What is the ruling on the person who denies the attributes?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you, O Shaykh. Now, some of the living shaykhs in some of the countries, I mean, O Shaykh, they deny some of the attributes. And denying the attributes, O Shaykh, entails many things, and yet they do things that are correct in Islam. So what is a person’s position toward them?
The Shaykh : In any case, denying the attributes is of two types: denial by refutation, and denial by figurative interpretation. Denial by refutation is disbelief, and denial by figurative interpretation depends on the situation. There may be texts that accept figurative interpretation, and there may be texts that do not. So if someone says, for example, regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted:, and says that Allah does not come, what is this? Huh? Denial by refutation is disbelief. And if he says regarding So one looks at it again; his interpretation may amount to disbelief, or it may be less than that.
The questioner : O Shaykh, do the Asha'irah, I mean... regarding the attributes, do they have figurative interpretation, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes, in some places they have figurative interpretation, but it is not acceptable.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : I mean, it is not acceptable.
The Shaykh : No, no, it is a doubt, a doubt that prevents disbelief, but refutation has no doubt, yes.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : That is enough, that is enough, yes.
The Shaykh : In any case, denying the attributes is of two types: denial by refutation, and denial by figurative interpretation. Denial by refutation is disbelief, and denial by figurative interpretation depends on the situation. There may be texts that accept figurative interpretation, and there may be texts that do not. So if someone says, for example, regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And your Lord has come
وجاء ربكYour Lord will come
جاء ربكThe questioner : O Shaykh, do the Asha'irah, I mean... regarding the attributes, do they have figurative interpretation, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes, in some places they have figurative interpretation, but it is not acceptable.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : I mean, it is not acceptable.
The Shaykh : No, no, it is a doubt, a doubt that prevents disbelief, but refutation has no doubt, yes.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : That is enough, that is enough, yes.