and the generation that learned from him were the people of the deepest knowledge, the most sincere toward the ummah, and the clearest in transmitting the Sunnah. Therefore, neither he nor they may utter words intending other than their apparent sense without having set forth a proof that prevents them from being taken literally. Such a proof must be either an obvious rational argument—like His statement, “She has been given of everything” (27:23), for everyone understands that the meaning is: she has been given every kind of thing normally granted to one in her position—or an obvious textual argument, such as His statement, “Creator of all things” (6:102), where the listener knows that the Creator Himself is not included in that generality. The same applies to clear scriptural indicators in the Quran and Sunnah that divert certain outward expressions.
It is impermissible to refer people to a hidden proof, discernible only by a select few, whether transmitted or rational. For if he were to speak words that convey a meaning, repeat them many times, address all people—intelligent and dull-witted, jurist and layman alike—and oblige them to ponder, grasp, reflect upon, and believe what those words require, yet at the same time demand that they not believe anything of their outward sense because of some subtle proof accessible only to a handful, this would be deception and confusion, the opposite of clarification and guidance. It would resemble riddles and puzzles more than guidance and exposition.
How much worse when the indication of those words toward their apparent meaning is many degrees stronger than the indication of that obscure proof that the apparent meaning is not intended—indeed, when that supposed hidden proof is nothing but an empty objection!
The man conceded these points to me.
I said: Let us then discuss one attribute, making it a model to be followed, namely the attribute of the Hand. Allah the Exalted says: “The Jews say, ‘Allah’s hand is shackled.’ May their own hands be shackled, and may they be cursed for what they say. Rather, both His hands are outspread; He spends as He wills” (5:64); and He said to Iblis, “What prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two hands?” (38:75); and He said, “They have not valued Allah as He deserves to be valued; the whole earth will be in His grasp on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand” (39:67); and He said, “Blessed is He in whose hand is the dominion” (67:1); and He said, “In Your hand is all good; surely You are powerful over all things” (3:26); and He said, “Have they not seen that We created for them, out of what Our own hands have fashioned, cattle of which they are the masters?” (36:71).