Al Dhahabi's critical advise to Ibn Taymiyya- Al-Nasihah Al-Dhahabiyah La Ibn Taymiyya.

Translation of the scathing advise given by Al Dhahabi to Ibn Taymiyya when the latter was in a prison.

Though Al Dhahabi was one of the students of Ibn Taymiyya and followed him even in his disastrous doctrine of anthropomorphism, to an extent that he wrote an encyclopedia, known as Al Uluw, trying to validate this kufr. But sooner or later, he had to accept the fallacy of Ibn Taymiyya's irrational arguments. Al Dhahabi, thou late in his life, was guided by Allah on the path of truth. He soon gave up all the foolish doctrines which Ibn Taymiyya embodied in him and also refuted those doctrines in his works composed later in his life. For eg: His sensibility while dealing with Mushabi'yat in Siyar Al Alam and criticism of Mujassima and also his scathing advise to Ibn Taymiyya, when he was in a prison which we are going to translate in this article. We want our readers to get acquainted about the fact that, not only the later scholars criticized Ibn Taymiyya for his madness, but also his own favorite student denied his teachings and critically advised him to return back to the path of truth. For knowing the revised and precise stance of Al Dhahabi on anthropomorphism, read this article which I have posted earlier on how Al Dhahabi changed his opinion later in his life  Al Dhahabi and Anthropomorphic beliefs of Ibn Taymiyya

There have been many attempts by his followers to discredit this risalah, which exposes the insanity of their "Shaykh ul Islam". They made many false claims that it lacks a chain and even went on to say that this risalah was not scribed by Al Dhahabi. They claimed that, it was the work of one of the enemies of Ibn Taymiyya but we find many obvious proofs that it is the work of Al Dhahabi which was transmitted to us with a sound chain. Its authenticity will be discussed later. This article is composed, solely to present an accurate translation of the Nasihah.

Note: Followers of Ibn Taymiyya will cite references from early works of Al Dhahabi where he praised Ibn Taymiyya for his immense knowledge. They do not reveal the fact that Al Dhahabi later exposed Ibn Taymiyya's arrogance and criticized him heavily as we will see in this article.

This Nasihah was written by Al Dhahabi when he was around 55 years of age.

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمز يا رب ارحمني واقلني عشرتي، واحفظ علي ايماني. واحزناه على قلة حزني، واأسفاه على السنة وذهاب اهلها، واشوقاه الى إخوان مومنين يعاونونني على البكاء، واحزناه على فقد اناس  كانوا مصابيح العلم، واهل التقوى، وكنوز  الخيرات، آه على وجود درهم حلال، وأخ مونس طوبى لمن شغله عيبه عن عيوب الناس، وتبا لمن شغلته عيوب الناس عن عيبه

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah lone. O my Lord! Have mercy on me in view of my weakness and humility. Pardon my lapses and maintain my faith. O the agony I suffer on the loss of sunnah and of those devoted to it. O my brethren who join me in my cry for faith. How badly I miss those treasure houses of Knowledge, piety and virtues. What a pity there is no concern now for lawful earning or for a sympathizing brother. Fortunate is he who refrains from finding faults in others. Cursed is he who, while looking for others lapses, turns blind to his own errors.

الى كم تمدح نفسك وشقاشقك وعباراتك، وتذم العلما، وتتبع عورات الناس؟ وع علمك بنهي الرسول صلي الله عليه و سلم: لا تذكروا موتاكم الا بخير فاٍ نهم قد أفضوا الى ما قدموا. بلى أعرف أنك تقول لي لتنصر نفسك: إنما الوقيعة في هولاء الذين ما شموا رائحة الاسلام، ولا عرفوا ما جاء به محمد صلى الله عليه و سلم وهو جهاد بلى و الله عرفوا خيراٌ كشيراٌ مما إذا عمل به العبد فاز، وجهلوا شيئاٌ كشيراٌ مما لا يعنيهم و "من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعنيه

How long will you engage in criticizing others while disregarding your own self? How long will you indulge in self praise and in speaking highly of your writings? How long will you be devoted to condemning Ulama and in finding fault with others? You know well the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم prohibition against it. He advised that we should speak only good of the deceased. They are destined to be recompensed for what they did. I know in your defense you will argue: “My criticism is against those who are unfamiliar with Islam and who do not understand the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Shariah. Therefore I am engaged in Jihad against them”. By God! People do know what is good and if they act upon it, they will attain deliverance. They are unaware of unnecessary details. It is one of the features of Islam that a Muslim avoids what is trivial.

