ʿAbd al-Razzāq related, through Maʿmar, from Ibn Ṭāwūs, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that he once saw a man tremble when he heard a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ concerning the divine attributes. Objecting to it, the man shuddered, whereupon Ibn ʿAbbās said, “What is it that frightens these people? They feel tenderness when they encounter what is plain, yet they perish when faced with what is ambiguous.” End of report.
Biographical notes
- ʿAbd al-Razzāq: ʿAbd al-Razzāq ibn Hammām al-Ṣanʿānī, the eminent ḥāfiẓ and author, d. 211 AH, may Allah have mercy on him.
- Maʿmar: Abū ʿUrwah Maʿmar ibn Rāshid al-Azdī al-Baṣrī, reliable and firmly established, d. 154 AH, may Allah have mercy on him.
- Ibn Ṭāwūs: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāwūs al-Yamānī, trustworthy, virtuous, and devout, d. 132 AH, may Allah have mercy on him.
Glossary
• intafaḍa: he shuddered or quivered.
• fa-qāla: i.e., Ibn ʿAbbās said.
• mā: an interrogative “what?”.
• faraq (with a fathah on the fāʾ and rāʾ): fear.
• hāʾulāʾ: refers to the common people attending his session.
• raqqah: softness and receptivity.
• muḥkam: what is clear and unambiguous in meaning.
• mutashābih: what is ambiguous or difficult for them to grasp.
Overall meaning of the report: Ibn ʿAbbās—may Allah be pleased with him—