Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Chapter: 5 At­Thehbi Is Ibn Teimiya's Inheritor

Familiarly Ibnul­-Qeyim Al-­Jawzi is Ibn Teimiya's inheritor. At-­Thehbi in fact is an invisible successor of Ibn Teimiya. Since enough light has not been focused on this personality we are to pass upon him exclusively.

Describing At­Thehbi's tendency towards corporalism and corporalists As-Sebki in his Tabaqatus­Shafiiya part 2 page 13 records:

Demeanors and variety of beliefs of both the criticizer and the criticized ought to be taken in consideration during scrutinizing criticism. This point is stressed by Ashafii who states "Seconders ought to be clear from malice and fanaticism in beliefs in order that they may not be induced to criticizing a litigant or approving a skeptic." A great number of master scholars were the victims of such a fanaticism. The criticizers were wrong and the criticized were right but such a confusion occurred due to conventional prejudice. In his Aliqtirah Sheikhul­-Islam and master of the late Taqiyuddin Bin Daqiq Aleed refers to this point. He states "A Muslim's repute is a hole of hell. Two groups of people stopped at the brim of that hole. They are the hadithists and the rulers."

Regarding Abu Hatem Bin Hebban some anthropomorphists alleged that he was inaccurate in his religion. They confessed that they banished him out of Sejistan because he had denied Allah's having an edge. Alas! Which team should be banished; the believers in Allah's having an edge or those promoting Him against corpreity?! Many examples can be cited in this regard. At-­Thehbi our master is a good example. Although he enjoys a considerable amount of knowledgeability and piousness he assails Ahlus­-Sunna exceedingly. Therefore it is impermissible to rest upon him.

As­Saqaf's Sharhul­Aqidetit­Tahawiya page 315:

While the heretic assert that attributes Allah has ascribed to Him should be used restrictively in referring to Him they say that He settled on the Throne by His Essence. What is the source of that Essence they used? In which part of the Quran or the Prophet's traditions has this word been used? This expression leads undeviatingly to anthropomorphism and supports their masters' saying that their god abides on the Throne so extensively that only a four finger distance remains.

An alike flaw occurred to Al-­Khellal when he recorded the following narrative of doubt documentation more than fifty times in his As­Sunna during providing the exegesis of God's saying (Maybe your lord will raise you to a position of great glory. 17:79):

Mujahid: The Verse implies that the Lord reposes on the Throne and seats Mohammed (peace be upon him) near to him in the four finger distance space of the Throne.

Al-­Hafiz At-­Thehbi who moderated only after his youth denied so and retreated from the ideas he had written down in his Siyeru- A'lamin­Nubela regarding those who added 'Essence' after mentioning Allah's exhalation settling and the like. He records "We have previously mentioned that the word 'Essence' is superfluous since it injures minds."

As­Saqaf however was inadvertent to the fact that At­-Thehbi had never negated Allah's descending by His Essence ­by self­mastery­.

This is clear from his words recorded in Siyeru A'lamin-­Nubela part 19 page 605:

… Ibnuz-­Zaghawani composes a poetry:

High on the elevated Throne by His Essence Praised be Him against a saying of the aberrant and atheists We have previously mentioned that the word 'Essence' is superfluous since it injures minds. Neglecting this expression is favorable.

Granting that was At-­Thehbi's word it is inevitable to interpret it in a way becoming his beliefs. He believes that Allah the Exalted reposes physically on the Throne and descends materially to the lowest heavens. He only assumes that it is favorable to neglect discussing bases of his belief. He also sees that since 'Essence' is unacceptable expression for Muslims' minds it ought to be avoided and kept within secrets of the belief and said before followers only. This is indicated by the fact that as if he approved Az­-Zaghawani's deciding atheism of the entire Muslims except anthropomorphists At­Thehbi shows no denial against this verdict issued by that Hanbalite master while he was providing his life account.

