And Imaam adh-Dhahabee said: "...And the scholars of the Salaf explained the important and unimportant words (occurring in the Qur'aan and Sunnah)....and as for the verses and the ahaadeeth of the Attributes they never subjected them to ta'weel, and they are the most important in the religion, so if ta'weel was permissible than they would have undertaken it. So know with certainty that reciting them, and leaving them as they came is the truth, and there is no explanation for them other than this, so we believe in this, and we are silent following the Salaf, believing that they are the Attributes of Allaah....and that they do not resemble the attributes of creation"[56].

Imaam at-Tirmidhee (d.279H) said : "It has been stated by more than one person from the People of Knowledge about such ahaadeeth, that there is no tashbeeh (resemblance) to the Attributes of Allaah, and our Lord - the Blessed and Most High - descends to the lowest heaven every night. So they say: "Affirm these narrations, have eemaan (faith) in them, do not deny them, nor ask how." The likes of this has been related from Maalik ibn Anas, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Ibn Uyainah and Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak, who all said about such ahaadeeth: "Leave them as they are, without asking how." Such is the saying of the People of Knowledge from the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. However, the Jahmiyyah oppose these narrations and say: This is tashbeeh! However, Allaah the Most High, has mentioned in various places in His Book, the Attribute of al-Yad (Hand), as-Sama' (Hearing), and al-Basr (Seeing) - but the Jahmiyyah make ta'weel of these aayaat, explaining them in a way, other than how they are explained by the People of Knowledge. They say: Indeed, Allaah did not create Aadam with His own Hand - they say that Hand means the Power of Allaah."[57]

Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee said: "The one who takes the path of the khalaf cannot be sure that that which he makes ta'weel of is the intended meaning, and it is not possible to be certain of the correctness of the ta'weel"[58]

Al-Khattaabee (d. 388H) said: "The madhhab of the Salaf (the Pious Predecessors) with regard to the Sifaat (Attributes of Allaah) is to affirm them as they are alaa dhaahir (with their apparent meaning), negating any tashbeeh (resemblance) to them, nor takyeef (asking how they are)."[59]

Shaikh Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaanee (d. 561H) said: "It is essential to carry the attribute of Allaah al-Istiwaa (Allaah's Ascending) upon its apparent meaning - without ta'weel, and that He ascended by His Dhaat (Self) over the Throne. Istiwaa does not mean sitting or touching - as the Mujassimah and Karraamiyyah say. Nor does it mean uluww (grandeur and highness) - as the Ash'ariyyah say; nor does it mean isteelaa (conquering and dominating over) - as the Mu'tazilah say. None of this is related in the Sharee'ah. Neither has this been related by any one of the Salaf us-Saalih (Pious Predecessors) from the Sahaabah and the Taabi'een, nor from the Ashaabul-Hadeeth (Scholars of Hadeeth). Rather, it is related from them that they carried the meaning of Istiwaa with its apparent meaning."[60]

And thus the way of these great Imaams, their creed and their methodology becomes distinct and separated from the stench and vileness of the way of this deceiving, lying, surmising, treacherous (and yet worthless) Jahmee, who gives rise to forgery, misleads the common-folk and earns the wrath of Allaah.

And in conformity with the du'a of Muhammad bin Mis'ab[1,]one of the pious worshippers from among the Salaf, we say: "Whoever claims that Your Attributes such as Hand, Face, Eyes, Shin, Laughter (and other than these which You revealed to us in Your Mighty Book and the Sunnah of Your Messenger) are not to be affirmed as You revealed them, that the ahaadeeth of Your Messenger should not be taken upon their literal meanings as they were intended, that they should be given figurative meanings based upon the intellects and the ramblings of the minds, and that those who affirm them (as did the Salaf us-Saalih whom You favoured with knowledge and piety) should be considered anthropomorphists, then such a one is a disbeliever in You and Your Names and Attributes and he, most certainly, is grossly ignorant of You. We testify that You have the Attributes that we have mentioned previously and we affirm them for You without ta'weel[62] or tashbeeh[63] or ta'kyeef - we carry them upoon their literal meanings[64] as did the Salaf us-Saalih, and we pass them on as they have came. And it is not as Your enemy, this vile and lowly Jahmee zindeeq says, but rather it is as those among the Salaf us-Saalih have said, those whose words we have quoted and have relied upon - and we, by Your grace and favour shall cling to the way of those great notables, even though the Innovators may detest it."

Wa kullu khairin fi Ittibaa'i man salaf