يا رجل بالله عليك كفٌ عنا، فاٍنك محجاج، عليم اللسان لا تقر ولا تنام. إياكم والاغلو طات في الدين، كره نبيك صلى الله عليه و سلم المسائل وعابها، ونهى عن كشرة السوال وقال: "ان اخوف ما اخف على امتي كل منافق عليم اللسان" وكشرة الكلام بغير دليل تقسي القلب اذا كان في الحلال والحرام، فكيف اذا كان في عبارات اليونسية والفلاسفة، وتلك الكفريات التي تعمي القلوب

O servant of Allah! Do restrain your tongue against us. Of course you are eloquent and loquacious. You cannot sit idle. Save yourself against the trials of faith of too much interrogation and of hair splitting. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم disapproved all this. Rather, he condemned one who indulges in all this. He is on record saying: “I fear against that member of my community who has duality of character and is loquacious.” Unnecessary talk about the halal (lawful) and the haram (unlawful) leads only to the hardening of the heart. What is the point in engaging with Yunusiya and philosophical text? These are manifestations of falsehood which turn the hearts blind

Note: Yunusiya refers to the followers of Sheikh Yunus Ibn Yusuf Ibn Musa‘id Shaybaani (d. 619H), of Mardin, Quniya. He was a pious spiritual master. Ibn Khalqan has recorded his marvels. His followers are known as Yunusis. It seems that their followers got distracted from the true path. Allama Ibn Imad has written in Shazarat-az-zahab- “May Allah do away with their evil!” Perhaps Ibn Taymiyya wanted to eliminate their evils

والله قد صرنا ضحكلة في الوجود، فاٍلى كم تنبش دقائق الكفريات الفلسفية، لنرد عليها بعقولنا؟ يا رجل قد بلعت (سموم) الفلاسفة وتصانيفاتهم مرات، وبكشرة استعمال السموم، يدمن عليها الجسم، وتكمن والله في البدن

By Allah! We have been reduced to a laughing stock in the world. How long will you engage in your philosophical hair splitting and how far we will keep refuting it with reasons? O servant of Allah! You have drunk deep the poison of philosophers & of their books. When we consume poison frequently, the body becomes habitual of it and it remains hidden in the body.

واشوقاه الى مجلس فيه تلاوة بتدبر، وخشية بتذكر، وصمت بتفكر. واها لمجلس يذكر فيه الابرار، فعند ذكر الصالحين تتنزل الرحمة، لا عند ذكر الصالحين يذرون بالازدراء واللعنة.

Ah! my love for such blessed gatherings in which we used to reflect, on reciting the Qur'an, remembering Allah with humility and silent meditation. I miss those sessions in which the pious were mentioned. Allah’s mercy descends as they are mentioned. In contrast, Allah’s mercy does not bless those gatherings in which the pious are dismissed contemptuously.

 كان سيف الحجاج ولسان ابن حزم شقيقين فواخيتهما. بالله خلونا من ذكر بدعة الخميس واكل الحبوب، وجدوا في ذكر بدع كنا نعدها من أساس الضلال قد صارت هي محض السنة، وأساس السوحيد، ومن لم يعرفها فهم كافر أو حمار، ومن لم يكفره فهو أكفر من .فرعون وتعد النصارى مشلنا

Hajjaj’s sword and Ibn Hazm’s tongue were the pebbles of the same pouch. You have adopted both of these. For Allah’s sake, leave us alone and also give up the meal of Thursdays as innovative. Be more careful about the innovation, which we regarded as the mother of all evil. Now the same (that innovation) lies at the core of monotheism. If someone is unaware of this (monotheism) he is an unbeliever (Kafir) and whoever does not regard him as an unbeliever is an unbeliever worse than pharaoh. Even Christians areparaded as someone similar to us.

