[Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 55] And the verse that says: {By which the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him on a Day the length of which is fifty thousand years.} [Surat al-Ma‘ārij: 4] And the verse that says: {Allah is the One who has created seven heavens, and likewise for the earth. The Command descends between them so that you may know that Allah is Most Capable of all things, and that Allah has encompassed everything in knowledge.} [Surat at-Talāq: 12]
And the verse that says: {Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself, and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 158] And the verse that says:
{Glory be to the One Who took His slave [Muhammad] by night from the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah] to the Aqsā Mosque [in Jerusalem] whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 1] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote a book with Him: My mercy overcame - or preceded - My anger. It is with Him over the Throne." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7553), Muslim (2751), At-Tirmidhi (3543), and Ibn Mājah (189)] Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), a man in the company sneezed. I said: "May Allah have mercy upon you!" The people stared at me with disapproving looks. So, I said: "Woe to me, why are you staring at me?" They began to strike their hands on their thighs, and when I saw them urging me to observe silence, (I became angry) but I said nothing. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer - and I declare that neither before him nor after him have I seen a leader who gave better instruction than him for whom I would ransom my father and mother. I swear that he did not scold, beat, or revile me - he said: "Talking to persons is not fitting during the prayer, for it consists of glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and recitation of the Qur’an." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have been a pagan until recently, but Allah has brought Islam to us; among us there are men who have recourse to diviners." He said: "Do not have recourse to them." I said: "There are men who take omens." He said: "That is something they find in their breasts, but it should not turn them away." Ibn as-Sabbāh said: "It should not turn you away." I said: "Among us there are men who draw lines." He said: "There was a prophet who drew lines; so if they do it as he did, this is permissible." I had a slave-girl who tended goats by the side of ’Uhud and Al-Jawwāniyyah. One day I happened to pass by that way and found that a wolf taken away a goat from her flock. I am after all a man from the posterity of Adam. I got angry as they (human beings) get angry. So, I slapped her, after which I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), having a feeling that this is something grave. I said: "O Messenger of Allah, should I set her free?" He said: "Bring her to me." So, I brought her to him. He said to her: "Where is Allah?" She said: "He is in the heaven." He said: "Who am I?" She said: "You are the Messenger of Allah." Thereupon, he said: "Set her free, for she is a believer." [Narrated by Muslim (537), Abu Dāwūd (930), and An-Nasā’i (1218)]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers. Then those angels who spend the night among you ascend, their Lord asks them, although He knows best about them: 'How did you leave My servants?' They say: 'We left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying.'"
{Whoever submits himself to Allah and does good, he has certainly grasped the firmest handhold.} [Surat Luqmān: 22]
He should be truthful in his words, deeds, and belief in order for him to attain the reward about which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him glad tidings, in the Hadīth that reads: "There is no one who bears witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah will forbid him to Hellfire." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (128) and Muslim (32)]
He should love this religion, the One Who legislated it, the one who came with it, and those who adopted it. Allah Almighty says: {And among people there are some who take others as equals to Allah: they love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 165] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of you truly believes until I am dearer to him than his children, his father, and all people." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (15), Muslim (44), An-Nasā’i (5013), and Ibn Mājah (67)]
In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are three qualities anyone who possesses them will taste the sweetness of faith: to consider Allah and His Messenger dearer to him than everything else; to love a man for Allah's sake alone; and to hate to return to disbelief after Allah has rescued him therefrom as much as he hates to be cast into Hellfire." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (16), Muslim (43), At-Tirmidhi (2624), An-Nasā’i (4987), and Ibn Mājah (4033)] As Allah clarified the reality of faith and its requirements and pillars, He also refuted the suspicions raised by obstinate polytheists and pointed out that they have no valid justification for their polytheism, for these presumed equals are created beings, who cannot create anything and have no power even over an atom's weight in the heavens or the earth. Allah Almighty says: {Do they ascribe to Him partners those who cannot create anything, but are themselves created? They cannot help them, nor can they help themselves. If you call them to guidance, they will not follow you; it is the same whether you call them or remain silent. Those whom you supplicate besides Allah are slaves like you; supplicate them and let them respond to you if you are truthful. Do they have feet to walk with? Or hands to grasp with? Or eyes to see with? Or ears to hear with? Say [O Prophet]: "Call your idols then conspire against me and give me no respite! My Protector is Allah Who has sent down the Book, for it is He Who protects the righteous. [Surat al-Qamar: 14] Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Anti-Christ was mentioned in the Prophet's presence, and he said: "Indeed, Allah is not unknown to you; indeed, Allah is not one-eyed - pointing to his eye - whereas the Anti-Christ is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a protruding grape." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7407), Muslim (169), Abu Dāwūd (4757), and At-Tirmidhi (2241)]
Among Allah's attributes are "Living" and "Sustaining". He says: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 2]
Allah's attributes also include "Speech". He possessed the attribute of speech before creating the creation and speaking to them. Our Lord's speech is linked to His will; whenever He wills, He speaks. Allah's attribute of speech occurs in the Qur'an in various ways. All what Allah informs about Himself, giving any command or prohibition, denotes speech. An example is the verse that reads: {Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that you may be reminded.} [Surat an-Nahl: 90] And all what He informs about Himself that He said or says denotes speech, like the verse that reads: {And [remember] when Allah said: "O Jesus, I will take you and raise you up to Myself."} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 55] And any verse in which 'informing' is ascribed to Allah, the Exalted, establishes the attribute of speech for Him, the Lord of all the worlds. An example is the verse that says: {She said: "Who informed you of this?" He said: "I was informed by the All-Knowing, the All-Aware."} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 3]
And any calling or private conversation ascribed to Allah establishes the attribute of speech for Him, the Lord of all the worlds, like in the verse that says: {We called him from the right side of the Mount Tūr [in Sinai] and We brought him near by conversing with him in private.} [Surat Mariyam: 52] Any statement ascribed to Allah or any speech in the Qur'an by which Allah is described establishes His attribute of speech. This is too numerous to be counted. An example is His talk to the angels. Allah Almighty says: {And [remember] when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to appoint a vicegerent on earth."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 30] And He talked to Adam: {We said: "O Adam, dwell in Paradise, you and your wife; and eat pleasantly from wherever you wish."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 35] And He talked to Mūsa (peace be upon him): {He said: "O Moses, I have chosen you above other people, by giving you My messages and speaking to you."} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 144]
Calling is a form of our Lord's speech, as He called out to Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him): {And We called out to him: “O Abraham."} [Surat as-Sāffāt: 104] Private conversation is another form of it, as He privately conversed with Mūsa (peace be upon him): {We called him from the right side of the Mount Tūr [in Sinai] and We brought him near by conversing with him in private.} [Surat Mariyam: 52] Commenting on this verse, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Until he heard the creaking of the Pen." [Narrated by Ibn Aby Shaybah (32506), Hannād in Az-Zuhd (149), ‘Abdullāh ibn Ahmad in As-Sunnah (1231), At-Tabari in At-Tafsīr (15/559), and Al-Hākim (3472)] As-Suddy said: {And We brought him near by conversing with him in private.} He said: "He was admitted into heaven and spoken to." [Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (5/238) and Ad-Durr Al-Manthūr Fi At-Tafsīr Al-Ma’thūr (5/515)] Angels can hear the speech of Our Lord, as indicated by the verse that says: {Until when their hearts are relieved of dread, they will say [to the angels]: "What did your Lord just say?" They will say: "The Truth, and He is the Most High, Most Great."} [Surat Saba’: 23] Masrūq ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah speaks to send revelation, the inhabitants of heaven hear the clanging of a bell from the heavens like a chain being dragged across a rock, and they swoon. They continue to remain like that until Jibrīl comes to them. When he comes to them, they recover and say: 'O Jibrīl, what did your Lord say?' He would say: 'The truth!' And they would say: 'The truth, the truth.'" [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (4738), ‘Uthmān ibn Sa‘īd ad-Dārimi in Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah (158), ‘Abdullāh ibn Ahmad in As-Sunnah (536), and Muhammad ibn Nasr in Ta‘zhīm Qadr As-Salah (217)]
