The Prohibition of Tamtheel

The prohibition of Tamtheel is proven by the text (of the Quran and the Sunnah) and also by the intellect. 

Allah says,

"There is nothing like unto Him." [Soorah ash-Shura (42): 11]

"So put not forward similitude for Allah." [Soorah an-Nahl (16): 74]

"Do you know of any who is similar to Him?" [Soorah Maryam (19): 65]

There are many texts in the Quran and the Sunnah concerning the prohibition of resemblance.

Rational Proof

(for the Prohibition of Resembling Allah to His creation)

It can never ever be rational that the Creator resembles the creation whilst there is a huge difference between the two:

- The Creator is the One who brings (the creation) into existence (from nothingness).

- The creation is that which is brought into existence.

- The Existence of the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting.

- The creation is not always present and can be destroyed, rather it will perish. “Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honor will abide forever." [Soorah ar- Rahman (55): 26-27]

Some of the Salaf (pious predecessors) said that if you read the verse, “Whatsoever is on it (i.e., the earth) will perish.” do not stop at this point; continue to read what is mentioned after it, "the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honor will abide forever."

(One should continue reading) in order to establish the clear distinction between the Creator and the creation, and to know the Perfection of Allah and deficiency of others bedsides Him. If someone argues that Allah has affirmed a Face for Himself in the verse, "the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honor will abide forever." [Soorah ar-Rahman (55): 27]

(But) I do not understand the Face except like the face of the creation and therefore affirming the Face of Allah necessitates resembling Allah with the creation. (Such is) because the Quran is in Arabic and (the meaning of face) is what is well-known amongst the people, and the most perfect face is the human face. So, the Face of Allah is like the human face.

So, how do we reply?

Reply: This is an incorrect understanding because the Face is attributed to Allah and that which is attributed befits the One, it is attributed to. So, the Face of Allah befits Him, and the human face befits the human.

(For instance), you have a face and the lion has a face, and the cat has a face. So, if we say, the face of a man, the face of a lion and the face of a cat - does this necessitate resemblance?

No one ever says that his face resembles the face of a cat or a lion. So we know from this instance that the face befits the one it is attributed to.

It is thus proven by textual and rational proofs that affirming the Attributes of Allah does not necessitate any resemblance between the Creator and the creation.

Faith in the Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes

Those who associate themselves to Islam have split-up with regards to this category of Tawheed. They have split into various groups based on the following three principles;

a) Believing in (all) the Names and Attributes of Allah,

b) Believing in the Names of Allah without believing in His Attributes

c) Believing in the Names of Allah and some Attributes of Allah

There are also those extremists who even deny the Names of Allah and say, "Allah has no Names and no Attributes. We have left them (i.e., the Qur'aanic verses and Ahadeeth which speak about the Names and Attributes of Allah) because they are unclear.”

(the first group) As-Salaf as-Saleh (the pious predecessors) affirmed the Names and Attributes of Allah in their obedience to what is mentioned in the Saying of Allah, "(all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them," [Soorah al-A'raf (7): 180] This (above-mentioned verse) is a proof of affirming the Names of Allah and the following verse is a proof of affirming Allah's Attributes, "For Allah is the highest description." [Soorah an-Nahl (16): 60] The meaning of, 'highest description,' is the complete description.

These are two general verses affirming two issues;

(i) The Names of Allah

(ii) The Attributes of Allah

There are numerous details in the Qur'an and the Sunnah (concerning the Names and the Attributes of Allah).

(the second group) Those who affirm Allah's Names without affirming His Attributes say, "Allah is Samee (All-Hearing) without a Hearing, He is Baseer (All-Seeing) without sight.' This is well-known in the Mu'tazilah Madhhab.

The third group affirms the Names of Allah and some Attributes. They affirm seven attributes and negate all the others, and those seven Attributes are: (i) Life, (ii) Knowledge, (iii) Power, (iv) Hearing, (v) Sight, (vi) Will and (vii) Speech.

As-Safaraanee gathered them in his saying, "He has life, Speech and Sight, Hearing, Will, Knowledge and Power..."

Those who affirm the Names and some Attributes of Allah (i.e., the third group) argue, "We affirm these Attributes because (only) these attributes are approved by the intellect while the rest are not approved by the intellect, so we do not affirm them.

(Intellectual proofs of the third group are;)

The existing creation proves that it was originated. Its origin proves power (to originate) because there cannot be origination without power. This is an intellectual proof (for Allah's Attribute of Power).