والله في القلوب يكوك، ان سلم لك إيمانك بالشهادتين فأنت سعيد. يا خيبة من اتبعك فإنه معرض للزندقة والانحلال، لاسيما اذا كان قليل العلم والدين باطوليا شهرانيا لكنه ينفعك و يجاهد عنك بيده ولسانه، وفي الباطن عدو لك بحاله وقلبه، فهل معظم اتباعك الا قعيد مربوط، خفيف العقل او عامي كذاب، بليد الذهن او غريب واجم قوي المكر او ناشف صالح، عديم الفهم، فإن لم تصدقني ففتشهم وزنهم بالعدل

By Allah! I have serious doubts regarding you. If you die proclaiming your testimony to Islam, it will be your felicity. Ruined is he who follows you, because he makes himself vulnerable to the loss of faith and heresy, especially he who is weak in faith, lacks knowledge, follows his base desires and seeks greatness for himself. Such a person will be your associate both physically and verbally yet he will oppose you in his heart. Most of your followers are your yes men, foolish, ignorant, liars and dim-witted. Some of them are of foreign origin, deceitful or harshly pious fools. If you do not trust my estimate, find out about them. Judge them fairly.

يا مسلم اقدم حمار شهوتك لمدح نفسك. الى كم تصادقها وتعادي الاخيار؟ الى كم تصادقها وتزدري بالابرار؟ الى كم تعظمها وتصغر العباد؟ الى متى تخاللها وتمقت الزهاد؟ الى متى تمدح كلامات بكيفية لا تمدح بهاـ والله ـ احاديث الصحيحين؟ يا ليت احاديث الصحيحين تسلم منك، بل في كل وقت تغير عليها بالتضعيف والاهدار او التاويل والانكار

O Muslim! Desires seem to have overwhelmed you. How long will you consider yourself to be true and keep belittling the noble souls? How far will you follow this attitude while deprecating pious servants of Allah? How much more will you indulge in self praise? By Allah, you do not praise so much the standard Ahadith in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim. I wish you had not attacked these. All the time you are keen on proving their weakness or lowering their value or misinterpreting or rejecting these.

 اما آن لك ان ترعوي؟ اما حان لك ان تتوب وتنيب؟ اما انت في عشر السبعين وقد قرب الرحيل؟ بلى والله ما اذكر انك تذكر الموت بل تزدري بمن يذكر الموت، فما اظنك تقبل على قولي، ولا تصغي الى وعظي، بل لك همة كبيرة في نقض هذه الورقة بمجلدات، وتقطع لي اذناب الكلام ولا تزال تنتصر حتى اقول: والبتة سكت فاذا كان هذا حالك عندي، وانا الشفوق المحب الواد، فكيف يكون حالك عند اعدائك؟ واعداوك ـ والله ـ فيهم صلحاء واخيار، وعقلاء وفضلاء، كما ان اولياءك فيهم فجرة وكذبة، وجهلة وبطلة وعور وبقر

Is it still not time for you to recant? Is it not time for repentance and turning to Allah? You are in your seventies. It is time for the journey to the next world. By Allah! I believe you never think of death. Rather, you may mock those who remember death. I do not think you will pay heed to my advice because you are a spirited person. You may write volumes, refuting my (this) one page letter to you. You may keep thundering against me until I give in. Since you can treat me thus who is your sincere advisory, you can behave worse towards those whom you take as your enemy. I can say it on oath that among your enemies some are wise, scholars as well. Likewise among your supporters, however, there are wicked, deceitful, lying, ignorant and dim-witted persons.

قد رضيت منك بان تسبني علانية، وتنتفع بمقالتي سراٌ (رحم الله امراٌ اهدى الي عيوبي) فاٍني كثير العيوب، غزير الذنوب، والويل لي ان انا لا اتوب، ووافضيحتي من علام الغيوب، ودوائي عفو الله ومسامحته وتوفيقه وهدايته. والحمد الله رب العالمين وصلى الله  على سيدنا محمد خاتم النبين و على اله وصحبه اجمعين

I am reconciled to your public reviling on the condition you act on my advice. May Allah have mercy on him who brings to my attention my weaknesses! I am a sinner, full of lapses. If I do not repent, I am doomed for destruction. Alas! I shudder at my disgrace before the One Who knows the Unseen. My only hope is His pardon, guidance and strength to me. All praise is for Lord of the worlds. May Allah bestow special blessings upon our leader, the seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, his household and his Companions رضوان الله اجمعين. 

The original manuscripts of  this risalah are still available in Dar Al Kutub Al Misriyya (no: 18823) and Maktabah Al Zahiriyyah (no: 1347).

A picture of the original manuscipt of the Nasihah
copied by Qadi Shuhbah (d.779H).

original manuscipt edited by Shaykh Zahid Kawthari.

A model from the book of Ibn Al Siraj, Al Tashwiq.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Dar Al Mamun.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 1.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 2.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 3.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 4.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 5.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 6.