And He will speak to the creatures on the Day of Judgment, as informed by the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): "There will be none among you but his Lord will speak to him, and there will be no interpreter between them nor a screen to screen Him." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7443), Muslim (1016), At-Tirmidhi (2415), and Ibn Mājah (185)]
The creation will hear the speech of Allah Almighty on the Day of Judgment, as related in a Hadīth in which ‘Abdullāh ibn ’Onays (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Allah will gather the creation and call them with a voice that will be heard by those distant as it will be heard by those near, saying: ‘I am the King, I am the Recompenser.’" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri as mu‘allaq (9/141), and in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (970), and in Khalq Af‘āl Al-Ibād (90), and by Ahmad (16042)]
We believe that Allah Almighty has screened Himself from the creation; so, they cannot see Him in the life of this world. And He speaks to whomever He wills from among His angels and messengers (peace be upon them) from behind a screen. Allah, the Exalted, says: {It is not for a human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending an angel-messenger to reveal what He wills by His permission. Indeed, He is Most High, All-Wise.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 51]
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) stood one day amongst us and delivered five words, saying: "Indeed, Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting for Him to sleep. He lowers the Scales and raises them. The deeds done during the night are taken up to Him before the deeds done during the day, and the deeds done during the day before the deeds done during the night. His veil is light, and if He were to remove it, the glory of his face would burn everything of His creation as far as His sight reaches." [Narrated by Muslim (179) and Ibn Mājah (195)]
Some of our Lord's speech is described as being more recent than other speech. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Whenever new revelation comes to them from their Lord, they listen to it in jest.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 2] And some parts of it are more excellent than others. Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man heard another man reciting {Say He is Allah, the One} repeatedly. The next morning, he came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about it, as if he thought that it was not enough to recite. Thereupon, the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, it is equal to one-third of the Qur’an." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (5013), Abu Dāwūd (1461), and An-Nasā’i (995)]
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting with Jibrīl, he heard a creaking sound above him. Jibrīl looked up and said: "This is [the sound of] a gate that was opened in heaven today and has never been opened but today." Then an angel descended through it and came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Rejoice at the good news of the two lights that have been given to you such as no prophet before you was given: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. You will not recite a letter from them except that you will be given." [Narrated by Muslim (806) and An-Nasā’i (912)]
The Qur’an and all divine books revealed to Allah's messengers, such as the Scrolls of Ibrāhīm and Mūsa (peace be upon them), the Torah, the Gospel, and the Psalms, are all the word of Allah, and Jibrīl heard it directly from Him and came down and conveyed it to the prophets and messengers. The Torah is particularly characterized by the fact that Allah revealed it written in the Tablets. Allah, the Exalted, says: {...Which the Trustworthy Spirit [Gabriel] has brought down to your heart [O Prophet] so that you may be one of the warners.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 193-194] He also says: {So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him, so that you may be guided.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 158] Allah's words and speech are not created beings. That is why the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sought refuge in Allah's words. In a Hadīth, he said: "Whoever lands somewhere and then says 'I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created', nothing will harm him until he leaves that place.” [Narrated by Muslim (2708), At-Tirmidhi (3437), and Ibn Mājah (3547)] If Allah's words were part of the creation, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would not have sought refuge in them. Indeed, Allah's speech is different from His creation. Do you not see that "Allah has distinguished between His statement and His creation? He says: {His is the creation and the command} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 54]. When He says {His is the creation}, this necessarily includes all created beings without exclusion; then, He mentions what is not part of the creation, namely {the command}. His command is His statement. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, Whose speech is not a creation." [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah by Imām Ahmad (224)]
And we differentiate between Allah's cosmic words, like in the verse that says: {There were messengers rejected before you, but they endured patiently their rejection and persecution until Our help came to them. None can change the words of Allah. You have already received some accounts of those messengers.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 34] And the verse that reads: {Say: "If the ocean were ink for [writing] the Words of my Lord, the ocean would surely run dry before the Words of my Lord are finished, even if We brought its like to resupply it."} [Surat al-Kahf: 109] And His Shar‘i speech that occurs in verses such as the following: {The Word of your Lord is perfect in truthfulness and justice; none can change His Words, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 115] And the verse that says: {And [remember] when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain words, which he fulfilled.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 124]
Imām Ad-Dārimi said: "No one denies the speech of Allah Almighty except those who want to revoke what Allah Almighty revealed. How could He Who enabled people to speak be unable to speak Himself?!" [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah by Ad-Dārimi (155)]
Among the attributes of Allah is Might. He, Exalted be He, says: {Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, far above what they ascribe [to Him].} [Surat as-Sāffāt: 180] Allah Almighty also says: {Whoever seeks honor, then all honor belongs to Allah alone.} [Surat Fātir: 10]
Another of Allah's attributes is Subjugation. In the Qur’an, He Almighty says: {And none has the right to be worshiped except Allah, the One, the Subjugator.} [Surat Sād: 65]
Allah's attributes also include Jabarūt (Grandeur), Malakūt (Dominion), Kibriya’ (Superiority), and ‘Azhama (Majesty). The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say during rukū‘: "Glory be to the Owner of Grandeur, Dominion, Superiority, and Majesty." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (873), An-Nasā’i (1049), Ahmad (23980), At-Tirmidhi in Ash-Shamā’il (314), and Al-Bazzār (2750)] And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty said: 'Superiority is My robe, and majesty is My lower garment; whoever disputes with Me over any of them, I will throw him into Hellfire.'" [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (4090), Ibn Mājah (4174), Al-Humaydi (1183), Ibn Abi Shaybah (27111), and Ahmad (7382)]
Among Allah's attributes are Irāda (Will) and Mashī’ah (Volition). He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 185] He Almighty also says: {But it was Allah’s Will to establish the truth by His Words and exterminate the disbelievers.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 7] And He says: {But you cannot wish except by the Will of Allah, the Lord of the worlds.} [Surat at-Takwīr: 29]
And among His attributes is Qudrah (Capability). Allah Almighty says: {Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth, and what He spread between them of all living creatures. And He is Most Capable of bringing them together whenever He wills.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 29] He also says: {For Allah is Most Capable of all things.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 20]
And Mercy is one of His attributes. Allah, the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate, says: {But My mercy encompasses everything.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 156] And He Almighty says: {Your Lord has decreed mercy upon Himself.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 54] Mercy is one of His attributes, which is ascribed to the Almighty Lord as a trait that describes Him. Mercy may also occur in the Qur'an and the Sunnah being ascribed to Allah, the Creator, as part of His creation. An example is the verse that reads: {It is He Who sends the winds as harbingers before His mercy, and We send down from the sky pure water.} [Surat al-Furqān: 48] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The day Allah created mercy, He created it as one hundred parts of mercy." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6469), Muslim (2752), At-Tirmidhi (3541), and Ibn Mājah (4293)] So, such mercy is a created being and has been ascribed to its Creator.
