Discussion on tafwid.
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The questioner : The evidence regarding attributes...?
The Shaykh : The attributes are the attributes.
The questioner : It was mentioned in the book we have with us... that some people in the era of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari believed that the madhhab of Imam Ahmad was tafwid, and even the later Hanbalis believe this belief?
The Shaykh : But is everything that people believe about the madhhab of Imam Ahmad actually true? What is currently known among some scholars of hadith is that the madhhab of the people of the Sunnah is tafwid; this is what they say. However, we say that if by tafwid they mean delegating the meaning, then this is an error. The people of the Sunnah affirm the meaning, without a doubt. And if they mean delegating the modality, then this is true, without a doubt. And as I said to the brother, the principle is that whatever Imam Ahmad was upon, al-Ash'ari was upon that same principle. And if something is found that contradicts this, it may be in some issues, especially in issues of faith or issues of divine decree; it is possible.
The Shaykh : The attributes are the attributes.
The questioner : It was mentioned in the book we have with us... that some people in the era of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari believed that the madhhab of Imam Ahmad was tafwid, and even the later Hanbalis believe this belief?
The Shaykh : But is everything that people believe about the madhhab of Imam Ahmad actually true? What is currently known among some scholars of hadith is that the madhhab of the people of the Sunnah is tafwid; this is what they say. However, we say that if by tafwid they mean delegating the meaning, then this is an error. The people of the Sunnah affirm the meaning, without a doubt. And if they mean delegating the modality, then this is true, without a doubt. And as I said to the brother, the principle is that whatever Imam Ahmad was upon, al-Ash'ari was upon that same principle. And if something is found that contradicts this, it may be in some issues, especially in issues of faith or issues of divine decree; it is possible.