Bismillaah
Sharhu Sunnah : Lessons 32 & 33 : Point 42
Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said:
وكل ما سمعت من الآثار شيئا مما لم يبلغه عقلك نحو قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قلوب العباد بين إصبعين من أصابع الرحمن عز وجل وقوله إن الله ينزل إلى السماء الدنيا وينزل يوم عرفة وينزل يوم القيامة وإن جهنم لا يزال يطرح فيها حتى يضع عليها قدمه جل ثناؤه وقول الله تعالى للعبد إن مشيت إلي هرولت إليك وقوله خلق الله آدم على صورته وقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رأيت ربي في أحسن صورة وأشباه هذه الأحاديث فعليك بالتسليم والتصديق والتفويض والرضا ولا تفسر شيئا من هذه بهواك فإن الإيمان بهذا واجب فمن فسر شيئا من هذا بهواه ورده فهو جهمي
And whenever you hear something from the narrations, which your intellect cannot fully comprehend such as the saying of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam : “The hearts of the servants are between two fingers from the fingers of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic”
and His saying:  “Allaah descends to the lowest heaven and He descends on the Day of `Arafah and He will descend on the Day of Resurrection and that the Hellfire will continue to have people cast into it until He, the Majestic and Praise will place His foot upon it”
and the saying of Allaah the Most High to the servant: “if you come towards Me walking, I will comes towards you running.”
And His saying “Allaah created Aadam upon His image.”
And the saying of the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam : “I saw my Lord in the most excellent form” and the like of these ahaadeeth.
Then upon you is to submit and to believe and to consign the how to Allaah and to be pleased and do not explain anything from this based upon your desires since having eemaan in this is obligatory so whoever explains anything from this based upon his desires and rejects it then he is a Jahmee.
Transcribed Audio:
The texts of the sifaat (attributes) that are established for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, it is obligatory upon you to affirm them just as they come upon their reality without interfering with them with your intellect and saying this does not befit Allaah. Allaah is declared free of that and this is resemblance; tashbeeh, as is said by the Mu’attilah; deniers of the attributes or that you believe that Allaah resembles His creation as is said by the Mumaththilah; those who declare the Creator to be like the creation. So each of the two groups are upon misguidance.
  • Mu`attilah; those who deny the attributes, they went beyond the limit in tanzeeh (declaring Allaah free) to such an extent that they denied the names and attributes in order to flee away from tashbeeh (resemblance) they claimed.
  • Mumaththilah; those who liken Allaah to the creation, they went beyond the limit in affirming to such an extent that they likened Allaah to His creation.
Both of these positions are baatil (false and futile).
And the position of the Ahl-ul-Sunnah is al-wasat (the middle and justly balanced position), they affirm the names and attributes for Allaah with affirmation without tashbeeh (without likening Allaah to the creation) and they negate from Him any resemblance to a created being declaring Him free of imperfections but without denying the attributes. This is the position of the Ahl-ul Sunnah W`al Jama`ah. In accordance with His saying He the Most High said:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ
There is nothing like Him.
(Sooratus-Shurah (42) aayah 11)
This is a refutation of the Mumaththilah; those who liken Allaah to the creation, “there is nothing like Him.”
وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
And He, Allaah is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
(Sooratus-Shurah (42) aayah 11)
This is a refutation of the Mu`attilah; those who deny the attributes and the aayah proves that affirming the names and attributes does not necessitate tashbeeh (resemblance) to the creation nor tamtheel (His being like) the creation and the fact that the people affirm whatever attributes He has affirmed for Himself or His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam, we affirm those attributes and that in no way necessitates that we have likened Him to the creation or declared Him to be resemblance to the creation. This is the correct methodology with regard to the matter of Al-Asma Wa-Sifaat (names and the attributes).
Like such as “The hearts of the servants are between two fingers from the fingers of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic,”[1] you should affirm asaabi` (the fingers) for the Most Merciful as occurs in the hadeeth and you should not say that they are like the fingers of the created being for this is tashbeeh (likening) Him to the creation, we declare Allaah free of it. Rather, we affirm it as befits the Majesty of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High not like the fingers of the created beings.
