50 Abu Naajih Al-Irbaad bin Sariyyah said: "The Messenger of Allah gave us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. We said: "O Messenger of Allah, it is as though this is a farewell sermon, so councel us." He said: "I councel you to fear Allaah and to give absolute obedience even if a slave becomes your leader. Verily he among you who lives [long] will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs. Bite onto it with your molar teeth. Beware of newly invented matters, for every invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a going astray, and every going astray is in Hell-fire." Reported by Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhee, who said that it was hasan saheeh

51 Sharh us-Sunnah (1/224)

52 The Shaikh of the Mu'tazilah, al-Qaadee Abdul-Jabbaar, said: "When there are verses in the Qur'aan whose apparent meaning necessitates tashbeeh (resemblance to the creation) it is obligatory to interpret them (ta'weel) because words can carry [many] meanings whereas the proof [derived] by the intellect is far from carrying other possible [meanings]." Al-Muheet bit-Takhleef (p.200)

53 Ahl us-Sunnah of Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (p.21-22) and Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.92).

54 Aqeedatus-Salaf wa Ashaabul Hadeeth (p.101)

55 Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.306).

56 Siyar A'laam un-Nubulaa (10/505)

57 Sunan at-Tirmidhee (3/24).

58 Fath al-Baaree (13/436).

59 Al-Ghuniyah an Kalaam wa Ahlihi - as quoted in Mukhtasir al-Uluww (no.137).

60 Al-Ghuniyat ut-Taalibeen (1/50) of Abdul Qaadir al-Jeelaanee.

61 Imaam ad-Daraqutnee (d. 385H) said: "Muhammad bin Mukhlad narrated to us: Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Umar bin al-Hakam, Abu Hasan ibn al-Attaar said: I heard Muhammad bin Mis'ab, the Worshipper saying: "Whoever claims that You do not speak and that You will not be seen in the Hereafter is a disbeliever in Your Face and he does not know You. I testify that You are above the Throne, above the seven heavens - not as Your enemies, the heretical apostates (Zanaadiqah) say." Kitaab us-Sifaat of ad-Daraqutnee (no. 64) with the verification of Alee bin Muhammad bin Naasir al-Faqeehee.

62 Refer to the saying of Ibn Hajr above.

63 Nu'aym bin Hammaad (d. 228H), the teacher of al-Bukhaaree said: "Indeed, all that Allaah has described Himself with, or what His Messenger has described Him with, then there is no tashbeeh in it at all." Reported by Imaam adh-Dhahabee in al-Uluww (no.217)

64 Ibn Abdul Barr (d. 463H) said: "Ahl us-Sunnah are agreed in affirming all the Sifaat (Attributes) which are related in the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, having eemaan (faith) in them and understanding them alal-haqeeqah (in a real sense), not alal-majaaz (metaphorically)." At-Tamheed of Ibn Abdul-Barr (7/145).

Qaadee Abu Ya'laa (d. 458H) said: "It is not permissible to repel these narrations - as is the way of the group from the Mu'tazilah. Nor to become preoccupied with ta'weel - as is the way of the Ash'ariyyah. It is obligatory to carry them upon their dhaahir (apparent) meaning; and that the Attributes of Allaah do not resemble any one of His creation, nor do we have an aqeedah (belief) that there is any tashbeeh (resemblance) to them. Rather [we believe] in what has been reported from our Shaikh and our Imaam, Abu Abdullaah, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, and others from the Scholars of Ashaabul-Hadeeth." Ibtaal ut-Ta'weelaat (p.4)