[Thread 🧵]
[1] What is the Maḏhab of the Salaf?
[2] Its Misusage
[3] Refuting this Misusage
[1] What is the Maḏhab of the Salaf?
[2] Its Misusage
[3] Refuting this Misusage
[1] It’s very clear that the maḏhab of the salaf is to pass on Allah’s attributes as they came without modality. We have numerous scholars affirming this for example ʼImām az-Zuhrī, ʼImām ʼAḥmad, ʼAbū Dawūd as-Sijistānī, ibn Kathīr, amongst many others.
![[1] It’s very clear that the maḏhab of the salaf is to pass on Allah’s attributes as they came witho...](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSj63QbXsAMwerR.jpg)
![[1] It’s very clear that the maḏhab of the salaf is to pass on Allah’s attributes as they came witho...](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSj63WbWQAELtUA.jpg)
![[1] It’s very clear that the maḏhab of the salaf is to pass on Allah’s attributes as they came witho...](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSj63ZmXEAAovkH.jpg)
![[1] It’s very clear that the maḏhab of the salaf is to pass on Allah’s attributes as they came witho...](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSj63b6WUAI5mRO.jpg)
Ibn Taymiyyah explains how we understand this, “Their saying, ‘Pass it on as it came,’ necessitates keeping its meaning as these words indicate meanings. If its meaning were denied, it would’ve been said, ‘Pass on the wording with the belief that its understanding is unwanted,’
or, ‘Pass on the wording with the belief that Allah hasn’t described Himself in a real sense.’ Then it wouldn’t have been passed on as it came. Moreover, ‘without modality,’ wouldn’t have been said, since the negation of modality would’ve been established in vain.”
[2] However, some people nowadays try to misuse the salaf’s statement to mean that it only applies to a few attributes which they find problematic. They say that these attributes are passed on as they came without any understanding.
Hence, you may find about three different views:
⁃ We believe that these are attributes of Allah; however, we negate their apparent meanings. From there, Allah knows best which metaphorical interpretation is intended.
⁃ We believe that these are attributes of Allah; however, we negate their apparent meanings. From there, Allah knows best which metaphorical interpretation is intended.
⁃ We don’t interpret these texts whatsoever, and we do not affirm or negate any meaning (leaving it open to the apparent meaning in contrast to the previous case).
⁃ We affirm these as attributes in a real sense, but they are not understood in the Arabic language.
⁃ We affirm these as attributes in a real sense, but they are not understood in the Arabic language.
[3] In these three aforementioned cases, they’re making a distinction in understanding between the attributes they find problematic and those that they don’t. This is an issue for them considering we don’t find anyone from the salaf making this sort of distinction.
The main point is that when the salaf said, “Pass it on as it came,” they’re referring to all the attributes, and not only a select few.
For example, we can see ʼAbū ʻUthmān aṣ-Ṣābūnī and ibn al-ʻAṭṭār grouping all of the attributes together
For example, we can see ʼAbū ʻUthmān aṣ-Ṣābūnī and ibn al-ʻAṭṭār grouping all of the attributes together
and saying that we believe in them upon their apparent meanings, in a real sense, while also mentioning that the Arabs understood it. The fact that they grouped these attributes together shows that they don’t differentiate in their understanding.
ʼImām al-Awzāʻī, Sufyān ath-Thawrī, ʼImām Mālik, and al-Layth ibn Saʻd were asked about the reports concerning Allah’s attributes, seeing Allah, and the Quran to which they all answered, “Pass it on as it came.”
In this example, if we went with the idea that the salaf said, “Pass it on as it came,” intending that we simply read the text without understanding it, we would also need to say that they didn’t know whether or not the Quran is created and what seeing Allah meant.
ʼImām at-Tirmiḏī when speaking about seeing Allah, he said that the people of knowledge said that we pass these reports on as they came.
ʼImām ʼAḥmad confirms that Allah speaks with a sound and says that we pass these reports on as they came.
ʼImām ʼAḥmad confirms that Allah speaks with a sound and says that we pass these reports on as they came.
In these two cases, you would also need to say that ʼImām at-Tirmiḏī and ʼImām ʼAḥmad had no idea what is meant by seeing Allah and Allah speaking with a sound which is absolutely absurd.
I conclude with the statement of ʼImām ʼIshāq ibn Aḥmad al-ʻIlthī in his letter to ibn al-Jawzī. He writes, “Then you spoke about the attributes of the Creator with speech that doesn’t come from a person whose chest is filled with fear of the Most High, the Greatest,
and a heart filled with awe and glory [for Allah], rather it came from desires and yourself. You claimed that a group from ʼAhl us-Sunnah wal-ʼAkhiyār passed [the attributes] on without understanding them. Rather, they are free of this.”
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