Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama’ah
Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama’ah hold a clear and consistent position regarding the “how” (kayfiyyah) of Allah’s attributes, which can be summarized as follows:
Affirmation Without Modality
- Ahl as-Sunnah affirm all of Allah’s attributes mentioned in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah without discussing or specifying how they are[1][4].
- They believe in the real meanings of these attributes as befitting Allah’s majesty, without likening them to the attributes of creation[3].
Refraining from Speculation
- Ahl as-Sunnah do not delve into or speculate about the nature or modality (kayfiyyah) of Allah’s attributes[5].
- They leave the knowledge of “how” Allah’s attributes are to Allah alone, as this information has not been revealed[4].
Key Principles
- Affirmation without resemblance: They affirm the attributes without comparing them to those of creation[1].
- Negation of similarity: They negate any resemblance between Allah’s attributes and those of His creation[3].
- Prohibition of questioning “how”: Asking about the modality of Allah’s attributes is considered an innovation (bid’ah)[4].
Illustrative Examples
- Imam Malik’s famous statement regarding Allah’s istiwa (rising over the Throne): “The istiwa is known, the ‘how’ is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation.”[4]
- Abu Bakr Al-Isma’ili said: “We believe that Allah rose over the Throne without (asking) how, for Allah Almighty has stopped at Him Rising over the Throne and did not mention how His istiwa was.”[4]
Conclusion
Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama’ah affirm Allah’s attributes as they are mentioned in the texts, understand their meanings in a way befitting Allah’s majesty, but refrain from speculating about or attempting to describe their modality. This approach maintains a balance between affirming Allah’s attributes and avoiding anthropomorphism or denial of these attributes.
Citations:
[2] https://dorar.net/en/aqadia/21
[3] https://abukhadeejah.com/the-methodology-of-ahl-us-sunnah-towards-allaahs-names-and-attributes/
[4] https://forum.salafiri.com/viewtopic.php?t=762
[5] https://islamqa.info/en/answers/178915/how-to-understand-the-names-and-attributes-of-allah