Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
The disbelief and misguidance of Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
The disbelief and misguidance of Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Tajahhum
a) Denial of ʿuluww
He said regarding the narration: "And verily his Lord is between him and the qiblah":
.وَفِيهِ الرَّدُّ عَلَى مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ عَلَى الْعَرْش بِذاتِهِ
It contains a response to those who say that Allāh is above His Throne by His essence.
He said:
وَلَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْ كَوْنِ جِهَتَيِ الْعُلُوِّ وَالسُّفْلِ مُحَال علَى اللَّهِ أَنْ لَا يُوصَفَ بِالْعُلُوِّ لِأَنَ وَصْفه بِالْعُلُوِّ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْمَعْنَى وَالْمُسْتَحيل كَوْنُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْحِسِّ.
The directions of above and below being impossible to be attributed to Allāh does not necessitate that He cannot be described with highness, because His highness is in the sense of maʿnā (i.e. rank and status), while what is impossible is that which is in the sense of ḥiss (i.e. physical and literal highness).
He said:
قَوْله: {اسْتَوَى على الْعَرْش} هُوَ من الْمُتَشَابه الَّذِي يُفَوض علمه إِلَى الله تَعَالَى.
His saying: {He rose upon the Throne} is among the ambiguous whose knowledge is entrusted to Allāh, the Exalted.
He said:
قَدْ خَصَّ الْحَلِيمِيُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا يَقَعُ بِهِ الِاشْتِرَاكُ، كَمَا لَوْ قَالَ الطَّبَائِعِيُّ: "لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الْمُحْيِي الْمُمِيتُ"، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَكُونُ مُؤْمِنًا حَتَّى يُصَرِّحَ بِاسْمٍ لَا تَأْوِيلَ فِيهِ، وَلَوْ قَالَ مَنْ يُنْسَبُ إِلَى التَّجْسِيمِ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ: "لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ"، لَمْ يَكُنْ مُؤْمِنًا كَذَلِكَ، إِلَّا إنْ كَانَ عَامِّيًّا لَا يَفْقَهُ مَعْنَى التَّجْسِيمِ، فَيُكْتَفَى مِنْهُ بِذَلِكَ، كَمَا فِي قِصَّةِ الْجَارِيَةِ الَّتِي سَأَلَهَا النَّبِيّ ﷺ: أَنْتِ مُؤْمِنَةٌ؟ قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: فَأَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ قَالَتْ: فِي السَّمَاءِ، فَقَالَ: أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ، وَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ صحِيحٌ أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
Al-Ḥalīmī has specified that this applies where there is a shared meaning. For instance, if a naturalist were to say: "There is no one worthy of worship except al-Muḥyī al-Mumīt (the Giver of life and death)", this person would not be considered a believer until they explicitly use a name without any ambiguous interpretation. Similarly, if someone associated with anthropomorphism from among the Jews were to say: "There is no one worthy of worship except the One who is above (fis-samāʾ)," they would also not be considered a believer, unless they were an unlearned person who does not understand the implications of anthropomorphism. In such a case, it would be sufficient, just as in the story of the slave-girl whom the Prophet ﷺ asked: "Are you a believer?" She replied, "Yes." He asked, "Where is Allāh?" She answered, "Above (fis-samāʾ)." The Prophet then said, "Set her free, for she is a believer." This is an authentic Ḥadīth recorded by Muslim.
b) Denial of nuzūl
He said:
قَوْله ﷺ: "يَنْزِل رَبّنَا إِلَى السَّمَاء الدُّنْيَا" اِسْتَدَلَّ بِهِ مَنْ أَثْبَتَ الْجِهَة وَقَالَ: هِيَ جِهَة الْعُلُوّ، وَأَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ الْجُمْهُور لِأَنَّ الْقَوْل بِذَلِك يُفْضي إِلَى التَّحَيُّز تَعَالَى اللَّه عَنْ ذَلِكَ.
وَقَدْ اُخْتُلِفَ فِي مَعْنَى النُّزُول عَلَى أَقْوَال: فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حَمَلَهُ عَلَى ظَاهِره وَحَقِيقَته وَهُمْ الْمُشَبِّهَة تَعَالَى اللَّه عَنْ قَوْلهمْ.
His saying ﷺ: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven" has been used as evidence by those who affirmed a direction, saying it is the direction of highness. The majority rejected this view, as affirming such would imply confinement (taḥayyuz) and Allāh is exalted above that.