Among the proofs of its authenticity is that the hadith Master Abu Sa‘id Al-‘Ala'i said he copied it himself from Al-Dhahabi’s autograph manuscript. The Mufassir Qadi Burhan Al-Din Ibn lama‘a, Abt'i Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Rahim ibn Muhammad Al-Misri Thumma Al-Maqdisi Al-Dimashqi (725H-790H) then copied it himself from Al-Ala’i’s autograph manuscript, then Taqi Al-Din Abu Bakr Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qadi Shuhba (d. 779H) copied it himself from the autograph manuscript of Ibn Jami‘a. Al Kawthari published its facsimile edition as written by lbn Qadi Shuhba. 

To all the scholars mentioned in this article, May Allah be pleased with them All.

Al Dhahabi and Anthropomorphic beliefs of Ibn Taymiyya

Did Al Dhahabi had the same Mujassima beliefs as Ibn Taymiyya?- An Analysis of Al Dhahabi's Creed.

There is a long standing debate between the Mujassima and the Ahlus Sunnah on, Was Al Dhahabi influenced by the anthropomorphic teachings of Ibn Taymiyya?

The scholars of Ahlus Sunnah have greatly relied upon him (Al Dhahabi) on the subject of Jarah'o Tadeel, but at the same time criticize him for he had mujassima believes. One of the main reason for this is his Work, Al-`Uluw li al-`Ali al-Ghaffar ("The Exaltation of the All-High and Most Forgiving") which he wrote under the influence of Ibn Taymiyya. He was 25yrs old at that time. In this book, he misinterpreted many Hadith's from Bukhari and Muslim trying to prove his anthropomorphic believes. This work has been extensively used recently by the growing Jahamiyya aka Salafi groups for the very same reason.

Little do the people know that Al Dhahabi has himself disavowed his work later in his life. The Famous hadith master Ibn Nasir al-Din al-Dimashqi (d.842H), the copyist of Al 'Uluw has narrated the following statement of Al Dhahabi,

"This book contains narrations against the unreliability of which I am cautioning the reader, and the statements of a number of people who spoke in outlandish terms. Neither do I subscribe to their terms, nor do I imitate them. May Allah forgive them! Nor will I ever consider myself bound by such terms. This is my belief, and I know that Allah – "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him" (42:11)!"

This is present in the Original Manuscript  and was also photographically reproduced in Shaykh Hasan Ali Saqqaf edition of Al 'Uluw[1].

→Photographically reproduced statement of Al Dhahabi from the book of Shaykh Hasan Ali Saqqaf (Pg 3-4).

Moreover, Al Dhahabi in his later life has clearly mentioned his beliefs on mushabi'at. To quote, some of them are, 

⇛He mentioned in his work, Siyar Al Alam, Vol 5, Pg 449,[2]

➡Ibn Qasim said "Allah created Adam in his own image". The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم heard that and strongly refused it and forbade him to speak [on that matter. This is not only narrated from Ibn Ajlan and Abu Zanad but also from Shoaib bin Abi Hamza from Abi Zanad. It is also narrated from Qatadah from Abi Ayub Al Marghi from Abu Huraira. Also narrated from Ibn lahiyah from Al Aa'raj from Abi Yunus from Abu Hurayrah. Also narrated from Mua'mar from Hammam from Abi Hurayrah. The narration is Sahih on the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim. (Hadith narrated in Musnad Imam Ahmad, Vol 2, Pg 244, Imam Bayhaqi, Al Asma wal  Sifaat, pg 341)

 ➡Al Dhahabi commented, "We believe it, authorize and recognize it, not fighting over which does not concern us, we know that Allah is  nothing like Him (Adam عليه سلام). He is the all seer".

➡He again writes under the biography of Layth ibn Sa'd, (giving his own view on how we should approach the attributes of Allah), He writes, "Abu Ubayd in his book of strange ahadith has written many hadith on divine attributes. He further says, "There is no right to interpret those ahadith pertaining to attributes of Allah" (Siyar Al Alam, Vol 8, Pg 162)[3]

➡Imam Dhahabi writes elsewhere in his Siyar, "Many attributes of Allah like His speech cant be interpretated which is the most important part of the religion. We  believe what was revealed to us and accept it silently without any interpretation and also accepting that only Allah knows its realities. The attributes of Allah cant  resemble the attributes of created beings and the creator himself does not resemble the animate creatures". (Siyar Al Alam, Vol 10, Pg 506).[4]

