Is it permissible to use the word "body" for Allah and its meaning
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The Shaykh : He says: You are the one who ascribes a body to Allah, yes, "rather, you have ascribed a body to Him". To say "you have ascribed a body to Him" means you said that Allah is a body, you said that Allah is a body. The one who affirms an attribute for Allah is called a *mujassim*. If you say that Allah has two hands, they say this is *tajsim* (ascribing a body to Allah). If you say Allah has a Face, they say this is a *mujassim*, this is *tajsim*. So we say to them first: It is not for you to compel us to affirm the term "body" or to deny it, because neither a denial nor an affirmation has come in the texts. It is not upon us, nor is it for us, to affirm or deny the term. But in terms of meaning, we ask: What do you mean by "body" with which you have distorted our position? Do you mean that we should say that Allah is a body similar to bodies, meaning composed of bone, nerve, flesh, and blood? This is an abomination, and we do not say it. Or do you mean by "Allah is a body" that Allah the Exalted is described with attributes and is capable of having attributes? Is this truth or not truth?
The student: Truth.
The Shaykh : Truth, without doubt. So He, (Glorified and Exalted is He), is described with attributes. He rises above the Throne, He descends, He takes with His hand (Mighty and Majestic), He laughs, He has a Face, He has a hand, and He has two eyes. This is truth, and we say it. What harm is there to us? What harm is there to us from this? So they, (may Allah protect us from them), distort the methodology of the people of the Sunnah with such words. For when Allah the Exalted sent the messengers, He made their enemies oppose them with these embellishments of speech. So in Surat al-An'am, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says:[Al-An'am 6:112] [Al-An'am 6:112] from among the criminals. And note that the enemy of the Messenger is an enemy to the followers of the Messenger. The polytheists in the time of the Messenger were enemies to him, and likewise those who opposed his guidance up to this day are enemies to us. They say what the former ones said. Good.
He says: "I am not one who knows the Most Merciful". So who is the one who knows, according to their claim? They are the ones who know. They are the ones who know Allah and that He is not described with an attribute of perfection. Yes, this is their knowledge of their Lord. That is, He does not hear, He does not see, He does not speak, He does not love, He does not hate, and He does not approve. Is the one who describes Allah with this denial a knower of Allah? Absolutely not. By Allah, he is the most ignorant of creation regarding Allah, but he is confused.
The student: Truth.
The Shaykh : Truth, without doubt. So He, (Glorified and Exalted is He), is described with attributes. He rises above the Throne, He descends, He takes with His hand (Mighty and Majestic), He laughs, He has a Face, He has a hand, and He has two eyes. This is truth, and we say it. What harm is there to us? What harm is there to us from this? So they, (may Allah protect us from them), distort the methodology of the people of the Sunnah with such words. For when Allah the Exalted sent the messengers, He made their enemies oppose them with these embellishments of speech. So in Surat al-An'am, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says:
And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy - devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent.
وكذلك جعلنا لكل نبي عدواً شياطين الإنس والجن يوحي بعضُهم إلى بعض زخرف القول غروراً ولو شاء ربك ما فعلوه فذرهم وما يفترونAnd thus We have made for every prophet an enemy
وكذلك جعلنا لكل نبي عدواHe says: "I am not one who knows the Most Merciful". So who is the one who knows, according to their claim? They are the ones who know. They are the ones who know Allah and that He is not described with an attribute of perfection. Yes, this is their knowledge of their Lord. That is, He does not hear, He does not see, He does not speak, He does not love, He does not hate, and He does not approve. Is the one who describes Allah with this denial a knower of Allah? Absolutely not. By Allah, he is the most ignorant of creation regarding Allah, but he is confused.