And there has been disagreement regarding the meaning of 'descent' with several opinions: Some interpreted it according to its apparent meaning and reality, and they are the Mushabbihah. Allāh is exalted far above what they claim.
c) Denial of mercy and love
He said:
قَوْلُهُ {الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ} اسْمَانِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ أَيْ مُشْتَقَان مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةُ لُغَةً الرِّقَةُ والِانْعِطَافُ وَعَلَى هَذَا فَوَصْفُهُ بِهِ تَعَالَى مَجَازٌ عَنْ إِنْعَامِهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ.
His saying: {Ar-Raḥmān ar-Raḥīm}, they are two names derived from raḥmah (mercy), meaning they are derived from the root of raḥmah (mercy) and raḥmah in language means tenderness and kindness. Thus, His description with these names, Exalted is He, is a metaphor for His beneficence toward His servants.
He said:
وَالْمُرَادُ بِمَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ إِرَادَةُ الْخَيْرِ لِلْعَبْدِ وَحُصُولُ الثَّوَابِ لَهُ.
What is intended by the maḥabbah (love) of Allāh is the desire for good for the servant and the attainment of reward for him.
d) Denial of yad
He said:
وَوَقع ذكر الْيَد فِي الْقُرْآن والْحَدِيث مُضَافا إِلَى الله تَعَالَى وَاتفقَ أهل السّنة وَالْجَمَاعَة على أَنه لَيْسَ المُرَاد بِالْيَدِ الْجَارِحَة الَّتِي هِيَ من صِفَات المحدثات وأثبتوا مَا جَاءَ من ذَلِك وآمنوا بِهِ فَمنهمْ من وقف وَلم يتَأَوَّل وَمِنْهُم من حمل كل لفظ مِنْهَا على الْمَعْنى الَّذِي ظهر لَهُ وَهَكَذَا عمِلُوا فِي جَمِيع مَا جَاءَ من أَمْثَال ذَلِك.
And the mention of yad (hand) in the Qurʾān and Ḥadīth was attributed to Allāh, the Exalted, and Ahl as-Sunnah w-al-Jamāʿah are agreed upon that what is intended by yad isn't a limb, which is an attribute of created beings and they affirmed what has been stated about it and believed in it, some of them refrained from interpretation and did not explain it away, while others took each phrase and interpreted it according to the meaning they understood, in this manner, they proceeded with all similar cases in the texts.
e) Denial of ruʾyah
He said:
لِأَنَّ الْحَقَّ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ أَنَ الرؤيةَ لَا يُشْتَرَطُ لَهَا عَقْلًا عُضْوٌ مَخْصُوصٌ وَلَا مُقَابَلَةٌ وَلَا قُرْبٌ.
Because the truth, according to Ahl as-Sunnah, is that vision does not require a specific body part, nor facing, nor nearness.
f) Denial of ṣūrah
He said:
وَقد قَالَ الْمَازرِيّ: "غلط بن قُتَيْبَةَ فَأَجْرَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَلَى ظَاهِرِهِ وَقَالَ صُورَةٌ لَا كَالصُّوَرِ." انْتَهَى.
وَقَالَ حَرْبٌ الْكَرْمَانِيُّ فِي كتاب السّنة: "سَمِعت إِسْحَاق بن رَاهْوَيْهِ: يَقُولُ صَحَّ أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ" وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ الْكَوْسَجِ: éسَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ يَقُولُ هُوَ حَديثٌ صحِيحٌ" وَقَالَ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي كِتَابِ السُّنَّةِ: "حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمد بنِ حَنْبَلٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي إِنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ أَيْ صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ هُوَ قَوْلُ الْجَهْميَةِ." انْتَهَى.
وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ الْبُخَاريُ فِي الْأَدَب الْمُفْرد وَأحمد من طَرِيق بن عَجْلَانَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ مَرْفُوعًا: "لَا تَقُولَنَّ قَبَّحَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَكَ وَوَجهَ مَن أَشبَه وَجْهَكَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَق آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ" وَهُوَ ظَاهِرٌ فِي عَوْدِ الضَّمِيرِ عَلَى الْمَقُول لَهُ ذَلِك.
Al-Māzirī said: "Ibn Qutaybah was wrong in applying this Ḥadīth on its apparent, and he said an image not like images." End of quote.
And Ḥarb al-Kirmānī in Kitāb as-Sunnah: I heard Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh as saying: "It is authentic that Allāh created Ādam in the image of the Most Merciful." Isḥāq al-Kawsaj reported that he heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say: "This is an authentic Ḥādith." Aṭ-Ṭabarānī said in his Kitāb as-Sunnah: ʿAbdullāh ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal narrated to us, he said: A man said to my father: A person said that Allāh created Ādam in His image, meaning the image of the man. So he (Aḥmad) said: He lied, this is the speech of the Jahmiyyah." End of quote.
And al-Bukhārī in his al-Adab al-Mufrad and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal narrated from the path of Ibn ʿAjlān on the authority of Saʿīd on the authority of Abū Hurayrah in marfūʿ form: "Do not say: May Allāh disgrace your face and the face of whoever resembles you, because Allāh created Ādam in His own image." And this is clear in the return of the suffix to the one who was spoken to.
g) Denial of laughter
He said:
وَيَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالضَّحكِ الْإِقْبَالُ بِالرِّضَا تَعْدِيَتُهُ بِ"إِلَى". تَقُولُ ضَحِكَ فُلانٌ إِلَى فُلَانٍ إِذَا تَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْهِ طَلقَ الْوَجْهِ مُظْهِرًا لِلرِّضَا عَنْهُ.
And what indicates that what is meant by laughter is the approach with pleasure, is its being constructed with the preposition "ilā" (to). You say: "So-and-so laughed at so-and-so" when he turns toward him with a cheerful face, showing pleasure with him.
h) Denial of naẓar
He said:
قَوْلُهُ: "لَا يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ" أَيْ "لَا يَرْحَمُهُ" فَالنَّظَرُ إذَا أُضِيفَ إِلَى اللَّهِ كَانَ مَجَازًا.
His saying: "Allāh does not look at him," meaning "He does not have mercy on him," and when naẓar (looking) is attributed to Allāh, it is a metaphor.
i) Denial of ityān
He said:
وَأَمَّا نِسْبَةُ الْإِتْيَانِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَقِيلَ هُوَ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ رُؤْيَتِهِمْ إِيَّاهُ لِأَنَّ العادَةَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ غَابَ عَنْ غَيْرِهِ لَا يمْكِنُ رُؤْيَتُهُ إِلَّا بِالْمَجِيءِ إِلَيْهِ فعَبر عَنِ الرُّؤْيَةِ بِالْإِتْيَانِ مَجَازًا وقِيلَ الْإِتْيَانُ فِعْلٌ مِنْ أَفْعَالِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَجِبُ الْإِيمَانُ بِهِ مَعَ تَنْزِيهِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَنْ سِمَاتِ الْحُدُوثِ وَقِيلَ فِيهِ حَذْفٌ تَقْدِيرُهُ يَأْتِيهِمْ بَعْضُ مَلَائِكة اللَّهِ وَرَجَّحَهُ عِيَاضٌ، قَالَ: "وَلَعلّ هَذا الْمَلَكَ جَاءَهُمْ فِي صُورَةٍ أَنْكَرُوهَا لَمَّا رَأَوْا فِيهَا مِنْ سِمَةِ الْحُدُوثِ الظَّاهِرَةِ عَلَى الْمَلَكِ لِأَنَّهُ مَخْلُوقٌ."
As for the attribution of coming to Allāh, the Exalted, it has been said that it is a metaphor for their seeing Him because the custom is that anyone absent from another cannot be seen except by coming to him. Thus, the term "coming" is used as a metaphor for "seeing." It has also been said that the coming is an act of Allāh, the Exalted, that must be believed in, while exalting Him from the attributes of creation. It has been said that there is an implied omission, and the interpretation is that some of Allāh's angels came to them, and this view was preferred by ʿIyāḍ. He said: "Perhaps this angel came to them in an image they did not recognise because of the visible signs of creation on the angel, as he is created."
j) Denial of happiness
He said:
وَإِطْلَاقُ الْفَرَحِ فِي حَقِّ اللَّهِ مَجَازٌ عَنْ رِضَاهُ.
The expression of happiness in relation to Allāh is a metaphor for His pleasure.
k) Denial of ʿAjab:
He said:
وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ تَوْجِيهُ الْعَجَبِ فِي حَقِّ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَائِلِ الْجِهَادِ وَأَنَّ مَعنَاهُ الرِّضَا.
