Explanation of the author's statement: ". . . . Takyif: describing the manner of an attribute, such as saying: the manner of the hand of Allah, or His descent to the lowest heaven, is such and such.
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The Shaykh : Okay, takyif, Hamid, what is takyif? Tamthil is establishing a counterpart for a thing, and tashbih is establishing a similarity for it. Tamthil is establishing a counterpart for a thing by saying, "This is like this," and tashbih is establishing a similarity for it by saying, "This resembles this." Are they the same meaning? The answer is that tamthil implies complete likeness, which is equality in every respect. If you say, "This is like this," it means it is its counterpart in every respect. And similarity, which tashbih implies, is equality in most attributes. If you say, "It resembles this," does it mean it is a complete counterpart in every respect? No, but in most attributes. That is why the Queen of Saba said [An-Naml 27:42] and did not say, "It is like it" or "It is it," but rather, "It is as if it is it." Yes, so the result is that ... tashbih is takyif. Tashbih is equality in most attributes and does not imply complete likeness in every respect. One may be used in place of the other, meaning you always find in the speech of the scholars "without tamthil," and sometimes they say "without tashbih."
The difference between them and takyif is from two angles: First, takyif is describing the manner of a thing, whether it is absolute or restricted by a similar thing, whereas tamthil and tashbih indicate a manner restricted by the counterpart and the similar thing. From this angle, takyif is broader, because every one who does tamthil does takyif, but not vice versa. Did you understand the difference now? Takyif describes the manner of a thing, whether restricted by a counterpart or not. So if someone says, "I bought a car, its manner is such and such and such," and they gave us manners we have never seen in our lives, what do we call this?
The student: Takyif
The Shaykh : Takyif. We call this takyif because it describes the manner of the car now; it showed us its manner but did not mention a counterpart for it.
If he said, "I bought a car like this," what is this? It is tamthil, right? And at the same time, it is also takyif, because when he said "like this," we knew its manner. So, every one who does tamthil does takyif, but not every one who does takyif does tamthil. Clear? The one who says, "The hand of Allah is like the hand of the created being," is doing tamthil. And the one who says, "The manner of the hand of Allah is such and such," and mentions a manner that has no counterpart, we call him a doer of takyif. And the one who says, "The istiwaa of Allah upon His Throne is like the istiwaa of a man upon a bed," is doing tamthil. And the one who says, "The istiwaa of Allah upon His Throne, its manner is such and such," and mentions a specific manner, this is ... Second, takyif is specific to attributes; the manner relates only to the attribute, not to the essence. But tamthil applies to the quantity, the attribute, and the essence. From this angle, tamthil is broader because it relates to the essence, the attributes, and the quantity. You say, "This is like this" in its essence, or is that not appropriate? It is appropriate for both: "Both are stones," "Both are humans," and the like. And you say in the quantity:[At-Talaq 65:12] in the quantity, or not? Because this is seven and this is seven. Is it in the manner? Or in the essence? No, it is in the quantity. Yes, and it also applies to the attribute. In the attribute, if you say, "This is like this," it means in its attribute, so the manner now relates to the attributes, and the likeness relates to the essence, the attributes, and the quantity.
She said, "[It is] as though it was it."
قالت كأنه هوThe difference between them and takyif is from two angles: First, takyif is describing the manner of a thing, whether it is absolute or restricted by a similar thing, whereas tamthil and tashbih indicate a manner restricted by the counterpart and the similar thing. From this angle, takyif is broader, because every one who does tamthil does takyif, but not vice versa. Did you understand the difference now? Takyif describes the manner of a thing, whether restricted by a counterpart or not. So if someone says, "I bought a car, its manner is such and such and such," and they gave us manners we have never seen in our lives, what do we call this?
The student: Takyif
The Shaykh : Takyif. We call this takyif because it describes the manner of the car now; it showed us its manner but did not mention a counterpart for it.
If he said, "I bought a car like this," what is this? It is tamthil, right? And at the same time, it is also takyif, because when he said "like this," we knew its manner. So, every one who does tamthil does takyif, but not every one who does takyif does tamthil. Clear? The one who says, "The hand of Allah is like the hand of the created being," is doing tamthil. And the one who says, "The manner of the hand of Allah is such and such," and mentions a manner that has no counterpart, we call him a doer of takyif. And the one who says, "The istiwaa of Allah upon His Throne is like the istiwaa of a man upon a bed," is doing tamthil. And the one who says, "The istiwaa of Allah upon His Throne, its manner is such and such," and mentions a specific manner, this is ... Second, takyif is specific to attributes; the manner relates only to the attribute, not to the essence. But tamthil applies to the quantity, the attribute, and the essence. From this angle, tamthil is broader because it relates to the essence, the attributes, and the quantity. You say, "This is like this" in its essence, or is that not appropriate? It is appropriate for both: "Both are stones," "Both are humans," and the like. And you say in the quantity: