How do we respond to those who say that the methodology of the Salaf is tafwid (delegation) regarding the meaning, and who cite as evidence for this reports from the early Imams, such as Imam Ahmad, in his statement:

The questioner : Naturally, I asked this question because of its connection to the previous questions. It is often claimed that the methodology of the Salaf is the methodology of tafwid (delegation) regarding the attributes, and they rely on this by citing some statements from scholars of knowledge.

The Shaykh : Scholars of what?

The questioner : Of the Imams, such as Imam Ahmad, in his statement: "Leave them as they came without interpretation." Shaykh, if these statements are directed at these specific words, and they are established from Imam Ahmad and others, we ask you to clarify this issue. May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : We have previously spoken about this issue. In answer to it, we say that the Salaf, as it appears in the books of the Imams of Hadith and as it appears in some books of the Asha'irah, such as al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, is, in terms of principles and creed, Ash'ari, despite his knowledge and virtue. He mentioned in more than one place in his great book titled Fath al-Bari that the creed of the Salaf is understanding the verses according to their apparent meaning, without ta'wil (figurative interpretation) and without tashbih (likening Allah to creation). So the statement of Imam Ahmad: "Leave them as they came" means understand them as they came, without delving into trying to know the modality (kayfiyyah). And those who say the methodology of the Salaf is tafwid (delegation)...
First, two things are required of them, and as they say, the sweeter of the two is bitter. It is required of them that the verses by which Allah Mighty and Majestic described Himself, let alone the many hadiths in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described his Lord, all these texts, according to the methodology of tafwid (delegation), mean that we do not understand these texts, nor do we know why our Lord Mighty and Majestic revealed them in His Book, nor do we know why His Prophet described his Lord with these attributes. And it is obligatory upon us not to understand these attributes mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah, knowing that Allah Mighty and Majestic criticized a people for not caring to understand the Noble Qur'an when the Lord of the Worlds said: Undoubtedly, the greatest thing related to this Islam is knowing the Lord who legislated this religion, and on the tongue of his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So when it is said regarding the verses of attributes and the hadiths of attributes that we understand nothing from them, then they have not considered such as His statement in the previous verse: , and they are also included in . All the verses were revealed to be understood and comprehended about Allah Mighty and Majestic. If they are related to creed, they are adopted as creed, and if they are related to rulings, they are adopted and acted upon. So if the verses related to the attribute of Allah Mighty and Majestic are not understood, then we do not know anything about our Lord except that He has an existence. And on this basis, there are attributes agreed upon by scholars, even by scholars of the Khalaf (later generations), for example: . Do we understand from "The All-Hearing" that we delegate and say we do not know what it is, or what the attribute of hearing is? "The All-Seeing," we do not know what the attribute of seeing is? "The All-Powerful," "The Wise," "The All-Knowing," and so on. The meaning of this claimed tafwid (delegation) is that we understand nothing of these attributes. So we believe in an existing Lord, but we do not know any of His attributes. And in that case, we disbelieve in the Lord of creation when we deny the attributes under the claim of tafwid (delegation). This is what is responded to first regarding those who claim tafwid (delegation). They claimed the second thing: If Imam Ahmad or others said: "Leave them as they came," do you see that before Imam Ahmad, the Imam of the City of Migration, who is Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), was he on this methodology when that man came to him...The questioner : ...and said to him, "O Malik, O Malik: How did He rise up (istawa)?" He said: "The rising up (istiwaa') is known." The rising up (istiwaa') is known does not mean the rising up (istiwaa') is delegated (tafwid); it means no. He said: "The rising up (istiwaa') is known, and it is the elevation, but the modality (kayf) is unknown." And this is the methodology of the Salaf. And therefore, the completion of the statement of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was that he said: "Take the man out, for he is an innovator." This man was not...The questioner : ...an innovator because he asked about a meaning that was hidden from him from His saying: . Rather, he was taken out and called an innovator because he asked about the modality (kayfiyyah) of the rising up (istiwaa'). So the statement of Imam Malik is what represents the methodology of the righteous Salaf and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment, and that is that the meanings of the verses of attributes and the hadiths of attributes are understood linguistically, but their modalities (kayfiyyat) are completely unknown. No one knows the modality of the Essence except the Owner of the Essence, and no one knows the modality of the attributes except the Essence itself. But the rising up (istiwaa') is known, hearing is known, seeing is known, knowledge is known, and so on. And therefore, I believe that the interpretation of the word of Imam Ahmad, "Leave them as they came," is that it means not understanding the verses and saying "Allah knows best His intent," as the Khalaf (later generations) claim. This is the root of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes) leading to the denial of the Creator, Glorified and Exalted is He. And therefore, I like the word of the Imam, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), and I repeat it to your ears so that you may memorize it, for it contains the summary of this issue in two words. He said, may Allah have mercy on him: "The one who likens (mushabbih) worships an idol, and the one who denies (mu'tatil) worships non-existence." So if a person says that Allah is not above, not below, not on the right, not on the left, not inside the world, and not outside it, as some misguided innovators in this country specifically claim, that Allah is not inside the world nor outside it, this is a description of the non-existent thing that has no existence. If it were said to a person, "What is non-existence? What do you imagine the answer to be? Is it a thing? No, it is nothing! Non-existence is nothing. If it is said, this non-existence which is nothing, is it inside the world or outside it? Is this description correct?"
The audience: It is not correct.

The Shaykh : It is not correct. Well, if there is a thing that has its existence and its reality, can it be said that it is not inside the world and not outside the world? Likewise, it is not said! So from here, Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "And the one who denies (mu'tatil) worships non-existence," meaning something that has no existence. And we have said on many occasions that the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, that a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the Throne and what Allah created after the Throne, he said, "And what was before the Throne?" He said, peace and blessings be upon him: meaning there were no created things, meaning He was and there was no created thing, then He created the Throne, then He created the heavens and the earth. So when He created the heavens and the earth, the existing thing by the creation of Allah, without doubt or doubt, Allah in this state is not in the created things. But to say that He is not outside the created things is a denial of the existence of Allah Mighty and Majestic, because He was and there were no created things, no Throne, no Footstool, no heaven, no earth, and so on. Therefore, we say: The consequence of ta'wil (figurative interpretation) is ta'til (denial of the divine attributes). For this reason, Ibn Taymiyyah says, "The one who ascribes a body (mujassim) worships an idol," and this is forbidden, without doubt, because Allah says: . And "the one who denies (mu'tatil) worships non-existence," meaning something that has no existence. So believe in Allah and His Messenger on the basis of understanding the verses in the Arabic style that our righteous Salaf were upon, first, while maintaining that the realities of these attributes and these names are known only to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He.

The questioner : Shaykh, if you please, may Allah bless you, also establishing that Imam Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him and have mercy on him) knows and understands the meaning of when he affirmed that Allah Mighty and Majestic is above the heavens with His Essence. He was asked: "O Imam, what do you say regarding the saying of Allah Mighty and Majestic: " He said: "With His knowledge," and so on to the end of the verses. This also indicates that Imam Ahmad understands and knows the meaning of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: .

The Shaykh : O my master, to say that the Salaf did not interpret this is a denial of a reality that resembles the denial of self-evident matters.