All praise is due to Allaah and prayers and peace upon the Final Messenger, his family and his companions.

Footnotes

1 In response to a videotaped lecture entitled: 'Literalism and the Attributes of Allaah' delivered by Nuh Ha Mim Keller at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London Central Mosque, early 1995 - in which he seeks to ascribe and justify ta'weel and tafweedh as being way and methodology of the Salaf in understanding the Attributes of Allaah. This person and others like him in the present time seek the nullification of the Narrations of Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and a deviation from that which the Companions, the Taabi'een and the Scholars of the Salaf were upon - may Allaah have mercy upon them all - and a return to that which the executed Jahm bin Safwaan innovated and that which Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree was upon in his days of being a Mu'tazilee and in his days of speaking with the innovations of Ibn Kullaab, something which he renounced and declared himself free of at the end of his life - for Allaah had chosen him, guided him and favoured him with the path of the Salaf us-Saalih. Rather, his final affair was upon the madhhab of Imaam Ahmad as is clear in his books al-Maqaalaat and Usool ud-Diyaanah. Refer to Chapter 10 of 'The Foundations of the Sunnah' for more details.

As for the word Jahmee, then it is for the one who is upon the way Jahm bin Safwaan (ex. 128H) in the negation of Allaah's Attributes, with the use of ta'weel or without it. The first person about whom it is recorded that he denied Allaah's Attributes was al-Ja'd bin Dirham (ex. 124H) who was executed by Khaalid al-Qusree. Jahm bin Safwaan - later executed by Salam bin Ahraz, the ameer of Khurasaan - took it from al-Ja'd bin Dirham and propagated it and so it was ascribed to him. The Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah have named those upon the way and methodology of Jahm - in the denial of either all of Allaah's Attributes or just some of them - as 'Jahmiyyah'. And it is will become as clear as the daylight sun, that the aforementioned person is a Jahmee - even though he may deny it and try to disguise it - since that which he calls to and which he holds as his belief - is the very same as that which the scholars of the Salaf authored books against - in order to refute it - and in order to warn the common folk against its hidden evil.

2 Aqeedatul-Haafidh Abdul-Ghaniyy (p.113)

3 Aqeedat us-Salaf wa Ashaabil-Hadeeth (p.112)

4 It is reported from the hadeeth of Anas - may Allaah be pleased with him - in marfoo' form with the wording: "From among the signs of the Hour is that the knowledge will be raised and ignorance will become widespread." Reported by at-Tayaaleesee (no.101), Ahmad (3/98, 176, 273, 289), Bukhaaree in his Saheeh (1/178, 9/330, 10/30, 12/113-114), Muslim (4/2056) at-Tirmidhee (no.2205) and Ibn Maajah declared it saheeh (no.4045) and it is also reported by others besides them.

5 Aqeedat us-Salaf wa Ashaabil-Hadeeth (p.112-113)

6 Al-Fataawaa (28/231-232)

7 Al-Hilyah (5/41-42) of Abu Nu'aym and as-Samt wa Aadaab il-Lisaan (p.145) of Ibn Abee Dunyaa

8 Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no. 278)

9 Ahl us-Sunnah of Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (p.21-22) and Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.92).

10 Aqeedatus-Salaf wa Ashaabul Hadeeth (p.101).

11 Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.306).

Reflect carefully how the Salaf did not used to say, "When someone says so and so is a Jahmee, we come to know he is an anthropomorphist" and the likes of this - for this is a clear indication that the madhhab of the Salaf was to affirm the Attributes mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah for Allaah - for affirming them never necessitated, to those great scholars from the Salaf, tashbeeh (anthropomorphism).

As Nu'aym bin Hammaad (d. 228H), the teacher of al-Bukhaaree said: "Indeed, all that Allaah has described Himself with, or what His Messenger has described Him with, then there is no tashbeeh in it at all." Reported by Imaam adh-Dhahabee in al-Uluww (no.217).

Thus, it is from this perspective that the dispute between Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah and the People of Innovations, Deviation and Misguidance arose - and this Jahmee whose condition we are discussing at present is but kindling the flames of enmity against those great scholars amongst the Salaf and those who guide themselves by those great scholars.

12 The aforementioned Jahmee said: "Finally, if the shortcomings of the Dhaahiree interpretation are plain enough in fiqh, in aqeedah it can amount to outright misguidance. As when someone reads the Qur'aanic verse, "Today We forget you as you have forgotten this Day of yours", and affirms that Allaah, forgets, which is an imperfection and not permissible to affirm for Allaah..."