The Grand Fatwa of Hama

This book is taught in the higher department.

Author's name: Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

Sheikh Al-Islam began by answering, stating that his answer would be based on the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the early Muslims. 147

He explained that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, taught us everything about our religious and worldly affairs. Is it conceivable that the chapter on faith in God would be absent from him? 175

Sheikh Al-Islam explained the impossibility of the predecessors falling short in the fundamentals and branches of religion, as they were the virtuous centuries due to their proximity to the era of prophecy. 179

He explained that the method of the Salaf is safer, more knowledgeable, and wiser, and not as some of them think that the method of the Salaf is safer and the method of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable. Then the Sheikh explained the error in their thinking that the method of the Salaf is merely belief in the words of the Qur’an and the Hadith without understanding it, and that the method of the Khalaf is extracting the meanings of the texts diverted from their truths by means of various metaphors and strange languages. 182

He explained that confusion and doubt are characteristics of theologians, and he cited several statements and confessions of some of the most prominent theologians. 187

Al-Razi says: “I have contemplated the theological methods and philosophical approaches, and I have not found them to cure the sick, nor to quench thirst. I have found the closest method to be the method of the Qur’an. He said, ‘Whoever experiences something like my experience will know something like my knowledge.’”188

Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni says, “I have crossed the vast sea, abandoned the people of Islam and their knowledge, and delved into what they forbade me from. Now, if my Lord does not spare me with His mercy, then woe to so-and-so. Here I am, dying on my mother’s faith.”191

Al-Ghazali says, “The people who most doubt death are the people of theology.”191

The reason for the misguidance of many of the later scholars is that they cast the Book of God behind their backs 197

· He explained that the Book, the Sunnah, and the sayings of the Salaf are in our hands and there is no one in them who denies the elevation above the Throne or that He is in the heavens. 197

The Sheikh cited evidence of God’s transcendence over His creation from the Qur’an and Sunnah and explained that.198

The approach of the deniers in denying the attributes is that they are divided into two groups. Most of them say: “Whatever your minds do not prove, deny it.” Some of them say: “Rather, refrain from it.”

· The statement of some sects that the Messenger of God is isolated from informing or teaching people about any of God’s attributes, and that God’s Book does not guide people to knowing God and His attributes.217

Most of these doubts were taken from the tyrants of the polytheists or the Sabians.221

Their doubts require them to say that neither the Book nor the Sunnah is guidance for the people and that they should not be referred to in the event of a dispute over a matter. It also requires that leaving the people without a message is better for them in the essence of their religion. 221

Sheikh Al-Islam mentioned the words of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, regarding the division of the nation and the saved group, but he did not mention that one of their characteristics is following reason before transmission. 223

He explained that the origin of the article on nullification goes back to the disciples of the Jews and polytheists, and the misguided Sabians. 225

The deniers believe that God has only negative, additional, or compound attributes. 231

The Sheikh mentioned the reasons for the spread of the Jahmite doctrine, which spread around the second century, and that is due to Bishr bin Al-Marisi.233

The Sheikh mentioned the most important books that dealt with transmitting the doctrine of the Salaf 243.

The comprehensive statement in this chapter is that God is described by what He described Himself or what His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, described Him with. We do not deviate from them. 255

The doctrine of the Salaf is moderate in their understanding that they do not represent the attributes of God with the attributes of the created. Rather, God has attributes that befit His majesty, and the created has attributes that befit Him. They are moderate between representation and nullification. 257

· The interpreters do not have a fixed and continuous rule. 261

The Salaf’s agreement with reason and transmission 263

The Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, is the most knowledgeable and sincere of the nation. He explained to the people the matters of faith in God, and it is known that he was given comprehensive words, so he is the most eloquent of people in speech. 264

The deviant sects are three: the people of imagination who say that the belief in God mentioned by the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, is merely an imagination of the facts, and that he did not explain the truth with it nor did he guide people with it.

The interpreters say that the texts mentioned about the attributes were not intended by the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, to make people believe falsehood, but rather he intended the meanings and did not guide them to them.