Among Allah's attributes is ‘Ulow (Highness): Highness of Qahr (power), Highness of Qadr (status), and Highness of dhāt (essence). In its three aspects, Highness is an attribute that indicates His perfection. The noble Qur'an and the Sunnah, as well as the sound reason and natural disposition, point to numerous forms of Allah's highness. Every statement by Allah Almighty or His Messenger describing Him as High or the Most High or referring to Him as being in Highness does point to His highness. Likewise, the talk about anything coming down from Him, like the revelation or the command, that He will come on the Day of Judgment to judge people, that He descends every night and on the eve of ‘Arafah, and that angels come down do all point to His highness. Also, every statement that describes Allah as being in the heaven, above the heaven, or above the Throne, or that He rose over the Throne is a proof of His highness. The same holds true for anything that involves ascension to Allah Almighty: It signifies His highness.
This is also established by the fact that the angels fear their Lord above them and they ascend to Him, that people's deeds are raised up to Him, that He raised ‘Īsa to Him, and that He took Prophet Muhammad for the night journey and made him ascend to the heaven. All this points to Allah's highness. In fact, the proofs for Allah Almighty being exalted are too numerous to be easily counted.
The proofs include the verse that says: {To him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 4] And the verse that reads: {That is because it is Allah Who is the Truth and whatever they invoke besides Him is falsehood, and it is Allah Who is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat al-Hajj: 62] And another verse that reads: {To Him ascend good words, and righteous deeds raise them.} [Surat Fātir: 10] And this verse that reads: {This [Qur’an] is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah, so that you may be shown mercy.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 155] The creatures will hear the speech of Allah Almighty on the Day of Judgment, as related in a Hadīth in which ‘Abdullāh ibn ’Onays (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Allah will gather the creatures and call them with a voice that will be heard by those distant as it will be heard by those near, saying: ‘I am the King, I am the Recompenser.’" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri as mu‘allaq (9/141), and in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (970), and in Khalq Af‘āl Al-Ibād (90), and by Ahmad (16042)] We believe that Allah Almighty has screened Himself from the creation; so, they cannot see Him in the life of this world. And He speaks to whomever He wills from among His angels and messengers (peace be upon them) from behind a screen. Allah, the Exalted, says: {They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.} [Surat an-Nahl: 50] And the verse that says: {I will take you and raise you up to Myself.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 55] And the verse that says: {By which the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him on a Day the length of which is fifty thousand years.} [Surat al-Ma‘ārij: 4] And the verse that says: {Allah is the One who has created seven heavens, and likewise for the earth. The Command descends between them so that you may know that Allah is Most Capable of all things, and that Allah has encompassed everything in knowledge.} [Surat at-Talāq: 12] And the verse that says: {Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself, and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 158] And the verse that says: {Glory be to the One Who took His slave [Muhammad] by night from the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah] to the Aqsā Mosque [in Jerusalem] whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 1]
And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote a book with Him: My mercy overcame - or preceded - My anger. It is with Him over the Throne." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7553), Muslim (2751), At-Tirmidhi (3543), and Ibn Mājah (189)] Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), a man in the company sneezed. I said: "May Allah have mercy upon you!" The people stared at me with disapproving looks. So, I said: "Woe to me, why are you staring at me?" They began to strike their hands on their thighs, and when I saw them urging me to observe silence, (I became angry) but I said nothing. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the prayer - and I declare that neither before him nor after him have I seen a leader who gave better instruction than he for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom. I swear that he did not scold, beat, or revile me - he said: "Talking to persons is not fitting during the prayer, for it consists of glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and recitation of the Qur’an." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have been until recently a pagan, but Allah has brought Islam to us; among us there are men who have recourse to diviners." He said: "Do not have recourse to them." I said: "There are men who take omens." He said: "That is something they find in their breasts, but it does not turn them away (from freedom of action)." I said: "Among us there are men who draw lines." He said: "There was a prophet who drew lines; so if they do it as he did, this is permissible." I had a maid-servant who tended goats by the side of Uhud and Jawwāniyyah. One day I happened to pass that way and found that a wolf had carried a goat from her flock. I am after all a man from the posterity of Adam. I felt sorry as they (human beings) feel sorry. So, I slapped her, after which I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), having a feeling that this is something grave. I said: "O Messenger of Allah, should I set her free?" He said: "Bring her to me." So, I brought her to him. He said to her: "Where is Allah?" She said: "He is in the heaven." He said: "Who am I?" She said: "You are the Messenger of Allah." Thereupon, he said: "Set her free, for she is a believer." [Narrated by Muslim (537), Abu Dāwūd (930), and An-Nasā’i (1218)]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers. Then those angels who spend the night among you ascend, their Lord asks them, although He knows best about them: 'How did you leave My servants?' They say: 'We left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (555), Muslim (632), and An-Nasā’i (485)] Abu Razīn al-‘Uqayli (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, where was Allah before He created His creation?" He said: "He was above the clouds, below which was air and above which was air, and He created His Throne above water." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (3109), Ibn Mājah (182), At-Tayālisi (1189), Ahmad (16188), and Ibn Abi ‘Āsim in As-Sunnah (625)] These and numerous other verses and Hadīths point to Allah's highness.
The proofs for His highness is too numerous to be counted. It is unanimously confirmed by the scholars of Islam and established by the sound mind and natural disposition. Imām Ibn Battah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "The Muslims - including the Companions, the succeeding generation, and all faithful scholars - unanimously agree that Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, is above His Throne, above His heavens, and separate from His creation, and His knowledge encompasses all His creation." [Al-Ibānah Al-Kubra by Ibn Battah (7/136)]
Ad-Dārimi (may Allah have mercy upon him) reported that when Ibn al-Mubārak was asked: "How can we recognize our Lord?" He said: "He is above the Throne, above the seventh heaven above the Throne, and is separate from His creation." [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah by Ad-Dārimi (98)]
Among Allah's attributes is His rising over the Throne, which He mentions in seven places in the Qur’an. One of those verses reads: {Your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and earth in six days, and then rose over [istawa] the Throne. He makes the night and day overlap in rapid succession. He made the sun, the moon, and the stars – all subservient to His command. Behold, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 54] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote a book with Him: My mercy overcame - or preceded - My anger. It is with Him over the Throne." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7553), Muslim (2751), At-Tirmidhi (3543), and Ibn Mājah (189)] Al-Lālikā’i narrated that Ibn ‘Uyaynah reported: Rabī‘ah was asked about the verse that reads: {The Most Compassionate rose over the Throne.} [Surat Tāha: 5], as to how He rose over the Throne? He replied: “The rising is not unknown, but its nature is inconceivable. The message came from Allah, and the Prophet was tasked with conveying it; and we are obligated to firmly believe.” [Sharh Usul I‘tiqād Ahl As-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamā‘ah (3/442) and Al-‘Arsh by Adh-Dhahabi (2/213)] A similar view was reported from Imam Mālik (may Allah have mercy upon him). [Narrated by Abu Nu‘aym in Al-Hilyah (6/325, 326), Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Asmā’ Wa As-Sifāt (2/304), and Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr in At-Tamhīd (7/138). Adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "The scholars derived a rule from Imām Malik's statement: 'The rising is known, but its nature is unknown; believing in it is obligatory; and asking about it is innovation in religion.' They adopted this rule as far as this issue is concerned." [Al-‘Uluw for Adh-Dhahabi (1/117)]
Another attribute of Allah Almighty is love. In the Qur'an, He says: {Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 54] Imām Ad-Dārimi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "He combined the two loves: the love of the Creator and the love of people. Then, He distinguished between what He loves and what He does not love, so that people can know that these two are different and opposed to each other. He says: {Allah does not like offensive words to be said} [Surat an-Nisā’: 148] and {He does not like those who are wasteful.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 141]" [Naqd Ad-Dārimi (2/865)]
