Was Tafwīḍ al-Maʿnā the Way of the Salaf?

In this article, I intend to highlight the solid ground behind the Atharī position that
the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ affirmed the meanings of the Ṣifāt al-khabariyyah.1

#1: Some of the Salaf have explicitly conveyed that the meanings of the attributes
are known. Consider the following incident involving Ibn al-Aʿrābī (d. 231):

‫ ما‬،‫ يا أبا عبد الله‬:‫ كنا عند ابن الأعرابي فأتاه رجل فقال‬:‫قال أبو سليمان يعني داود‬
‫ فقال‬.‫ إنه مستو على عرشه كما أخبر‬:‫ ﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى﴾ فقال‬:‫معنى قوله‬
‫ ما يدر يك؟‬:‫ فقال له ابن الأعرابي‬.‫ استولى‬:‫ ﴿استوى﴾ أي‬:‫ إنما معنى قوله‬:‫الرجل‬
:‫ فأيهما غلب قيل‬،‫ حتى يكون له فيه مضاد‬،‫العرب لا تقول استولى على العرش فلان‬
.‫ والله تعالى لا مضاد له فهو على عرشه كما أخبر‬،‫قد استولى عليه‬

Abū Sulaymān said: We were with Ibn al-Aʿrābī when a man came to him
and asked, “O Abā ʿAbdillāh, What is the meaning of ‘The Most Merciful
istawā upon the Throne’?” [Ibn al-Aʿrābī] said, “[This means] He is risen
upon His Throne, as He has informed.” The man then objected, “Rather,
‘istawā’ (rose above) means ‘istawlā’ (subjugated).” So Ibn al-Aʿrābī said to
him, “What makes you think this?! The Arabs do not say ‘So-and-so has
subjugated the Throne of so-and-so’ unless he is his opponent; when one
of them overpowers [the opponent], then he has ‘istawlā’ upon him. But
as for Allāh, then He has no opponent [which He needs to overpower, so
‘istawlā’ is not applicable]. He is above His Throne as He has informed.”2

We see in this report that when asked about the meaning of al-istiwāʾ, Ibn al-Aʿrābī
had no hesitation in answering the man, “He is risen (mustaw) upon His Throne.”
This is contrasted with when Imām Mālik (d. 179) was asked about the modality of
al-istiwāʾ, to which he clarified that the modality is not known and that asking such

1
This is largely inspired by this article, pp. 5–10.
2
Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī, al-Asmāʾ wa al-Ṣifāt, ed. al-Ḥāshidī, vol. 2, p. 314
questions is a reprehensible innovation.3 If the Salaf prohibited knowledge of the
meaning of al-istiwāʾ in the same manner they prohibited inquiring of its modality,
why did Ibn al-Aʿrābī not rebuke the man the same way Imām Mālik had?

Imām Abū ʿUthmān al-Ṣābūnī (d. 449) narrated:

‫ أعني ابن أبى‬،‫ […] قال أبو عبد الله‬،‫وقرأت لأبى عبد الله ابن أبي جعفر البخاري‬
‫ سمعت محمد بن‬:‫ سمعت عبد الله بن عثمان وهو عبدان شيخ مرو يقول‬:‫حفص هذا‬
‫ أرأيتم قول الله عز وجل‬:‫ قلنا لهؤلاء‬:‫ قال حماد بن أبي حنيفة‬:‫الحسن الشيباني يقول‬
‫ وأما الرب‬،‫ أما الملائكة فيجيئون صفا صفا‬:‫﴿وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا﴾؟ قالوا‬
‫ إنا لم نكلفكم أن‬:‫ فقلت لهم‬،‫ ولا ندري كيفية مجيئه‬،‫تعالى فإنا لا ندري ما عنى لذاك‬
‫ أرأيت من أنكر أن الملك يجيء صفا‬،‫ ولكنا نكلفكم أن تؤمنوا بمجيئه‬،‫تعلموا كيف مجيئه‬
‫ فكذلك إن أنكر أن الله سبحانه لا يجيء‬:‫ قلت‬.‫ كافر مكذب‬:‫صفا ما هو عندكم؟ قالوا‬
.‫فهو كافر مكذب‬

Ḥammād Ibn Abī Ḥanīfah (d. 176), said: We challenge these [Jahmiyyah],
“Have you not seen that Allāh said, ‘And your Lord will come and the
angels, rank upon rank’?” They [i.e. the Jahmiyyah] respond, “As for the
angels, then they will come rank upon rank, but as for the Lord, we do
not know what He meant by this, nor do we know the modality of how
He will come [on the Day of Judgement].” So I [Ḥammād Ibn Abī Ḥanīfah]
reply to them, “[We agree that] we are not required to know how He will
come, but we are required [at least] to believe that He will come. The one
who denies that the angels will come—who are they?” The [Jahmiyyah]
say, “They are [consequently] disbelievers and deniers.” I say, “Likewise,
the one who denies that Allāh comes is a disbeliever and denier.”4

3
Imām al-Lālakāʾī reported in his Sharḥ Uṣūl Iʿtiqād, ed. al-Ghāmidī, vol. 3, p. 441:

‫ ثنا مهدي‬:‫ قال‬،‫ ثنا سلمة بن شبيب‬:‫ قال‬،‫ ثنا عبد الله بن أبي داود‬:‫ذكره علي بن الربيع التميمي المقرئ قال‬
‫ يا أبا عبد الله ﴿الرحمن على‬:‫ فقال‬،‫ جاء رجل إلى مالك بن أنس‬:‫ قال‬،‫ عن جعفر بن عبد الله‬،‫بن جعفر‬
‫ الكيف غير معقول والاستواء منه غير‬:‫ فقال‬،‫العرش استوى﴾ كيف استوى؟ […] فسري عن مالك‬
.‫ وأمر به فأخرج‬،‫ فإني أخاف أن تكون ضالا‬،‫مجهول والإيمان به واجب والسؤال عنه بدعة‬
4
Abū ʿUthmān al-Ṣābūnī, ʿAqīdah al-Salaf wa Aṣḥāb al-Ḥadīth, pp. 60–63
In this discourse between Imām Ḥammād and the Jahmiyyah, it was the Jahmiyyah
who did tafwīḍ of both the modality and the meaning of Allāh’s coming (al-majīʾ)!
Rather than agreeing with the Jahmites, Imām Ḥammād approved of their tafwīḍ of
its modality but rebuked their tafwīḍ of its meaning—Ḥammād confirmed that we
do not know of the modality but subsequently likened the Jahmiyyah’s tafwīḍ of the
attribute’s meaning to negating the attribute itself.5