And we affirm the Hadeeth Qudsee in which Allaah, the Majestic and Most High says:
“Whoever comes to me walking, I come to him running.”[2]
Meaning whoever hastens towards My pleasure and towards obedience to Me then I will hasten to forgive his sins and to carry out his needs. so the meaning of harwalah (running) is not the meaning that is well-known with us but rather it is explained by the end of the hadeeth by His saying, “If he were to ask Me, I would certainly give to him and if he were to ask My refuge, I would certainly grant him refuge.” So, the meaning of al-harwalah here is hastening to carry out the needs of His servant just as the servant hastens to the obedience to Allaah. So, does the servant run in reality or in meaning?[3]
So this contains a refutation of some of those who are overhasty in affirming al-harwalah (running) for Allaah and this is the case of actions which are done as a response just as He, the Most High said:
فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ ۙ سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ
So they (the disbelievers) mock at the believers, Allaah will mock at them.(Sooratut-Towbah (9), aayah 79)
He, the Most High said:
إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ
اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ
They (the hypocrites) say, “We were only mocking.” Allaah will mock them.(Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 14-15)
He, the Most High said:
وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ
And they plotted and Allaah planned.
(Soorah Aali `Imraan (3), aayah 154)
So, it is obligatory to have awareness of these tremendous principles so that a person may be upon clear insight and be aware of the position of the Salaf with regard to it; those who are more firmly grounded than you and had more knowledge than you and a person should not try and make himself independent with his own understanding and his own intellect and affirm for Allaah things that he does not know about based upon what is apparent or based upon some unclear things, when there are decisive evidences, which explain and clarify them. So, it is obligatory to refer that which is unclear back to that which is clear and only those who are firmly grounded in knowledge will be guided to doing this. So, it is obligatory upon the student of knowledge and the beginner that he should not be hasty in these matters. Rather, he should withhold with regard to them and he should learn how he is to understand them upon the methodology of the Salaf and upon the clear, correct way. The Salaf (predecessors) did not fall short in making the truth clear and in laying down principles and regulations. However, this requires learning and understanding.
And the like of this also is his saying sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:
“Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven.”[4]
“And He descends on the evening of Arafah.”[5]
“He will come on the Day of Resurrection.”
He, the Most High said:
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ
Do they but await that Allaah should come to them screened by clouds and the angels come and the affair will be finished and to Allaah return all affairs. (Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 210)
And likewise with regard to Allaah, the Most High’s coming on the Day of Resurrection, it occurs also as a side point in a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anh.[6]
“He will come on the Day of Resurrection to carry out judgement upon His servants.”[7]
We affirm these matters for Allaah upon their reality (haqeeqah) without interfering by defining the kayfiyyah (how). So, we do not burden ourselves with awareness of how He will descend and how He will come. So, the kayfiyyah (how), we do not enter into it but as for the meaning then it is ma’qool (understood) and therefore, when Imaam Maalik was asked about how al-istiwaa; how the ascending is when the questioner said:
الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ
The Most Merciful ascended over the Throne.
(Soorah Taa Haa (20), aayah 5)
Then the questioner said to Imaam Maalik:
“How did He ascend?”
He was asking about kayfiyyah (how).
Imaam Maalik rahimahullaah said to him:
الاستواء معلوم
“The ascending is known.”
Meaning known with regard to its meaning.
Imaam Maalik said:
والكيف مجهول , والإيمان به واجب , والسؤال عنه بدعة
“And how is unknown and having eemaan in it is obligatory and asking about it is bid’ah (innovation).”
This is the sound methodology in the like of these affairs.[8]
Likewise, affirmation of as-soorah (a form) for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic in his saying sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:
“Allaah created Aadam upon his image.”[9]
And in a narration:
“Upon the form of the Most Merciful one.”[10]
So, we affirm as-soorah (a form or image) for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic just as His Messenger affirmed it for Him in his saying:
“I saw my Lord in the best form.” [11]
i.e this was in the world seeing Him in a dream in the best form. It contains affirmation of as-soorah (form or image) for Allaah, the Majestic and Most High as befits His Majesty, not like the images of the created beings but rather, it is the as-soorah (image or form) of the Most Merciful, the Majestic and Most High. So, these matters, we affirm them and we do not enter into them nor raise doubts about them nor delve further into them.
