The Creed of the Muslims
The creed of the Muslims is called tanzeeh (exaltation), which is the belief of confirming the existence of Allah while clearing Him from resembling the creations. This belief is a haven between the extremes of ‘Resembling’ and ‘Denying’. Allah refuted both extremes when He said in His book:
{(لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ)}
<Nothing is whatsoever like Him, and He is the
In this verse, He denied any likeness to Himself, and confirmed that He is ascribed with attributes. At-Tahaawiyy said:
و من لم يتوقّ النفْيَ و التشبيهَ زلّ و لم يصِبِ التنزيه
“Whoever does not guard himself from negation and likening has strayed and has not arrived at exaltation.” It was narrated from Ash-Shaafi3iyy that he said:
من انتهض لمعرفة مدبره فاطمأن إلى موجود ينتهى إليه فكره فهو مشبه و إن اطمأن إلى العدم الصرف فهو معطل و إن اطمأن إلى موجود و اعترف بالعجز عن إدراكه فهو موحد.
“Whoever strives to know his Creator, and thus settles with a being whom his thought can encompass is a “likener” (mushabbih). If he settles on pure non-existence, he is an atheist (mu3attil). If he settles with a being (i.e. existent one) and admits that his mind cannot conceive Him, then he is a monotheist (muwahhid).”
Throughout [the Islaamic] history, the Mu3tazilah and the Mushabbihah (the resemblers) were among the most dangerous factions. The Mu3tazilah deny that Allah created the deeds of the slave, [as will come], and they deny the attributes of Allah. The reality of the claims of the Mushabbihah, is that the attributes of Allah are similar to our attributes, even if they do not say that explicitly. The true Religion attributes to Allah what He attributed to Himself and does not deny any of His perfect attributes.The Prophet forbade us from ghuluww (extremism). Allah said in the Qur’aan:
{(وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا)}
<We (Allah) made you a moderate nation (i.e. a trustworthy nation that does not go to extremes)>.
Examples of extremism in what is related to the attributes are as follows:1. The Mu3tazilah denied that Allah is attributed with speech, because they thought that the word “Kalaam (speech)” only refers to letters, sounds, words and language. The Mushabbihah claimed that Allah speaks Arabic, because they thought that the word “Kalaam (speech)” only refers to letters, sounds and language. Ahlu-s-Sunnah said that Allah speaks without letters, sounds or languages, because they knew that “Kalaam (speech)” can mean “that which makes one understand.”
2. The Mu3tazilah denied that Allah can be seen, because they thought that the only thing that could be seen is a body. The Mushabbihah thought that Allah is a body because He can be seen. Ahlu-s-Sunnah said that Allah can be seen without being a body or having the attributes of a body, because He exists.
3. The Mu3tazilah denied that Allah created the deeds of the slaves. The Jabriyyah denied that that the slaves have a will at all. Ahlu-s-Sunnah said that the slaves have a will that is under the will of Allah.
At-Tahaawiyy said:
وهو بين الغلوِ والتقصيرِ، وبين التشبيهِ والتعطيل، وبين الجبرِ والقدَر، وبين الأمْن والإياسِ
“Islaam lies between exceeding the proper limits and falling short (of what is required), resembling (Allah to the creations) and denying (the attributes of Allah), (believing in) compulsion (i.e. that the slave has no will) and denying destiny, feeling safe from the punishment of Allah and despairing of Allah’s mercy.”