Abū Sulaymān al-Khattābī and Abū Bakr al-Khatīb:

“The way of the early generations concerning the Quranic verses and hadiths on the divine attributes is to accept them according to their apparent meaning, without specifying their modality or likening them to creation.”

They also said concerning this:

“Discussion of the attributes follows from discussion of the essence and proceeds along the same lines. Since affirming His essence means affirming its existence, not specifying its modality, affirming His attributes likewise means affirming their existence, not specifying their modality. Thus, we do not say that ‘hand’ means power or that ‘hearing’ means knowledge.”

These are their words.

One of them said:

“If a Jahmī asks you, ‘How does He descend to the lowest heaven?’ ask him, ‘What is the modality of His own essence?’ If he says, ‘We do not know the modality of His essence,’ reply, ‘Nor do we know the modality of His attributes. How could we know the modality of an attribute when we do not know the modality of the One who possesses it?’”

Whoever understands Allah’s attributes as implying origination in time and as being of the same kind as created attributes, then seeks to deny this of Allah, has both likened Him to creation and negated His attributes. Rather, we must describe Allah only as He has described Himself or as His Messenger has described Him, without going beyond the Quran and hadith. We must also know that nothing is like Allah Most High—in His essence, His attributes, or His actions—and that the minds of created beings cannot fully comprehend Him, nor can their tongues adequately describe Him.

“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they ascribe!
And peace be upon the messengers.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”

May Allah send blessings and peace upon Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.