reveals his lack of knowledge and limited understanding of the most evident and clear-cut matters.
Second: As for his statement, “put forward by some later authors,” this has already been refuted and shown to be incorrect above. Here, however, I shall add two further passages from two renowned imams: the first from Imam Abū Hanīfah and the second from Imam Abū Jaʿfar al-Tahāwī—may Allah have mercy on them both. Both passages mention the three categories of Allah’s oneness, exactly as Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah do.
- Imam Abū Hanīfah (d. 150 AH) said in his book al-Fiqh al-Absat (p. 51):
“Supplication is directed to Allah above, not below, for being below is in no way an attribute of lordship and divinity.”
His words, “Supplication is directed to Allah above, not below …,” affirm that Allah is above, which pertains to His oneness in His names and attributes. They also refute the Jahmiyyah, the Muʿtazilah, the Ashʿarīs, the Māturīdīs, and others who deny that Allah is above.
His words, “an attribute of lordship,” affirm Allah’s oneness in lordship.
His words, “and divinity,” affirm Allah’s oneness in divinity.
- Imam Abū Jaʿfar al-Tahāwī (d. 321 AH) said in the introduction to his creedal text, commonly known as al-Tahāwiyyah:
“Concerning Allah’s oneness, we declare with conviction, by Allah’s guidance: Allah is One, without partner; nothing is like Him; nothing is beyond His power; and there is no god other than Him …”
His words, “Allah is One, without partner,” encompass all three categories of Allah’s oneness. He—glory be to Him—is One, without partner in His lordship; One, without partner in His divinity; and One, without partner in His names and attributes.
His words, “nothing is like Him,” pertain to Allah’s oneness in His names and attributes.
His words, “nothing is beyond His power,” pertain to Allah’s oneness in lordship.