6. More broadly, the Asharees are a group who do 'ta'weel' and 'tafweedh'. Similar to them are a group called the Habashees. There are also the Maatureediyyah, who are not as well known as the Asharees. Basically they all share with each other in distorting the Attributes of Allaah, doing lots of ta'weel, tafweedh and other naughty things. If you look at some of the Muslim groups today, such as Ikhwaan ul-Muslimoon and Tablighi Jamaa'at you will find that they are full of people who have these deviated beliefs, such as Asharees, Maatureedees, etc... This is because such groups have no concern WHATSOEVER for aqeedah and tawheed, in fact they attack and destroy Tawheed. Shaikh al-Albaanee said: "It is not to be said that the Ikhwaan are from Ahl us-Sunnah because they wage war against Ahl us-Sunnah", he also said "The ikhwaan wage war against Tawheed". Also about Tablighi Jamaat he said: "They are the soofees of this era." Likewise Abu A’laa Mawdoodi was Ash’ari in his belief and denied some of the Attributes of Allaah. A person can only realise and appreciate this when they have the right belief themselves and good sound knowledge. Then when he looks at such groups and their call, what it consists of and what they are propagating and holding on to, then he will realise the truth of what we have mentioned. Only someone who knows their condition well and is well acquainted with the knowledge will perceive this.

Inshaa'allaah, this should be sufficient for todays lesson.

Before the questions - the following statement should help us to understand our position in this topic. You should repeat it to yourself:

"Allaah has mentioned in His Noble Book Attributes such as Hand, Face, Eyes and His Messenger has mentioned others such as Laughter, Fingers, Amazement, Feet, in authentic and reliable hadeeth. I know that Allaah certainly revealed these in His Book and to His Messenger and therefore I am obliged to believe in them. So I affirm them for Allaah and I do not deny them, since the Salaf never denied them and I am upon their way inshaa'allaah. I do not change their meanings either, by saying such things as Hand means 'power' and so on because none of the Salaf did this, and if I did this I would be uttering a lie against Allaah, saying something about Him which I do not know whether it is correct or not. And also this would negate the fact that Allaah revealed the Qur'aan in a clear Arabic tongue. I also do not say that these attributes are like those of the creation. And I know that it is impossible for there to be any resemblance between the Attributes of Allaah and those of the creation because Allaah has already told me so in His book, in Surah Shooraa verse 11 and in Surah Maryam verse 65 and also in Surah Ikhlaas. So I affirm them for Him and there is no likeness between His Attributes and those of the creation. And I will not ask about His Attributes, 'how exactly are they? How is his Hand? How is his Laughter?' There is no way of knowing this for me and I will stop at simply affirming these attributes for Allaaah with their meanings, as did the Salaf, and not setting up likenesses for them with the creation and not aking about them, as did that innovator in the presence of Imaam Malik concerning the issue of Istiwaa. This inshaa'allaah is my way, the balanced way and this was the way the Salaf took, and I shall guide myself by their way, even if the innovators dislike it."

If this is your position, then you will be rightly guided inshaa'allaah.

Try to answer the following questions to make sure you have understood the lesson

1. Explain what we must believe in, in order to have correct eemaan in Allaah.

2. Give a quotation from one of the Salaf which mentions the principles to do with todays lesson.

3. Explain what is ta'teel

4. Explain what is tahreef

5. Explain what is ta'weel

6. Explain what is tamtheel and tashbeeh

7. Explain what is takyeef

8. Explain what is tafweedh.

9. Of all the ones listed above, which is the most evil of them all and explain why.

10. Give an example of how someone would be guilty of ta'weel

11. Give an example of how someone would be guilty of tamtheel or tashbeeh.

12. Quote three verses of the Qur'aan which show that there is nothing like Allaah.

13. Quote two narrations from the Salaf to show that they used to affirm the Attributes with their apparent (dhaahir) meanings from the language.

14. Quote two narrations from the Salaf to show that they did not used to do ta'weel.