WAHABISM AND MONOTHEISM

Ibn Baz's Al­Fetawi, part 2 page 94:

Praised be Allah. Blessings and peace be upon Allah's apostle and his household and companions. Lately, I inspected reply of Sheik Ahmed Mahmud Duhloub, issued in Al­Belagh Magazine, No. 637, regarding a question about the exegesis of God's saying, (He settled on the Throne). Within his reply, Sheik Duhloub referred pointing out that 'settle' implies 'seize and have in possession', to the worthy ancestors.

Since this reference is a candid mistake, I just intend to attract attentions to this point so that readers shall not reckon that sentence with the master scholars' sayings. As a matter of fact, the right thing is that exegesis is ascribed to the Jahmites and Mutazilites and their fellows who denied the divine attributes and denuded the Praised and Exalted Creator from attributes of perfection He used for Himself.

Scholars of the worthy ancestors denied such an interpretation and asserted that Allah's settling is treated as same as the other attributes, that are confirmed for the Lord as they fit His glory, passing over distortion, denudation, modification or representation. Malik stated, "Settling is known and 

its way is unexplored, and believing in this is obligatory and questioning about it is heresy." Sunni descendants were brought up on this belief. In his Ar­Risaletul Hamawiya, Ibn Teimiya writes down, 

"This is the Book of Allah, from beginning to end, and this is the Prophet's traditions, from beginning to end, and these are words of the Prophet's companions and their followers, and these are words of the other masters. All these are filled in, either by text or extrinsic meaning, with the fact that Allah, the Praised and Exalted, is the High and the Supreme Who is over and exalted on everything, and over the Throne and over the heavens. This is proved by His saying, (To Him do ascends the good words; and the good deeds lift them up. 35:10), and the innumerable authentic and qualified hadiths; such as the Prophet's ascending to his Lord, and the angels' descending from and ascending to the Lord and the like."

Depending on our current debate, it is now quite clear for readers that what is falsely imputed to the worthy ancestors, by Ahmed Mahmud Duhloub, has been such a calamitous mistake and indubitable prevarication that it is impermissible to regard. The worthy ancestors' words respecting this topic is positively familiar and continuously reported. This meaning is clarified by Sheikul­Islam Ibn Teimiya, by contending that Allah's settling is highness on the Throne, and believing in so is obligatory, and the way of that elevation is exclusively known by Allah, the Praised. This meaning is related to Ummu Salama, Ummul­Muminin, and Rabia Bin Abi Abdirrahman, Malik's master. It is really the indisputable right. Unquestionably, Ahlus­Sunna adopted this opinion. The same thing is said about the other divine attributes; hearing, viewing, satisfaction, ire, hand, foot, fingers, uttering, will and the like. It is averred that such attributes are linguistically known; therefore, it is obligatory to believe in even the way is unfamiliar for us and quite familiar by Allah, the Praised, exclusively. It is also imperative to believe in perfection of the divine attributes in such a way that He is not like any of His creatures. Hence, Allah's hand, fingers, satisfaction are different from ours. He, the Praised, says, (Nothing like the likeness of Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing). Believers, however, are required to adhere to what was told by Allah and His Prophet, and what was pursued by the worthy ancestors; the Prophet's companions and their virtuous followers. They are also advised to beware themes of the heretic who shunned the divine Book and the Prophet's traditions and rested upon their ideas and intellectuals fanatically; therefore, they deviated and led to deviation.

Ibn Baz's Al­Fetawi, part 2 page 98:

In an article titled (For being the strongest nation), issued in No. 3383, 3/4/1408, of Al­Sharq Al­Awsat newspaper, Muhyiddin As­Safi, referring to discrepancy between the worthy ancestors and their descendants about the divine attributes, writes down, "In the Holy Quran, there are some Verses accrediting material descriptions to Allah, the Exalted. God's sayings, (The hand 

of Allah is above their hands), (Everything is perishable except His face) and (The Beneficent settled on the Throne) are good examples of the forecited fact. Scholars follow one of the following two courses in comprehending such Verses. First, course of the worthy ancestors, which is proving what Allah has proved for Himself passing over denudation, modification or representation, and observing evading depriving the Divine Essence of attributes. They also averred that the extrinsic meanings of aspects of such Verses are unintended. For God's saying, (Nothing is like the likeness of Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing), promoting Allah, the Exalted, against whatsoever may be a means of comparison to the creatures was the base on which they depend in their faith. Second, course of the worthy descendants, which is interpreting such words and resting upon metaphoric meanings. Hence, for them, 'hand', 'face' and 'settling' suggest aptitude, person and predominance and seizure, respectively. Convictional proofs on Allah's being not a corporeality, were provided. Besides, God says, (Nothing like the likeness of Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing) proves so. As a matter of fact, both courses are accurate and authentically related and recorded in reference books of master scholars."

May God pardon him and us, the writer of the previous article has made a mistake when he says, "They also averred that the extrinsic meanings of aspects of such Verses are unintended." The worthy ancestors and their ever followers prove and believe in veracity of attributes of perfection that Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) proved for Himself, as they fit His glory, passing over distortion, denudation, modification, representation, interpretation or commendation.

In his Ar­Risaletul Hamawiya, Sheikul­Islam Ibn Teimiya records, "In His Al­Asma'u Wes­Sifat, Abu Bakr Al­Beihaqi relates the following to Al­Awzai, with an authentic documentation:

'The Prophet's companions' followers and we were wont to maintain that Allah, the Exalted, is atop His Throne. We also believed in the divine attributes related to the Prophet's traditions.'

