WAHABISM AND MONOTHEISM

In the introductory of Al­Beihaqi's Al­Asma'u Wes­Sifat, Al­Kawthari, the reviser, writes down:

Al­Beihaqi wrote a book in which he freed Ahmed, the master, from matters of anthropomorphism and corporalism ascribed to him falsely. This book refutes words falsely accredited to Ahmed by some of his followers.

Abul­Fadhl At­Tamimi, head of Hanbalites in Baghdad, stated that Ahmed contradicted those who accredited corporeality to the Lord. He said, "Names are inferred from the doctrine and language. Linguists assign 'corporeity' to beings having length, width, density, structure, picture and complexity. Allah, the Praised, is out of all these things. Hence, it is illicit to assign corporeity to Him since He is out of being a corporeality. The Doctrine, also, did not mention such a thing."

Al­Beihaqi states, "Al­Hakim: Abu Amr Bin As­Semmak: Hanbal Bin Isaaq:

Ahmed, my uncles, said, 'On that day, day of argumentation in the presence of the caliph, they contended that suras of Baqara and Tebarak will materially come on Resurrection Day, as the Prophet had told. I say that this stands for reward of these suras. God's competence is intended by God's saying, (Your Lord will come.) Quran is a set of examples and admonition.' 

Documentation of this narrative is not doubtful. At any rate, it proves that Ahmed had not believed in material coming and descending, mentioned in Quranic and prophetic texts. He presumed that such matters were expressions of advent of God's marvels and competence. They claimed that it would be unfit for the Quran to practice material coming and going if it was one of the Lord's attributes of Essence. Abu Abdillah answers that it is the reward which will appear on that day. Hence, appearance of the reward was expressed by using coming and going. Saving the most intelligent masters, who promote the Lord against unfitting affairs, none would be guided to such an answer."

Al­Beihaqi's Al­Asma'u Wes­Sifat is an unparalleled book. The writer does not criticize those who claim Allah's being in the heavens or on the Throne, resting upon texts supporting this meaning, but he deprives the Lord's being in the heavens or on the Throne, of all meanings of materiality, unlike anthropomorphists. This is proved by his wording while he discusses the Lord's settling on the Throne. We provided a considerable commentation there. He adjudges believers in Allah's being materially in the heavens, as deviant. Meanwhile, he permits this saying, linguistically, if it is alluded to the Lord's being so exalted and elevated, without referring to a definite point or locality. Doctrinally, there are some legal phenomena permitting such a saying. Since some hadiths, such as that of Abu Zurein and the ibex, reveal, to some extent, unacceptable remarks, it is precautious not to speak of so even if promoting the Lord against unbecoming affairs is declared. Moreover, it is obligatory not to publicize such hadiths at all, for sake of blocking doors into anthropomorphism so firmly. As a matter of fact, there is no single authentic hadith regarding this topic plainly. Hadith of the deaf bondmaiden comprises a bewilderment so consequential that it is unbefitting to rest upon in topic of beliefs. Acceders to God's saying, (Are you secure that Who is in the heavens…), as their argumentative evidence, are totally wrong. Later on, this will be proved. Statements of Al­Beihaqi and his corollaries respecting permitting claiming Allah's being in the heavens as a signification of His exaltation and glorification, do not flow in the good of those assigning material exaltation and space to the Lord. In miscellaneous places of this book, Al­Beihaqi assures this fact. It is quite wrong to reckon such statements of Al­Beihaqi and his corollaries with evidences on substantiating the Lord's physical exaltation. Within narrators of relations respecting the divine attributes, ascribed to Abu Haneefa, is Nueim Bin Hemmad and his maternal grandfather. Abdullah Bin Nafi Al­Assem, the doubtful narrator, is within the series of narratives ascribed to Malik, regarding this topic. Likewise, Abul­Hassan Al­Hekari, Ibn Kadesh and Al­Ashari are within series of narratives related to Ashafii, regarding the same topic involved. Those three men are notorious doubtful narrators. Some, however, were deceived by such reports. Depending upon the previous, it is unacceptable to ascribe the faith of Allah's being in the heavens, to the three masters of the sects.