What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding affirming the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)?
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The questioner : He asks about the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community in affirming the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)?
The Shaykh : The people of the Sunnah and the community—may Allah make us among them—are the most reverent of people toward Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and the most respectful of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. They do not go beyond what came in the Qur'an and the Hadith regarding the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). They affirm for Allah the Exalted what He has affirmed for Himself, even if the minds are perplexed by it, and they deny what Allah has denied of Himself, even if the minds imagine its existence. An example of this is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is above everything, eternally and forever. He, (Glorified and Exalted is He), has absolute elevation at all times and moments, above His heavens, above His creations, rising above His Throne. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3498Sahih (Darussalam), so Satan comes to the person and says: How does He descend, when His elevation is essential to Him? How does He descend?
So we say: This is something that perplexes the mind, but it is obligatory for us to believe in it, and we say: Allah knows best the manner of this. We believe that He descends, but we do not know the manner. Our minds are perplexed, but we must accept it, because Allah is not like anything in all of His attributes. For this reason, some of them said: "The Qur'an and the Sunnah have come with what perplexes the minds, not with what the minds reject".
So what is obligatory for us regarding the names of Allah and His attributes is to believe in them, to have faith in them, and that they are the truth, even if our minds are perplexed by their manner. The path of the people of the Sunnah and the community is that everything by which Allah named Himself or described Himself, whether in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah, it is obligatory to believe in it and affirm it.
His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Fajr 89:22], Satan comes to the person and says: How does He come?
So we say: He comes in the manner that Allah willed. The manner is unknown. It is obligatory for you to believe in this, even if your mind is perplexed by it. You are commanded to believe in all circumstances. Therefore, some people went astray by judging with their minds regarding the names of Allah and His attributes. They denied what Allah affirmed for Himself and distorted the texts of the Book and the Sunnah with it. They said: The meaning of His saying, the Exalted: is: He took control of the Throne. So glory be to Allah, how does He, the Exalted, say: [Al-A'raf 7:54]? Is it possible for us to say that before that, He was not in control of it?!
This is a matter that the common person rejects, let alone the student of knowledge. But if a person judges with his mind in matters that pertain to pure report, he goes astray and errs.
For this reason, we advise our brothers who say: "Istawa" means "He took control," to repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to believe that He istawa upon the Throne, meaning He elevated Himself above it with a special elevation befitting His majesty and greatness. And let them know that Allah will question them on the Day of Resurrection about what they believed regarding their Lord (Mighty and Majestic), and whether they believed that based on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, or based on what their desires and minds dictate?
My advice to these people is to repent to Allah. I ask Allah to accept their repentance and guide them to the truth. Let them believe in what came in the Book of Allah as intended by Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Likewise, those who said: Allah is not elevated by His essence above the creations, and they said: It is not permissible for us to say that Allah is above. We say to them: Repent to your Lord. You are now calling upon Allah the Exalted, and you find your hearts elevated upward, and you extend your hands also upward. Leave your desires and your fitrah alone, and leave aside the illusions and things that mislead you.
And if you deny the elevation of Allah, and say that He is by His essence in every place, how is this befitting? Is it befitting that Allah the Exalted be in a narrow room?
So let these people fear Allah, and let them repent to Allah from this defective, invalid belief. I fear that they may die and meet their Lord upon this belief, and thus lose.
The Shaykh : The people of the Sunnah and the community—may Allah make us among them—are the most reverent of people toward Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and the most respectful of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. They do not go beyond what came in the Qur'an and the Hadith regarding the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). They affirm for Allah the Exalted what He has affirmed for Himself, even if the minds are perplexed by it, and they deny what Allah has denied of Himself, even if the minds imagine its existence. An example of this is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is above everything, eternally and forever. He, (Glorified and Exalted is He), has absolute elevation at all times and moments, above His heavens, above His creations, rising above His Throne. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
descends every night to the nearest heaven, until the last third of the night remains
أنه ينزل إلى السماء الدنيا حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخرSo we say: This is something that perplexes the mind, but it is obligatory for us to believe in it, and we say: Allah knows best the manner of this. We believe that He descends, but we do not know the manner. Our minds are perplexed, but we must accept it, because Allah is not like anything in all of His attributes. For this reason, some of them said: "The Qur'an and the Sunnah have come with what perplexes the minds, not with what the minds reject".
So what is obligatory for us regarding the names of Allah and His attributes is to believe in them, to have faith in them, and that they are the truth, even if our minds are perplexed by their manner. The path of the people of the Sunnah and the community is that everything by which Allah named Himself or described Himself, whether in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah, it is obligatory to believe in it and affirm it.
His saying, the Exalted:
And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank,
وجاء ربك والملك صفاً صفاًSo we say: He comes in the manner that Allah willed. The manner is unknown. It is obligatory for you to believe in this, even if your mind is perplexed by it. You are commanded to believe in all circumstances. Therefore, some people went astray by judging with their minds regarding the names of Allah and His attributes. They denied what Allah affirmed for Himself and distorted the texts of the Book and the Sunnah with it. They said: The meaning of His saying, the Exalted:
He rose above the Throne
استوى العرشwho created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne
خلق السماوات والأرض في ستة أيام ثم استوى على العرشThis is a matter that the common person rejects, let alone the student of knowledge. But if a person judges with his mind in matters that pertain to pure report, he goes astray and errs.
For this reason, we advise our brothers who say: "Istawa" means "He took control," to repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to believe that He istawa upon the Throne, meaning He elevated Himself above it with a special elevation befitting His majesty and greatness. And let them know that Allah will question them on the Day of Resurrection about what they believed regarding their Lord (Mighty and Majestic), and whether they believed that based on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, or based on what their desires and minds dictate?
My advice to these people is to repent to Allah. I ask Allah to accept their repentance and guide them to the truth. Let them believe in what came in the Book of Allah as intended by Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Likewise, those who said: Allah is not elevated by His essence above the creations, and they said: It is not permissible for us to say that Allah is above. We say to them: Repent to your Lord. You are now calling upon Allah the Exalted, and you find your hearts elevated upward, and you extend your hands also upward. Leave your desires and your fitrah alone, and leave aside the illusions and things that mislead you.
And if you deny the elevation of Allah, and say that He is by His essence in every place, how is this befitting? Is it befitting that Allah the Exalted be in a narrow room?
So let these people fear Allah, and let them repent to Allah from this defective, invalid belief. I fear that they may die and meet their Lord upon this belief, and thus lose.