His saying, “We consign or surrender the matter,” what is correct is to perform tafweed of the kayfiyyah (how) it is, not tafweed of the meaning.[12]
His saying, “Do not explain anything from these with your desires,” rather you must explain them with the correct meaning that befits Allaah, the Majestic and Most High. It should not be said that they are not to be explained. Rather, they are to be explained and their meaning is to be made clear and tafweed (surrender, consigning) is just with regard to how only. So, therefore you affirm an-nuzool (His descending) but you negate the kayfiyyah (how). Allaah, the Majestic and Most High comes on the Day of Resurrection to carry out the judgement just as He, the Most High said:
وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا
And your Lord will come. (Sooratul-Fajr (89), aayah 22)
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ
Do they but await that Allaah comes to them screened by clouds and the angels and the affair is concluded. (Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 210)
He, the Perfect will come to carry out judgement upon His servants. However, it is not like the coming of the created being and the coming of one of the creation. Rather, it is coming as befits His Majesty however He wishes, He, the Perfect and Most High.
His saying, “You should not explain any of this Bi Hawaaka (with your desires),” meaning do not explain them without knowledge (`ilm) but as for your explaining them as necessitated by the evidences and referring that which is unclear back to that which is clear then there is no harm in it. But as for a person who is a beginner or an ignorant person then he should not enter into these very grave matters and these tremendous matters because this is a mistake and something very dangerous and I see many of the youth who feign knowledge being bold upon the matters of `aqeedah and they start to derive things from them and to speak about them and then they have enmity towards each other based upon these things and they break ties with each other when they disagree.
So, oh brothers, Allaah did not burden us with these matters. Upon you is to proceed upon the methodology of the Salaf and to say what they said. The books of `aqeedah are precisely written and all praise is for Allaah and printed and corrected and being studied and carefully checked so do not introduce things from yourselves and understandings from yourselves, you have been  sufficed having to do this.
His saying, “Having eemaan in this is obligatory,” having eemaan in the names of Allaah and attributes and His actions is obligatory. It is obligatory upon the servant and from having eemaan in Allaah is to have eemaan in His names and His attributes as befits His Majesty, He, the Perfect and Most High. So, the person who interferes in the matters of names and attributes, either with ta`teel (negation) or with tamtheel (likening the Creator to the creation) or with tafweed (claiming ignorance about the meaning) or by bringing explanation from himself then this person has not believed in Allaah with true and full eemaan. Rather, his eemaan is deficient.
His saying, “So, whoever explains anything from this based upon his desires and rejects it then he is a Jahmee,” the Jahmiyyah negated the names and attributes because they explain them in accordance with what befits the created being. There is no doubt that Allaah is declared free of that which befits the created being. So, they initially likened Him and then secondly, they negated based upon their tamtheel (having likened Him to the creation) since nothing was apparent to them from these texts except that which resembles the created beings.
So, therefore they denied them on account of that but as for if they had just said these texts contain attributes and names of Allaah in reality, that they are as befit Him, they are not like the names of the created beings nor like the attributes of the created beings, if they’d just followed this methodology, they would have been safe and sound but they were afflicted on account of their understanding and their desires.
And the Jahmiyyah, this is an ascription to Al-Jahm ibn Safwaan at-Tirmidhiyy or As-Samar Qandee, this well-known deviant, ascribed to the town of Tirmidh or the area of Samar Qand and he was the first one who manifested the saying that the Qur'aan is created and who had the saying that the names and the attributes are to be negated and who said that eemaan is just merely awareness in the heart to the rest of his sayings of misguidance and disbelief. So, whoever holds this belief then he is ascribed to him or it is to be said this person is a Jahmee in ascription to Al-Jahm.
Footnotes:
[1] Part of a hadeeth reported by Muslim (2,654) from a hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas radiyAllaahu `anhuma.
[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (7,405) and Muslim (2,675) from a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anh.
[3] Side point: Whether ar-harwalah (running) is to be understood literally or it’s to be explained as Shaykh al-Fowzaan mentioned in the likes of what occurs at the end of the hadeeth then as Shaykh al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah said, This is also what was said by Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymeeyah in Majmoo` al-Fataawa and likewise you’ll find in the explanation of Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh upon Al-Waasitiyyah of Ibn Taymeeyah, the same explanation, he explained it that here in this particular hadeeth al-harwalah means Allaah, the Most High’s hastening to carry out the needs of His servant and to forgive him.
