imam al-Bukhari explicitly stated regarding some of the Salaf: , meaning He rose above it. But the methodology of Malik continues his statement by saying: "And the how is unknown." If there is deferral, the deferral is here, meaning the deferral is regarding the "how," not the reality. So the "how" of the Rising above is unknown, but the Rising above itself is known. For example, the Rising above is not descending. This is Arabic. The Rising above is not descending, but it is the opposite of descending, because it comes in the meaning of ascending. , meaning He ascended to it. The Rising above here in the verse of has a known linguistic meaning. But how did He rise above? He said: "The how is unknown." So if by deferral one means deferring the realities of the divine attributes, this is entirely correct and agreed upon.

The questioner : Do they mean the discussion about the "how"?

The Shaykh : The "how"? No one from the Salaf ever spoke about the "how." Yes, the question here is about the "how." Therefore, he answered that the Rising above is known and the how is unknown. So the Salaf affirm the meanings of the verses and hadiths of the attributes, but they defer the "how" of these attributes. This is the true methodology. Otherwise, it would lead to matters that no Muslim can ever bear, which are matters of misguidance.

The questioner : Are there any reports or narrations from the Companions that they understood these verses, meaning that Allah has a Hand that is not like the hand of creation? Because the Arabic language allows the word "hand" to have meanings like those of the Mu'attilah (those who deny attributes), i.e., that it means power. Or, the hand comes to us as humans, so we say: Allah has a Hand, but it is not like the hands of creation. "Hand" means a reality, but it is not like the hands of creation. Another meaning of the word "hand" in the Arabic language is power and dominance. So why don't we say that this second opinion is also valid, even though it is in the meaning of the names and attributes, and even though it explicitly entails denial, because Allah does not have a hand, but rather dominance and subjugation...?

The Shaykh : So, does Allah have a Hand?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : You accept that Allah has dominance, that Allah has power. This is agreed upon by everyone. Leave that aside. Does Allah have a Hand? Stop the donkeyThe Shaykh : at the obstacle!

The questioner : I do not. The concept, the methodology we were taught is that you do not say "Allah has a Hand, Allah knows best what He intends." This is my methodology, which we were told a little while ago is deferral. But if we say the issue of the hand is from the Companions, did they understand this verse to mean that the hand means Allah has a hand?

The Shaykh : The issue is not the issue of the hand. The hand is an example of the issue. The issue is the attributes.

The questioner : The issue is understood. We understood from the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that the Companions were not on this level of detail...

The Shaykh : There is no god but Allah. May Allah forgive you, may Allah forgive you.

The questioner : Ibn al-Qayyim, his student, who understood the verse and they said in detail.

The Shaykh : Allow me a moment. I am drawing your attention to something. This statement is not your statement. This is the statement of your Imam.

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : Look, Shaykh Ali, may Allah guide us and you all.

The questioner : Amen.

The Shaykh : Knowledge requires certain capacities and abilities. If a person reads a research paper today and forgets it tomorrow, this is nonsense and cannot be relied upon, do you understand? These doubts and these questions are endless. One of the scientific methods that brings the two differing viewpoints closer together is to take the points on which they agree. I brought a verse earlier: , and I said that the Khalaf agreed with the Salaf in interpreting it and not engaging in figurative interpretation. So are you with me in this statement, or are you in discussion?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : I do not intend to say that the Khalaf agree with the Salaf...
There was a gathering of Abu Ja'far al-Mansur. When Abu Ja'far al-Mansur entered, everyone stood up except the learned, virtuous man. Some person in the gathering had resentment against him in his heart. He drew the Caliph's attention to the fact that everyone had stood up for him except this scholar. He asked him: "Why did everyone stand up except you?" He said to him: "O Commander of the Faithful, I have honored you—out of the greatness of your majesty—so that you would not fall into contradicting the hadith of your grandfather Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)." He said: "What is it?" He said: "So-and-so narrated to me, so-and-so narrated to me, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So I have honored you so that you would not be among these people."