These negators make detailed denials, while affirming something vague within which they combine (1) two contradictions. The messengers—may Allah’s blessings (and His peace) (2) be upon them all—on the other hand, make detailed affirmations and general denials: they affirm (for Allah) (3) the attributes (by way of) (4) detailed exposition, while denying that anything resembles Him.
It is well known that the Torah is replete with affirmations of the attributes that the deniers call corporealism. Yet the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and his Companions never objected to the Jews concerning any of this, nor did they say, “You are corporealists.” (5) Rather, whenever Jewish scholars mentioned any of the attributes in the Prophet’s presence—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—the Messenger accepted what they said (6) and cited what corroborated it. An example is the hadith of the Jewish scholar who told him about the Lord—glorified and exalted is He—holding the heavens and the earth, mentioned in the commentary on His saying, exalted is He:
“They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal”—to the end of the verse [Surah al-Zumar: 67].
Reports agreeing with the hadith of the Jewish scholar are also authentically established in the Sahih collections from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—through more than one chain, in reports from Ibn Umar, Abu Hurayra, and others. (7)
(1) MSS (B) and (A): “and within it they combine.”
(2) The words in parentheses occur only in MS (ʿ).
(3) The words in parentheses occur only in MS (ʿ).
(4) The words in parentheses occur only in MS (ʿ).
(5) MSS (B) and (A): “You attribute corporeality [to Allah].”
(6) The phrase “regarding this” occurs only in MS (ʿ).
(7) Al-Bukhārī, 6/126 (Book of Quranic Exegesis, Surah al-Zumar), and Muslim, 4/2147–2148 (opening of the Book of the Description of the Day of Resurrection, Paradise, and Hell), narrate from Ibn Masʿūd—may Allah be pleased with him—that he said: A learned rabbi came to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and said, “O Muhammad, we find that Allah will place the heavens on one finger, the earths on one finger, the trees on one finger, water and soil on one finger, and all other creatures on one finger. He will then say, ‘I am the King.’” The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—laughed until his molar teeth became visible, affirming the rabbi’s statement. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then recited: “They did not appraise Allah with a true appraisal. The entire earth will be in His grasp on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand. Glorified and exalted is He above what they associate with Him.”
The hadith of Ibn Masʿūd—may Allah be pleased with him—is also found in Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 5/48–49 (Book of Quranic Exegesis, Surah al-Zumar), and al-Musnad (al-Maʿārif ed.), nos. 3590, 4087, 4368, and 4369. Reports conveying the same meaning are narrated from several Companions. See also Muslim, 4/2147–2148; al-Durr al-Manthūr, 5/334–336; and al-Musnad (al-Maʿārif ed.), hadiths nos. 2267 and 2990.