➡Imam Al-Dhahabi then mentions the quote of Ibn Khuzaimah: "Whoever doesn't acknowledge hat Allah is above His throne, and has done Istiwa over His seven heavens, then he is a Kafir whose blood is permissible, and his wealth is booty". After this quote of  Ibn Khuzaimah, Imam Al-Dhahabi explains the text by saying that whoever has Iman in Istiwa, and does TAFWEEDH (does not Interpret) of it's meaning to Allah and His Prophet ﷺ, then he is a true believing Muslim. (Siyar Al Alam, Vol 14, Pg 373).[5]

➡Iman Dhahabi again says, "Ibn al Zaughuni in his poem said "....and Allah on his High Throne Himself...". Al Dhahabi comments, "The word "self" does not have to be written as it creates confusion among the people and leave their [interpretation] first and Allah knows best. (Siyar Al Alam, Vol 19, Pg 607)[6]

 

  

Some scans from Siyar Al Alam An Nubala. (The Scans are in order to the Paragraphs above) 

Siyar Al Alam An Nubala was his last work which he wrote when he was around 68-69 years old. This unarguably proves that He had given up the anthropomorphic believes and returned to the righteous Ashari creed. 

⇨ Al Dhahabi also wrote a small epistle namely, "Al-Nasi'hat Al-Dhahabiyya li-Ibn Taymiyya" when he was around fifty-five years of age and addressed to Ibn Taymiyya near the end of his life. In this brief but scathing epistle, the author distances himself from his contemporary and admonishes him without naming him, calling him ''an eloquent polemicist who neither rests nor sleeps."

The Nasiha contains the following prediction of Taymiyya followers in our time: 

"Oh! The disappointment of him who follows you! For he is exposed to corruption in basic beliefs and to dissolution, particularly if he is short of learning and religion, a self-indulgent idler who does well for you by fighting on your behalf with his hand and tongue, while he is actually your enemy in his being and heart. What are your followers but dogmatic do-nothings of little intelligence, common liars with dull minds, silent outlanders strong in guile, or dryly righteous without understanding? If you do not believe it, just look at them and honestly assess them! [7]

                                                     Some Scans from the Risala of Al Dhahabi (pg 33-34).

Recently a "Salafi" Scholar (Muhammad Al Shaybani) cast doubt on the authenticity of Al Dhahabi’s authorship of this epistle, also claiming that, even if al-Dhahabi wrote it, then it is directed to someone other than lbn Taymiyya!

However, Al-Sakhawi does not doubt the authenticity of its attribution to Al-Dhahabi and calls it “A glorious statement of doctrine?“ [8] And the two major experts on Al-Dhahabi’s works, Salah Al-Din Al-Munajjid and Bashshar Awwad Mari'if, declared there was no doubt Al-Dhahabi wrote it in his mature years and addressed it to lbn Taymiyya.”[9]

Among the proofs of its authenticity is that the hadith Master Abu Sa‘id Al-‘Ala'i said he copied it himself from Al-Dhahabi’s autograph manuscript. The Mufassir Qadi Burhan Al-Din Ibn lama‘a, Abt'i Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Rahim ibn Muhammad Al-Misri Thumma Al-Maqdisi Al-Dimashqi (725H-790H) then copied it himself from Al-Ala’i’s autograph manuscript, then Taqi Al-Din Abu Bakr Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qadi Shuhba (d. 779H) copied it himself from the autograph manuscript of Ibn Iami‘a. Al Kawthari published its facsimile edition as written by lbn Qadi Shuhba. 

👉It is also known that Shaykh Al Islam Al Subki has criticized and refuted Al 'Uluw. But this is sometimes misunderstood as "Refutation of Al Dhahabi". It has been clearly proved that Al Dhahabi gave up those wrong beliefs. Infact Imam Subki has praised Al Dhahabi saying

"Our time was graced with four hadith masters: Al-Mizzi, Al-Birzali, Al-Dhahabi, and my father the Shaykh and Imam [Taqi al-Din al-Subki]". [10]

[1] Al 'Uluw li Al Ali 'Al Ghaffar, Ed by Shaykh Hasan Ali Saqqaf, Pg 3-4.

[2] Siyar Al Alam  An Nubala, Vol 5, Pg 449.

[3] Siyar Al Alam  An Nubala, Vol 8, Pg 162.

[4] Siyar Al Alam  An Nubala, Vol 10, Pg 506.

[5] Siyar Al Alam  An Nubala, Vol 14, Pg 373.