In another verse, He says: {Allah loves those who frequently repent and He loves those who purify themselves.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 222] Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said during the battle of Khaybar: "Tomorrow I will give the flag to a man to whom Allah will give victory, and who loves Allah and His Messenger and is loved by Allah and His Messenger." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3009), Muslim (2406), and Abu Dāwūd (3661)] In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No one of you is a real believer until I become more beloved to him than his father and his children and all people." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (15), Muslim (44), An-Nasā’i (5013), and Ibn Mājah (67)]
The attributes of Allah Almighty include: pleasure. In the Qur'an, He says: {As for the first forerunners of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in righteous deeds, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 100] ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I noticed that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was missing from his bed one night; so I went looking for him, and my hand touched the soles of his feet; he was in the mosque with his feet erect (prostrating), and he was saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath and in Your pardon from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot count the praises You deserve. You are as You have praised Yourself." [Narrated by Muslim (486), Abu Dāwūd (879), At-Tirmidhi (3493), An-Nasā’i (169), and Ibn Mājah (3841)]
Among Allah's attributes is hatred toward His enemies, for they hated His pleasure and hated what He sent down to His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Almighty says: {That is because they follow what incurs Allah’s wrath and they hate what pleases Him, so He will render their deeds worthless.} [Surat Muhammad: 28] He also says: {But Allah disliked their going forth, so He made them lag behind, and they were told: "Stay behind with those who are staying behind."} [Surat at-Tawbah: 46] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah said: 'If My slaves loves meeting with Me, I love meeting with him; and if he dislikes meeting with Me, I dislike meeting with him.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7504) and An-Nasā’i (1835)]
Allah's attributes also include anger at His enemies. He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah is angry with them, and has cursed them.} [Surat al-Fat'h: 6] Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah's anger is intensified at those killed by the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in Allah's cause; Allah's anger is intensified at people who caused the Prophet's face to bleed." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4074)]
One of Allah's attributes is abhorrence - His abhorrence of the disbelievers. He, Glorified be He, says: {Those who disbelieve will be addressed: "Allah’s abhorrence of you was greater than your abhorrence of yourselves [Today].”} [Surat Ghāfir: 10]
Among Allah's attributes is plotting against His enemies who plot against His pious servants. Allah Almighty says: {Thus they made a plan and We too made a plan, but they were unaware of it. See then what was the consequences of their plan: We destroyed them and their entire people.} [Surat an-Naml: 50-51]
Allah's attributes include severe anger. In the Qur'an, He Almighty says: {When they greatly angered Us, We exacted Our retribution and drowned them all.} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 55] -- -- --
[Surat an-Nisā’: 166] Another proof is its agreement with the teachings brought by the prophets (peace be upon them). An example is the verse that says: {Your Lord has ordained that you worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your care, do not say to them a word of annoyance nor scold them, rather speak to them noble words.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 23] Till the verse that reads: {This is part of the wisdom that your Lord has revealed to you [O Prophet]. Do not set up any other god with Allah, or you will be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected.}
[Surat al-Isrā’: 39] Allah Almighty also says: {He has sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel.}
[Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 3] All these principles which Islam puts emphasis on are the very things the previous messengers called to and stressed on them. The proofs include testimony by the contemporary People of the Book for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), which Allah Almighty mentions in the noble Qur’an, saying: {Say: "What do you think, if this [Qur’an] is really from Allah and yet you reject it, and a witness from the Children of Israel has testified in its favor and believed, whereas you persist in arrogance? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people."} [Surat al-Ahqāf: 10] After the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed Waraqah about what he saw, Waraqah said to him: "That is the same angel whom Allah sent to Mūsa."
One of Allah's attributes is laughing. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah laughs to two men, one of whom kills the other, both enter Paradise." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2826), Muslim (1890), An-Nasā’i (3166), and Ibn Mājah (191)] In a long Hadīth reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) about seeing Allah Almighty on the Day of Judgment, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) related the story of the last one to enter Paradise. He said: "Allah will say: 'May Allah be merciful to you, O son of Adam! How treacherous you are! Have you not made covenants and given pledges that you will not ask for anything more than what you are given?' He will say: 'O my Lord, do not make me the most wretched amongst Your servants.' So, Allah will laugh and allow him to enter Paradise." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (806)]
Wakī‘ said: "If you are asked: 'Does our Lord laugh?' Say: This is what we heard." [Sharh Usūl I‘tiqād Ahl As-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamā‘ah (3/477)]
Al-Hāfizh Ibn Battah (may Allah have mercy upon him) set a chapter in his book "Al-Ibānah", titled: Chapter on the belief that Allah Almighty laughs. In it, he said: "Know - may Allah have mercy upon you - that among the traits of the believers, the followers of the truth, is that they believe and accept authentically reported texts and do not dispute them due to analogy or form their opinions based on personal inclinations. Indeed, faith is belief, and the faithful is a believer. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they accept you [O Prophet] as judge in their disputes, and find no discomfort within their hearts about your judgments, but accept them wholeheartedly.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 65] Among the traits of the believers is that they describe Allah as He described Himself and as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described Him, based on texts transmitted by the scholars and narrated by reliable narrators, who are trusted with what they narrated, which involve the rulings on what is lawful and what is unlawful and the religious Sunnahs and traditions. In the face of Hadīths authentically reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), we should not ask 'how?' or 'why?' But, we should follow, comply, and be certain, and refrain from innovations, opposition, or doubt. All authentic Hadīths are narrated by trustworthy and upright people. Among the things a believer is required to accept and not object to is that Allah Almighty laughs. No one disputes or rejects this but a heretic who is frowned upon by the scholars." [Al-Ibānah Al-Kubra by Ibn Battah (7/91)]
Among Allah's attributes is that He will come on the Day of Judgment to judge mankind. He, Exalted be He, says: {Are they waiting for the coming of the angels, or the coming of your Lord?} [Surat al-An‘ām: 158] He also says: {And your Lord comes with the angels, rank after rank.} [Surat al-Fajr: 22] And He says: {Are they waiting that Allah should come to them in shadows of clouds, along with the angels? But then the matter would be decided. And to Allah return all matters.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 210] And Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah will gather mankind on the Day of Judgment and say: 'Whoever used to worship something should follow it...'" He continued to report the Hadīth until he reached this part: "And this Ummah will remain, and they will say: 'We will remain in our place until our Lord comes to us. When our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.' So, Allah Almighty will come to them and say: 'I am your Lord!' They will say: 'You are our Lord.' And they will follow Him." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (806), Muslim (182), Abu Dāwūd (4730), At-Tirmidhi (2554), and Ibn Mājah (178)]
Abu al-‘Āliyah commented on this verse: {Are they waiting that Allah should come to them in shadows of clouds, along with the angels?} [Surat al-Baqarah: 210] He said: "The angels will come in shadows of clouds, and Allah Almighty will come in whatever He wishes." [Al-Asmā’ Wa As-Sifāt by Al-Bayhaqi (2/370)]
Among Allah's attributes is that He descends to the worldly heaven in a real way that befits His majesty and greatness; it is not like the descent of created beings; rather, it is like all His other attributes which we believe in and know, without exploring their very nature or rejecting them. We believe in them just as they were reported to us by the truthful Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "When half of the night or two-third of it has passed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, descends to the worldly heaven and says: 'Is there anyone who asks for something, so that it may be given to him? Is there anyone who supplicates, so that his supplication may be answered? Is there anyone who asks for forgiveness, so that he may be forgiven?' This continues until the daybreak." [Narrated by Muslim (758)]
The leading Imām Muhammad ibn Khuzaymah set a chapter in his book "At-Tawhīd', titled: "Chapter on reports with authentic chains of transmission and sound content, narrated by the scholars of Hijaz and Iraq from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about the descent of the Almighty Lord to the lowest heaven every night; we testify, giving the testimony of someone acknowledging with his tongue, believing in his heart, and trusting these reports about the Lord's descent, without describing the very nature of this, for our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not describe to us how our Creator descends to the lowest heaven; he only informed us that He descends, and Allah, Exalted be He, and His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not fail to clarify any religious matter whose clarity is needed by Muslims; so, we proclaim and believe in what is contained in these reports about such descent, without trying to say or know how this happens, for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not demonstrate to us the manner of descending." [At-Tawhīd by Ibn Khuzaymah (1/289)]