This is also supported by his statements recorded in Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 20 page 331:

It is obligatory to believe in the descending of Allah and it is favorable to neglect discussing its essentials. This was the worthy ancestors' course. Claiming of descending by His Essence was only purposed for submitting the interpreters who claimed descending of His knowledgeability. We do seek Allah's protecting us against disputing in the religion. The same thing is said about Allah's coming and the like. We say "He came" and "He descends" but we warn against claiming descending by Essence. In the same time we do not claim descending of His knowledgeability. We only keep silent so that we may not invent heretic expressions before the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Hence At­Thehbi refutes the interpretation that descending falls by means other than the Essence. Meanwhile he finds an excuse for those who claim descending by the Essence. He allege that such individuals said so just for submitting the interpreters who dispute and litigate in religious questions. This indicates that At­Thehbi adopts claim of descending by the Essence. He at the same time warns the anthropomorphists his group against claiming descending by the Essence so that others should not be spurred against them! At­Thehbi's attitude is evidently shown in his statement "It is favorable to neglect discussing bases of his belief."

He realizes and believes in essentials of the material descending. However neglecting such essentials is favorable. It is may be acceptable and excusable to disclose these essentials before rivals in cases of inescapable necessity.

This fact is also supported by his words about Kutah whose master dismissed him because he had been claiming "descending by the Essence" and was warmly received by the Syrian anthropomorphists.

Tethkiratul­Huffaz part 4 page 13:

Kutah: The Quran reciter the master Abu Masud Abdul­-Jalil Bin Mohammed. Abu Musa Al-­Madini states "He was unique in learning in addition to manners and decency. He was one of the favorable followers of Ismail Al-­Hafiz. I attended some of his sessions and heard Abul­-Qasim Al-­Hafiz in Damascus extol him nobly raise his standing and accredit erudition and accuracy to him.

He also was learned by Abdul­-Qahir Ashebrawi in Nisapur and another group in Baghdad. His master Ismail dismissed him because he asserted that Allah "descends by His Essence"…

This is also supported by his defending and praising Al-­Hafiz Abdul­-Ghani the famous corporalist.

Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 21 page 463:

In Miratuz­-Zeman Abu Muzaffar Al-­Waiz records:

Al-­Hafiz Abdul-­Ghani used to provide his lectures after the Friday Prayer. Muhyiddin Diyaddin and others went to the governor and complained against Abdul­-Ghani claiming his adopting anthropomorphism. The two parties argued. Abdul­-Ghani stated "I do not promote Him against ill matters so excessively that I deny His actual descending." "Allah was when there was no space. Today He is not as he was." and "Allah possess symbols and voice."

The adversary party concentrated on these points. They commented "Considering the Lord was not as he was this means that He has a definite space. Proving the Lord's actual descending affirms acceptance of His moveableness. Regarding symbols and voice masters such as Ahmed Bin Hanbal dedicated so to Allah's words that are not created."

The two parties were engaged in noisy discrepancy. Burghush the government asked "You think all those are wrong and you alone is right. Do you not?" "Yes I do " affirmed Abdul-­Ghani. Thus the governor ordered of destroying his pulpit and banishing him to Balbak. Later on he traveled to Egypt. Scholars there ruled of permissibility of killing him. They argued that he was ruining people's beliefs and advocating corporalism. Hence the vizier ordered of banishing him to Morocco. He died before execution of that order.

Owing to publicity of Abdul-­Ghani's importunate adherence to his anthropomorphism scholars agreed upon deciding his atheism and heresy. They also issued the impermissibility of keeping that man among Muslims. Hence he sought them to be granted only three days before he would be banished. They responded.

