The way of the Salaf is - as explained in the saying of Imaam at-Tirmidhee (d.279H): "It has been stated by more than one person from the People of Knowledge about such ahaadeeth, that there is no tashbeeh (resemblance) to the Attributes of Allaah, and our Lord - the Blessed and Most High - descends to the lowest heaven every night. So they say: "Affirm these narrations, have eemaan (faith) in them, do not deny them, nor ask how." The likes of this has been related from Maalik ibn Anas, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Ibn Uyainah and Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak, who all said about such ahaadeeth: "Leave them as they are, without asking how." Such is the saying of the People of Knowledge from the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. However, the Jahmiyyah oppose these narrations and say: This is tashbeeh! However, Allaah the Most High, has mentioned in various places in His Book, the Attribute of al-Yad (Hand), as-Sama' (Hearing), and al-Basr (Seeing) - but the Jahmiyyah make ta'weel of these aayaat, explaining them in a way, other than how they are explained by the People of Knowledge. They say: Indeed, Allaah did not create Aadam with His own Hand - they say that Hand means the Power of Allaah." Sunan at-Tirmidhee (3/24)

And in the saying of al-Khattaabee (d. 338H): "The madhhab of the Salaf (the Pious Predecessors) with regard to the Sifaat (Attributes of Allaah) is to affirm them as they are alaa dhaahir (with their apparent meaning), negating any tashbeeh (resemblance) to them, nor takyeef (asking how they are)." Al-Ghuniyah an Kalaam wa Ahlihi - as quoted in Mukhtasirul-Uluww (no. 137). So the meaning is known and this is what the Salaf affirm since in that there is the affirmation of the Attribute, however its reality is unknown and the Salaf do not enquire into its nature by asking how.

On top of this, the Jahmee, accuses the Salaf and those upon their way of being Mushabbihah (Anthropomorphists) on more than one occasion. He said: "...This [referring to the use of ta'weel - after having used the example of the Attribute of Hand to show that it is to be explained away figuratively - and which we shall refute below inshaa'allaah] naturally drew criticism of neo-Hanbalees, at their forefront Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim, as it does of today's reformers of Islaam who echo these two's arguments that figurative interpretation - ta'weel - was a reprehensible departure - or bid'ah - by the Ash'arees and others from the way of the early Muslims - or Salaf - who call for a return ro the Sunnah, that is, anthropomorphic literalism" End of the Jahmee's words - Alhamdulillaah.

It is said in reply to the Jahmee and those upon his way:

Firstly: Ibn Abil-Izz (d. 792H), the explainer of Aqeedatut-Tahaawiyyah, said: "Ishaaq bin Raahawaiyah (d. 238H), the teacher of Imaam Bukhaaree, said: 'A distinguishing sign of Jahm and his associates is their claim that Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah - and how fond they [i.e. Jahm and his likes] are of lying - that they are Mushabbihah (Anthropomorphists)', and similarly, many of the Scholars of the Salaf have said: 'There is no one who denies anything from the Names and Attributes except that he calls the one who affirms them a Mushabbih (Anthropomorphist)." Sharh Aqeedatit-Tahaawiyyah (p.118). Imaam Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (d. 277H) said: "A sign of the Jahmiyyah is that they call the Ahl us-Sunnah 'Mushabbihah' (Anthropomorphists)." Ahl us-Sunnah of Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (p.21-22) and Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.92). And Abu Uthmaan as-Saaboonee (d. 449H) stated - about the distinguishing signs of Ahl ul-Bid'ah: "...naming them [i.e. Ahl us-Sunnah]with Hashawiyyah (Worthless People), Jahalah (the Ignorant), Dhaahiriyyah (Literalists) and Mushabbihah (Anthropomorphists)..." Aqeedatus-Salaf wa Ashaabul Hadeeth (p.101), and Alee bin al-Madeenee said: "When someone says so and so is an anthropomorphist (mushabbih) we come to know he is a Jahmee". Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.306).