Is it said that Ibn Hajar is a pure Ash'ari, and how is he excused for the figurative interpretation (ta'wil) he engaged in?
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The questioner : Is it said that Ibn Hajar is a pure Ash'ari, or that he holds some of their views, and how is he excused?
The Shaykh : No, we do not say he is a pure Ash'ari. The Asha'irah do not only disagree with the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the attributes; they disagree with the people of the Sunnah and the community, as Shaykh Safer al-Hawali said, "in more than eleven matters of creed". It is not just the matter of the attributes. So if we see a man who engages in figurative interpretation (ta'wil) of some texts regarding the attributes, we cannot say he is an Ash'ari until we investigate his condition and look into it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : This is his view, but it contradicts the view of the Salaf (the earliest generations) if it is established that he himself engaged in figurative interpretation (ta'wil).
The chapter for which the author set the heading is: The saying of Allah the Exalted:[Adh-Dhariyat 51:58] or the well-known reading [Adh-Dhariyat 51:58]. We discussed the meaning of this verse, then the author cited the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, who said:
The Shaykh : No, we do not say he is a pure Ash'ari. The Asha'irah do not only disagree with the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the attributes; they disagree with the people of the Sunnah and the community, as Shaykh Safer al-Hawali said, "in more than eleven matters of creed". It is not just the matter of the attributes. So if we see a man who engages in figurative interpretation (ta'wil) of some texts regarding the attributes, we cannot say he is an Ash'ari until we investigate his condition and look into it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : This is his view, but it contradicts the view of the Salaf (the earliest generations) if it is established that he himself engaged in figurative interpretation (ta'wil).
The chapter for which the author set the heading is: The saying of Allah the Exalted: