This cleared a lot of my confusion. May Allah reward you for spending so much time and effort performing such an extensive research, and summarizing it in a concise yet detailed manner.
Assalamualaikum brother. I am from Bangladesh here in my country majority scholars follow Hanafi madhab and Maturidi doctrine in aqeedah. I want to learn Athari/Hanbali aqeedah because I found that it is the real and safe aqeedah of salaf. But there is no reliable source in Bangladesh from where I can learn Athari aqeedah. Can you please suggest me any Sheikh who teaches Athari creed in English for beginners in online or any reliable online platform which has Athari aqeedah course? I have been researching about Athari creed for almost 1 year and looking for institutions from where I can do courses but didn't find any reliable institute. I am getting some books but I am confused. Please please guide me.
Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Do you believe one should differentiate between volitional attributes and attributes of action? Some may argue that some of Allah's Knowledge (for example, Allah knowing that X is true even though He could have willed - and, as a result, known - it not to be true) is "volitional" but not an "action." Would this substantiate for one to distinguish between al-sifat al-ikhtiyariyyah and al-sifat al-fi'liyyah, or would you say these are synonymous?
One question though, is there any particular reason you didn't include Ibn al Jawzi in the paper? Shouldn't he be considered a prime example of kalam influenced Hanbalis?
Salam. I'm not sure if my understanding of the Salafi understanding of Allah's speech is correct. Can you correct me if I am wrong? As I understand it, Salafi's believe that Allah's attribute of Speech (not His Power or Will) originated the Qur'an, which is specifically the sounds and letters, in the Essence of Allah. Because this is within Allah, it is therefore uncreated. This uncreated speech (which is not the attribute of Speech itself) then exited Allah into a lower heaven and was then carried by Jibril into our heaven to the Prophet saws who then heard it. Is that correct? I want to state clearly that my intention here is to understand what exactly the position because I am confused as to what Salafi brothers are trying to say on this topic.
I have seen in your article that you mentioned Ibn Khuzaymah's stance on Allāh's Speech, but I also encountered another quote which it seems Al-Bayhaqī used to argue that he repented or backtracked from his previous view. Is there a way to reconcile this?
القرآن كلام الله وصفة من صفات ذاته ليس شئ من كلامه مخلوقا ولا محدثا فمن زعم ان شيئا منه مخلوق أو محدث *أو زعم ان الكلام من صفة الفعل* فهو جهمى ضال مبتدع
Here is a line from p.32 … ‘’but he (Imam Ahmad) also clearly affirmed their *temporality*, which entails that Imam Ahmad also affirmed volitional attributes for Allah’’.
You’ve used the word temporal few times in this paper. Is it meant to be synonymous with simply god acting as he wills or does it denote time? So that god acts in time.
Do you think tafwid al ma'na means not ascribing an attribute altogether? If you do then this is not correct. Tafwid does not necessitate negation of an attribute. For example, observe the creed of Hafiz Ismaili mentioned below.
Start quote:
Similarly the Wahhabi editor of “I’itiqad A’immat Al-Hadith“, a book attributed to Al-Hafidh Abu Bakr Al-Isma’ili (d. 371 H.) objected to the following statement:
ولا يعتقد فيه الأعضاء، والجوارح، ولا الطول والعرض، والغلظ، والدقة، ونحو هذا مما يكون مثله في الخلق، وأنه ليس كمثله شيء تبارك وجه ربنا ذو الجلال والإكرام.
“We do not believe that He (Allah swt) is composed of parts or limbs, nor do we believe that He is attributed with length or width..”
In his explanatory footnote the editor said, as translated Here and posted on the ‘Salafi’ Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth forums here:
These terms are not from among the known terms to Ahlus-Sunnah wal- Jamaa`ah from among the Salaf (pious predecessors) of this nation, rather, it is from the innovated terms of the heretics, and expressing the truth with the Islaamic terms is the path of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah. So it is not needed for the seeker of the truth to pay attention to these types of terms and reliance upon them, and the Imaam, may Allaah have mercy upon him, the author, was not free from using these words. Indeed Allaah (), is attributed with the complete attributes and is described with the exalted descriptions. So regardless of the matter, the falsehood is rejected from the one who says it, regardless of whom it may be.
Note: In the introduction to the translation the editor of this text is mentioned to be the contemporary Pseudo-Salafi theologian ‘Shaykh’ Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rahman Al-Khumayyis. And Allah knows best.
If a person affirms attribute of Yadayn as Hafiz Ismaili does, the Sunnis have no issue and some of them do it like it that as well. As we see Salafis do not do this.
This was an incredible article. May Allah reward Ustadh Bassam.
This cleared a lot of my confusion. May Allah reward you for spending so much time and effort performing such an extensive research, and summarizing it in a concise yet detailed manner.
Assalamualaikum brother. I am from Bangladesh here in my country majority scholars follow Hanafi madhab and Maturidi doctrine in aqeedah. I want to learn Athari/Hanbali aqeedah because I found that it is the real and safe aqeedah of salaf. But there is no reliable source in Bangladesh from where I can learn Athari aqeedah. Can you please suggest me any Sheikh who teaches Athari creed in English for beginners in online or any reliable online platform which has Athari aqeedah course? I have been researching about Athari creed for almost 1 year and looking for institutions from where I can do courses but didn't find any reliable institute. I am getting some books but I am confused. Please please guide me.
Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Do you believe one should differentiate between volitional attributes and attributes of action? Some may argue that some of Allah's Knowledge (for example, Allah knowing that X is true even though He could have willed - and, as a result, known - it not to be true) is "volitional" but not an "action." Would this substantiate for one to distinguish between al-sifat al-ikhtiyariyyah and al-sifat al-fi'liyyah, or would you say these are synonymous?
Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
What are your thoughts on whether Imam Ibn Qudamah affirmed volitional attributes?
Great article Brother Bassam. BarakAllahu feek.
One question though, is there any particular reason you didn't include Ibn al Jawzi in the paper? Shouldn't he be considered a prime example of kalam influenced Hanbalis?
Salam. I'm not sure if my understanding of the Salafi understanding of Allah's speech is correct. Can you correct me if I am wrong? As I understand it, Salafi's believe that Allah's attribute of Speech (not His Power or Will) originated the Qur'an, which is specifically the sounds and letters, in the Essence of Allah. Because this is within Allah, it is therefore uncreated. This uncreated speech (which is not the attribute of Speech itself) then exited Allah into a lower heaven and was then carried by Jibril into our heaven to the Prophet saws who then heard it. Is that correct? I want to state clearly that my intention here is to understand what exactly the position because I am confused as to what Salafi brothers are trying to say on this topic.
Assalāmu ʿalaykum ustādh
I have seen in your article that you mentioned Ibn Khuzaymah's stance on Allāh's Speech, but I also encountered another quote which it seems Al-Bayhaqī used to argue that he repented or backtracked from his previous view. Is there a way to reconcile this?
القرآن كلام الله وصفة من صفات ذاته ليس شئ من كلامه مخلوقا ولا محدثا فمن زعم ان شيئا منه مخلوق أو محدث *أو زعم ان الكلام من صفة الفعل* فهو جهمى ضال مبتدع
Salams Bassam, we need some clarification.
Here is a line from p.32 … ‘’but he (Imam Ahmad) also clearly affirmed their *temporality*, which entails that Imam Ahmad also affirmed volitional attributes for Allah’’.
You’ve used the word temporal few times in this paper. Is it meant to be synonymous with simply god acting as he wills or does it denote time? So that god acts in time.
Do you think tafwid al ma'na means not ascribing an attribute altogether? If you do then this is not correct. Tafwid does not necessitate negation of an attribute. For example, observe the creed of Hafiz Ismaili mentioned below.
Start quote:
Similarly the Wahhabi editor of “I’itiqad A’immat Al-Hadith“, a book attributed to Al-Hafidh Abu Bakr Al-Isma’ili (d. 371 H.) objected to the following statement:
ولا يعتقد فيه الأعضاء، والجوارح، ولا الطول والعرض، والغلظ، والدقة، ونحو هذا مما يكون مثله في الخلق، وأنه ليس كمثله شيء تبارك وجه ربنا ذو الجلال والإكرام.
“We do not believe that He (Allah swt) is composed of parts or limbs, nor do we believe that He is attributed with length or width..”
In his explanatory footnote the editor said, as translated Here and posted on the ‘Salafi’ Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth forums here:
These terms are not from among the known terms to Ahlus-Sunnah wal- Jamaa`ah from among the Salaf (pious predecessors) of this nation, rather, it is from the innovated terms of the heretics, and expressing the truth with the Islaamic terms is the path of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah. So it is not needed for the seeker of the truth to pay attention to these types of terms and reliance upon them, and the Imaam, may Allaah have mercy upon him, the author, was not free from using these words. Indeed Allaah (), is attributed with the complete attributes and is described with the exalted descriptions. So regardless of the matter, the falsehood is rejected from the one who says it, regardless of whom it may be.
Note: In the introduction to the translation the editor of this text is mentioned to be the contemporary Pseudo-Salafi theologian ‘Shaykh’ Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rahman Al-Khumayyis. And Allah knows best.
End Quote
Link for references: https://wahhabisrefuted.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/pseudo-salafis-object-to-muslims-declaring-allah-subhanahu-wa-taala-transcendent-beyond-possessing-body-parts-and-limbs/
If a person affirms attribute of Yadayn as Hafiz Ismaili does, the Sunnis have no issue and some of them do it like it that as well. As we see Salafis do not do this.