81- It reached me (1) from Abu Hanifah—may Allah have mercy on him—(2) that he said, in his book al-Fiqh al-Akbar, (3): “Whoever denies that Allah (exalted is He) (4) is in the heaven has committed disbelief.” (5)
82- ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad narrated to us; Ahmad ibn ‘Ali narrated to us; Hibat Allah (6) narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hafs narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Ahmad transmitted to us; al-Hasan ibn Yusuf related to us; Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Zayd (7) related to us; Muhammad ibn Abi ‘Amr ibn Wahb related to us. He said, “I heard Shaddad ibn Hakim report from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan regarding the traditions that say, ‘Allah descends to the lowest heaven,’ and others of a similar tenor: these narrations have been transmitted by trustworthy authorities. Therefore we transmit them, believe in them, and do not interpret them.” (8)
(1) In other copies: “wa dhakar” (and he mentioned).
(2) In other copies.
(3) In other copies.
(4) In other copies.
(5) I did not find this passage in my copy of Kitab al-Fiqh al-Akbar. However, Imam al-Dhahabi records it in al-‘Ulū (p. 101), stating: “It was related to us from Abu Muti‘ al-Balkhi, the author of Kitab al-Fiqh al-Akbar, that I asked Abu Hanifa about those who say, ‘I do not know whether my Lord is in heaven or on earth.’ He replied, ‘They are disbelievers, for Allah says, ‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne’ (Q. 20:5), and His Throne is above His heavens.’ I objected that they claim it means, ‘He established Himself on the Throne.’ But he said, ‘He did not specify whether the Throne is in heaven or on earth. If one denies that it is in heaven, he has disbelieved.’” Thus, al-Dhahabi attributes Kitab al-Fiqh al-Akbar to Abu Muti‘ al-Balkhi, who likely compiled it. In al-Mizan, al-Dhahabi himself reports a group of imams’ criticism of him. See al-Mizan.
(6) In other copies: “ibn al-Hasan.”
(7) In other copies: “thana Zayd,” which is incorrect. It should read Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Zayd al-Ghajduwani—ghayn with damma and jīm with sukun—named after Ghajduwan, a village in Bukhara. See al-Lubab, vol. 2, p. 375.
(8) He is included by al-Lalkai in Sharh Usool I‘tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah, no. 741, vol. 2, p. 433, and by al-Dhahabi in al-‘Ulū, p. 113.