Chp 7-SCHOLARS' REBUTTALS ON THE WAHABISTS' CORPORALISM
Ibn Hajar's FetihulBari Fi Sharhi Sahihil Bukhari, part 3 page 23:
Adopters of trend of God's having a locality cited the Prophet's saying, "Our Lord descends to the lowest heavens," as their evidence. Majority of scholars denied so, since it leads to the Lord's demarcation. Allah be exalted against so. Various opinions were cited in respect of meaning of the Lord's descending. Anthropomorphists rested upon its extrinsic material meaning. Allah be exalted against their misallegation. Kharijites and Mutazilites denied the whole matter; authenticity of such hadiths. This is indeed an exaggeration. While they have been finding suitable interpretation for Quranic texts respecting such a subject, they, either ignorantly or inflexibly, denied hadiths involving the topic. The worthy ancestors passed such texts as they are, believing in them generally and promoting Allah, the Exalted, against conditions and anthropomorphism. Like many others, AlBeihaqi relate this viewpoint to the four masters, the two Sufians, the two Hemmads, AlAwzai, AlLeith and others. Others interpreted meaning of the hadith into a proper form common in Arabic. Others opted for an interpretation too exaggerative to evade distortion. Others discerned what is interpreted in a form near to Arabic, from what is rarely used. Hence, some was interpreted and the rest was commended. This is Malik's trend. Ibn Daqiq AlAbd followed this trend lately.
AlBeihaqi: The most secure trend is that of believing without seeking conditions, and suspending the intended meanings saving those communicated by authentic narrators. They agreed upon nonobligation of resting upon the identified interpretation. Only then, commendation to Allah becomes safer…
IbnulArabi: It is said that the heretics refute such texts while the worthy ancestors passed them as they are. A third group ruled of finding interpretation
for them. The latter, however, is the most suitable for me. God's sayings are referred to His deeds, not Essence. It is also an indication to the angel who descends with His orders and instructions. Like corporealities, descending can be through mental meanings. Providing the material meaning is adopted, it will be alluded to the angel conveyed. Supposing the mental is adopted, that is called a descending to a lower rank. It is also an accurate style of Arabic.
IbnulArabi intends to say that there are two sorts of interpretation. First, the extrinsic meaning that is descending of God's affair or angels. Second, metaphoric meaning that is the Lord's kindness to His supplicators and responding them.
Abu Bakr Bin Fawrak records some scholars utter the text in a way inciting that the angels, not the Lord, are concerned. As an evidence on the forecited reciting, is AnNisai's narrative ascribed to AlAghar, Abu Hureira and Abu Sa'eed. The hadith, then, should be in this form, "Allah respites till midnight. After that, He orders a declarant to announce if there is a supplicator so that he will be responded…" Othman Bin AbilAas relates it in the following form, "Is there a supplicator so that he will be responded?"
AlQurtubi: Only in this way, this problem should be solved. It is also not defeated by Refa'a AlJuheni's narrative, "Allah descends to the lowest heavens and declares that His servants should not ask but Him.", since this does not deny that interpretation.
AlBeidhawi: As long as it is certified, by decisive proofs, that Allah is promoted against having corporeity or being restricted in a definite space, it is impracticable for Him to descend which hints at moveableness to a lower point. Illumination of His mercy is intended. In other words, He shifts from attribute of glorification, which requires ire and reprisal, into attribute of benevolence, which requires lenience and compassion.
ALHAFIZ IBNULJAWZI
Describing the Hanbalite corporalists, IbnulJawzi states on page 99:
… By their books, they offended against their sect. They slipped to level of ordinary people when they rested upon extrinsic meanings of aspect of the divine attributes texts…
Within the words of Sheik Mohammed Abi Zuhra, cited later on, IbnulJawzi's words shall be provided.
IbnulJawzi rebutes corporalists' exegeses of the allegorical Verses. He criticizes sixty false and mistranslated texts. They are bases on which Wahabists and their forefathers constructed their sect.
