Hisham Kabbani

Exposing Kabbani 8 : The Creed of Abu Hanifah and Mulla Ali al-Qari's Statement

Author: Abu Hudhayfah

Article ID : NDV070008

THE CREED OF IMAAM ABOO HANEEFAH

Mullah 'Alee al-Qaaree al-Hanafee (d.1014H) writes, clarifying the creed of Imaam Aboo Haneefah, after mentioning the famous narration of Imaam Maalik ‘Istawaa is known, but how is unknown’:

"Likewise, our great Imaam (Aboo Haneefah) has the same stance as this position (of Imaam Maalik), and the same is the case with every verse and hadeeth from the Mutashaabihaat such as Hand, Eye, Face and other than these from the Attributes. So the meanings of the Attributes are known, as far as the 'howness' is concerned this is not known. Because the understanding of 'how' is branched onto the knowledge of the 'howness' of the Dhaat (of Allaah) and its reality. Therefore, if this (knowledge of the 'howness' of the Dhaat of Allaah) is unknown, how can the 'howness' of the Attributes be understood. The safe and beneficial conclusion in this regard is that Allaah be described with what He has described Himself and with what His Messenger has described Him without tahreef (distortion), ta'teel (divesting Allaah of the Attribute), without takyeef (asking 'how') and tamtheel (resemblance). Rather, the Names and Attributes are established for Him, and resemblance to the creation is negated. So your establishment would be free from resemblance (tashbeeh), whilst your negation would be free from divesture (ta'teel). Whoever negates the reality of Istawaa has thereby divested (Allaah of an Attribute), and whoever makes a resemblance for Him to the istawaa of the creation is a Mushabbih. But whoever says: Istawaa, without any likeness for Him, he is upon Tawheed and free from any blame."

(Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh Sharh Mishqaat al-Masaabeeh 8/251 of 'Alee al-Qaaree)

So this is the creed of Aboo Haneefah, free from any blame, and it is, in many ways, a clarification of the creed of the Salaf as opposed to the mishmash presented by Kabbani.

EXPLANATION OF THE SAYING OF MULLAH 'ALEE AL-QAAREE AL-HANAFEE

(i) Mullah 'Alee al-Qaaree al-Hanafee says: "So the meanings of the Attributes are known, as far as the 'howness' is concerned this is not known."

This is what is known as tafweedh: affirming the wording and meaning of the Attribute whilst consigning the ‘howness’ to Allaah. This is exemplified in the famous statement of Imaam Maalik when he was asked how Allaah had ascended the Throne: "Istawaa is known, but the ‘howness’ is unknown." Kabbani also gives this narration of Imaam Maalik in his book (pp.38, 136, 179).

We see that Imaam Maalik affirmed that the meaning of Istawaa is understood but the how of it is not. Therefore it is for us to affirm that which we are able, i.e. the meaning of Istawaa, but not to question about that which we have not been granted knowledge, i.e. the ‘howness’ of the Attribute. And upon this way of Imaam Maalik are the Salafis.

Ibn al-Qayyim wrote: "This is why Maalik and Rabee’ah said: ‘Istawaa is known and how is unknown,’ and likewise ibn al-Maajishoon and Imaam Ahmad and others amongst the Salaf have said: ‘We do not know the ‘howness’ of what Allaah has informed about Himself even if we know its explanation and its meaning.’"

(Mukhtasar as-Sawaa’iq al-Mursalah 1/165)

Shaykh ibn al-Uthaymeen also explains:

"And in any case, there is no doubt that those who say: ‘The madhab of Ahl as-Sunnah is tafweedh (of the meaning),’ they have erred because the madhab of Ahl as-Sunnah is to affirm the meaning but to do tafweedh of its ‘howness’. And let it be known that speaking with tafweedh (of the meaning), as Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah has said, is amongst the most evil of the sayings of the people of innovation and ilhaad. When a person hears about tafweedh, he says: ‘This is good, I will be safe from these (people) and those (people). I will not speak with the madhab of the Salaf and nor will I speak with the madhab of those performing ta’weel. I will take the middle path and will be saved from all of this. And I will say: Allaah knows best, we do not know what its meaning is.’ However, Shaykh al-Islaam says: ‘This is amongst the most evil of the sayings of the people of innovation and ilhaad.’"

(Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah 1/p.93 of ibn al-Uthaymeen)

KABBANI’S MISUNDERSTANDING OF TAFWEEDH

As for Kabbani, he thinks that the tafweedh of the Salaf is to consign both the meaning of the Attribute as well as its ‘howness’ to Allaah. Indeed, he defines tafweedh as: "committing the meaning to Allaah." (Glossary, p.ix) and goes on to say: "Thus we see that the way of the Salaf was mere acceptance of expressions on faith without saying how they are meant…" (p.108)

There are a number of reasons why this understanding of tafweedh is incompatible with the creed of the Salaf:

(a) Imaam Maalik said: "Istawaa is known, but the ‘howness’ is unknown." So we repeat that the meaning of Istawaa is known, unlike the tafweedh of Kabbani in which the meaning is referred back to Allaah. It is to be noted that Kabbani himself quotes ibn al-‘Arabi as saying: "Hence, from what the Imam of Muslims Malik has said we can conclude that istawa’ is known…" (p.179).

(b) Imaam Maalik chastised the questioner for asking about the ‘howness’ of the Attribute of Istawaa not about its meaning. The narration states: "A man came to Maalik and said (to him): ‘O Abu ‘Abdullah "The Most Merciful Ascended over the Throne" how did He ascend? It was on this basis that he declared the question to be an innovation, not in regards to affirming the meaning of Istawaa, which, as we have seen, Imaam Maalik said was something known.

(c) If we take tafweedh upon the understanding of Kabbani (i.e. committing the meaning to Allaah) then the statement of Imaam Maalik would have read: "Istawaa is not known, and likewise its ‘howness’ is unknown."

(d) Understanding the meanings of the Attributes of Allaah is the only way to know our Lord, the Most Perfect, and it is for this purpose that mankind was created: "I have not created jinn and man except to worship Me." (51:56). Both at-Tabaree and ibn Katheer give one of the meanings of this verse to be that Allaah did not create us except to know Him. So if we do not know the meanings of the Attributes with which He has described Himself, how can we then know Him? And how could we then fulfil the purpose for which we have been created?

(e) Either the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam knew the meanings of the words with which Allaah described Himself or he did not. If he knew them then he would have taught their meanings to his Companions by virtue of the command of His Lord: "O Messenger! Proclaim that which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not do it, then you have not conveyed His message." (5:67). And if he sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not know their meaning then it results in a Messenger from Allaah who speaks about His Lord’s Attributes and yet he does not know what they mean and he is speaking with words he does not understand, and this is inconceivable.

(f) Shaykh ibn al-Uthaymeen writes: "Allaah, the Most High, says: "We have revealed to you (O Muhammad) the Book as an exposition of all things." (16:89). Where is the explanation in words whose meanings are not known?! And most of what has been mentioned in the Qur’aan are the Names of Allaah and His Attributes. If we do not know what their meanings are, is the Qur’aan an exposition of all things?! Where is the explanation?!" (Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah 1/93)

(g) There is no benefit in negating the ‘howness’ of something for which the meaning is not known. Rather, it is only after one has understood the meaning of something that one can either affirm or negate the ‘howness’.

There is little mileage in Kabbani trying to relegate the texts about the Attributes as being from the Mutashaabihaat verses of the Qur’aan about which Allaah says:

"It is He Who has sent down to you the Book: In it are verses which are Muhkam, they are the foundation of the Book. And others which are Mutashaabihaat. As for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow the Mutashaabihaat thereof, seeking discord and searching for its meanings. But none knows its meanings except for Allaah. And those firmly grounded in knowledge say: ‘We believe in it all as being from our Lord.’ And none will grasp the message save men of understanding." (3:7)

Kabbani says: "This is not because the mutashabih has no meaning, but because the correct meaning is not known to any human being. There is no doubt that all the mutashabihat have a meaning, but it is known only to Allaah…" (p.38, citing al-Ghazaalee)

If the meaning of the Mutashaabihaat is not known to any human being how is it that Imaam Maalik said: "Istawaa is known…"? And it is clear from ‘Alee al-Qaaree’s statement: "Likewise, our great Imaam (Aboo Haneefah) has the same stance as this position (of Imaam Maalik), and the same is the case with every verse and hadeeth from the Mutashaabihaat such as Hand, Eye, Face and other than these from the Attributes. So the meanings of the Attributes are known, as far as the 'howness' is concerned this is not known," that what he considered as Mutashaabihaat was the ‘howness’ not the meaning since he himself said: "So the meanings of the Attributes are known…"

And this is the meaning of the verse: " But none knows its meanings except for Allaah…" That is to say, none knows the ‘howness’ of it save Allaah.

Ibn Taymiyyah writes in al-Hamawiyyah:

"… the explanation of the Attributes whose reality Allaah is alone in knowing is the knowledge of the ‘howness’ which is something unknown to us. So Istawaa is known, its meaning is understood and explained and translated in other languages, and this is the explanation that those firmly grounded in knowledge have an understanding of. But as for the ‘howness’ of the Istawaa, this is the explanation that none but Allaah, the Exalted, knows."

If Istawaa had been from the Mutashaabihaat then Imaam Maalik (by virtue of his affirmation that the meaning of Istawaa is known) would have been guilty of seeking its meaning in opposition to the verse: " As for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow the Mutashaabihaat thereof, seeking discord and searching for its meanings." and it is not permissible to think that an Imaam the likes of Maalik ibn Anas would contradict the verse in such a blatant fashion. This shows that he did not consider this Attribute (and other Attributes for that matter) to be from the Mutashaabihaat texts.

Even if we were to concede that the texts regarding the Attributes of Allaah were from the Mutashaabihaat, then their meaning would still be known by the People of Knowledge since it is perfectly permissible to read the above verse as:

"But none knows its meanings except for Allaah as well as those firmly grounded in knowledge, who also say: ‘We believe in it all as being from our Lord.’"

As opposed to the more familiar reading:

"But none knows its meanings except for Allaah. And those firmly grounded in knowledge say: ‘We believe in it all as being from our Lord.’"

Ibn Katheer explains in his commentary of this verse:

"From them are those who stop (the verse) at the end of: "… as well as those firmly grounded in knowledge." and many of the commentators of the Qur’aan and people of ‘Usool have followed them in that… ibn Abee Najeeh reports on the authority of Mujaahid on the authority of ibn Abbaas that he said: ‘I am from those well grounded in knowledge who know its explanation.’ And ibn Abee Najeeh said on the authority of Mujaahid (that) those well grounded in knowledge are aware of its explanation and they say that they believe in it."

But it must be said that there is a difference of opinion on the possible readings of this verse with a number of commentators of the Qur’aan preferring the reading: "But none knows its meanings except for Allaah. And those firmly grounded in knowledge say: ‘We believe in it all as being from our Lord.’" And Allaah knows best.

THE EXPLANATION OF MULLA ALEE AL-QAAREE CONTINUED

(ii) Mullah 'Alee al-Qaaree al-Hanafee says: "Because the understanding of 'how' is branched onto the knowledge of the 'howness' of the Dhaat (of Allaah) and its reality. Therefore, if this (knowledge of the 'howness' of the Dhaat of Allaah) is unknown, how can the 'howness' of the Attributes be understood."

This is what the Salafis say and believe: Speaking about the Attributes of Allaah is like speaking about the Essence of Allaah.

(iii) Mullah 'Alee al-Qaaree al-Hanafee says: "The safe and beneficial conclusion in this regards is that Allaah be described with what He has described Himself and with what His Messenger has described Him without tahreef (distortion), ta'teel (divesting Allaah of the Attribute), without takyeef (asking 'how') and tamtheel (resemblance)."

Just as ibn Taymiyyah, whilst likewise propagating the way of the Salaf, had said some three hundred years prior to ‘Alee al-Qaaree: "From belief in Allaah is to believe in whatever He has described Himself with in His Book, and with whatever His Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has described Him with, without tahreef, without ta’teel, without takyeef and without tamtheel."

(ibn Taymiyyah, al-’Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah, pp. 72 and 82, with the commentary of ibn al-Uthaymeen)

A brief definition of these terms:

Tahreef (distortion): To alter the wording of the Names and Attributes or change their meanings. Such as the saying that Istawaa means istawlaa / isteelaa and the saying that Hand means power and bounty. Kabbani has fallen into both of these examples of distortion.

Ta’teel (divesting Allaah of the Attribute): Removal of the Attributes and to deny them for Allaah. There is a subtle form of denial which like tahreef is camouflaged as ta’weel. Such as the view of Kabbani that Hand means power or bounty which contains both a distortion of the word Hand as well a denial of Allaah’s Attribute of Hand.

Takyeef (asking ‘how’): Asking or explaining how the Attributes are. For example, to ask: ‘How did He ascend?’ or ‘How is His Hand?’

Tamtheel (resemblance): This is the same as tashbeeh, which is to resemble the Attributes of Allaah to the creation. The Believer must stick to His, the Most High’s, saying: "There is nothing like Him." (42:11) which means that there is nothing whatsoever similar to Him.

This encapsulates the creed of the Salaf as regards the Attributes of Allaah. They describe Allaah, the Most High, with whatever He has described Himself, whilst:

• avoiding any distortion of the Attribute;
• avoiding the negation of the Attribute;
• not asking how the Attribute is; and
• remaining clear from resembling His Attributes to the creation.