And we love the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family.

The fact that the Creator’s attributes differ from the attributes of the created is something plainly established in the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and in the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamaʿah. The people of figurative interpretation and misguidance, however, deny Allah’s names and attributes on the grounds that qualities of the same category exist in created beings; were they to affirm them, they imagine, this would entail likeness between Creator and creation. In reality, such affirmation entails no resemblance whatsoever.

This barren line of reasoning leads them to reinterpret anger as “retribution” and pleasure as “beneficence.” What is incumbent is to submit to Allah and His Messenger, to accept whatever has been soundly established from them, and to abandon these fanciful distortions.

For that reason, when Mālik was asked how Allah rose over His Throne, he lowered his head in fear and modesty before Allah, then raised it and said, “Al-istiwaʾ (rising over) is known, its modality is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation.”

Aṣḥāb, the plural of ṣāḥib (“companion”), refers to one who met the Messenger while believing in him and who died upon that belief. Anyone who believed in him but never met him is not counted as a Companion, even if he lived during the Prophet’s lifetime, such as the Negus. Faith in him and dying upon that faith are likewise conditions; apostasy followed by death upon it nullifies companionship and every deed.

The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, are the best of all generations and nations after the prophets and messengers, for they witnessed the Chosen One, believed in him, strove alongside him, received knowledge directly from him, and he loved them.