ASSIBKI AND ALHALABI
Ahmed Bin Yahya Bin Ismail; Sheik Shihabuddin AlJelabi AlHalabi…He was deceased in 337… I could obtain one of his books consecrated to rebutting Ibn Teimiya's claiming Allah's occupying a locale. The book comprises about fifty pages. The following is quoted from page 401 of that book:
Ashafii, when asked about God's attributes, says, "It is haram forbidden for intellects to present Allah, the Exalted. It is haram for illusions to limit Him. It is haram for conjectures to decide Him. It is haram for selves to think about Him. It is haram for minds to deepen in Him. It is haram for senses to cognize Him. Only what He Has ascribed to Himself, in the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), is excluded." …
The following is AhlusSunna's opinion in this subject:
Allah is anterior and eternal. Nothing is alike Him and He is not equivalent to anything. He enjoys neither locality nor space. He is not influenced by a time or an age. It is impracticable to ask or say 'where' about Him. He is seeable not by means of meeting or any ordinary means. He was when there was no space. He made the cosmos and arranged the time. Now, He is as He was.
Page 43:
Monotheists agreed upon denial of the Lord's occupying a locality. A faction, like Ibn Teimiya, is excluded.
Page 534:
Hadith of amulet, Ibn Teimiya cites as an evidence on Allah's existing in a definite point, seems to be excerpted from texts of the Torah or the Bible. It is, "Our Lord, Allah, sanctified be Thy Name. Thy affair in the heavens is like Thy affair on the earth. Thy bestowal is in the heavens." From the hadith, "… The Throne is above all of that, and Allah is above all of that.", Ibn Teimiya, the dissident, understands that Allah is materially above the Throne.
Page 83:
… Promoting Allah against having a locality is evidenced by reports and traditions and sayings of scholars… Nullity of Ibn Teimiya's deceitful ideas. This nullity is proved by Quranic and prophetic texts…
As-Sibki's Tabaqatus-Shafiiya, part 9 page 36:
Heretics misallege that they are following course of the worthy ancestors, which is monotheism… How is it reasonable to believe that the worthy ancestors adopted faiths of anthropomorphism, and keep still before emergence of origins of heresy? God says, (And do not mix up the truth with the falsehood.)
AZ-ZAHAWI; AN IRAQI SCHOLAR
Corporalism of Wahabists:
Wahabists decide atheism of those who visitate the Prophet's tomb, and judge seeking his intercession to Allah, the Exalted, as citing associates in Allah's godhood. They also rule obligation of promoting God against such deeds. In the same time, they were highly confused in promoting God against unfitting matters. It is they who emphasized on considering Allah's settling a physical firmness, settlement and elevation on the Throne. It is they who ascribed material face and hands to the Lord, and divided His touchable missions by holding the heavens to a finger, the earth to another, trees to a third and royalty to a fourth. In a like fashion, they made him occupy locality. They claimed the Lord's being above the heavens, constant on the Throne, and can be physically pointed to, by material fingers, and can descend and ascend to and from the lowest heavens. Their poet composes:
If asserting His settling on His Throne is corporalism, I am, then, a corporalist.
If proving His attributes is anthropomorphism, I am keeping on anthropomorphism.
If denying His settling and attributes and speaking is promoting Him exaltedly.
I promote our Lord against that promotion, by His support. He is higher and more proficient.
From Addinul Khalis, the following statements involving the topic are quoted:
"If it is intended that corporealities are compound of material and form, or of atoms, Allah, the Exalted, is definitely promoted against so. It is correct to negate possible things from Him, too. A created corporeality is not compound of such things."