However, there are others from the People of Knowledge who affirm al-harwalah (running) as an attribute for Allaah, the Most High as is apparent. From them was Imaam Ad-Daranee in his refutation of Al-Mareesee. Likewise, from the present day scholars Shaykh bin Baaz rahimahullaah in his fataawa; Fataawa Noor `Alaa al-Darb. Likewise, Shaykh ibn `Uthaymeen in his fataawa and in his fataawa of al-`aqeedah in his book Al-Qawaa`id al-Muthlaa and Shaykh `Ubayd in his explanation, he agreed with that as well. Likewise, the Saudi Lajna also and likewise, Shaykh al-Albaaniyy in Silsilatul Huda Wan-Noor tape series, all of them affirming this as an attribute for Allaah as befits His Majesty."
Likewise, Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee hafizahullaah said in his taped explanation - "So, the Salaf had a great deal of speech concerning it, however, what has most right in the matter is that we should have eemaan in it as befits the Majesty of Allaah, meaning we affirm it as an attribute for Allaah as it stands and it is a proof for His responding to His creation, we affirm the attribute and what’s necessitated by the attribute is that Allaah indeed responds to His creation. So what is indicated by the attribute and its affect is His reward. So affirming the attribute ar-harwalah has more right than the saying of those who say that it means giving reward alone.”
[4] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (6,321) and Muslim (758) from Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu.
[5] Reported by Muslim (1,348) from `Aa`ishah that Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:
“There is no day when Allaah frees more slaves from the fire than the day of Arafah and He indeed draws close then He boasts about them to the angels and says “what do those people want?” 
[6] Reported by Al Bukhaariyy (806) and Muslim (182), a long hadeeth containing the wording:
“And Allaah will come to them, He, the Mighty and Majestic.” 
[7] He, the Most High said:
وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا
And your Lord will come and the angels in ranks.
(Sooratul-Fajr (89), aayah 22)
[8] Side point: Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee hafizahullaah in his explanation mentioned a number of attributes and he applied the same principle to each one with regard to Allaah’s hand for example, he says, “The hand the meaning is known, the how is unknown, having eemaan in it is obligatory and asking how is an innovation.”
[9] Reported by Al Bukhaariyy (6,227) and reported by Muslim (2,841) from a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu.
[10] Reported by At-Tabaraaniyy in Al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer and by Al-Haarith ibn `Abee Usaamah in his Musnad and by Ibn Khuzaymah in Kitaab at-Tawheed from a hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Umar radiyAllaahu `anhuma and it was declared authentic by Imaam Ahmad and Ishaaq ibn Raahaweyh as occurs in Meezaan al-I’tidaal of Imaam ath-Thahabiyy.
Side point: Some of the People of Knowledge such as Ibn Khuzaymah and some others declare this wording to be weak and likewise Shaykh al-Albaaniyy declared this wording weak in Ad-Da`eefah, hadeeth number 1,176 because of four weaknesses in the chain of narration. Ibn Khuzaymah himself pointed out three of the weaknesses and Shaykh al-Albaaniyy mentions the 4th weakness as well, Allaahu `Aalam.
[11] Reported by Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad and it should be volume 5, page 243 and by At-Tirmidhiyy in his Sunan from a hadeeth of Mu`aadh radiyAllaahu `anhu and it was declared authentic by At-Tirmidhiyy and he mentioned Al-Bukhaariyy declared it authentic also and likewise it was declared  saheeh (authentic) by Shaykh al-Albaaniyy.
[12] Side Point: The position of the People of the Sunnah is with regard to the attributes of Allaah, the Most High then we say just as Imaam Maalik said as for the meaning of the attributes then we affirm the meaning but as regards to how the attribute is then we do not know so that is what we consign to Allaah, we give up on that, how it is; we do not know, we leave that to our Lord, Allaahu `Aalam. Whereas, as regards to the Mufawwidah; the deviant group then they  do the tafweed of the meaning i.e  they say we don’t know what the meaning is.
--
Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah
(A Gift To The Reader In Annotation Of Sharh As-Sunnah)
by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Transcribed by Saima Zaher.
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
Listen to the full Audio Series of Sharhus Sunnah
Sharh-us-Sunnah – Shaykh Saalih Fawzaan – Dawood Burbank [Audio|En]