TafseerulMenar, part 3, page 2201:
Some claimed impermissibility of resting upon other than the Quran and the uninterruptedly documented hadiths regarding the divine attributes. Single reports, interpretation and narratives should not be admitted, engaged and regarded in this question, since these matters depend upon surmise.
This saying, however, is not that far away from fact, except that it is disagreeing the worthy ancestors' apparent modes. These reports and narratives were admitted, recorded and ruled of being authentic as the narrators were trustful. At any rate, there are two answers to be provided for this question.
First, followers of the Prophet's companions recognized, by doctrinal proofs, it is impermissible to accuse trustful individuals of fabrication, especially in matters pertaining to the divine attributes. Refuting a report narrated by AsSiddiq Abu Bakr (God please him), for example, and related directly to the Prophet (peace be upon him), is regarded as belying him and judging of his invention or inadvertence. On that account, followers of the Prophet's companions admitted and communicated such a narratives, accrediting them to Abu Bakr or Anas and, directly, to the Prophet (peace be upon him). From this cause, it is provable, by doctrinal evidences, that paths to accusing the pious and the decent, among the Prophet's companions, of fabrication, are totally blocked; how is it then obligatory to avoid accusing conjecture of reporters of single narratives? Similarly, how is it obligatory to treat with surmise as same as the decent's reporting, disregarding the fact that suspicion, in some cases, is a sin? The divine Legislator ordered of admitting, communicating and publicizing reports of decent individuals. This does, in no means, suggest that personal surmise and conjecture should be admitted, publicized and communicated. For
that reason, we are to say that whatsoever is reported by other than the decent, concerning question of the divine attributes, should be shunned and neglected. Reports of admonition and examples should be scrutinized accurately.
Second, these reports were communicated by the Prophet's companions only after they had certainly heard from the Prophet personally. Their followers, likewise, admitted and communicated so. During their communication, the followers had been wont to refer to the Prophet's companions before they refer to the Prophet (peace be upon him). They were honest. As each hadith had a definite point, they neglected no single one except those bearing expressions that may convey a meaning opposite to the intended. As an example, the following hadith is cited.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heavens every night …"
This hadith was communicated in this form for the purpose of urging on performing prayers and worshipping rites and practices. It has an enormous effect in driving towards night worship, which is the most excellent. This great advantage would have been negative had this text been let pass. Such an advantage should not be negligible. For children and ordinary people, the hadith may hint at Allah's practical descending. At any rate, it is an easy duty for the educated to plant pictures of glorifying and promoting Allah against practical descending. A wellgrounded may use the following style, "Providing God's descending to the lowest heavens is for making us perceive His call, this descending shall be useless since we could not perceive. The Lord, however, could have called at us from His Throne or the most elevated heavens."
This would make ordinary people understand nullity of practical descending. The following example can also be cited. It is futile for a man in the furthest west of the earth to advance just few steps for making a man in the east hear his call. This advancement should be reckoned with deeds of the insane. This amount, however, is so sufficient that ordinary people would understand the nullity of practical descending. It is also conceivable that corporealities are impracticable for Allah. This leads to the fact that impracticability of moveableness of other than corporealities is as same as impracticability of descending without moveableness.
This proves that advantage of communicating such reports is great, while harm is scanty. This should, by no means, be equal to question of communicating personal surmise as truths.
Rashid Rida, this welleducated exegesist, was guided, by his intellect, to the very right! He could prove that the serious questions of beliefs should not be admitted by a single report, series of its narrators is totally unrealizable. Avoiding this perplexity, the welleducated exegesist submitted his mind to
deeds of the worthy ancestors who ruled of obligation of admitting reports of a single companion, even if concerning beliefs or contrasting the Holy Quran! On that account, they admitted hadiths of Allah's descending and seeableness although each was related by a single narrator. They issued the obligation of admitting relations of definite individuals, claiming Allah's giving orders of admitting such narratives. Correspondingly, the ruled of obligation of denying fabrication, making mistakes and inadvertence of such individuals. Finally, they proposed denial of any contradiction between any two narratives related by two of the Prophet's companions.
As if he had not been acquainted of confusion, troubles and conflicts broken out between Muslims due to the variant conceptions respecting beliefs, it is noticeable how that exegesist alleviated mischances probably encountered by Muslims and, sometimes, their scholars, owing to hadiths of corporalism and anthropomorphism. Such hadiths were the direct reason beyond publicity of reports and legends of the Jews, Christians and Magi, regarding the Lord's corporeity, appearance and descriptions. Some of such fables suppose that Allah, the short, roughhaired, breadless and youth, descends to the lowest heavens on the back of a donkey. The most pious and godly individuals went on searching for the Lord, inspecting the descriptions given, among boys. They also fabricated stories about their meeting, shaking hands and associating with the Lord. This is only a minute part of the misfortunes of corporalism and anthropomorphism opposed firmly by the Prophet's household, Aisha and other virtuous companions of the Prophet. They confronted flamers of spark of this disaster, warned Muslims against its dangers and demanded them with refuting and belying such matters.
Viewing at his saying, "It is an easy duty for the educated to plant pictures of glorifying and promoting Allah against practical descending.", we perceive how that exegesist allayed removal of effects and reports of corporalism. Had his claim been true, why, then, it would have been impossible for scholars and philosophers to persuade corporalists and anthropomorphists of the other opinion? As a matter of fact, those people could plant such misplaced beliefs in ordinary people's mentalities. In alike fashion, had the matter been so easily, let a wellgrounded scholar plant Allah's elevation and exaltation against corporalism in the hearts of Ibn Teimiya, Mohammed Bin AbdilWahab, Bin Baz and AlAlbani, and enlighten them with nullity of the practical descending.
Finally, how did this wellinformed exegesist espy that when Allah, the Exalted, intended to drive Muslims towards performing prayers and night worshipping rites, He used a funny style, "Every night, I descend to the lowest heavens; therefore, I order you of worshipping at night." This style duped and made them bear an illusive belief about the Lord.
Reality of this matter is that Rashid Rida and his likes intend only to defend personality of Omar, the caliph, since he was the originator of Allah's corporeity and descending. What should we do, then, if it is not serviceable to defend such an unreasoning idea the caliph had taken in from Ka'bulAhbar's culture?
