And believing the truth concerning this matter is obligatory—either for ordinary people and the learned alike, or for the learned alone rather than the community at large—especially given the many texts pointing to one of the two alternatives posed in the question.
It is only those who turn away from seeking guidance in the Book and Sunnah who claim that the answer to this question and others like it is not found therein. Each then advances opinions contrary to the Book and Sunnah and interprets the verses of the Book according to his own views. Thus, each makes what he has devised through his own reasoning into the fundamentals of religion that must be followed, interpreting the Quran and Sunnah accordingly. They consequently become divided and fall into disagreement.
As Imam Ahmad said of them:
“They disagree about the Book, oppose the Book, and agree on opposing the Book.”
Had they held fast to the Book and Sunnah, they would have agreed, just as the people of Sunnah and hadith have agreed. For the leading scholars of Sunnah and hadith did not disagree over any of the fundamentals of their religion.
Hence, none of them said, “Allah is a body,” nor did any say, “Allah is not a body.” Rather, they rejected this negation when the Jahmiyyah—including the Muʿtazilah and others—introduced it. They also condemned the Jahmiyyah’s denial of the divine attributes, while likewise condemning those who likened His attributes to those of His creation. Yet their condemnation of the Jahmiyyah who denied the attributes was greater than their condemnation of those who likened them to created attributes, because the disease of denying the attributes is more grievous than the disease of likening them to those of creation.
As has been said:
“One who denies the divine attributes worships nothingness, while one who likens Allah to His creation worships an idol.”
Someone who worships an existing God, described by what he believes to be attributes of perfection—even if he is mistaken in that—is better than someone who worships nothing, or worships one described only through negations and relations.