In his book "Al-Ibānah", Al-Hāfizh Ibn Battah (may Allah have mercy upon him) set a chapter, titled: Chapter on the faith and belief that Allah Almighty descends every night to the worldly heaven, without departure from His place and without knowing how this happens. Then, Ibn Battah said: "Know - may Allah have mercy upon you - that Allah has ordained His believing servants to obey His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), accept what he said and came with, believe in all authentic reports from him, and submit to all this and avoid objection by making comparisons and asking why and how. And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: "Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He, descends to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is remaining and says: 'Is there anyone who supplicates to Me, so that I may answer his supplication? Is there anyone who asks from Me, so that I may give him? Is there anyone who asks for My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?'" This is part of a long Hadīth - which we will cite in full, Allah Willing - narrated by trustworthy narrators and pious scholars, who conveyed to us the Shariah of Islam and its pillars, like the prayer, Zakah, fasting, Hajj, and Jihad, as well as all other rulings such as marriage, divorce, transactions, and the lawful and the unlawful." [Al-Ibānah Al-Kubra by Ibn Battah 97/201)] [The Hadīth is narrated by Al-Bukhāri (1145), Muslim (758), Abu Dāwūd (1315), At-Tirmidhi (446), and Ibn Mājah (1366)]
We believe in Allah's attribute of Ma‘iyyah (Allah being with His servants). He is present with His creation through His knowledge, encompassment, and will. This attribute is established by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Allah Almighty says: {Do you not see that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth? No secret consultation takes place between three, but He is their fourth, or between five, but He is their sixth, or between fewer or more than that, but He is with them wherever they may be. Then He will inform them of what they did on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing of everything.} [Surat al-Mujādalah: 7]
And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not trouble yourselves too much! You are not calling one who is deaf or absent, but you are calling One Who is Hearing, and Near, and He is with you." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4205), Muslim (2704), Abu Dāwūd (1526), and At-Tirmidhi (3461)]
Ma‘iyyah is of two kinds:
Specific ma‘iyyah: It is shown to the messengers of Allah and His pious servants, and it entails His support for them. Allah Almighty says: {He said: "Do not be afraid; I am with you both, hearing and seeing."} [Surat Tāha: 46]
General ma‘iyyah: It means that Allah is with all mankind, believers and unbelievers. In the Qur'an, He says: {He is with you wherever you are.} [Surat al-Hadīd: 4] This kind of ma‘iyyah means knowledge, encompassment, ability, and authority.
This ma‘iyyah does not contradict Allah's exaltedness, for it means knowledge and encompassment, by consensus among the scholars, as previously mentioned. In other words, Allah Almighty is with His servants through His knowledge and encompassment.
One of Allah's attributes is ‘Ajab (wonder). Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah wonders at people who will enter Paradise in chains." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3010) and Abu Dāwūd (2677)] ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Your Lord wonders at a shepherd of goats who calls to prayer at the peak of a mountain, and offers prayer. Allah Almighty says: 'Look at this servant of Mine; he calls to prayer and offers it, fearing Me. So, I forgive My servant and admit him to Paradise.'" [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (1203), An-Nasā’i (666), Ahmad (17312), Ibn Abi ‘Āsim in As-Sunnah (584), and Ar-Ruwyāni (232)]
We believe that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Judgment, as established by the Qur'an and authentic Hadīths in which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave glad tidings to the believers that they will see their Lord with their own eyes on the Day of Judgment. By Allah, this is the greatest bliss the dwellers of Paradise will enjoy. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {On that Day some faces will be bright, looking at their Lord.} [Surat al-Qiyāmah: 22-23] He Almighty also says: {For those who do good there will be the best reward and more.} [Surat Yūnus: 26] And He, Exalted be He, says: {No indeed! On that Day they will be barred from seeing their Lord.} [Surat al-Mutaffifīn: 15] Imām Mālik was asked: "O Abu ‘Abdullāh, will the believers see their Lord on the Day of Judgment?" He replied: "If the believers were not to see their Lord on the Day of Judgment, Allah would not rebuke the disbelievers for being barred from seeing Him, as He says: {No indeed! On that Day they will be barred from seeing their Lord.}" [Sharh Usūl I‘tiqād Ahl As-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamā‘ah (2/468)]
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We said: "O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" He said: "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon when the sky is clear?" We said: 'No.' He said: "So you will have no difficulty in seeing your Lord on that Day as you have no difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon." The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) then said: "Somebody will then announce: 'Let every nation follow what they used to worship.' So, the companions of the cross will go with their cross, and the idolaters will go with their idols, and the companions of every god will go with their god, till there remain those who used to worship Allah, both the pious and wicked ones, and some of the people of the book. Then, Hell will be presented to them as if it were a mirage. It will be said to the Jews: 'What did you use to worship?' They will reply: 'We used to worship Ezra, the son of Allah.' It will be said to them: 'You are liars, for Allah has neither a wife nor a son. What do you want (now)?' They will reply: 'We want you to provide us with water.' It will be said to them: 'Drink,' and they will fall down in Hell (instead). Then, it will be said to the Christians: 'What did you use to worship?' They will reply: 'We used to worship the Messiah, the son of Allah.' It will be said: 'You are liars, for Allah has neither a wife nor a son. What: do you want (now)?' They will say: 'We want you to provide us with water.' It will be said to them: 'Drink,' and they will fall down in Hell (instead). When there remain only those who used to worship Allah, both the pious and wicked ones. It will be said to them: 'What keeps you here when all the people have gone?' They will say: 'We parted with them when we were in greater need of them than we are today. We heard the call of someone proclaiming: 'Let every nation follow what they used to worship'. Now, we are waiting for our Lord.' Then, the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say: 'I am your Lord.' They will say: 'You are our Lord.' And none will speak to Him then but the prophets, and then it will be said to them: 'Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?' They will say: 'The Shin.' So, Allah will uncover His Shin, whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7439) and Muslim (183)]
In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, you will see your Lord as you see this moon and will have no difficulty in seeing Him." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (554), Muslim (633), Abu Dāwūd (4729), At-Tirmidhi (2551), and Ibn Mājah (177)]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The people said: "O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" He replied: "Do you have any doubt about seeing the full moon on a cloudless night?" They replied: "No, O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds?" They replied in the negative. He said: "You will see Him in the same way. On the Day of Resurrection, people will be gathered and He will order the people to follow what they used to worship. Some of them will follow the sun, some will follow the moon, and some will follow other deities; and only this nation will be left, along with its hypocrites. Allah will come to them and say: 'I am Your Lord.' They will say: 'We will stay in this place till our Lord comes to us and when our Lord will come, we will recognize Him.' Then, Allah will come to them again and say: 'I am your Lord.' They will say: 'You are our Lord.' Allah will call them, and the Sirāt (bridge) will be laid across Hell, and I will be the first amongst the messengers to cross it with my Ummah. Only the messengers will be able to speak on that Day, and they will be saying: 'O Allah, save us. O Allah, save us!'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (806), Muslim (182), Abu Dāwūd (4730), At-Tirmidhi (2554), and Ibn Mājah (178)]
The Prophet's Hadīths speaking about seeing Allah Almighty are authentic and mass transmitted. This is not contradicted by the verse that says: {He said: "My Lord, reveal Yourself to me so that I may look at You." Allah said: "You will not be able to see Me. But look at the mountain; if it stays firm in its place, only then will you see Me"} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 143], for it applies to worldly life. This is similar to the Prophet's response to Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked him: "Did you see your Lord?" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "(He is) light. How could I see Him?" [Narrated by Muslim (178) and At-Tirmidhi (3282)] So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not see our Lord during the night of Isrā’ and Mi‘rāj. Instead, Allah Almighty informs us about the signs He honored him with on that journey. He, Exalted be He, says: {Glory be to the One Who took His slave [Muhammad] by night from the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah] to the Aqsā Mosque [in Jerusalem] whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (806), Muslim (182), Abu Dāwūd (4730), At-Tirmidhi (2554), and Ibn Mājah (178)] Yet, Allah Almighty does not mention that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord. If he had seen Him, He would have mentioned that by way of showing favor upon him.
Likewise, the verse that says: {No vision can encompass Him, but He encompasses all vision, and He is the Most Subtle, the All-Aware} [Surat al-An‘ām: 103] The Prophet's Hadīths speaking about seeing Allah Almighty are authentic and mass transmitted. This is not contradicted by the verse that says: {He said: "My Lord, reveal Yourself to me so that I may look at You." Allah said: "You will not be able to see Me. But look at the mountain; if it stays firm in its place, only then will you see Me"} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 143], for it applies to worldly life.
Ad-Dārimi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "All these Hadīths, and more, were reported on seeing Allah Almighty. We have found our Shaykhs, the people of fiqh and insight, believing in these narrations, and Muslims, in the past and present, continue to transmit and believe in them, not rejecting them or finding them strange. If anyone among the people of deviation rejected them, they would describe him as misguided. Rather, their highest hope and the best reward they would seek from their Lord is to look at His face. To them, this is unrivaled by any other bliss in Paradise." [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah by Ad-Dārimi (122)]
The leading Imām of Tafsīr Ibn Jarīr at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "The correct opinion with regard to the believers seeing their Lord, Exalted be He, on the Day of Judgment - which is the view we adopt and found it adopted by Ahl-us-Sunnah Wa al-Jamā‘ah - is that the dwellers of Paradise will see Him, as authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." [Sarīh As-Sunnah by At-Tabari (20)]
Ibn Battah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "By rejecting the seeing of Him, they wanted to negate His lordship, for once they acknowledge seeing Him, they must acknowledge His lordship. Indeed, Allah Almighty made the reward for those who believe in Him in the unseen to see Him with their own eyes." [Al-Ibānah Al-Kubra by Ibn Battah (2/7)]
Al-Walīd ibn Muslim said: I asked Al-Awzā‘i, Mālik ibn Anas, Sufyān ath-Thawri, and Al-Layth ibn Sa‘d about these Hadīths that mention seeing Allah and the like, and they said: "Accept them without asking: how?" This is similar to the Prophet's response to Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked him: "Did you see your Lord?" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "(He is) light. How could I see Him?"
We affirm that Allah Almighty has a face, in a way that befits His greatness and grandeur. He, Exalted be He, says: {Everything will perish except Him. His is the Judgment and to Him you will all be brought back.} [Surat al-Qasas: 88] Allah Almighty also says: {But there will remain the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honor.} [Surat ar-Rahmān: 27] And He, Glorified be He, says: {And those who observe patience, seeking the pleasure of their Lord.} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 22] In another verse, He Almighty says: {But to seek the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High.} [Surat al-Layl: 20] And He Almighty says: {Seeking His pleasure.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 52] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Two gardens, the utensils and the contents of which are of silver, and two other gardens, the utensils and contents of which are of gold. And nothing will prevent the people who will be in the Garden of Eden from seeing their Lord except the curtain of Majesty over His Face." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4878), Muslim (180), At-Tirmidhi (2528), and Ibn Mājah (186)]
In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, Exalted and Glorified be He, does not sleep, and it is not befitting of Him to sleep. He lowers the Scales and raises them. The deeds done during the night are taken up to Him before the deeds done during the day, and the deeds done during the day before the deeds done during the night. His veil is light, and if He were to remove it, the glory of his face would burn everything of His creation as far as His sight reaches." [Narrated by Muslim (179) and Ibn Mājah (195, 196)]
Abu ‘Uthmān as-Sābūni (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "They say the same about all attributes mentioned in the Qur’an or the authentic Sunnah, including hearing, seeing, eye, face, knowledge, power, ability, might, majesty, will, wish, speech, pleasure, anger, life, wakefulness, joy, laughter, etc., without likening any of these to the attributes of created beings. Rather, they adhere to what is said by Allah Almighty and His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), without adding anything thereto or trying to know the very nature of this, or likening Allah Almighty to His creation, or distorting or changing the meanings of these attributes, and without changing the meaning of the relevant words, as known by Arabs, and interpreting them in some unusual way. But they take these as they outwardly are and leave their knowledge to Allah Almighty, acknowledging that their true interpretation is known to Allah Almighty alone. About those well-grounded people in knowledge, Allah, Exalted be He, says: {And those who are well-grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it. It is all from our Lord." None will take heed except people of understanding.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 7] [‘Aqīdat As-Salaf As'hāb Al-Hadīth by Abu ‘Uthmān as-Sābuni (16, 17)]
Among Allah's attributes is having Hand. It is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah in numerous forms. It is sometimes mentioned as a pair of hands, and at other times it is mentioned that Allah holds and stretches it out and that He will fold the heavens therein and place the earth in His grip. His hand is also described as having fingers. All this proves that the hand mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah is a real hand that befits the Almighty Lord. We should not try to know its very essence, liken it to the hands of created beings, or distort the verses and Hadīths wherein it is mentioned. Allah, the Exalted, says: {[Allah] said: "O Iblīs, what prevented you from prostrating to whom I created with My two Hands? Did you just became proud or have you always been arrogant?"} [Surat Sād: 75] Allah Almighty also says: {Those who pledge allegiance to you [O Prophet] are indeed pledging allegiance to Allah; Allah’s Hand is over their hands.} [Surat al-Fat'h: 10] And He, Exalted be He, says: {They did not revere Allah His true reverence. On the Day of Resurrection, the whole earth will be in His Grip, and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified and exalted is He above all what they associate with Him!} [Surat az-Zumar: 67]
And in a Hadīth reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Adam and Mūsa (peace be upon them) debated, and Adam won the argument with Mūsa. Mūsa said: 'You are Adam Whom Allah created with His own hand and into Whom He breathed from His spirit.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6614), Muslim (2652), Abu Dāwūd (4701), At-Tirmidhi (2134), and Ibn Mājah (80)] In another version of the Hadīth, he said: "Adam and Mūsa debated. Mūsa said to him: 'O Adam, you are our father; you deprived us and caused us to be expelled from Paradise because of your sin.' Adam said to him: 'O Mūsa, Allah chose you for His speech, and He wrote the Torah for you with His own Hand.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6614), Muslim (2652), Abu Dāwūd (4701), At-Tirmidhi (2134), and Ibn Mājah (80)]
In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Those who act justly will be with Allah on pulpits of light at the right hand of the Most Compassionate, Exalted be He, and both His hands are right. They are those who are just in their judgment and towards their people and what is under their charge." [Narrated by Muslim (178) and At-Tirmidhi (3282)]
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah expands His Hand during the night so the sinners of the day may repent, and expands His Hand during the day so the sinners of the night may repent. He keeps doing so until the sun rises from the west." [Narrated by Muslim (2759)]
