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Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari Refutes the Ta'weel of Allaah's Attribute of Hand By the Ash'ariyyah
Posted by Abu.Iyaad on Monday, June, 22 2009 and filed under Articles
Key topics: Ta'weel Ta'weel

Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari (d. 324H) rejected the false ta'weels of the (modern-day) Ash'aris and their likes who distort this attribute to mean "two favours", and others claim that al-yad means "qudrah" (power) and so on. He said in al-Ibaanah an Usool id-Diyaanah (p.133):

If it is said: Why do you deny that His saying:

Do they not see that We have created for them what Our Own Hands have created. (Yaa Seen 36:71)

And His saying:

Whom I have created with My Own (Two) Hands (Soorah Sa'd 38:75)

are majaaz (metaphorical)? It is said (in reply) to him:

The ruling concerning the speech of Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - is that it is taken upon its dhaahir (apparent) and haqeeqah (real) meaning. Nothing is removed from its dhaahir (apparent) meaning to a majaaz (metaphorical) meaning, except with a proof ... Likewise, the saying of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic:

Whom I have created with My Own (Two) Hands (Sa'd 38:75)

Its dhaahir (apparent) and haqeeqah (true and real) meaning is affirming al-yadayn (two Hands of Allaah). So it is not permissible to alter it from the dhaahir meaning of yadayn to that which our opponents claim, except with a proof.. Consequently, regarding His saying:

Whom I have created with My Own (Two) Hands (Sa'd 38:75)

It is obligatory to affirm two Hands for Allaah - the Most High - upon its haqeeqah (true and real) meaning, not with the meaning of ni'matayn (two bounties of Allaah).

Ahl us-Sunnah, the followers of the Salaf us-Saalih, the people of ithbaat (affirmation) - unlike the incoherent and contradictory deniers and distorters - have a sound, uniform and consistent methodology in relation to what has come in the Book and the Sunnah of affirmation of attributes for Allaah. They affirm everything that Allaah affirmed for Himself and that His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) affirmed for Him, affirming their meanings whilst negating any likeness between the realities of His Attributes the realities of the attributes of the creation.