#2: A number of the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ mentioned that the Ṣifāt al-khabariyyah are to be
affirmed upon their apparent meanings. ʿĀtikah Bint Aḥmad mentioned from her
father, al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Abī ʿĀṣim (d. 287), that he said:

‫وجميع ما في كتابنا كتاب السنة الكبير الذي فيه الأبواب من الأخبار التي ذكرنا أنها‬
،‫ و يجب التسليم لها على ظاهرها‬،‫ وعدالة ناقليها‬،‫ فنحن نؤمن بها لصحتها‬،‫توجب العلم‬
‫ والاستواء على‬،‫ فذكر في ذلك النزول إلى سماء الدنيا‬.‫وترك تكلف الكلام في كيفيتها‬
.‫ وغير ذلك‬،‫العرش‬

“And all of what is in our book, Kitāb al-Sunnah al-Kabīr,6 regarding what is
in the chapters containing reports [of the Ṣifāt] which must be affirmed,
then we believe in them, their authenticity, and their upright transmis-
sion; it is obligatory to submit to them upon their apparent (ẓāhirihā)
while abandoning inquiry about the modality.” He then mentioned Allāh’s
descent to the heaven of the dunyā, His istiwāʾ upon the Throne, etc.7

Imām Muḥammad Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (d. 310) likewise said:

.‫ معنى ذلك ما دل عليه ظاهر الخبر‬:‫ فما أنت قائل في معنى ذلك؟ قيل له‬:]…[ ‫فإن قال‬

“If one asks, ‘What do you say of the meaning [of Allāh’s descent]?’ it is
said, ‘Its meaning is what the apparent (ẓāhir) of the report indicates.’”8

5
For a case wherein Imām Ḥammād opposed the tafwīḍ al-maʿnā which the Jahmiyyah resorted to regarding
the Speech of Allāh, see: Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥarithī, Kashf al-Āthār al-Sharīfah, vol. 1, p. 481–482.
6
Ibn Abī ʿĀṣim’s Kitāb al-Sunnah was printed in 1400 A.H. with the taḥqīq of Shaykh Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī.
7
Al-Dhahabī, Kitāb al-ʿArsh, ed. al-Tamīmī, vol. 2, p. 350
8
Muḥammad Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, al-Tabṣīr fī Maʿālim al-Dīn, p. 146
#3: The Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ mentioned that the Ṣifāt are understood by the people. For in-
stance, Imām Yazīd Ibn Hārūn (d. 206) said:

‫ من زعم أن الرحمن على العرش استوى على‬:‫ عن الجهمية فقال‬،‫وحذر يزيد بن هارون‬
.‫خلاف ما يقر في قلوب العامة فهو جهمي‬

“Whoever claims [i.e. interprets] ‘The Most Merciful istawā upon the
Throne’ in a way which differs with what is affirmed [i.e. understood]
in the hearts of the masses, then he is a Jahmī.”9

A similar narration was also attributed to Imām Ibn Maslamah al-Qaʿnabī (d. 221).10
The Ṣifāt being understood (maʿqūl) is more clearly demonstrated in this incident
concerning Imām Abū Jaʿfar al-Tirmidhī al-Shāfiʿī (d. 295):

:‫حدثني الحسن بن أبي طالب قال نبأنا أبو الحسن منصور بن محمد بن منصور القزاز‬
‫ سمعت أبا الطيب أحمد بن عثمان‬:‫ قال‬.‫وذكر أن مولده سنة سبع وتسعين ومائتين‬
‫ حضرت عند أبي جعفر الترمذي فسأله‬:‫السمسار والد أبي حفص بن شاهين يقول‬
‫ فالنزول‬.‫ إن الله تعالى ينزل إلى سماء الدنيا‬:‫سائل عن حديث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم‬
‫ والكيف‬،‫ النزول معقول‬:‫كيف يكون يبقى فوقه علو؟ فقال أبو جعفر الترمذي‬
.‫ والسؤال عنه بدعة‬،‫ والإيمان به واجب‬،‫مجهول‬

Abū al-Ṭayyib Aḥmad said: “We were with Abū Jaʿfar al-Tirmidhī when a
questioner asked him about the ḥadīth of the Prophet (may the peace and
blessings of Allāh be upon him), ‘Verily, Allāh descends to the heaven of
the dunyā.’ [He asked], ‘How does the descent happen […]?’ Abū Jaʿfar
al-Tirmidhī said, ‘The descent (al-nuzūl) is understood, but its modality
is unknown; to believe in it is obligatory and to ask about it is bidʿah.’”11

9
Muḥammad Ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād, ed. al-Fuhayd, vol. 2, p. 37
10
Al-Dhahabī, al-ʿUluww li al-ʿAlī al-Ghaffar, p. 166:

،‫ الرحمن على العرش استولى‬:‫ كنا عند القعنبي رحمه الله فسمع رجلا من الجهمية يقول‬:‫قال بنان بن أحمد‬
.‫ من لا يوقن أن الرحمن على العرش استوى كما يقر في قلوب العامة فهو جهمي‬:‫فقال القعنبي‬
11
Abū Bakr al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, Tārīkh Baghdād, ed. al-ʿIlmiyyah, vol. 1, p. 382
Similarly, Ibn Qutaybah al-Dīnawarī (d. 276) said:

.‫ هما اليدان اللتان تعرف الناس‬:‫ ما اليدان ههنا؟ قلنا‬:‫فإن قال لنا‬

“And if it is said to us, ‘What exactly are the two Hands [of Allāh]?’ we say,
‘They are the two Hands as is known to the people.’”12

Imām al-Mufassirīn Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī also described al-istiwāʾ upon the meaning of
rising (al-irtifāʿ) as the correct interpretation which is understood by the Arabs.13