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "Do you see what He has spent since He created the heavens and the earth? Yet all that has not decreased what is in His hand. His Throne was over the water, and in His hand is the balance, and He raises and lowers." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4684), Muslim (993), At-Tirmidhi (3045), and Ibn Mājah (197)]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah created Adam and breathed into him from His spirit, he sneezed and said: 'Praise be to Allah.' He praised Allah by His permission... Thereupon, Allah said to him while His two hands were closed: 'Choose whichever of them you wish.' He said: 'I choose the right hand of my Lord, and both hands of my Lord are right and blessed.' Then, He extended them, and there was Adam and his offspring in it." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (3368), Ibn Abi ‘Āsim in As-Sunnah (596), Al-Bazzār (8194), and An-Nasā’i in Al-Kubra (9977)]
In yet another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, all the hearts of the children of Adam are between two fingers of the fingers of the Most Compassionate, like one heart which He turns about as He wills." [Narrated by Muslim (2654)]
In his book "As-Sunnah", ‘Abdullāh ibn Imām Ahmad related that Wakī‘ said: "We take these Hadīths as they are reported without asking how or why. An example is the Hadīth reported by Ibn Mas‘ūd, which reads: 'Indeed, Allah Almighty carries the heavens on a finger and the mountains on a finger.' And another Hadīth, which reads: 'Verily, all the hearts of the children of Adam are between two fingers of the fingers of the Most Compassionate.' [Narrated by Muslim (2654)] In addition to other similar Hadīths." [As-Sunnah by ‘Abdullāh ibn Ahmad (1/267)]
Replying to someone asking about those who deny the Hadīths on Allah's attributes, Shareek (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "Indeed, those who transmitted these Hadīths are the same ones who transmitted the Qur'an and the fact that there are five prayers, Hajj to the Ka‘bah, and the fasting of Ramadan. We only know Allah through these Hadīths." So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not see our Lord during the night of Isrā’ and Mi‘rāj. Instead, Allah Almighty informs us about the signs He honored him with on that journey. He, Exalted be He, says:
After listing the Hadīths establishing the attribute of hand for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, Al-Hāfizh Ibn Battah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "These Hadīths and the similar ones fall under the completeness of the religion. The correct approach is to believe in them, accept them, receive them without objection, and follow the example of the righteous predecessors in narrating them without asking how or why." [Al-Ibānah by Ibn Battah (3/313)]
As Allah Almighty described Himself by the attributes of perfection, majesty, excellence, glory, and pride, He also negated from Himself the attributes of deficiency. The negation of attributes is not the basic rule in the Qur'an and the Sunnah; rather, the basic rule is to establish the attributes. The Qur'an and the Sunnah are abound with clarification of Allah's attributes as befitting His majesty, greatness, and perfection. When Allah negates an attribute from Himself, He does so to demonstrate the perfection in its opposite, or because humans have ascribed some deficiency to the Almighty Lord; so, He negates such ascribed deficiency from Himself.
Among the deficiencies Allah Almighty negates from Himself is drowsiness and sleep. He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255] He Almighty also negates forgetfulness from Himself, saying: {Your Lord is never forgetful} [Surat Mariyam: 64]. And He, Glorified be He, negates weariness from Himself, for the Jews, may Allah curse them, claimed that He experienced fatigue after creating the universe. So, the Almighty Lord negates that He had to take rest after the completion of the creation. He, Exalted be He, says: {Indeed, We created the heavens and earth and all that is between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us.} [Surat Qāf: 38]
Our Lord states that He created the creation for a great wisdom and that He did not create it for no purpose. So, He negates purposelessness and frivolity from Himself. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Did you think that We created you with no purpose, and that you would not be brought back to Us?} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 115] Allah Almighty makes clear that His judgment is just and His speech is categorical and that He does not wrong anyone, for He possesses the perfect justice. He, Exalted be He, says: {They will find all what they did before them, and your Lord does not wrong anyone.} [Surat al-Kahf: 49] Allah Almighty also says: {Your Lord is not unjust to His slaves.} [Surat Fussilat: 46]
The Jews and Christians falsely attributed son to Allah Almighty, thus emulating the disbelievers before them. But Allah, the Exalted, negates that from Himself. He, Glorified be He, says: {Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him.} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 91] Allah Almighty explains that whoever has a child must have a spouse and He is far exalted above having a spouse or a child. He, Glorified be He, says: {The Originator of the heavens and earth. How could He have a son when He never had a companion? He created all things, and He is All-Knowing of everything.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 101] He Almighty also says: {And that He – our exalted and glorified Lord – has neither taken a wife nor a child.} [Surat al-Jinn: 3]
We believe that Allah Almighty possesses the excellent names and His names are at the pinnacle of excellence and beauty. He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah – none has the right to be worshiped except Him. He has the Most Beautiful Names.} [Surat Tāha: 8] Some of His names occur in the verses that read: {All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment.} [Surat al-Fātihah: 2-4] And in the verses that read: {He is Allah; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, Knower of the unseen and the seen; He is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. He is Allah; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Most Perfect, the Granter of Security, the Watcher over all, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah far above what they associate with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. He has the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and earth glorifies Him, for He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat al-Hashr: 22-24]
Allah's names are derivatives, and from each of them an attribute is derived. For example, the attribute of mercy is derived from the name the Most Merciful, might from the Mighty, wisdom from the All-Wise, life from the All-Living, and so on.
Allah's names are numberless. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask You by every name that belongs to You, which You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught anyone of Your creation, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen with You." [Narrated by Ad-Dabby in Ad-Du‘ā' (6), Ibn Abi Shaybah in Al-Musannaf (29930) and in Al-Musnad (329), Ahmad (3712), and Al-Hārith ibn Abi Usāmah in Al-Musnad, and also in Bughyat Al-Bāhith (1057)] The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "Verily, Allah has ninety-nine names, one-hundred minus one. Whoever memorizes them all will enter Paradise.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2736), Muslim (2677), At-Tirmidhi (3506), and Ibn Mājah (3860)]
Our Lord warns us against seeking deviation in His names. In the Qur’an, He Almighty says: {Allah has the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who seek deviation in His Names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 180]
There are different forms of seeking deviations in Allah's names. An example is to call people with Allah's names, which may not be used for people, such as the Creator, the Most Compassionate, etc. Another form is calling the idols with names derived from Allah's names, like Al-Lāt, which is derived from Allah, and Al-‘Uzza, from Al-‘Azīz (the Mighty). Seeking deviation in Allah's names also includes rejecting or denying their meanings.
The names and attributes of Allah Almighty which are mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah are too numerous to be included in a single book. Yet, it is enough honor for us that we have referred to a few phrases in this regard.