I noticed carelessness and lack of piety of Abul­-Muzaffar Ibnul­Jawzi in his historical texts. He was inclining to Rafidites. I could see one of his writing works brimming with calamities supporting the previous allegation. He would not have been alive if his claiming jurisprudents' deciding his atheism had been true. In Damascus Al-­Imad Muwaffaquddin Abu Omar Shamsuddin Al-­Bukhari and the other Hanbalite scholars agreed with him. Besides the country was full of master scholars who did neither decide his apostasy nor did they declare his downright statements due to which he was suppressed. It would have been safer and better for him had he shunned such statements and followed expressions of the texts. No single text regarding such illusive statements was reported. His worst statement was deciding aberrance of the present scholars and his being the right alone. He worded a statement filled in with evil depravity and disadvantage. May God forgive and be merciful to the all since they intended only to glorify and promote. The most perfect course of glorifying and promoting the Lord against ill matters was stopping at expressions of the Quran and the Prophet's traditions. This course was adopted by the worthy ancestors (God may please them). At any rate Al-­Hafiz Abdul­-Ghani was one of the religious learned pious and righteous men. He enjoyed numerous merits. Finally we seek God's protection against caprices prevarication fanaticism and forging lies. We also disavow every corporalist and Tatilist.

At­-Thehbi's skillfulness of attaching school of his master Ibn Teimiya and him to the ancestors who were commenders should be acknowledged. He used their silence for his good and provided it as an adaptation of the material exegesis.

Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 10 page 505:

Scholars of the worthy ancestors interpreted expressions whether they were remarkable or not. They did not approach Verses and hadiths of the divine attributes at all. Yet these are the most remarkable questions of the religion. They would have taken initiative in interpreting such texts had they been conceivable. Hence it became appreciable that the right is only reciting and recognizing these texts without trying to find any other interpretation. Like the worthy ancestors we should believe and acquiesce in such texts.

In the previous text At­Thehbi commits a distortion so daringly that no anthropomorphist could attain. This distortion At­Thehbi attires dress of reasoning is clarified by the following example:

Considering there is an article of a law so ambiguous that it has two significances; extrinsic and metaphoric. An individual abstained from finding an explanation for that article claiming acquiescing in its aspect and commending its significance to the legislator. Do others dare to regard him as opting for the very extrinsic significance since he abstained from interpreting? Of course none dare to regard as so since that individual will certainly answer "I am abstinent from any interpretation. None is allowed to attach any interpretation including the extrinsic to me."

At-­Thehbi however dared to say so. He states "Hence it became appreciable that the right is only reciting and recognizing these texts without trying to find any other interpretation." He means any interpretation other than the material. Just after that he asserts "Like the worthy ancestors we should believe and acquiesce in such texts." This indicates that we should believe that material appearances of the texts should be embraced and then acquiesce in essentials of the belief like the commenders.

The entire words of the Sunni scholars flow in the same stream. "Recognize the texts as they are." "Pass the texts as they are." "Recite the texts as they are." "Take the texts as they are." "Acquiesce in the texts." All these words have the same meaning; Interpret not these texts and commend them to Allah the Elevated and His prophet. None at all ruled of opting for faces of these texts. How should then the anthropomorphists adopt (involving the appearances as they seem.) and attach to the commenders among the worthy ancestors?

It is not improbable that 'pass' mentioned in words of the Sunni scholars was in the origin 'recognize(18) '. But owing to clerical errors the word was confused. 'Recognition' is used for constant matters while 'passing' is used for the movable. Neither the early nor the late scholars used this word at all except in the item involved. For eloquence it is inappropriate to used 'pass' to unchangeable matters. The word however is used for expressing movable things. For example; 'pass the sheep' means 'let those walking sheep pass.' For constant things; such as texts we use 'recognize' which means 'accept'.

The following are examples of the worthy ancestors' words:

Al­Mizi's Tahdibul-Kemal part 1 page 514:

Ahmed Bin Nasr: I asked Sufian Bin Uyeina an interpretation for the sayings that hearts are between two of Allah's fingers and that Allah laughs when He is mentioned in marts. "Pass them as they are without asking how" answered Sufian.