#4: The Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ explicitly explained the meanings of the Ṣifāt al-khabariyyah. A
famous example is that of Imām al-Bukhārī quoting Abū al-ʿĀliyah al-Riyāḥī (d. 93)
and Mujāhid Ibn Jabr (d. 103) interpreting the istiwāʾ of Allāh upon the Throne to
mean rising and ascending, respectively.14

Likewise, Al-Ḍaḥḥāk Ibn Muzāḥim (d. 102) interpreted the coming of Allāh (al-majīʾ)
to mean His descent (al-nuzūl):15

‫ ﴿إذا‬:‫ ومعه ما شاء من الملائكة […] وذلك قوله عز وجل‬،‫ثم ينزل الله في بهائه وجماله‬
﴾‫صفا‬ ‫دكت الأرض دكا دكا وجاء ربك والملك صفا‬

“Then, Allāh, in His Splendour and Glory, will descend, and there will be
with Him whoever He wills from the angels. […] And that is [the meaning]
of His statement, ‘When the earth is levelled—pounded and crushed—
and your Lord will come and the angels, rank upon rank…’”16

12
Ibn Qutaybah al-Dīnawarī, al-Ikhtilāf fī al-Lafẓ wa al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah, p. 41
13
Muḥammad Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Jamiʿ al-Bayān fi Taʾwīl Āy al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 457:

‫ ﴿ثم استوى إلى السماء فسواهن﴾ علا عليهن وارتفع فدبرهن بقدرته‬:‫وأولى المعاني بقول الله جل ثناؤه‬
…‫ والعجب ممن أنكر المعنى المفهوم من كلام العرب‬.‫وخلقهن سبع سموات‬
14
Muḥammad Ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ, ed. Dār al-Taʾṣīl, vol 9, p. 336:

:﴾‫ ﴿استوى إلى السماء‬:‫ ﴿وهو رب العرش العظيم﴾ قال أبو العالية‬،﴾‫باب ﴿وكان عرشه على الماء‬
.‫ علا على العرش‬:﴾‫ ﴿استوى‬:‫ وقال مجاهد‬.‫ خلقهن‬:﴾‫ ﴿فسواهن‬،‫ارتفع‬
15
This explanation was also given by al-Ḥāfiẓ Asad Ibn Mūsā (d. 212) in his Kitāb al-Zuhd, p. 43.
16
Abū Saʿīd al-Dārimī, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah, ed. al-Badr, p. 89
‫‪Al-Khalīl Ibn Aḥmad (d. 170)—among the leading linguists—explained Allāh’s istiwāʾ‬‬
‫‪to mean ascention (al-ṣuʿūd),17 as did al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū ʿĀṣim al-Nasāʾī (d. 253).18‬‬

‫‪Similarly, Imām Ḥammād Ibn Zayd (d. 179), when speaking about Allāh’s descent,‬‬
‫‪described it to mean that He comes near to His creation however He so wills.19 This‬‬
‫‪tafsīr was also attributed to the Waṣiyyah of Imām al-Shāfiʿī (d. 204),20 and al-Ḥāfiẓ‬‬
‫‪Zakariyyā al-Sājī (d. 307) mentioned that this is affirmed by Ahl al-Sunnah and the‬‬
‫‪proponents of Ahl al-Ḥadīth which he had met.21‬‬

‫‪One again regarding al-istiwāʾ, Imām Bishr Ibn ʿUmar al-Zahrānī (d. 209) said:‬‬

‫سمعت غير واحد من المفسرين يقولون‪﴿ :‬الرحمن على العرش استوى﴾ قال‪ ]…[ :‬ارتفع‪.‬‬

‫‪“I heard more than one [i.e. many] of the Mufassirīn explain ‘The Most‬‬
‫‪Merciful istawā upon the Throne’ [as meaning] He rose above (irtafaʿ).”22‬‬

‫‪17‬‬
‫‪Ibn al-Muẓaffar al-Ḥākimī, Ḥilyah al-Muḥāḍarah, p. 62:‬‬

‫فقال الخليل‪ :‬هو من قول الله تعالى‪﴿ :‬ثم استوى إلى السماء وهي دخان﴾ فصعدنا إليه…‬
‫‪18‬‬
‫‪Abū al-Ḥasan al-Malṭī, al-Tanbīh wa al-Radd ʿalā Ahl al-Ahwāʾ wa al-Bidaʿ, ed. al-Kawtharī, p. 101:‬‬

‫ومما يدل على تبارك وتعالى ينزل كيف يشاء إذا شاء‪ ،‬صعوده إلى السماء واستواؤه على العرش…‬
‫‪19‬‬
‫‪Al-ʿUqaylī, al-Ḍuʿafāʾ al-Kabīr, ed. al-ʿIlmiyyah, vol. 1, p. 143:‬‬

‫حدثنا جعفر بن محمد الفر يابي حدثنا أحمد بن محمد المقدمي حدثنا سليمان بن حرب قال‪ :‬سأل بشر بن‬
‫السرى حماد بن زيد فقال‪ :‬يا أبا إسماعيل الحديث الذي جاء أن الله تبارك وتعالى ينزل إلى سماء الدنيا يتجول‬
‫من مكان إلى مكان؟ فسكت حماد‪ ،‬ثم قال‪ :‬هو في مكانه يقرب من خلقه كيف شاء‪.‬‬
‫‪20‬‬
‫‪Al-Dhahabī, al-ʿUluww li al-ʿAlī al-Ghaffar, p. 165:‬‬

‫روى شيخ الإسلام أبو الحسن الهكاري والحافظ أبو محمد المقدسي بإسنادهم إلى أبي ثور وأبي شعيب‬
‫كلاهما عن الإمام محمد بن إدريس الشافعي ناصر الحديث رحمه الله تعالى قال القول في السنة التي أنا عليها‬
‫ورأيت عليها الذين رأيتهم مثل سفيان ومالك وغيرهما الإقرار بشهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله‬
‫وأن الله على عرشه في سمائه يقرب من خلقه كيف شاء و ينزل إلى السماء الدنيا كيف شاء…‬
‫‪21‬‬
‫‪Ibid., p. 205:‬‬

‫قال الإمام أبو عبد الله بن بطة العكبري مصنف الإبانة الكبرى في السنة وهو أربع مجلدات حدثنا أبو‬
‫الحسن أحمد بن زكر يا بن يحيى الساجي قال قال أبي القول في السنة التي رأيت عليها أصحابنا أهل الحديث‬
‫الذين لقيناهم أن الله تعالى على عرشه في سمائه يقرب من خلقه كيف شاء…‬
‫‪22‬‬
‫‪Abū al-Qāsim al-Lālakāʾī, Sharḥ Uṣūl Iʿtiqād, vol. 3, p. 440‬‬
Abū al-ʿAbbās Taʿlab al-Naḥwī (d. 291) explained al-istiwāʾ to mean ascending,23 and
so did Maʿmar Ibn al-Muthannā (d. 209) in his tafsīr;24 both are prominent linguists.

