التحف في مذاهب السلف للشوكاني رحمه الله
The Treatise of Treasures in the Positions of the Pious Predecessors
Ash-Shawkaany, rahimahullah
1
The Treatise of Treasures in the Positions of the Righteous Predecessors “At-tuhaf
fee madhaahib as-Salaf”, by the great Islamic sheikh, the judge, the
immensely knowledgeable Muhammad ibn Ali Ash-Shawkaany, rahimahu
Allah.
Bismillaahirrahmaaanirraheeem. In the Name of Allah, the Most Entirely
Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise be to Allah, Lord (deficient
translation of the Name of Allah “Rubb”, meaning Creator, Cherisher,
Protector, Provider and Sustainer. Hereafter referred to simply as “Lord”) the
worlds, and the Mercy and blessings be upon the best of people (i.e., the
Prophet ﷺ) and his kind family, and may Allah be pleased with his great
companions. And so, a question has been received from a few people living
in Makkah, and this is how it goes:
Question – Bismillaahirrahmaaanirraheeem. In the Name of Allah, the Most
Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise be to Allah, Lord the worlds. What do the
jurists of the religion and the knowledgeable scholars and the people of
Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) say regarding the Ayat (verses of the Quran)
of the Attributes [of Allah] of what is mentioned in the Great Book (i.e. the
Quran) and of what is made clear in the Sunnah of he who guides to a straight
path (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ); Is the authentic affirmation of these verses through
their apparent meaning without takyeef (explaining the howness), or tamtheel
(likening Allah [to His creation]), or ta’weel (distorting the meaning), or ta’teel
(denying the apparent meaning), the creed of the people of tawheed, and
the [full] belief of the Quran, and the correct following of the Salaf (i.e.
righteous predecessors), or is this (i.e. this aforementioned affirmation as per
the Salaf) the creed of the Mujassimah (i.e. the Anthropomorphists)? And what
is the ruling on whoever distorts the meaning and negates what Allah and His
Prophet ﷺ has described Allah with, and supported with texts as approved by
the specific elite, that Allah SWT (i.e. Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala (free and far
from all imperfections what the deviants and disbelievers false attribute to
Him)) is in the Heavens (i.e. above them), above His Arsh (i.e. Throne), distinct
from His Creation, and His Knowledge is everywhere (i.e. encompasses
everything), and the evidence for that is the verses of istiwaa’ (i.e. being above
the Throne) and ascension and raising. And His Saying in the Quran, “Do you
feel secure that He who is above...” (Quran, 67:16), and from the Sunnah, the
hadeeth of the slave woman, the Descending [of Allah [to the nearest
Heaven]], and of Imran ibn Huṣayn. And the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, “Do you
not trust me, when I am the trustee of the One Who is above the heaven?...”,
and more of the life from the mass-transmitted ayat and abundant ahadeeth.
And he (i.e., the one who distorts) distorts the ayat of istiwaa’ (i.e., being above
the Throne) to istilaa’ (i.e. seizing it [with power]), and that Descending is only