And it has been previously explained that the expression of ʿajab (wonder) in relation to Allāh in "awāʾil al-jihād" and that its meaning is pleasure.
l) Denial of qadam
He said:
وَاخْتُلِفَ فِي الْمُرَادِ بِالْقَدَمِ فَطَرِيقُ السَّلَفِ فِي هَذَا وَغَيْرِهِ مَشْهُورَةٌ وَهُوَ أَنْ تَمُرَّ كَمَا جَاءَتْ وَلَا يُتَعَرَضُ لِتأْوِيلِهِ بَلْ نَعْتَقِدُ اسْتِحالةَ مَا يُوهم النَّقْص على الله وَخَاضَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي تَأْوِيلِ ذَلِكَ.
They have differed egarding what is intended by al-qadam (the foot), the way of the Salaf in this and other than it is well-known, and it is to accept the text as it came without attempting to interpret it, rather we believe in the impossibility of anything that suggests imperfection for Allah and many scholars have delved into the interpretation of this... (and he starts bring the interpretations of his fellow Jahmiyyah).
He said:
وَمَعْنَى كَشْفِ السَّاقِ زَوَالُ الْخَوْفِ وَالْهَوْلِ.
The meaning of the unveiling of the sāq (shin) is the removal of fear and terror.
n) Denial of mockery
He said:
وَقَوله: {الله يستهزئ بهم} أَيْ يُنْزِلُ بِهِمْ جَزَاءَ سُخْرِيَتِهِمْ وَاسْتِهْزَائِهِمْ.
And His saying: {Allāh mocks them} means that He will bring upon them the punishment for their mockery and ridicule.
Irjāʾ
He said:
وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةُ قَالُوا هُوَ الْعَمَلُ وَالنُّطْقُ وَالِاعْتِقَادُ وَالْفَارِقُ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ السَّلَفِ أَنَهم جَعَلُوا الْأَعْمَالَ شَرْطًا فِي صِحَّتِهِ وَالسَّلَفُ جَعَلُوهَا شَرْطًا فِي كَمَالِ.
The Muʿtazilah said it is action, speech, and belief, and the difference between them and the Salaf is that they made actions a condition for its validity, and the Salaf made them a condition for perfection.
He said:
وَتعقبه بن الْمُنِيرِ بِأَنَّ الْإِيمَانَ لَا يَتَبَعَّضُ وَهوَ كَمَا قَالَ.
Ibn al-Munīr followed up by saying that faith cannot be divided, and it is as he said.
Jabr and Kasb
He said:
وَلِلْعَبْدِ قُدْرَةٌ غَيْرُ مُؤَثِّرَةٍ فِي الْمَقْدُورِ وَأَثْبَتَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنَّ لَهَا تَأْثِيرًا لَكِنَّهُ يسمى كَسْبًا وَبَسْطُ أَدِلَّتِهِمْ يَطُولُ.
The servant possesses a qudrah (power) that is not independently effective in the maqdūr (the thing upon which the qudrah is applied). Some affirm that it does have an effect, but only in a manner described as acquisition (kasb). And a detailed presentation of their evidence would be lengthy.
He said:
فَكُلُّ مَا أُسنِدَ مِنْ أَفْعَال الْعِبَادِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَهُوَ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى تَأْثِيرِ الْقُدْرَةِ وَيُقَالُ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَما أُسْنِدَ إِلَى الْعَبْدِ إِنَّمَا يَحصُل بِتَقْدِيرِ اللَّهِ تَعالَى وَيُقَالُ لَهُ الْكَسْبُ.
Every action of the servants that is ascribed to Allāh, the Exalted, is in relation to the effect of His power and is called creation. And what is ascribed to the servant only occurs by the decree of Allāh, the Exalted, and is called acquisition (kasb).
Tabarruk
He said:
وَفِيهِ اسْتِعْمَالُ آثَارِ الصَّالِحِينَ وَلِبَاسُ ملابسهم على جِهَة التَّبَرُّك والتيمن بهَ.
And in it is the practice of using the relics of the righteous and wearing their garments as a means of seeking blessings and good fortune.
There is no excuse for him
This is Ibn Ḥajar's book in which he lists his ijāzāt:
Among the books that Ibn Ḥajar read:
- Kitāb as-Sunnah by Ibn Abī ʿĀsim
- Kitāb al-Īmān and Kitāb at-Tawḥīd by Ibn Mandah
- Kitāb at-Tawḥīd by Ibn Khuzaymah
- Al-ʿArsh by Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah
- Aṣ-Ṣifāt by ad-Dāraquṭnī
- An-Naqḍ by ad-Dārimī
- Ar-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah by ad-Dārimī*
- Dhamm al-Kalām, Al-ʿArsh and al-Iʿtiqād by al-Harawī