the hadith, turning away with both heart and tongue from such conjectural interpretations.

Thus, these six categories exhaust every possible stance; no one can depart from one of them.

The correct method regarding the verses and hadiths on the divine attributes

With many of the Quranic verses and prophetic reports that speak of the attributes, the sound course is to adopt the firmly established approach—as with the texts that affirm that Allah, exalted is He, is above His Throne—and to learn this sound approach, and others like it, through the evidence of the Quran, the Sunnah, and the unanimous agreement of the Muslims, evidence that admits no alternate meaning whatsoever. For some other texts the same conclusion may prevail while still allowing the possibility of an opposite reading. A believer’s hesitation on such points will be in proportion to the measure of knowledge and faith Allah grants him; and whomever Allah does not endow with light has no light at all.

A way out for the one who finds the matter unclear

Whoever feels uncertain about this, or about anything comparable, should supplicate with the prayer recorded by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ from ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—who said: Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rose at night to pray he would say:

“O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your servants concerning that over which they differ. Guide me, by Your permission, to the truth regarding that over which they differ, for You guide whom You will to a straight path.”