The people of ignorance say that the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not know the meanings of the verses of the attributes that God revealed to him, nor did Gabriel know the meanings of those verses, nor did the first predecessors know that. 266

The intended response to them in the Hamawi fatwa is the people of interpretation. 270

· He mentioned the statement of Imam Malik, Sufyan al-Thawri, al-Awza’i, and al-Layth ibn Sa’d regarding the attributes, that they said: “Leave them as they came.” In another narration: “They said: ‘Leave them as they came, without how.’” This is a refutation of the Mu’attilah (those who deny the Divine attributes) and a refutation of the Mutahhabih (those who deny the Divine attributes). 287

Imam Malik’s statement about the establishment of God when he was asked: The establishment of God is not unknown, the manner is not reasonable, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation, and I see you as nothing but an innovator. Then he ordered him to expel the questioner. 291

The meaning of the imams’ saying, “Leave it as it came,” requires keeping its meaning as it is, as it came in words indicating meanings. If its words were negated, then it would have been necessary for them to say, “Leave its words,” while believing that God is not described by them. 292

Imam Abu Hanifa said about someone who says: I do not know if my Lord is in heaven or on earth: He has committed blasphemy. If he says: He is established on the throne, but he says: I do not know if the throne is in heaven or on earth? He said: He is a blasphemer, because he denied that it is in heaven. It is also well known that he who refrains from what he does not affirm or deny is a blasphemer. 306

The saying of Muammar ibn Ahmad al-Asbahani: the Sheikh of the Sufis: “And that God rose over His throne without how, nor likening, nor interpretation, and the rising is rational and the how in it is unknown, and that He, the Almighty and Majestic, is separate from His creation, and creation is separate from Him without dissolution or mixing, nor mingling or adhesion, because He is the One, separate from His creation, the One who is independent of creation.”356

Among the later Sufis is Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, who said: “He is in the direction of the Most High, established on the Throne, encompassing the Kingdom, His knowledge encompasses all things, until he said: It is not permissible to describe Him as being in every place; rather, it is said: He is in the heavens on the Throne, until he said: The attribute of establishment should be applied without interpretation, and that it is the establishment of the Essence on the Throne. He said: And His being on the Throne is mentioned in every book revealed to every prophet sent without how. 459

Imam Ibn Abd al-Barr said when he spoke about the hadith of the descent: This is an authentic hadith in terms of transmission, its chain of transmission is sound, and the scholars of hadith do not differ about its authenticity.

Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari declares that he is committed to the school of Imam Ahmad.482

· The similarity of the Jews to those who are fanatical about a particular sect and then do not accept the truth that accompanies it. 494

The Sheikh of Islam explained that the purpose was to mention the words of some of the imams who transmitted the doctrine of the Salaf, and not everyone the Sheikh mentioned from the theologians agreed with the doctrine of the People of the Sunnah and the Community in all the chapters. Rather, he explained their belief in this chapter only. 498

Then he explained that this fatwa is not sufficient to present all the doubts and opinions and respond to them.499

The Sheikh explained that the Book and the Sunnah contain light and guidance, and there is no contradiction between the texts of companionship and the texts of transcendence.

The Sheikh combined two statements: God is truly with us and truly above the throne. 501

· Explain the meaning of the word “with” in the language. It does not require contact or alignment, but rather means absolute comparison. And explain the meaning of the predecessors’ saying, “With them by His knowledge.” It is like someone saying, “I am still walking, and the moon is with me.”502

Then he mentioned that in the Book and the Sunnah there are many references to companionship, which the Sheikh mentioned, and he explained that they differ according to their location. 503

The Salaf’s statement that God is above His throne. This statement in general is a clear lie against the Salaf, but in many of the attributes it is definitely so.510

After researching with the Sheikh, it became clear to him that the predecessors agreed on proving the descriptive attributes, that they prove the type of the attribute but deny likening it. 510

The Sheikh explained that the people of innovation give the people of Sunnah ugly titles to repel them from what they believe in, and this is slander and a lie. This is one of the customs of the infidels of Quraysh when they said false titles about our Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. 513

Sheikh Al-Islam explained the categories of people in the texts of attributes: Two categories say: They are based on their apparent meanings. Two categories say: They are contrary to their apparent meanings. And two categories remain silent. 519

Whoever asks about the nature of the attributes will be asked about the nature of the self. And explain the response to whoever asks about the nature. 522

It is not necessary that proper nouns share the same manner and meaning.523

The correct view regarding many of the verses and hadiths about the attributes is to be certain of the established method, such as the verses and hadiths indicating that God Almighty is above His throne.529

· It is necessary to know the reason for the error of many philosophers and theologians in this matter, that they are imitators and if the truth comes to them they do not accept it. 530

The intelligent speaker knows that he is not aware of what he says, and that his argument is not clear.533

Finally, the Sheikh mentions to those who have these doubts, the supplication to say: “O God, Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your servants concerning that over which they differ. Guide me to the truth concerning that over which they differ, by Your permission. Indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path.”534

Summarize the most important points

Abu al-Muthanna

Muhammad Yaqoub

25\4\1434 AH