Imām ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Warrāq al-Ḥanbalī (d. 251), the esteemed student of Imām
Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal, explained al-istiwāʾ to mean sitting,25 and Ibn Qutaybah inter-
preted the same Āyah to mean Allāh settling upon the Throne.26

Imam Muḥammad Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī said:

‫ ﴿ثم استوى إلى السماء فسواهن﴾ علا عليهن‬:‫وأولى المعاني بقول الله جل ثناؤه‬
.‫وارتفع فدبرهن بقدرته وخلقهن سبع سموات‬

“The most correct interpretation of the meaning of Allāh’s statement,

#5: The Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ would deduce parallels between different attributes, which is
not be possible unless they understood their meanings.

ʿAbdullāh Ibn al-Mubārak (d. 181) narrated that while alluding to the Āyah, “Do
they await except that Allāh arrives to them in covers of clouds and the angels

23
Ibid., vol. 3, p. 443:

:‫ سمعت أبا العباس ثعلبا يقول‬:‫ قال‬،‫ عن إسحاق الهادي‬،‫وجدت بخط أبي الحسن الدارقطني رحمه الله‬
.‫ علا‬:﴾‫ أقبل عليه وإن لم يكن معوجا ﴿ثم استوى إلى السماء﴾ أقبل و﴿استوى على العرش‬:‫استوى‬
24
Abū ʿUbayd Maʿmar Ibn al-Muthannā, Majāz al-Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 15:

،‫ استويت فوق الدابة وعلى البعير وعلى الجبل وفوق البيت‬:‫ يقال‬،‫﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى﴾ أي علا‬
…‫أي علوت عليه وفوقه‬
25
Al-Dashtī, Ithbāt al-Ḥadd, ed. al-ʿUtaybī & ʿĀdil, p. 71; Abū Yaʿlā, Ibṭāl al-Taʾwīlāt, ed. al-Najdī, p. 592
26
Ibn Qutaybah al-Dīnawarī, Taʾwīl Mukhtalif al-Ḥadīth, ed. al-Ishrāq, p. 394:

:‫ أي‬،﴾‫ ﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى‬:‫ إنه بكل مكان على الحلول مع قوله‬:‫وكيف يسوغ لأحد أن يقول‬
.‫ استقررت‬:‫ أي‬،﴾‫ ﴿فإذا استويت أنت ومن معك على الفلك‬:‫استقر؛ كما قال‬
27
Muḥammad Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Jamiʿ al-Bayān fi Taʾwīl Āy al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 457
[as well]…” Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68) instead used a synonym and said, “Allāh will come in
covers of clouds.”28 This indicates that he was able to deduce a type of correlation
between the coming of Allāh (al-majīʾ) and His arrival (al-ityān), which implies he
understood the meanings of both attributes. Another passage in the tafsīr of Yaḥyā
Ibn Sallām (d. 200) indicates that he deduced this correlation as well.29

Imām Muḥammad Ibn Aslam al-Ṭūsī (d. 241) said:

‫﴿وجاء ربك والملك‬:‫﴿هل ينظرون إلا أن يأتيهم الله في ظلل من الغمام﴾وقال‬:‫قال الله‬
.‫ وكذب رسول الله‬،‫صفا صفا﴾ فمن كذب بالنزول فقد كذب كتاب الله تعالى‬

“Allāh said, ‘Do they await except that Allāh arrives to them in covers
of clouds…’ and He said, ‘And your Lord will come and the angels [as
well], rank upon rank,’ so whoever denies the descent [of Allāh] has de-
nied the Book of Allāh and the Messenger of Allāh [may the peace and
blessings of Allāh be upon him].”30

Thus, the Imām inferred the similarity between the descent, coming, and arrival of
Allāh. Similarly, Imām Aḥmad Ibn Saʿīd al-Rabbāṭī (d. 246) said:

‫ يعني‬،‫ وحضر إسحاق ابن إبراهيم‬،‫حضرت مجلس الأمير عبد الله بن طاهر ذات يوم‬
‫ فقال له بعض قواد عبد‬.‫ نعم‬:‫ أصحيح هو؟ قال‬:‫ فسئل عن حديث النزول‬،‫ابن راهو يه‬
‫ كيف ينزل؟ فقال له‬:‫ قال‬.‫ نعم‬:‫ يا أبا يعقوب أتزعم أن الله ينزل كل ليلة؟ قال‬:‫الله‬
‫ قال‬:‫ فقال إسحاق‬.‫ أثبته فوق‬:‫ فقال الرجل‬.‫ أثبته فوق حتى أصف لك النزول‬:‫إسحاق‬
‫ يا أبا يعقوب هذا يوم‬:‫ ﴿وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا﴾ فقال الأمير‬:‫الله عز وجل‬
‫ ومن يجيء يوم القيامة من يمنعه اليوم؟‬،‫ أعز الله الأمير‬:‫ فقال إسحاق‬.‫القيامة‬

28
ʿAbdullāh Ibn al-Mubārak, Kitāb al-Jihād, p. 49; see also: Asad Ibn Mūsā, Kitāb al-Zuhd, pp. 43–44.
29
Yaḥyā Ibn Sallām, Tafsīr Yaḥyā Ibn Sallām, ed. al-ʿIlmiyyah, vol. 1, p. 477:

‫ ﴿هل ينظرون إلا أن يأتيهم الله في ظلل من‬:‫ هو مثل قوله‬.‫ ﴿ونزل الملائكة تنز يلا﴾ مع الرحمن‬:‫قال‬
﴾‫ ﴿وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا‬:‫الغمام والملائكة﴾ ومثل قوله‬
30
Al-Dhahabī, al-Arbaʿīn fī Ṣifāt Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn, p. 163; Ibn Muḥibb al-Ṣāmit, Ṣifāt Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn, ed. Umm
al-Qurā, vol. 2, pp. 474–475
 I was present at the gathering of al-Amīr ʿAbdullāh b. Ṭāhir, and Isḥāq b.
Ibrāhim [al-Rāhawayh] was present. He was asked regarding the ḥadīth of
descent [of Allāh], “Is it authentic?” He said, “Yes.” Some of the heads of
ʿAbdullāh said to him, “O Abā Yaʿqūb, do you claim that He descends
every night?” He answered, “Yes.” He asked, “How does He descend?” He
[Isḥāq] replied, “Affirm Him as being above before I describe for you His
descent!” So the man said, “I affirm Him above,” so Isḥāq said [as proof
that Allāh descends], “Allah said, ‘And your Lord will come and the
angels [as well], rank upon rank.’” The Amīr said, “O Abā Yaʿqūb, this is
only referring to the Day of Judgment, [not Allāh’s descent every night].”
Isḥāq said, “May Allāh strengthen the Amīr; if He can come on the Day of
Judgement, what prevents Him from coming [i.e.descending] today?!”31

Imām Ibn Rāhawayh (d. 238) here cited the words “And your Lord will come…” to
corroborate that Allāh descends, and likewise did al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū ʿĀṣim (d. 253).32 How
could they use Allāh’s coming to argue for His descent if both are unknown words?

ʿAbd al-Malik al-Maymūnī (d. 274) reported from Imām Aḥmad:

:‫ قال الميموني‬،‫ ﴿خلقت بيدي﴾ مشددة‬:‫ كيف يصنع بقوله‬،‫من زعم أن يداه نعماه‬
.‫ والقلوب بين أصبعين‬،‫ وحين خلق آدم بقبضة يعني من جميع الأرض‬:‫فقلت‬

“Whoever claims that His Hands are (a metaphor for) His blessings, how
can he reconcile [that reinterpretation] with His statement, ‘…I created
with My two Hands,’ [38:75] with a shaddah?” [The shaddah on ‘bi-yadayy’
causes ‘with My two Hands’ to be in the dual form.]Al-Maymūnī said, “So
I said, ‘And [how can he reconcile that with the ḥadīth which states Allāh]
grasped [with His Hand] from the earth when creating Ādam, or [the
ḥadīth which mentions] the hearts are between two Fingers [of Allāh]?’”33

Imām Aḥmad here is arguing that linguistically, the word “yad” in its dual form and
in this manner cannot be understood as a metaphor; Imām al-Maymūnī added that
31
Abū ʿUthmān al-Ṣābūnī, ʿAqīdah al-Salaf wa Aṣḥāb al-Ḥadīth, p. 51
32
Abū al-Ḥasan al-Malṭī, al-Tanbīh wa al-Radd ʿalā Ahl al-Ahwāʾ, pp. 101–102:

﴾‫ ﴿وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا‬:‫ومما يدل على أن الله تبارك وتعالى ينزل… وقوله‬
33
Abū Yaʿlā al-Farrāʾ, Ibṭāl al-Taʾwīlāt, p. 202; Al-Khallāl & Ghulām al-Khallāl, Kitāb al-Sunnah, vol. 2, p. 485
the aḥādīth which describe Allāh’s Fingers and Allāh grasping with His Hand also
disprove that His Hands are metaphors. How could he have deduced the correlation
between the “Hands” of Allāh as mentioned in 38:75 and the reports of Allāh’s grasp
or His Fingers if he didn’t know the meaning of any of these attributes?

#6: The Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ discussed the implications of the Ṣifāt. For instance, Abū Ṭalib
reported that Imām Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241) said:

‫ ﴿هل ينظرون إلا أن يأتيهم الله في ظلل من الغمام‬:‫ قول الله تعالى‬:‫وقال أبو عبد الله‬
.‫ فقد كفر‬،‫ إن الله لا يرى‬:‫ فمن قال‬،﴾‫ ﴿وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا‬،﴾‫والملائكة‬

“Allāh said, ‘Do they await except that Allāh arrives to them…’ [and He
stated], ‘And your Lord will come and the angels [as well], rank upon
rank,’ so whoever says that Allāh cannot be seen, he is a disbeliever.”34

This report shows that Imām Aḥmad understood the meaning of the coming (majīʾ)
and arriving (ityān) of Allāh, since he utilised these attributes to prove that He can
be seen. Imām Aḥmad definitely could not have used these Ṣifāt as evidence for the
ruʾyah unless he understood their meanings and connotations.

On this point, al-Qāḍī Abū Yaʿlā (d. 458) said:

‫وقد قال أحمد في رواية أبي طالب ﴿هل ينظرون إلا أن يأتيهم الله في ظلل من الغمام‬
‫ وظاهر‬.‫والملائكة﴾ ﴿وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا﴾ فمن قال أن الله لا يرى فقد كفر‬
‫ وإنما يحتج بذلك‬،‫ لأنه احتج بذلك على جواز رؤيته‬،‫هذا أن أحمد أثبت مجيئ ذاته‬
.‫على جواز رؤيته إذا كان الإتيان والمجيئ مضافًا إلى الذات‬

And Aḥmad said in the riwāyah of Abū Ṭālib, “[Allāh said], ‘Do they await
except that Allāh arrives to them…’ [and He said], ‘And your Lord will
come and the angels [as well], rank upon rank,’ so whoever claims that
Allāh cannot be seen, he is a disbeliever.” The apparent of this is that
Aḥmad affirmed [Allāh] comes with His Essence (majīʾ Dhātihī) because he

34
Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah al-Kubrā, vol. 7, p. 53. It was authenticated by the muḥaqqiq.
 used [His coming] as evidence that He can be seen. This cannot be used as
proof for the ruʾyah except if the ityān and majīʾ are of the Essence.”35

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Baṭṭah (d. 387) reports that Imām Aḥmad also cited the descent of Allāh
as evidence that He can be seen,36 which demonstrates that he was able to deduce
from the meaning of al-nuzūl that it can facilitate for the ruʾyah.