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 5 page 162:

Al-­Awzai: Az­-Zuhri and Mackhul used to say "Pass the hadiths as they are."

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 5 page 337:

Al-­Awzai: He used to say "Pass the Prophet's traditions as they are."

At­Thehbi's Tethkiratul­Huffaz part 1 page 304:

Al-­Walid Bin Muslim: I asked Mali Al-­Awzai At­Thawri and Al-­Leith Bin Sa'd about hadiths pertaining the divine attributes. "Pass them as they are without asking how " they answered.

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 7 page 274:

Sufian was asked about hadiths pertaining the divine attributes. "Pass them as they are " he answered. Abu Nueim stated "Were I to skip out these hadiths totally." Abu Usama: Sufian said "Had my hand been amputated before I sought a hadith."

The two last sayings indicate that the reason beyond adopting for commendation was anticipating being sinful in case they adopt an interpretation leads to affirming anthropomorphism.

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 8 page 162:

18. In Arabic, the two words; 'recognize' and 'pass' differ in a single similar letter only.

Al-­Walid Bin Muslim: I asked Mali Al-­Awzai At­Thawri and Al-­Leith about hadiths pertaining the divine attributes. "Pass them as they are without asking how " they answered. Abu Ubeid commented "As we could not recognize a single individual cite an interpretation to these texts we should also neglect so." This Abu Ubeid compiled a book dedicated to strange hadiths. He neglected discussing any of hadiths of the divine attributes at all. As he told that he could not recognize a single individual cite an interpretation of such texts he abstained from interpreting. Positively had interpretation of such texts been conceivable or fundamental it would have been more concerned that interpretation of hadiths of secondary affairs and ethics. As scholars neglected citing any interpretation for such texts and passed them as they were it was perceivable that their course what the absolute right.

Abu Ubeid's saying "We could not recognize a single individual cite an interpretation to these texts." implies denial of the claim of opting for extrinsic interpretation. This saying also denies Ibn Teimiya's claim that Abu Ubeid did interpreted the Lord's settlement into descending. This claim is recorded in his book of Tafseer part 6.

The latter wording of At-­Thehbi is an attempt to decide 'passing their texts are they are' as same as interpreting them according to their aspects. Hence he attempts at making the commenders adopt the faith Ibn Teimiya and he had embraced.

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin-­Nubela part 8 page 467:

Respecting the hadith "Allah is astonished or laughs when He is mentioned in marts." Sufian commented "It is as it came. We accept and communicate it without asking how."

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 9 page 165:

Ahmed Bin Ibrahim Ad­-Dawraqi: Waki:

We should submit to these hadiths ­such as that of Allah's burdening the heavens of one of His fingers­ as they are. We do not ask how or what for.

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 15 page 86:

Abul­Hassan compiled four books appertained to principals of the religion and bases of the worthy ancestors' belief in the divine attributes. He records "These texts should be passed as they are. This is my saying and belief. I should not seek an interpretation."

Besides At­Thehbi as well as the worthy ancestors recorded tens of texts discussing this topic. All those texts indicated that trends of commendation and interpretation were the two major schools the Sunni ancestors belonged to. School of resting upon extrinsic meanings was adopted by the corporalists; the Hashawites some of the Hanbalites and few of the Asharites.

At­-Thehbi asserted that there had been three trends respecting this question.

At­Thehbi's Siyeru A'lamin­Nubela part 19 page 582:

I asked him about hadiths of the divine attributes. He answered "People litigated about them. Some interpreted. Others abstained and others believed in their extrinsic meanings. I believe in one of these three trends."

Likewise Ibn Khuldoun discerned school of commendation from that of resting upon aspects of the texts. Moreover some late scholars such as An­Nawawi assert that the course of Sunni ancestors was commendation and refutation of the extrinsic meanings. This is a strange matter indeed. Commendation totally reconciles denial of extrinsic interpretations but it does in no means concur extrinsic interpretation. Any text is not commended to Allah if it is interpreted according to its aspect. While denial certain interpretations of a text does not injure commending to Allah.

