What is the difference between likening Allah to creation and comparing Allah to creation?
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The questioner : The *mushabbihah*—we said that the *mumaththilah*... The words of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He): [Ash-Shuraa 42:11] What is the difference between likening Allah to creation and comparing Allah to creation?
The Shaykh : We mentioned this previously. We said that *tamthil* (comparing Allah to creation) implies equality in every respect. If you say "this is like this," it means it is equal to it.
And *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation) is for comparison; it is similar to it. So the statement of the Queen of Saba,, does not indicate that she made Him like him in every respect, as if He were him; rather, it means he is close to him.
The second point is that *tamthil* (comparing Allah to creation) is what the Qur'an addressed:, and it did not say: "There is no one similar to Him."
The third point is that scholars differed regarding the meaning of *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation). Some said that every affirmation of an attribute is *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation), to the extent that they called those who affirm attributes *mushabbihah*. It is clear that if you say "without *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation)," the one who hears it assumes you mean "without affirmation," because some of the people of innovation hold that affirmation is also *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation). If you deny *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation) absolutely, it is futile and has no benefit, because no one says that the Creator is similar to the creation in an absolute sense. And if you intend that there is no *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation) in the original meaning, that is also an error, because there must be agreement in the original meaning. So the statement denying *tamthil* (comparing Allah to creation) is preferable. Yes.
The questioner : We say, O Shaykh, are these the *mumaththilah* (those who compare Allah to creation)?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is better. But we followed this expression; we used this expression in accordance with what most authors have used.
There is nothing like unto Him
ليس كمثله شيءThe Shaykh : We mentioned this previously. We said that *tamthil* (comparing Allah to creation) implies equality in every respect. If you say "this is like this," it means it is equal to it.
And *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation) is for comparison; it is similar to it. So the statement of the Queen of Saba,
as if He were him
كأنه هوThe second point is that *tamthil* (comparing Allah to creation) is what the Qur'an addressed:
There is nothing like Him
ليس كمثلهThe third point is that scholars differed regarding the meaning of *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation). Some said that every affirmation of an attribute is *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation), to the extent that they called those who affirm attributes *mushabbihah*. It is clear that if you say "without *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation)," the one who hears it assumes you mean "without affirmation," because some of the people of innovation hold that affirmation is also *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation). If you deny *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation) absolutely, it is futile and has no benefit, because no one says that the Creator is similar to the creation in an absolute sense. And if you intend that there is no *tashbih* (likening Allah to creation) in the original meaning, that is also an error, because there must be agreement in the original meaning. So the statement denying *tamthil* (comparing Allah to creation) is preferable. Yes.
The questioner : We say, O Shaykh, are these the *mumaththilah* (those who compare Allah to creation)?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is better. But we followed this expression; we used this expression in accordance with what most authors have used.