Al­Awzai, one of the four most remarkable scholars of the followers of the Prophet's companions' followers age, relates commonness of maintaining that Allah, the Exalted, is atop His Throne and that He has audible attributes. This saying was declared after emergence of Jahm, the denier of Allah's being atop His Throne and having attributes, so that people could realize that the worthy ancestors' sect opposed such ideas.

The writer mentions that "course of the worthy descendants is interpreting such words and resting upon metaphoric meanings. Hence, for them, 'hand', 'face' and 'settling' suggest aptitude, person and predominance and seizure, respectively. Convictional proofs on Allah's being not a corporal, were provided. Besides, God says, (Nothing is like the likeness of Him, and He is the 

Hearing, the Seeing) proves so. As a matter of fact, both courses are accurate and authentically related and recorded in reference books of master scholars." I say that these statements are not quite true. Not both courses are accurate. Course of the worthy ancestors is the only accurate and the obligatorily pursued, since it represents ensuing the divine Book and the Prophet's traditions, and acceding to attitudes of the Prophet's companions, their followers and their followers. By proving attributes of perfection, this course promotes Allah, the Praised the Exalted, against attributes of imperfection and non­organic, incomplete and privative substances. This is the truth, indeed. The interpretation, on the other hand, is adopted by the worthy descendant theologists. It is opposite to the right since it is arbitration of the imperfect intellects and capricious representation of Allah's words. By adopting this, depriving Allah, the Glorified the Elevated, of attributes of perfection is engaged. Thus, interpreters escaped from anthropomorphism to fall in denudation.

Concisely, course of the worthy ancestors is the only right that is bindingly followed and ensued. The other sect of interpreting attributes of Allah, the Glorified the Elevated, is wrong and contradictory to Allah's Book and the Prophet's traditions and the worthy ancestors of the nation.

The writer's claim Allah's being not a corporeality, is unproved since neither the divine Book nor did the Prophet's traditions assert nor deny this matter. In this case, the most apropos procedure is suspending such matters. Intellects are out of process of specifying the divine attributes. This process is consecratory. It is suspended on Quranic and prophetic texts.

Bin Baz's Al­Fetawi, part 2 page 105:

From: Abdul­Azeez Bin Abdillah Bin Baz.

To: Mohammed Bin Ahmed Sindi, the esquire.

Having received your prolonged missive, I noted the following points included:

1. The claim Allah is greatly promoted against occupying a space or being encompassed by a definite space.

2. Your saying, "While I was reviewing Sa'd Sadiq's Sira'un Beinel Haqqi Wel­Batil, …these Verses and hadiths were the argumentative evidences on God's ­material­ Exaltation. If I were able to realize what the author and his likes should gain from publicizing such beliefs that, in most cases, call forth seditious matters, disorder and disunity… Ordinary people would heed this book and believe that Allah is existent in the heavens… Manifestly, I have quoted words of Ar­Razi, Al­Qurtubi and As­Sawi."

From your words, it is clear that you lack knowledge in belief of the divine names and attributes. You also crave to a special critique and such a 

confidential care that shows you the accurate belief. You, God may bless you, should understand that Sunnis, including the Prophet's companions and their followers, have been unanimously supporting the fact that Allah is in the heavens, atop the Throne, and that hands are raised towards Him. These facts are proved through Quranic and authentic prophetic texts. They also have unanimously proved that Allah, the Praised, is too self­sufficient to be in need for a throne or alike matters. Ahlus­Sunna asserted similar things about other divine attributes. Malik, for instance, says, "Meanings are realized according to requirements of the Arabic in which Allah addressed at His servants. The way is unknown."

These perfect and invariable meanings were used for exhibiting attributes of the Lord whose resemblant is nonexistent. Discussion of this mater needs further debate. God willing, we intend to do so soon after arrival in Al­Madina. Besides, we intend to show you erroneous points in your book. At any rate, we advise you of reflecting upon the Holy Quran and believing that whatsoever indicated by the Quran, with regard to the divine attributes as well as the other subjects, is accurate and fitting Allah, the Praised. It is illicit to interpret, discount and commend the divine attributes. All these are acts of the heretic. Ahlus­Sunna do neither interpret, discount nor do they commend the Verses and hadiths appertained to the divine attributes. They believe that all whatsoever indicated by meanings is a consistent right fitting Allah, the Praised, in a form quite different from any of His creatures. Allah, the Praised, says, (Say: He, Allah, is One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him. 112) (Nothing like His likeness; and He is the Hearing the Seeing.) Hereby, God denied being like His creatures and confirmed hearing and sight to Himself in a fitting way. The same is said about the rest of the divine attributes.

We also advise you of reviewing the two replications of Sheikhul­Islam Ibn Teimiya, to people of Hemah and Tadmur. These two answers, Al­Hamawiya particularly, carry a remarkable virtue and a detail rendition regarding the Sunnis' opinions and presentation of their words. In the reply involved, there is sufficient replication on wording of the heretic. You are advised to see Ibnul­Qeyim's Al­Eqidetun Nuniya and Mukhtassarus Sawaiq. Besides careful revision and demonstration of evidences inferred from the Quran, hadith and opinions of the worthy ancestors, exposition and clarification found in these two books may be not noticed in others.

Nothing new can be beheld in Bin Baz's previous words which were as same as Ibn Teimiya's. Truly, one matter could be conceived from the above. Both the supreme juriscounsult master and his industrious disciple rested upon God's having a material face as they passed by God's saying, (Everything is perishable except His face.) 

Only had there been enough space to show models of Ibnul­Qeyim's Al­Eqidetun Nuniya of which that respectful juriscounsult advises for taking in monotheism. In that poor so called poem, Ibnul­Qeyim composes six thousand lines of the worst wording ever used in Arabic poetry. He confused monotheism so complicatedly that he disciplined the Muslim scholars' objective cogency to death.