This statement is filled up with confusion. The writer denies existence of necessary or possible corporealities according to the form he refers to. It seems he intends at negating corporeality that is a principal in his belief in Allah, the Exalted. In order to avoid being accused of anthropomorphizing the Creator, the writer negates corporeality from creatures. Indisputably, if a corporeality is not compound of material and form, it is most surely compound
of atoms. Stupidity, however, is boundless. It is not strange that such an individual achieves such a record in hideous confusion. He should have mentioned things from which corporealities are compound. I do not see him too tedious to state that corporealities are composite from infinite things. The total scholars deny such a claim. Modern sciences and decisive evidences proved nullity of such an ill claim. He, then, added, "If corporealities that are described, capable of seeing, speaking, addressing, hearing, observing, pleasing and being irate, these are proved for the Lord, the Exalted. Such attributes are ascribed to Him. We do not negate so even if you dedicate such attributes to corporealities…"
As much as we know, we cannot name anyone defining corporeality as the thing speaking, addressing, hearing, seeing, pleasing and being irate. These are specifications of lively sane beings. We admit that corporealities can see through eyes, but ascribing corporeality to Allah, the Exalted, in this very sense is degrading Him to levels of His creatures in a way denying His godhood. Allah's being a corporeality, in this sense, is a defect against which Allah is, obligatorily, highly promoted. Intellectually, Allah's being a corporeality is denied since scientists of optics proved that vision occurs when light rays fall on surface of the visible object, and becomes thrown back to the eye. Accordingly, visible things necessarily have surfaces. This requires partitioning of that surfaced thing. The idea, as a whole, nullifies godhead of Allah, since corporeality, in this sense, is identical to that the writer has previously negated from Allah, the Exalted, and possible beings. Reportedly, denial of Allah's being a corporeality is proved by God's saying, (Visions comprehend Him not, and He comprehends all visions;). This Verse is not contradictory to the other, (Some faces on that day shall be bright. Looking at [waiting for] their Lord.) Condition of Seeing God, the Exalted, on Resurrection Day is unfamiliar. This is the most acceptable faith. It is possible that vision, on Resurrection Day, shall be by a sort of revealing and divine manifestation, that is in no need for an organ of vision. God's selecting the word 'faces' instead of 'eyes' proves that that vision shall be away from processes of material organs of visions. Likewise, the word 'bright' expresses attaining perfect blissfulness for that divine revealing.
The writer adds, "If corporealities that are materially pointed to, are intended, the most cognizant creature did actually refer to Allah by raising his finger upward, towards the heavens…"
Intellectual intuition rules that every entity materially indicated, should be occupying a definite locality and space, and should be seeable. All these are impracticable for Allah, the Exalted. Providing Allah was in a definite space or locality, anteriority of that space or locality should be necessarily decided. Evidences on Allah's being the only Anterior, have been decisively cited. He would have been lacking the space He occupies had He been in a definite point.
This contradicts necessity of God's Being. Likewise, had He been in a certain space, He would have been there either for a considerable period or permanently. Regarding the earlier, it is null since times are equal to each other and ascribing Him to definite times should be also equal. Dedicating definite times to Him, then, should be a sort of giving a casting vote to improbabilities. This is in case nonexistence of an extrinsic dedicating matter is concerned. If there is an extrinsic dedicating matter, the Lord's occupying a certain space should be requiring an accessory matter. Regarding the latter, if nullity of God's being occupying the entire times, in the same time, is not proved, it requires involvement of matters occupying spaces in points engaged by corporealities. Naturally, this is impossible. Moreover, it was permissible to point at the Lord materially, it should be possible to point to him from every point on the earth. As the earth is globular, it would be necessary that Allah, the Exalted, was encircling it totally. Lest, it is improper to point to Him with material indicators and , consequentially, He should not be settling on His Throne, as Wahabists claim. If His Throne encompassed the seven heavens, it would be imperative for Him to decrease His corporeality when He descends to the lowest heavens and increase it during ascending. If so, He should be variable. Allah be highly promoted against sayings of the ignorant. Reported sayings adhered by Wahabists as evidences on their claims of validity of the material pointing to the Lord, are conjectural phenomena that are not contradicting ascertained matters. Such sayings should be interpreted in two ways. First, general interpretation, and commending details to Allah. This opinion is adopted by majority of the worthy ancestors. Second, opting for detailed interpretation. Majority of scholars adopted this trend.
