the first is to say that the hand is a limb like the limbs of created beings; that the apparent sense of anger is the heart’s boiling in pursuit of vengeance; and that the apparent sense of His being in heaven is that He is like water in a vessel. Undoubtedly, anyone who says that these meanings and similar attributes of created beings and qualities of things brought into existence are not intended in the Quranic verses and hadiths has spoken truthfully and rightly. For Ahl al-Sunnah do not disagree that nothing resembles Allah Most High, whether in His essence, His attributes, or His actions. Indeed, most of Ahl al-Sunnah, both among the scholars of our school and others, declare those who liken Allah to His creation and those who ascribe a body to Him to be disbelievers.

However, this person has erred in supposing that this is the apparent sense of these verses and hadiths, and in attributing to the early generations something they never said. For ‘the apparent sense of speech’ is what first comes to a sound mind when someone understands the language in question. This sense may be apparent from the established meanings of the words alone, or from the context. Yet ‘these meanings’—created characteristics that cannot possibly apply to Allah Most High—are not what first comes to the minds of believers. Rather, they regard the hand as they regard knowledge, power, and the divine essence. Our knowledge, power, life, speech, and similar attributes are accidents indicating that we came into existence, and Allah—glorified be He—cannot possibly be described as having their like. Likewise, our hands, faces, and similar things are bodies that have also been brought into existence, and Allah Most High cannot possibly be described as having their like.

Yet no one among Ahl al-Sunnah has said that, when we affirm that Allah has knowledge, power, hearing, and sight, ‘the apparent sense is not intended,’ and then explained that apparent sense in terms of our own attributes. Likewise, it is impermissible to say that the apparent sense of the hand and face is not intended, for there is no difference between those of our attributes that are bodies and those that are accidents inhering in bodies.