Similarly, when asked by al-Marrūdhī concerning ʿAbdullāh Ibn al-Mubārak (d. 181)
affirming a demarcation (ḥadd) for Allāh,37 Imām Aḥmad said, “This has reached me
from him,” and he thereafter mentioned the Āyah, “Do they await except that Allāh
arrives to them…” and the Āyah, “And your Lord will come and the angels [as
well], rank upon rank.”38 Imām Aḥmad quoted these attributes as evidence that
Allāh has a ḥadd,39 which again isn’t possible unless he understood their meanings.

Imām al-Dārimī (d. 280)40 and Imām Ḥarb al-Kirmānī (d. 280)41 affirmed movement
(al-ḥarakah) for Allāh. This term is not mentioned in the Qurʾān or Sunnah, which
entails42 they contentiously deduced al-ḥarakah from other attributes, like Allāh’s
descent (al-nuzūl), coming (al-majīʾ), and arrival (al-ityān).

The Salaf had also unanimously inferred from “The Most Merciful istawā above
the Throne” that this is evidence for His ascendancy above the creation,43 and this
was also inferred from Allāh’s descent (i.e. that it is evidence for His ascendancy).44

35
Abū Yaʿlā al-Farrāʾ, Ibṭāl al-Taʾwīlāt, ed. al-Najdī, p. 158
36
Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah al-Kubrā, vol. 7, p. 326
37
Muḥammad Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, al-Muntakhab min Dhayl al-Mudhayyal, p. 145; Abū ʿUmar Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr,
al-Tamhīd, ed. al-Furqān, vol. 5, p. 154
38
Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah al-Kubrā, vol. 7, p. 158–159. It was authenticated by the muḥaqqiq.
39
This was also said by al-Dashtī (d. 665) in Ithbāt al-Ḥadd li-Allāh, ed. al-ʿUtaybī & ʿĀdil Āl Ḥamadān, p. 118.
40
Abū Saʿīd al-Dārimī, al-Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī, ed. al-Shawāmī, p. 71
41
Ḥarb Ibn Ismāʿīl al-Kirmānī, Kitāb al-Sunnah, ed. ʿĀdil Āl Ḥamadān, p. 50
42
Ibid.; see Shaykh ʿĀdil Āl Ḥamadān’s footnote.
43
Al-Dhahabī, al-ʿUluww li al-ʿAlī al-Ghaffār, p. 179:

‫قال أبو بكر الخلال أنبأنا المروذي حدثنا محمد بن الصباح النيسابوري حدثنا أبو داود الخفاف سليمان بن‬
‫ ﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى﴾ إجماع أهل العلم أنه فوق‬:‫ قال الله تعالى‬:‫ قال إسحاق بن راهو يه‬:‫داود قال‬
.‫العرش استوى و يعلم كل شيء في أسفل الأرض السابعة‬
44
Ibn Abī ʿĀṣim, Kitāb al-Sunnah, ed. al-Albānī, p. 221
#7: The Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ often utilised the qadr al-mushtarak (common degree between
the attributes of the Creator and those of the creation) to outline the meanings of
the Ṣifāt. It is narrated that after reporting the ḥadīth, “The hearts are between two
of the Fingers of the Most Merciful; He turns them however He so wills,” Sufyān
al-Thawrī (d. 161) said, “Like this,” and gestured with his own fingers.45

When narrating a report on Allāh’s Hands, Ḥammād Ibn Salamah (d. 167) also said,
“Like this,” and gestured by his hand; al-Ḥajjāj Ibn Minhāl (d. 217) did the same.46

Imām Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī (d. 275) reported:

.‫ […] يشير بأصبع أصبع‬،‫ورأيت أبا عبد الله يشير في حديث الحبر؛ حديث ابن مسعود‬

“And I saw Abū ʿAbdillāh [Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal] gesturing when relating the
report concerning the Jewish rabbi; the ḥadīth of Ibn Masʿūd. [This is the
ḥadīth in which the Jewish man stated, ‘Allāh will place the heavens on a
Finger…’] [Imām Aḥmad] pointed to each [of his own] fingers.”47

Imām Aḥmad also mentioned that he saw al-Ḥāfiẓ Yaḥyā Ibn Saʿīd al-Qaṭtān (d. 198)
gesturing while relating this ḥadīth as well.48

This act entails understanding of the connotative meanings of Allāh’s attributes;

45
Abū ʿAbdillāh Ibn Mandah, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah, ed. al-Faqīhī, p. 87
46
Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah al-Kubrā, vol. 4, p. 169:

‫ حدثنا حماد بن‬:‫ قال‬،‫ حدثنا حجاج‬:‫ قال‬،‫ حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن خلف‬:‫حدثنا أبو علي محمد بن يوسف قال‬
‫ خمر الله طينة آدم أربعين‬:‫ قال‬،‫ عن سلمان الفارسي‬،‫ عن أبي عثمان النهدي‬،‫ عن سليمان التيمي‬،‫سلمة‬
‫ ومسح حماد إحدى يديه‬،‫ هكذا‬:‫ فخر طيبه بيمينه وخبيثه بشماله قال‬،‫ وأشار حماد بيده‬،‫ليلة ثم جمعه بيده‬
.‫ والخبيث من الطيب‬،‫ فمن ثم خرج الطيب من الخبيث‬:‫ قال‬،‫ وكذلك فعل الحجاج‬،‫على الأخرى‬
47
Al-Khallāl & Ghulām al-Khallāl, Kitāb al-Sunnah, ed. ʿĀdil Āl Ḥamadān, vol. 2, p. 479. It is authentic.
48
Ibid.
Likewise, our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) gestured with his
hand when speaking of Allāh’s Hand;49 it would be inconsiderate for him to do this
if the Ṣaḥābah were expected instead to have done tafwīḍ of these attributes.50

It is transmitted from ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿAbbās that when commenting on the Āyah,
“Sailing under our Eyes,” he pointed to his two eyes.51 Al-Khalīl Ibn Aḥmad (d. 170)
exemplified the meaning of al-istiwāʾ with the example of doing istiwāʾ onto a roof,52
and Imām al-Nasāʾī (d. 303) did the same with a ḥadīth of the Messenger (may the
peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) doing istiwāʾ upon his riding animal.53
Similarly, Abū ʿUbayd Ibn al-Muthannā (d. 209) said:

‫ استويت فوق الدابة وعلى البعير وعلى‬:‫ يقال‬،‫﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى﴾ أي علا‬
.‫ أي علوت عليه وفوقه‬،‫الجبل وفوق البيت‬

“‘The Most Merciful istawā upon the Throne,’ [this means] He ascended
[above the Throne], as it is said, ‘I rose above (istawayt) upon the animal,
or upon the camel, or onto the mountain, or upon the house’; meaning: I
ascended upon it and above it.”54

49
Imām Ibn Mājah narrated in his Sunan, ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī, vol. 1, p. 71:

‫ عن عبيد‬،‫ حدثني أبي‬:‫ حدثنا عبد العزيز بن أبي حازم قال‬:‫ قالا‬،‫ ومحمد بن الصباح‬،‫حدثنا هشام بن عمار‬
:‫ سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو على المنبر يقول‬:‫ أنه قال‬،‫ عن عبد الله بن عمر‬،‫الله بن مقسم‬
‫ أين الجبارون؟‬،‫ أنا الجبار‬:‫ ثم يقول‬،‫ وقبض بيده فجعل يقبضها ويبسطها‬،‫يأخذ الجبار سماواته وأرضه بيده‬
‫ حتى نظرت إلى المنبر‬،‫ ويتميل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن يمينه وعن يساره‬:‫أين المتكبرون؟ قال‬
.‫ أساقط هو برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‬:‫ حتى إني أقول‬،‫يتحرك من أسفل شيء منه‬
50
In this regard, Imām Abū Isḥāq Ibn Shāqillā al-Ḥanbalī (d. 369) stated that had the apparent meanings not
been intended, the Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) would have certainly
clarified it. See: Ibn Abī Yaʿlā, Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābliah, ed. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-ʿUthaymīn, vol. 3, p. 239.
51
Abū al-Qāsim al-Lālakāʾī, Sharḥ Uṣūl Iʿtiqād, vol. 3, p. 456;
52
Ibn al-Muẓaffar al-Ḥākimī, Ḥilyah al-Muḥāḍarah, p. 62:

‫ فرد علينا‬،‫ فسلمنا‬،‫ فإذا هو على سطح‬،‫ وكان من أعلم من رأيت‬،‫ أتيت أبا ربيعة الأعرابي‬:‫قال الخليل‬
،‫ يقول لكم ارتفعوا‬:‫ فقال لنا أعرابي إلى جنبه‬،‫ ولم ندر ما قال‬،‫ فبقينا متحيرين‬،‫ استووا‬:‫السلام وقال لنا‬
…‫ ﴿ثم استوى إلى السماء وهي دخان﴾ فصعدنا إليه‬:‫ هو من قول الله تعالى‬:‫فقال الخليل‬
53
Aḥmad Ibn Shuʿayb al-Nasāʾī, al-Sunan al-Kubrā, ed. al-Risālah, vol. 10, p. 245
54
Abū ʿUbayd Maʿmar Ibn al-Muthannā, Majāz al-Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 15
Ibn Qutaybah also appealed to the qadr al-mustarak when explaining al-istiwāʾ.55

#8: The Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ, to a degree, would delve into the linguistics of the Ṣifāt. For
instance, Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311) said:

‫ نزل من‬:‫ […] إذ محال في لغة العرب أن يقول‬:‫وفي هذه الأخبار ما بان وثبت وصح‬
.‫ ومفهوم في الخطاب أن النزول من أعلى إلى أسفل‬،‫أسفل إلى أعلى‬

“And what is clear, established, and correct regarding these reports56 […]
[is that] because it is impossible in the language of the Arabs for one to
say, ‘So-and-so descended from low to high,’ it is understood in speech
that descending is to go from higher to lower.”57

Some even conjugated al-istiwāʾ; Ibn Khuzaymah58 and Ibn al-Aʿrābī59 both inferred
that Allāh is risen (present tense) above the Throne from the fact that He rose
(past tense) above the Throne. Imām al-Ghazālī (d. 505) prohibited this because
conjugating an unknown word may end up unintentionally altering its meaning:

.‫ مستو […] لأن المعنى يجيز أن يختلف‬:‫ ﴿استوى﴾ فلا ينبغي أن يقال‬:‫قوله تعالى‬

“Regarding His saying, ‘…istawā above the Throne,’ it is not allowed for
one to say ‘He is mustaw [present tense]’ as the meaning may be altered.”60

55
Ibn Qutaybah al-Dīnawarī, Taʾwīl Mukhtalif al-Ḥadīth, p. 394:

﴾‫ ﴿فإذا استويت أنت ومن معك على الفلك‬:‫ استقر؛ كما قال‬:‫ أي‬،﴾‫ ﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى‬:‫قوله‬
56
I.e. the reports regarding Allāh’s descent.
57
Ibn Khuzaymah, Kitāb al-Tawḥīd, vol. 1, p. 290
58
Ibid., vol. 1, p. 233:

‫ ﴿إن ربكم الله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض في‬:‫ وقال ربنا عز وجل‬،﴾‫﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى‬
‫ ﴿الله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض وما بينهما‬:‫ستة أيام ثم استوى على العرش﴾ وقال في تنز يل السجدة‬
…‫في ستة أيام ثم استوى على العرش﴾ […] فنحن نؤمن بخبر الله جل وعلا أن خالقنا مستو على عرشه‬
59
Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī, al-Asmāʾ wa al-Ṣifāt, vol. 2, p. 314:

:‫ أخبرني أبو سليمان يعني داود قال‬:‫ عن أبي عبد الله نفطو يه قال‬،‫وفيما روى أبو الحسن بن مهدي الطبري‬
:‫ ﴿الرحمن على العرش استوى﴾ فقال‬:‫ ما معنى قوله‬،‫ يا أبا عبد الله‬:‫كنا عند ابن الأعرابي فأتاه رجل فقال‬
.‫إنه مستو على عرشه كما أخبر‬
60
Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, Iljām al-ʿAwām ʿan ʿIlm al-Kalām, p. 83
#9: The Salaf did not distinguish between the Ṣifāt al-ʿaqliyyah (e.g. Seeing, Hearing)
and the Ṣifāt al-khabariyyah (e.g. Hand, Face, descent). Since it is indisputable that
the Salaf understood the meanings of the Ṣifāt al-ʿaqliyyah, them approaching the
Ṣifāt al-khabariyyah in like manner entails that they understood the meanings of the
khabarī attributes the same way they understood the ʿaqlī attributes. This is not the
case with Mufawwiḍah, who do tafwīḍ of the khabariyyah but not of the ʿaqliyyah.

Imām Sufyān Ibn ʿUyaynah (d. 198) said:

…‫كل شيء وصف الله به نفسه في القرآن فقراءته تفسيره‬

“[Regarding] everything Allāh described Himself with in the Qurʾān, its

In this report, Imām Ibn ʿUyaynah made no distinction between the affirmation of
the khabarī attributes and the ʿaqlī attributes, which indicates that he maintained
they are to be affirmed and understood in the same manner.

Isḥāq Ibn Rāhawayh and Imām al-Tirmidhī (d. 279) also made relevant remarks.62

#10: Consider the following ḥadīth:

‫ ضحك ربنا من قنوط‬:‫ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‬:‫ قال‬،‫عن عمه أبي رزين‬
‫ لن‬:‫ قلت‬،‫ نعم‬:‫ قال‬،‫ أو يضحك الرب‬،‫ يا رسول الله‬:‫ قلت‬:‫ قال‬.‫ وقرب غيره‬،‫عباده‬
.‫نعدم من رب يضحك خيرا‬

61
Al-Dāraquṭnī, Kitāb al-Ṣifāt, ed. al-Ghunaymān, p. 41
62
Al-Tirmidhī, al-Jāmiʿ, ed. Aḥmad Shākir & ʿAbd al-Bāqī & Ibrāhīm al-Sharīf, vol. 3, p. 42:

‫ وقد‬،‫ هذا تشبيه‬:‫ وأما الجهمية فأنكرت هذه الروايات وقالوا‬،‫وهكذا قول أهل العلم من أهل السنة والجماعة‬
‫ فتأولت الجهمية هذه الآيات ففسروها على‬،‫ذكر الله عز وجل في غير موضع من كتابه اليد والسمع والبصر‬
‫ وقال إسحاق بن‬،‫ إن معنى اليد هاهنا القوة‬:‫ وقالوا‬،‫ إن الله لم يخلق آدم بيده‬:‫ وقالوا‬،‫غير ما فسر أهل العلم‬
‫ سمع‬:‫ فإذا قال‬،‫ أو مثل سمع‬،‫ أو سمع كسمع‬،‫ أو مثل يد‬،‫ يد كيد‬:‫ إنما يكون التشبيه إذا قال‬:‫إبراهيم‬
،‫ ولا يقول كيف‬،‫ وبصر‬،‫ وسمع‬،‫ وأما إذا قال كما قال الله تعالى يد‬،‫ فهذا التشبيه‬،‫ أو مثل سمع‬،‫كسمع‬
…‫ فهذا لا يكون تشبيها‬،‫ ولا كسمع‬،‫ولا يقول مثل سمع‬
 Abū Razīn, may Allāh be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allāh
(may the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said, ‘Our Lord laughs
for the despair of His servant, as He will soon relieve him.’
“I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, does the Lord laugh?!’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I
said, ‘A Lord who laughs will never deprive us of good.’”63

In this ḥadīth, seeing how Abū Razīn was amazed by how Allāh laughs, it is entirely
clear that he understood its meaning; he had even inferred from Allāh’s attribute
of laughing that He will never deprive us of good. The Prophet (may the peace and
blessings of Allāh be upon him)—upon hearing Abū Razīn’s reaction—did not order
him to do tafwīḍ of this attribute but rather affirmed that Allāh does indeed laugh,
just as Abū Razīn (may Allāh be pleased with him) had understood.64 This beautiful
ḥadīth delivers a disastrous blow against the doctrine of tafwīḍ al-maʿnā.65

All in all, though some points I highlighted may be subject to objections (whether
or not said objections are reasonable aside), the assertion that tafwīḍ al-maʿnā was
the approach adopted by the Salaf is clearly subject to compelling opposition.

.‫ وآله وصحبه وسلم‬،‫ وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد‬،‫والحمد لله وحده‬

63
Ibn Mājah, al-Sunan, ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī, vol. 1, p. 64. This was authenticated by al-Qāsim Ibn Sallām (d. 224),
and it was mentioned by Ibn al-Mājishūn (d. 164) while expounding upon the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah. See:
al-Dāraquṭnī, Kitāb al-Ṣifāt, pp. 39–40; Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah al-Kubrā, vol. 7, p. 63 onwards.
64
Had tafwīḍ al-maʿnā or taʾwīl been mandatory, the Prophet (the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)
would have been obliged to clarify it in this case especially.
65
Imām al-Dārimī commented in his Naqḍ, p. 303:

‫ ففي‬،‫ وأقررت أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قد قاله‬،‫فهذا حديثك أيها المعارض الذي رويته وثبته وفسرته‬
‫ أيضحك‬:‫نفس حديثك هذا ما ينقض دعواك وهو قول أبي رزين رضي الله عنه للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم‬
‫الرب؟ ولو كان تفسير الضحك الرضى والرحمة والصفح من الذنوب فقط؛ كان أبو رزين في دعواك إذا‬
‫ أيرحم‬:‫ حتى يسأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‬،‫جاهلا أن لا يعلم أن ربه يرحم ويرضى و يغفر الذنوب‬
‫ وقد‬،‫ربنا و يغفر و يصفح عن الذنوب؟ بل هو كافر في دعواك؛ إذ لم يعرف الله بالرضى والرحمة والمغفرة‬
‫ ما كان له فيه مندوحة عن‬،‫ وصفحه عن الذنوب‬،‫ ومغفرته‬،‫قرأ القرآن وسمع ما ذكر الله فيه من رحمته‬
‫ وقرأ‬،‫ لا عما علم وآمن به قبل‬،‫رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أيغفر ربنا ويرحم؟ إنما سأله عما لا يعلم‬
.‫ ولم يجد فيه ذكر الضحك‬،‫القرآن فوجد فيه ذكره‬