Reports appertained to pointing to the heavens as an indication to the Lord, are tokens of His creating the heavens, or the heavens, that contain such tremendous worlds that our earth is but one of their tiny fragments, are one of appearances of His divine competence. Ascending to the Lord can be interpreted into seeking a place allocated for worshipping Him. At any rate, there are several sorts of interpretation.
AzZahawi's AlFajrus Sadiq, page 31:
Wahabism and discarding intelligence:
Because intellectuality and sound reasoning contradict their faiths completely, Wahabists had to cast mentality off and adhere to extrinsic aspects of reports, even if impracticability, tyranny and deviation are the effects. Due to such an adherence to extrinsic aspects of Verses, they believe that Allah was physically settling on His Throne and lying over it. They also believed that He could have a face and two hands and could perform material descending to the lowest heavens and returning to His place. They believed that He could be pointed to. Allah be highly exalted against sayings of the wrong.
Wahabists, who decided visitators of the Prophet's tomb as pagans, are pagans indeed. They worship a god having a corporeality of an animal, sitting on a material throne, descending to a lower grade, ascending and having physical face, hand, leg and fingers. The Right God is promoted against physical matters.
If they are disputed that intellectual proofs verify that ascribing physical matters to the Lord does indeed contradict His godhead, they will answer that such disgraced mentality cannot occupy any space in field of divinity which is in a rank exceeding mentality of mankind. Hence, they form no difference from trinitarianists who claim recognizing trinity is a matter exceeding mentalities of mankind so largely that it is illicit to think about.
It is indisputably rational that reports should be interpreted when contradicting mentality, since it is impossible to prove both of them because the inadmissible concurrence of antinomous matters will befall. In the same way, it is impossible to deny both of them because nullity of both antinomous matters will befall. Hence, there is one way only, which is admitting one and denying the other. Shunning mentality and opting for reports is null, since it is unreasoning to depend on secondary matters for invalidating principals.
Explicating this matter, we are to say that reported tidings should be certified by mental devises. Validity of reporting affairs such as existence of an absolute creator and recognition of divine prophecy and the like, can be credited exclusively by mentality, which is principal and reliable evidence on reported things. Supporting reported matters are preceded to mental, both will be invalidated since when principals are null, branches are null sequentially. Validity of reporting is a branch of mental judgment which is deniable and voidable. Hence, preferring reported matters to mental results is nullity of the two. Inconsistency, which leads to nullity, is the effect of correcting a branch by invalidating the principal. Pursuant to the previous, it is necessary to prefer mental proofs to reported.
Relying upon the above, obligation of finding suitable interpretation to texts the extrinsic meaning of their aspects contradicts intellectuality, is clearly evident. Such texts should be interpreted in two ways. First, general interpretation, and commending details to Allah. This is the opinion adopted by majority of the worthy ancestors. Second, opting for detailed interpretation. Majority of scholars adopted this trend. God's settling on the Throne stands for predominance on cosmos. The Arabic tongue confirms such an interpretation. Likewise, God's coming, mentioned in the Verse, (And your Lord comes and the angels in ranks. 89:22), stands for approaching of God's affair. Regarding His saying, (To Him do ascend the good words), this means that Allah admits the good wording. Words, however, are incapable of ascending by themselves. Coming mentioned in God's saying, (They do not wait aught but that Allah should come to them in the shadows of the clouds along with the angels.
2:210), implies coming of His anguish. God's saying, (Then he drew near, then he bowed, so he was the measure of two bows or closer still), indicates that the Apostle becomes near to his Lord owing to his extraordinary compliance with Him. The measure indicated is a sort of depicting the mental things by visions of materiality. The Prophet's statement, "Allah, the Exalted, descends to the lowest heavens every night,…" refers to descending of His mercy. Night, however, is the time usually consecrated to loneliness, adoration and worshipping. Alike interpretations are cited for the like texts.
