‘Creed’
‘CREED’
WRITTEN & COMPILED BY IMAM KHALIL ABDULLAHI
If we were to look at the saying of Imam at Tahawi (rh), who was in fact a true ‘Salafi’ (i.e. was born and lived in the time of As-Salaf us Salih), and than in comparison look at the many sayings referenced from the books of the Wahabis (i.e. wrongfully called Salafiyyah, Wahabiyyah, Neo-Salafis, etc.) ,we’ll find that their beliefs and saying to be a direct opposition and contradiction to the creed of Imam at-Tahawi (rh), which is in fact the creed of Ahluls Sunnah wal Jammah. This is the same Imam at-Tahawi who’s work of literature, Aqeedah at Tahawiyyah, that in a sense laid out the foundation for the modern curriculum of study within the science of Aqeedah or creed.
Imam Abu Hanifah (rh) said within his book Al Wasiyyah….
“Allah existed eternally and there was no place; He existed before creating the creation. He existed and there was not a place, a creation or a thing; and He is the Creator of everything. He who says ‘I do not know if my Lord is in the heavens or on the earth,’ is a kafir. Also is a kafir whoever says that ‘He is on al-^arsh, and I do not know whether al-^arsh is in the heaven or on the earth’.”
Consequently, the great true ‘Salafi’ Scholar Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal declared a kafir whomever says these last two phrases because they contain attributing a direction, boundary, and place to Allah. Everything which has a direction and boundary is by necessity in need of a Creator. Thus it is not the intention of Imam Abu Hanifah to prove that the heaven and al- Arsh (i.e. throne) are places for Allah, as those who liken Allah to the creation claim. This is by virtue of the aforementioned saying of the Imam: “Had He been in a place needing to sit and rest, then before creating al-Arsh where was Allah?”, which is clear in negating that Allah has a direction or a place.
As well to further demonstrate the severity of this issue we look at the saying of Shaykh Abdul-Ghaniyy an-Nabulsiyy who said….
“He who believes that Allah filled the heavens and earth or that He is a body sitting above al-Arsh, is a kafir.”
If we were to look directly at Al-Qur’an we should look at Surah Maryam ayah (i.e. verse) 93 which means….
“All those in the heavens and earth must come to Allah as a slave.”
In his Tafsir (book of explaining the Qur’an) Imam ar Razi states….
“… and since it is affirmed by this ayah that everything that existed in the heavens and earth is a slave to Allah, and since it is obligatory that Allah is clear of being a slave, thus He is clear of being in a place or direction, or on al-Arsh or al-Kursi.”
Hence Surat Taha, ayah 5 in Al Qur’an, clearly does not mean that Allah sits on the throne or that Allah is firmly established on the throne. In the Arabic language, the word istawa has fifteen (15) different meanings, among of which are to sit, to subjugate, to protect, to conquer, and to preserve. Based on what we have covered so far it is clear that it is blasphemous to apply the meaning ‘to sit’ to Allah. However the terms to preserve and to subjugate are in compliance with the Religion and the language. And those so-called translations of Al Quran that referred to the term “Istawa” to “Sits” or “Sat”or “Established himself firmly on the throne” contradict Arabic rules, and Islamic bases. Be warned from such translations and such attributes, Allah is almighty clear from the sitting, movement, size, shape, form or change. Allah is great.
It is sufficient to prove that the true Salaf cleared Allah from having shape or form or being contained in place. As Imam Abu Hanifah mentioned in Al Fiqh al Absat….
“Allah existed eternally and there was no place; He existed before creating the creation. He existed and there was not a place, a creation or a thing; and He is the Creator of everything. He who says ‘I do not know if my Lord is in the heavens or on the earth,’ is a kafir. Also is a kafir whoever says that ‘He is on al-^arsh, and I do not know whether al-^arsh is in the heaven or on the earth’.”
This is our belief, this was the belief of the early Salaf, this is the belief of Ahluls Sunnah wal Jammah! Can the Wahabis or wrongfully called Salafis abide by the beliefs of such men like Imam Abu Hanifah (rh) or will they continue down their current path? If they can abide than let them (i.e. the Wahabis) get rid of their falsehood and submit to the true beliefs of As Salaf us Salih, those noble men and women whom they claim to follow and so enthusiastically (and falsely) attribute themselves to.
Sayf al Haqq 