[6] Siyar Al Alam  An Nubala, Vol 19, Pg 607.

[7] Al Nasi'hat Al Dhahabiyya li Ibn Taymiyya, Pg 33-34.

[8] Al Sakhawi (d.920H), Al Ilan Wal Tawbikh, Pg 77 and Pg 136

[9] Bashshar Awwad Ma'ruf Al Dhahabi Wa Manhajuhu (pg 146). Two extant manuscripts of the Nasiha are kept. One in Cairo at the Dar Al Kutub Al Misriyya (#B18823) copied by Ibn Qadi Shuhba and one in Damascus at the Zahiriyya Library (#1347).

[10] Al Sakhawi (d.920H), Al Ilan Wal Tawbikh, Pg 75.

Where is Allah? Refuting the Anthropomorphists!

 IBN JAHBAL'S REFUTATION OF HAMAWIYYA 

OF IBN TAYMIYYA

Ibn Jahbal, a celebrated Shafa'i jurist, who wrote a spectacular refution of Ibn Taymiyya's Hamawiyya titled Al Raddu ala Man Qala bil Jiha was recently translated by one of the most influential scholar of Sunni Islam in 20th century, Shaykh Dr.Gibril Haddad. The following passages are taken from this book, which contains the explaination of one of the highly quoted verse by the anthropomorphists to establish their falsehood:

Ibn Taymiyya quotes the saying of Allah : {Have you taken security from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not cause the earth to swallow you} (67:16), restricting the meaning of “him” to Allah alone[1]. Perhaps he does not allow that its meaning is the Angels of Allah. Perhaps he denies that the angels do such things, and that Gibril عليه سلام caused the earth to swallow the people of Sodom. Consequently he used this verse for his proof, and it may be the “explicit text” he was referring to[2]. Then he followed up with the saying of Allah: {The angels and the Spirit ascend (ta‘ruju) unto Him} (70:4). Ascension (‘uraj) and ascent (su‘ud) are one and the same meaning. There is no proof in this verse that the ascension is to a heaven or to a throne or to any of the things which he has claimed whatsoever. For the literal meaning of “ascension” used in the language of the Arabs refers to the displacement appropriate to material bodies (al-ajsam). The Arabs do not know any other meaning of the word. Would that he had openly declared the material sense and relieved himself from the trouble of covering it up! 

↠The Verse of Istiwa and its interpretation:

The Arabs also understand istiwa as the straightness of the arrow-shaft and the antonym of crookedness. The Hashwiyya invoke this meaning to exonerate themselves of the charge of attributing a body to Allah. At the same time, they close the door to any explanation other than “sitting.” Yet they do not close the door when it comes to the saying of Allah: {And He is with you wheresoever you may be} (57:4) and {We are nearer to him than his jugular vein} (50:16). So you Hashwiyya should not say that Allah is with us “with His knowledge.” If you say that, then why do you allow this [interpretive method] one time and you forbid it the next? And how do you know that istiwa is not one of His acts in connection with the Throne? If they say: “This is not in the language of the Arabs,” then we reply: Neither is the meaning of istawa which you yourselves forward unless we apply it to a body[4].

[1] Hamawiyya (p. 216-217) Majma Al-Fatawa (5:12-13). 

[2] Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi, Tafsir (3:69): “It is the anthropomorphists who used this verse to claim that Allah Himself is in the sky." Abu Hayyan Al-Andalusi said the some thing in his Bahr Al-Muhit (8:302) and Nahr Al-Mādd (2:1131-1132). Al-Nawawi in his commentary on Sahih Muslim agreed with Al Qadi Iyad that the words “in the heaven' are interpreted metaphorically. Al-Zamakhshari: “From Him Whose sovereignty is in the Heaven.‘ When “Whose sovereignty" is omitted the pronoun “Him" remains instead. There are many instances of this turn of speech in the Quran: “And ask the town." that is: “And ask the people of the town', “And your Lord come.” that is: “And your Lord’s order came" interpreting Allah's Words 'He Who is in the Heaven” in Islamic Belief: and Doctrine According to Ahl Al-Sunna (p. 144-148).  

[3] Hamawiyya (p. 217), Majma Al Fatawa (5:13). 

[4]Ibn Al Jawzi in Daf Shubah Al Tashbih (1998 Al Kawthari repr.p.23): "Whoever interprets (and He is with you) (57:4) as meaning "He is with you in knowledge," permits his opponent to interpret Istiwa as subduing (Al Qahr) or sovereignty.