Choice proves Will - i.e. (the choice/will) to make the sun, the moon, the sky and the earth. All this proves the Will of their Creator, Who Willed that these things should be as they are. This is also an intellectual proof (for Allah's Attribute of Will) If we look into the creation, we find it to be a perfectly coherent creation. Coherence proves knowledge because an ignorant cannot create coherence.

So, three Attributes have been affirmed for Allah (i) Power, (ii) Will and (iii) Knowledge and these three cannot exist except with life and therefore they affirm that Allah is Living. A living would be hearing, seeing and speaking which are attributes of perfection or a living would be blind, deaf and dumb which are attributes of deficiency. So, (they say) it is obligatory to affirm the attribute of perfection for the Living. So, these are their logical proofs based upon which they affirm seven Attributes for Allah.

If one of them is asked to affirm the attribute of Mercy for Allah, he refuses saying, “I do not affirm Mercy for Allah because I explain it as I believe. I say, Mercy is the Will of doing good, or it is doing good itself." and therefore he does not understand Mercy as an Attribute (of Allah).

But we say, This (understanding/explanation) is wrong. (Moreover,) We can rationally prove the Mercy (of Allah) through the effects of Allah's Mercy that we witness (in the world). Blessings (of Allah for His creatures) that cannot be enumerated are due to the Mercy (of Allah). Cruelty from which we are protected is also due to the Mercy (of Allah). These blessings prove the Attribute of Mercy (for Allah). The proof of blessings for affirming the Mercy of Allah is stronger than the proof of choice for affirming the Will of Allah because the former is known by both the common and the learned. Despite this, they deny the Attribute of Mercy and affirm the Attribute of Will. From this instance, it becomes known that whosoever forsakes the path of the Salaf, he is in constant decline because there is no harmony in falsehood. "Do they not consider the Qur'an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction." [Soorah an-Nisa (4): 82]

Our (Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah's) belief concerning the Names and Attributes of Allah is that we affirm all the Names and Attributes of Allah that Allah has affirmed for Himself. We purify this affirmation from the two great prohibitions:

- Tamtheel (resembling Allah to His creation)

- Takyeef (asking how the Names and Attributes are).

Pillars of the Correct Worship

Worship centers around three pillars

(a) love

(b) fear

(c) hope

Worship comprises all of these; love with humbleness, and fear with hope. Allah says describing His believing slaves, "whom He will love and they will love Him." [Soorah al-Maida (5):54] and, "those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else)." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):165] He said describing His Messengers and Prophets, "Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds and they used to call on Us with hope and fear and used to humble themselves before Us." [Soorah al-Ambiya (21): 90]

Some of the Salaf have said,

- He who worships Allah with love alone is a Zindeeq (heretic).

- He who worships Allah with hope alone is a Murjee

- He who worships Allah with fear alone is a Hurooree (from the Khawarij)

- He who worships Allah with love, fear and hope is a Mumin Muwahhid (believer).

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah has mentioned this is his essay, 'al- Ubodiyah,' and he also writes, "Thus, the Deen of Allah is worship, obedience and submission to Him. As for Ibadah, its original meaning also denotes lowliness and submission. One says, 'a pathway that is mu'abbad,' i.e. it has become smoothed out because of being treaded upon. However, the Ibadah that has been enjoined (upon us) encompasses the meaning of submission along with the meaning of love. It embodies the utmost degree of submission to Allah through utmost degree of love to Him...

One who submits to a person whilst possessing hatred for him is not an aabid (worshipper) of him and if he was to love someone and at the same time does not submit to him, he is likewise not an aabid of him as is the case of a man who loves his child and friend.

Consequently, only one of the two (qualities) is not sufficient as far as the Ibadah of Allah is concerned. It is necessary that Allah be the most beloved - above all else - to the abd (the slave) and he should hold Allah to be the greatest of all. Indeed none other than Allah deserves total love and submission...”

Allamah Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullah) writes in Nuniyyah: "Worship of Allah is utmost love for Him, along with the worshipper's submission, these are the two axis upon which the orbit of Ibadah revolves.

It does not revolve until the axis are established, and that which causes it to turn is the command of the Messenger, not desires, soul or Shaytan.”

Allamah Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullah) likened the revolution of worship upon love and submission for the beloved (i.e. Allah) - to the revolution of a celestial body upon its axis. He mentioned that the revolution of worship is by the command of the Messenger and what he has ordered - not desire or what the soul or the Shaytan orders him because such would not be worship. So the orders of the Messenger revolves the orbit of worship - not innovations, desires or blind- following of the forefathers."