Fatwa ID: 08041

Answered by Mawlana Muhammad Zubair Khan Alizai

Question:
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Is it right that tafweed al kayfiyyah and tafweed al mana both are right?

Like for attribute of hand, face etc some people do tafwid al mana they say its meaning is known to Allah only and some people who do tafwid al kayfiyyah say that its the meaning is the apparent meaning but the kayfiyaah is unknown?

Also some people says that the meaning of attribute depends on context of the ayah.

Also read that Mufti Taqi Usmani sb also says that both are right?

Could you please clarify?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

For laymen to delve into intricacies of aqeedah is a very dangerous path and if we are not careful we might end up confused and may utter words that can be dangerous to our imaan and hereafter.

The example of a layman discussing the deeper points of aqeedah or just Islamic knowledge in general is like a person who doesn’t know how to swim and wants to jump headlong into the ocean, as is very clear such a person will drown.

First of all, the different schools of aqeedah all agree that whatever has come in the Quran is the truth. The majority of the Quran is made up of aayaat muhkamaat ie clear and unambiguous verses whereas a smaller part is made up of aayaat mutashaabihaat ie ambiguous verses.

The issue is how scholars of aqeedah understood and interpreted those verses. As laymen it is sufficient for us to know about Allah Taala that He is One without any partners and nothing is like unto Him, He has perfect knowledge and everything is in need of Him whilst He is not in need of anything. He did not have a beginning nor does He have an end, and there is nothing in the universe that can be compared to Him.

Lastly I would like you to ponder over the words of Allama Qari Tayyib Qasmi (rahimahullah) which is taken from his commentary on Aqeedah Tahawiyyah (p. 70 Arabic version Maktabah Bushrah – p. 20 English version translated by Mufti Afzal Hoosen Elias);

“He is different from any created being. 1). As Allaah Taala says: “There is nothing like Him (nothing can compare with His Being or His qualities) and He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing {Surah Shura, verse 11}. This is the negation in general of any being, quality and action, (being similar to Allaah Taala). Explanation on this has passed. His Being is not like our beings. His Qualities are unlike our qualities. Similar are all other attributes and things. He knows every unclear and vague thing, unlike us. His power is unlike ours. He Sees, not like our seeing. He Hears, not like our hearing. Similarly, he Ascends, not like our ascending and He Descends, not like our descending. He Smiles not like our laughter. He Establishes Himself on His Throne, not like our sitting on our thrones (chairs). Because, indeed He is not like us. There is no similarity to Allaah, nor any equal. Indeed Allaah Ta`ala is THE Perfect Example. He is The Mighty, The All-Wise.”

And only Allah Taala knows best

Written by Mawlana Muhammad Zubair Khan Alizai

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham