Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
Surrendering (tafweed) the meanings of Allaah's Attributes to Allaah is not from the madh'ab of the Salaf rather we do the ithbaat (establishing) of the meanings but surrender the kayfiyyah (the how) to Allaah, the Majestic Lord.
Said Ash-Shaykh Saalih Fawzaan - hafidhahullaah -
"السل٠لم يكن مذهبهم التÙويض ØŒ وإنما مذهبهم الإيمان بهذه النصوص كما جاءت ØŒ وإثبات معانيها التي تدلّ٠عليها على Øقيقتها ووضعها اللغوي ØŒ مع Ù†ÙÙŠ التَّشبيه عنها..."
"المنتقى من Ùتاوى الÙوزان" (25/1)
'The Salaf were not upon tafweed rather they would believe in these texts (of Sifaat) as they have come and establish their meanings that indicate their essence and grammatical usage but without comparison...' Muntaqaah 1/25
Ash-Shaykh AbdurRazaaq Al-Afeefee - rahimahullaah - also said:
"مذهب السل٠هو التÙويض ÙÙŠ كيÙية الصÙات لا ÙÙŠ المعنى"
"Ùتاوى الشيخ عبد الرزاق عÙÙŠÙÙŠ" (ص 104)
'The position of Salaf is to do tafweed of the kayfiyyah of the Sifaat not the ma'aan (meanings).' Fatawa Shaykh p.104.
Shaykh bn Baz - rahimahullaah - said Al-Imaam Ahmad - rahimahullaah - said the mufawwidah (those who do tafweed of the meanings of the Attributes of Allaah) are worse than the Jahmiyyah (those who deny Allaah's Atrributes). Fatawa Nuur Ala Darb p.65.
Al-Imaam Abul Ma'alee, Abdulmalilk bn Abdillaah bn Yuusuf al-Juwaynee (d.478AH) was guilty of Tafweed when he wrote in ar-Risaalah an-Nidhaamiyyah (as cited by Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee in Siyar):
وذهب أئمة السل٠إلى الانكÙا٠عن التأويل وإجراء الظواهر على مواردها ØŒ وتÙويض معانيها إلى الرب - تعالى - والذي نرتضيه رأيا ØŒ وندين الله به عقدا اتباع سل٠الأمة
So he erroneously said tafweed ma'na is the position of the Salaf. He was wrong. May Allaah be merciful to him. This was the reason Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) did not spare him on that. It was a clear bid'ah but not everyone that falls into bid'ah, bid'ah will fall on.
We would continue to benefit from his works namely al-Waraqaat but will always be on the lookout for kalaamiyyah we might find there. One of the reasons we ought to learn it under a firm scholar on Sunnah.
On a lighter mood, Abul Ma'alee - rahimahullaah - was one of those scholars that had fanatical students. Imagine your students going on teaching and learning strike for a year after your death! That was what his students did from the day of his death. They mourned his death by wailing about the city and composing elegies for him for a whole year. Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee berated that in Siyar and said only non-Arabs do that.
We learnt from one of our teachers close to two decades ago that the poem below (may Allaah preserve him and other teachers on goodness) was one of those poems composed for him during the year long mourning:
قلوب العالمين على المقالي *** و أيام الورى شبه الليالي
Ùهل يثمر غصن أهل العلم يوما *** Ùˆ قد مات الإمام أبو المعالي
The hearts of all the people are on heat / the days of mankind are like nights
Will the branch of tree of people of knowledge bear fruits one day / for indeed Imaam Abul Ma'alee has passed on.
Al-Imaam Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer - rahimahullaah - cited the poem when discussing the death of al-Juwaynee in al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah 16/95 while mentioning the scholars that died around 470AH.
Walhamdulilah rabbil aalameen.
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