Seyid Sharafuddin's Abu Hureira part 1 page 57:

An­-Nawawi the master asserts:

A number of scholars dispense with finding interpretations for such hadiths claiming "We do believe they are right and their extrinsic meanings are not intended and there are meanings becoming them." This is in fact trend of majority of the ancestors. It is the safest and the most secure.

CORPORALISTS ARE HEIRS OF EXTRINSICISM

It is obvious that the hypothetical base upon which corporalism was founded is necessity of resting upon extrinsic meanings of texts. This base seems to be imitated a long period after emergence of extrinsicism created by Dawud Alisfahani who publicized it in Morocco. Effects of that school are still manipulated in Ibn Hazm Al-­Andalusi's written works.

Ideas and course of corporalism were originated a long time before coming forth of extrinsicism. This indicates that the objective base of their school was authored after existence of the school itself. In other more objective words their base was discriminating just like communism. The latter had been originated before it was fanatically embraced. A period after that its hypotheses were adopted by dialectic. Thus this historical article was picked up to be the objective base of communism.

As­Semani's Al-Ansab part 4 page 99:

Extrnisicism is imputed to that group who adopted school of Dawud Bin Ali Al-­Isfahani. They opt for the extrinsic meanings of texts. They are numerous. Abul­Hussein Mohammed Bin Al-­Hussein Al-­Basri acceded to extrinsicism.

Corporalists in fact mutinied against their fathers; the extrinsicists neglecting their principals and rules. Dawud Az­-Zahir (the extrinsicist) and Ibn Hazm opt for the extrinsic meanings to definite limits after which they interpret. They are then interpreters. For corporalists those two individuals are aberrant and atheists because they were not extrinsicists.

Ibn Hazm's Al-Fasl volume 1 part 2 page 122:

Sayings of Allah the Exalted should be taken as their extrinsic meanings unless there is another text congruity or a necessity contrasting so. It is recognized that whatsoever is existent in a place occupies ­that place­. These all are qualities of corporealities. Regarding so it is proved that nearness intended in God's saying (And We are nearer to him than his life­vein. 50:16) stands for control and awareness only.

Ibn Hazm's Al-Fasl volume 1 part 2 page 166:

Discussion Of The Divine Face Hand And Eye:

Allah the Exalted says (And there will endure for ever the face of your Lord the Lord of glory and honor. 55:27)

Corporalists used this saying as argument for their trend. Others said that 'face of Allah' is His person. This is actually the right proved by clear evidences… The purport of such things; Allah's hand eye face and the like is Allah the Exalted and nothing else.

Ibn Hazm's Al-Fasl volume 1 part 2 page 167:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated "Hell keeps on demanding with more till Lord of Dignity places His foot ­precedence­ in it."

In this hadith 'foot' stands for precedence. This meaning is mentioned in God's saying (A footing of firmness with their Lord. 10:2). Hence the meaning of the hadith is that Allah should fill in hell with people who preceded others in evildoing. The same is said about the authentic hadith "Allah created Adam on his look." This indicates that Allah had opted for the look on which he created Adam.

Ibn Hazm's Al-Fasl volume 1 part 2 page 140:

Unanimously Muslims agreed upon Allah's being hearing and seeing since this truth is emphasized in the Holy Quran. A group of Sunnis Asharites Jafar Bin Harb the Mutazilite Husham Bin Al-­Hakam and the corporalists claimed "We decisively believe that Allah the Exalted is hearing by a means of audition seeing by a means of sight." Groups of Sunnis including Ashafii assert that Allah the Exalted is hearing and seeing but they refuted mentioning means of audition and sight since Allah the Elevated has not referred to so. They believe that the Lord is hearing by His Essence and seeing by His Essence… Thus we adopt this very saying and rule of impermissibility of claiming of means of audition and sight since this claim has not proved by a text.