We believe that a Muslim should only describe Allah and name Him with the attributes and names He Almighty declared for Himself or the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) declared for Him; and that he should negate from his Lord what He negated from Himself or the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) negated from Him. Beyond that, he should remain silent.
We believe in these names and attributes as intended by our Lord and by our Prophet, and we know that their realities are not realized or grasped by people. Moreover, we should not pretend to know their very nature, as Allah Almighty commanded His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to say: {Nor do I pretend to be what I am not.} [Surat Sād: 86] Likewise, some types of bliss in Paradise, which are mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, share the same names with forms of bliss in this life, yet the difference between the two is too big to be grasped by people's minds. So, if we believe in the bliss of Paradise, even though we did not see it or know its reality and nature, indeed Allah Almighty is far exalted above similitude to human beings for the mere reason of sharing some attributes and names. We do not have to negate from Allah Almighty these names and attributes because of such homonymy.
This is the view adopted by the leading scholars of guidance and knowledge, one after another. For example, Ibn Abi Zamanayn said: "These are the attributes of our Lord with which He describes Himself in His Book and His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) described Him. Nothing of them specifies, likens, or measures Him. Glory be to the One like Whom there is nothing, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing. Eyes did not see Him so that they could know His essence, yet hearts did see Him as a truth of faith." [Usūl As-Sunnah for Ibn Abi Zamanayn (74)]
‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn al-Qāsim said: "No one should describe Allah Almighty except with what He describes Himself with in the Qur'an or liken His Hands or Face to anything else. Rather, we should say: He has two Hands, as He describes Himself in the Qur'an, and has a Face, as He describes Himself in the Qur'an. Thus, we should stick to what He describes Himself with in the Book. Indeed, none is equal or similar to Allah, Exalted be He. But He is Allah, there is none worthy of worship except Him, as He describes Himself. His two Hands are extended, as He describes them: {On the Day of Resurrection, the whole earth will be in His Grip, and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand.} [Surat az-Zumar: 67] As He describes Himself." [Usūl As-Sunnah, by Ibn Abi Zamanayn (75)]
Imām Al-Humaydi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "As for what is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, like: {The Jews say: "Allah’s Hand is restrained." Their hands have been restrained.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 64] And like: {And the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand.} [Surat az-Zumar: 67] We should not add anything to it or try to interpret it. Rather, we should stop at the limit set by the Qur’an and the Sunnah." [Al-‘Uluw Lil ‘Alyy Al-‘Azhīm, by Adh-Dhahabi (168)]
Imām Ahmad said: "We worship Allah along with His attributes with which He described Himself... We should stick to the Qur'an and the Hadīths in this respect and say as He said and describes Him as He described Himself - not going beyond that. We believe in the Qur'an, all of it, with its specific and ambiguous verses, and do not negate from our Lord, Exalted be He, any of His attributes, or negate anything He described Himself with, like speaking, descending, and meeting privately with His servant on the Day of Judgment and placing His veil upon him. All of this indicates that Allah will be seen in the Hereafter. Yet, specification here is a religious innovation. We should submit to Allah and obey His command. Allah Almighty is Speaking, Knowing, Forgiving, and Knower of the unseen and the visible. These are attributes of Allah with which He described Himself; so, they should not be rejected or denied. He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255] {He is Allah; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Most Perfect, the Granter of Security, the Watcher over all, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme.} [Surat al-Hashr: 23] These are the attributes and names of Allah." [Al-Ibānah Al-Kubra, by Ibn Battah (7/326)]
When asked about the attributes of the Almighty Lord, Imām Qiwām as-Sunnah Abu al-Qāsim said: "Mālik, Ath-Thawri, Al-Awzā‘i, Hammād ibn Salamah, Hammād ibn Zayd, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Yahya ibn Sa‘īd, ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Mahdi, and Is'hāq ibn Rahwayh held the view that the attributes of Allah with which He described Himself or the Messenger described Him, such as hearing, seeing, the face, and the two hands, should be taken as they outwardly and famously are, without trying to know their nature, interpreting them, or likening them to anything else." [Al-‘Uluw Lil ‘Alyy Al-‘Azhīm, by Adh-Dhahabi (2/459)]
He also said: "I here mention - with Allah's help - some of our earlier scholars who addressed these meanings, including Abu ‘Abdullāh Sufyān ibn Sa‘īd ibn Masrūq ath-Thawri, who revealed his belief and approach in the Sunnah in a number of places, and he dictated them to Shu‘ayb ibn Harb; they also include Abu Muhammad Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah al-Hilāli, who demonstrated his belief when he was asked about it, as reported by Muhammad ibn Is'hāq ath-Thaqafi; one of them is Abu ‘Amr ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Amr al-Awzā‘i, the Imām of the people of the Levant, who proclaimed his belief during his era, and it was reported by Ibn Is'hāq al-Fazāri; and they include ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Mubārak, the Imām of Khorasan, Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyād, Wakī‘ ibn al-Jarrāh, Yūsuf ibn Asbāt, who demonstrated their belief and approach in the Sunan; they also include Shurayk ibn ‘Abdullāh an-Nakha‘i, Yahya ibn Sa‘īd al-Qattān, Abu Is'hāq al-Fazāri, and Abu ‘Abdullāh Mālik ibn Anas al-Asbahi al-Madani, the Imām of Dār al-Hijrah and the Scholar of the Two Sacred Mosques, who proclaimed his belief in the chapter on Faith and the Qur’an; they include Abu ‘Abdullāh Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shāfi‘i al-Matlabi, the chief scholar of his time, Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām, An-Nadr ibn Shumayl, and Abu Ya‘qūb Yusuf ibn Yahya al-Buwaiti, one of Ash-Shāfi‘i's students, who proclaimed his belief when the tribulation occurred in relation to the Qur’an; among them is Abu ‘Abdullāh Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the chief scholar of Hadith at his time. Abu Ahmad ibn Abi Usāmah al-Qurashi al-Harawi was among the best scholars of Khorasan at his time; proclaiming his belief, he said: 'Whoever is endowed by Allah with the knowledge of guidance and honor about the Sunnah among the remaining scholars at the latter times should follow the example of the past predecessors; our approach and the approach of our leading scholars of Hadith and tradition is to say that Allah Almighty is One, and He has no partner, opponent, equal, or rival; He is One God and the Eternal Refuge; He has taken no wife or son and He shares His rule with no one.'" [Al-Hujjah Fi Bayān Al-Mahajjah (2/508)]
He (may Allah have mercy upon him) also said: "The right approach with regard to Allah's attributes is to believe in them without discussing them, and to let them pass as the predecessors did - without likening or interpretation." [At-Targhīb Wa At-Tarhīb, by Qiwām As-Sunnah (1/253)]
Ibn Qutaybah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "The right view with regard to these reports - i.e. the reports on Allah's attributes - is to believe in the authentic among them, which are transmitted by trustworthy narrators. So, we believe in seeing Him, that He revealed Himself, that He wonders, that He descends to the heaven of the world, that He rose over the Throne, and in His Essence and two Hands, without speaking about the very nature of this, putting a limit thereto, or determining what is not mentioned on the basis of what is mentioned. We hope that by this view and approach, we are on the path of salvation, Allah Willing." [Al-Ikhtilāf Fi Al-Lafzh Wa Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah, by Ibn Qutaybah (53)]
Az-Zuhri said: "Allah is to clarify, the Prophet is to convey, and we are to submit." [Al-Hujjah Fi Bayān Al-Mahajjah (2/512), and Sharh As-Sunnah, by Al-Baghawi (1/171)]