I say:

First: Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī, the commentator on al-Fiqh al-Akbar, did not say what the writer attributes to him. Indeed, I found that he quotes Ibn Abī al-‘Izz in many places in his commentary on al-Fiqh al-Akbar. See, for example, the following pages of that commentary: (30, 32, 39, 57, 69, 130, 136, 140, 152, 157).

However, Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī followed the Māturīdī approach in his creed by denying that Allah is above His creation, because their specious arguments had taken hold of him. He thereby opposed Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā‘ah, who affirm that Allah is above His creation. They have hundreds of proofs for this from the Quran, the Sunnah, reason, and sound reflection1, though this is not the place to set them out in detail. I say: Since al-Qārī differed with Ahl al-Sunnah on this matter, he objected to Ibn Abī al-‘Izz, the commentator on al-Tahāwī’s creed, in these exact words:

“In short, the commentator affirms spatial elevation while denying resemblance to creation, and in this he has followed a group of innovators.”

I say: Rather, in this he followed all of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā‘ah.

A few lines later, al-Qārī said:

“… It is strange that he supported his false doctrine (that is, concerning Allah’s being above creation) by citing the raising of the hands in supplication, but this is to be rejected.”

I say: On the contrary, this is precisely what is correct, as is clear to every follower of the Sunnah. What is false is the contrary view, which is the position of the innovators.

In any case, the writer fabricated a statement from the two preceding passages and attributed it to al-Qārī, claiming that he had said of the commentator on al-Tahāwī’s creed: “He holds a false doctrine and follows a group of