“What is meant by this is the hadiths concerning the divine attributes.” Thus, he interpreted it according to the views of those who affirm the divine attributes, in opposition to Abū Hāmid’s view.

The hadith’s chain of transmission is not established, as the experts agree, and it is not related in the principal authoritative hadith collections. There is therefore no need to discuss its interpretation. Even supposing that the Prophet—Allah bless him and grant him peace—said it, its meaning is unspecified: it identifies no particular position. Hence, whenever someone claims that it refers to his own position, his opponent can make the same claim.

There is no doubt that the view of Yahyā ibn ‘Ammār, Abū Ismā‘īl al-Ansārī, and others who affirm the divine attributes is closer to the truth than that of those who deny them, since this knowledge is, by common agreement, part of the knowledge of the Prophet—Allah bless him and grant him peace—and of the Companions. It is well known that no one transmits the position of those who deny the attributes from the Prophet—Allah bless him and grant him peace—or his Companions, whether through an authentic or a weak chain. The position of those who affirm the attributes is quite otherwise: the Quran, the hadiths, and the reports from the Companions are full of it. How, then, can the Prophet’s words—Allah bless him and grant him peace—be understood as referring to knowledge that no one has transmitted from him, rather than to the knowledge transmitted from him and his Companions?

Likewise, al-Bukhārī related that ‘Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—said:

“Tell people what they can understand, and leave aside what they would reject. Would you like Allah and His Messenger to be disbelieved?”

Abū al-Walīd ibn Rushd the grandson, the philosopher, and others like him have interpreted this as referring to the teachings of the esotericists