One must accept all narrations from Allah and His Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), even if one does not understand their true reality - Kitaab Sharh us-Sunnah [Explanation of Creed]

[S. Munir]

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Kitaab Sharh us-Sunnah [Explanation of Creed]
by Imaam al-Barbahaaree ( رحمه الله , rahimahullah, May Allah have Mercy on him, died 329AH)
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank ( رحمه الله , rahimahullah, May Allah have Mercy on him, died 1432AH)

[Point 50 of 170]

50: One must accept all narrations from Allah [ سبحانه و تعالى , Glorified and Exalted be He] and His Messenger [ صلى الله عليه و سلم  ,  may Allah exalt his mention and render him and his message safe from every derogatory thing ], even if one does not understand their true reality.

One must accept, affirm and perform tafweed [1] (i.e. abandon delving into how they are, but be pleased with them) everything in the narrations that one has heard, but cannot fully understand, like the saying of the Messenger of Allah [ صلى الله عليه و سلم ], The hearts of the servants are between two fingers of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic [2], his  [ صلى الله عليه و سلم ] saying, Indeed, Allah [ سبحانه و تعالى ] descends to the lowest heaven [3], and He [ سبحانه و تعالى ] descends on the Day of Arafah [4], and He [ سبحانه و تعالى ] descends on the Day of Resurrection [5], and Hellfire does not cease having them thrown into it until He [ سبحانه و تعالى ], the Majestic, places His [ سبحانه و تعالى ] foot upon it [6] and Allah [ سبحانه و تعالى ], the Most Highs saying to the servant, If you walk towards me, I run towards you [7], and the Messengers  [ صلى الله عليه و سلم  ] saying, Allah [ سبحانه و تعالى ] created Adam in his [Prophet Adam's] image [8], and the saying of Allahs Messenger  [ صلى الله عليه و سلم ], I saw my Lord in the most excellent form [9], and the like of these ahaadeeth. Do not explain any of them with your feelings/desires, since believing in them is obligatory. Anyone who explains anything from them according to his desires, or rejects them, is a Jahmee. [10]

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NOTES

[1] Tafweed: The salaf did not delve into how the attributes of Allah are. The knowledge of that is with Allah alone. As for the Asharees and others, Tafweed to them is that they believe that what is apparent from the attributes is not what is meant. To them, the Aayaat about the attributes of Allah are mutashaabih, i.e. of uncertain meaning and, thus, they were not known about by the Prophet  [ صلى الله عليه و سلم  ]  and the Companions. This is clearly wrong! Refer to Risaalah Alaaqaatul-Ithbaat wat-Tafweed bi Siffat Rabbil-Aalameen of Dr. Ridaa Mutee and Shaikh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baazs (rahimahullah) reply to as-Saaboonee 9pp.8-14).

[2] Reported by Muslim (Eng. trans. 4/1397/no.6418).

[3] The hadeeth about Allah descending is authentic and has many routes of narration. For example, refer to al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 2/136/no.246) and Muslim (Eng. trans. 1/365/no.1656)

[4] He  [ صلى الله عليه و سلم  ] said, Allah descends on the evening of Arafah to the lowest heaven and boasts about the people of the earth to the Angels. Reported by Ibn Mandah in at-Tawheed (147/1). Its chain of narration is weak, as explained in Silsilatud-Daeefah (no.679) of Shaikh al-Albaanee. However, it is authentic as the saying of Umm Salamah (radiallaahu anhaa), reported by ad-Daarimee in ar-Radd alal-Jahmiyyah, ad-Daaraqutnee in an-Nuzool (95,96) and al-Laalikaaee (no.768). It has the ruling of being the saying of the Prophet  [ صلى الله عليه و سلم ], since it is something that Umm Salamah could not have known except from him.

[5] Refer to ar-Radd alal-Jahmiyyah of ad-Daarimee (p.72). Allah, the Most High, says:

Your Lord comes with His angels, rank upon rank. Soorah al-Fajr (89): 22

[6] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 6/353/no.371) and Muslim (Eng. trans. 4/1483/no.6819).

[7] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 9/369/no.502).

[8] Reported by Muslim (Eng. trans. 4/1378/no.6325) and Ibn Abee Aasim in as-Sunnah. The explanation of this hadeeth, by Shaikh Hammaad al-Ansaaree, can be found in Kitaabus-Sifaat of ad-Daaraqutnee (p.58, checking of Dr. Alee Naasir Faqeehee)

[9] Musnad Ahmad (1/285 and 290) and Ibn Abee Aasim in as-Sunnah and declared saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee, who has mentioned that this was in a dream as indicated by some wordings of the hadeeth. Refer also to as-Sunnah (no.1117) of Abdullah ibn Ahmad.

[10] Jahmee: a denier of Allahs attributes, following the way of Jahm ibn Safwaan and his teacher al-Jad ibn Dirham, both of whom were executed for their wicked beliefs and heretical teachings.

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[Additional Background Information]

Imaam al-Barbahaaree  ( رحمه الله , rahimahullah) was a major scholar of his time and he learned knowledge from a number of scholars including the senior students of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal  ( رحمه الله , rahimahullah, May Allah have Mercy on him, died 241AH) including Imaam Abu Bakr al-Marwazee  ( رحمه الله , rahimahullah, May Allah have Mercy on him, died 294AH).

This translation is from the English translation of the book made by Abu Talhah Daawood Burbank ( رحمه الله , rahimahullah, May Allah have Mercy on him, died 1432AH) and the Notes translated above by Abu Tallhah are from the lectures of Shaykh Saaleh as-Suhaimee (hafidhahullaah, may Allaah preserve him upon the Sunnah).

Shaykh Saalih bin Sa’d as-Suhaymee was born 1366 AH in the city of Madeenah. He has a doctorate in fiqh and works as an Associate Professor in the University of Madeenah, School of Da’wah and Usool-ud-Deen, in the Aqeedah Division. Shaykh as-Suhaymee also holds duroos in the Mosque of the Prophet (salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Madeenah.

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[Additional Notes]

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