All praise is due to Allaah and prayers and peace upon
the Final Messenger, his family and his companions.
Footnotes
1 In response to a videotaped lecture entitled:
'Literalism and the Attributes of Allaah' delivered by Nuh Ha Mim Keller at the
Islamic Cultural Centre, London Central Mosque, early 1995 - in which he seeks
to ascribe and justify ta'weel and tafweedh as being way and methodology of the
Salaf in understanding the Attributes of Allaah. This person and others like him
in the present time seek the nullification of the Narrations of Allaah's
Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and a deviation from that which the
Companions, the Taabi'een and the Scholars of the Salaf were upon - may Allaah
have mercy upon them all - and a return to that which the executed Jahm bin
Safwaan innovated and that which Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree was upon in his days of
being a Mu'tazilee and in his days of speaking with the innovations of Ibn
Kullaab, something which he renounced and declared himself free of at the end of
his life - for Allaah had chosen him, guided him and favoured him with the path
of the Salaf us-Saalih. Rather, his final affair was upon the madhhab of Imaam
Ahmad as is clear in his books al-Maqaalaat and Usool ud-Diyaanah. Refer to
Chapter 10 of 'The Foundations of the Sunnah' for more details.
As for the word Jahmee, then it is for the one who is
upon the way Jahm bin Safwaan (ex. 128H) in the negation of Allaah's Attributes,
with the use of ta'weel or without it. The first person about whom it is
recorded that he denied Allaah's Attributes was al-Ja'd bin Dirham (ex. 124H)
who was executed by Khaalid al-Qusree. Jahm bin Safwaan - later executed by
Salam bin Ahraz, the ameer of Khurasaan - took it from al-Ja'd bin Dirham and
propagated it and so it was ascribed to him. The Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah have
named those upon the way and methodology of Jahm - in the denial of either all
of Allaah's Attributes or just some of them - as 'Jahmiyyah'. And it is will
become as clear as the daylight sun, that the aforementioned person is a Jahmee
- even though he may deny it and try to disguise it - since that which he calls
to and which he holds as his belief - is the very same as that which the
scholars of the Salaf authored books against - in order to refute it - and in
order to warn the common folk against its hidden evil.
2 Aqeedatul-Haafidh Abdul-Ghaniyy (p.113)
3 Aqeedat us-Salaf wa Ashaabil-Hadeeth (p.112)
4 It is reported from the hadeeth of Anas - may Allaah
be pleased with him - in marfoo' form with the wording: "From among the
signs of the Hour is that the knowledge will be raised and ignorance will become
widespread." Reported by at-Tayaaleesee (no.101), Ahmad (3/98, 176, 273,
289), Bukhaaree in his Saheeh (1/178, 9/330, 10/30, 12/113-114), Muslim (4/2056)
at-Tirmidhee (no.2205) and Ibn Maajah declared it saheeh (no.4045) and it is
also reported by others besides them.
5 Aqeedat us-Salaf wa Ashaabil-Hadeeth (p.112-113)
6 Al-Fataawaa (28/231-232)
7 Al-Hilyah (5/41-42) of Abu Nu'aym and as-Samt wa
Aadaab il-Lisaan (p.145) of Ibn Abee Dunyaa
8 Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no. 278)
9 Ahl us-Sunnah of Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (p.21-22) and
Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.92).
10 Aqeedatus-Salaf wa Ashaabul Hadeeth (p.101).
11 Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.306).
Reflect carefully how the Salaf did not used to say,
"When someone says so and so is a Jahmee, we come to know he is an
anthropomorphist" and the likes of this - for this is a clear indication
that the madhhab of the Salaf was to affirm the Attributes mentioned in the Book
and the Sunnah for Allaah - for affirming them never necessitated, to those
great scholars from the Salaf, tashbeeh (anthropomorphism).
As 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).
Thus, it is from this perspective that the dispute
between Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah and the People of Innovations, Deviation and
Misguidance arose - and this Jahmee whose condition we are discussing at present
is but kindling the flames of enmity against those great scholars amongst the
Salaf and those who guide themselves by those great scholars.
12 The aforementioned Jahmee said: "Finally, if the
shortcomings of the Dhaahiree interpretation are plain enough in fiqh, in
aqeedah it can amount to outright misguidance. As when someone reads the
Qur'aanic verse, "Today We forget you as you have forgotten this Day of
yours", and affirms that Allaah, forgets, which is an imperfection and not
permissible to affirm for Allaah..."
13 Refer to Lisaanul Arab of Ibn Manzoor for
examples