Ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi

Context

This section is an additional piece to the article: "Are Hanafis and Matureedis the Same?" Although I have not quoted from Ibn Abi al-'Izz extensively, there are those who would wish to discredit our writing because of him being referred to and cited. I have prepared this section to give an answer to them, In sha Allaah.

Some of the ignorant quote the article [Sharh al Aqidah Tahawiyyah by Ibn al-Izz al-Hanafi] of Islamqa.org in order to discredit the explanation of Ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi on al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah.

May Allaah guide the author of this article, because it is clear he himself did not do any sort of investgation of the explanation or into Ibn Abi al-'Izz. He ignorantly quotes from Al-Kawthari about Ibn Abi al-'Izz:

"A commentary was published [on the `Aqīdah aṭ-Ṭaḥāwiyya], by a person who is not known and is falsely attributed to the Ḥanafi school, but whose handiwork proves his ignorance of this science and that he is an anthropomorphist who has lost his direction." (al-Ḥāwi fī Sīra al-Imām aṭ-Ṭaḥāwi, 38)

However, this is ever clearly from the bias of Al-Kawthari towards the Matureedis and this is something he is well known for. He said many things out of bias and partisanship for the Matureedis, ascribed false beliefs and views to the Sunnis, and accused them of things that are not befitting them. Likewise, this bias is also in the author who is likely also a Matureedi. Because the very existence of Imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz is a slap to their face since the Imam is a Hanafi but neither Matureedi or Ash'ari, they denied his attribution and called him unknown, despite clear evidences against them.

Section One: A Family of Hanafis

Imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz, He is Sadr ad-Deen Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'Ala' ad-Deen 'Ali ibn Shams ad-Deen Muhammad ibn Sharaf ad-Deen Abu al-Barakaat Muhammad ibn Saleh ad-Dimashqi al-Hanafi. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all Hanafi judges and scholars in their own right.

His Father: Al-Qaadhi 'Ala' ad-Deen 'Ali ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi

He died in the year 746 AH. Ibn Katheer in [البداية والنهاية] mentioned he taught in al-Mu'adhhmiyyah and al-Qaleejiyyah (both in Damascus) after the death of his father, and gave sermons in Jami' al-Afram.

Ibn Katheer said in [البداية والنهاية]:

"On Monday the twelfth (of Jumada al-Aakhirah of 746 AH), Judge 'Ala' ad-Deen ibn al-'Izz al-Hanafi, the deputy judge, died in his orchard in al-Salihiyyah and was buried there. This was after the al-Zahiriyya school had been returned to him, and he had taken it from his uncle, al-Qaadhi Imaad ad-Deen Isma'eel, as we mentioned earlier. He only taught there for one day, as he was ill, then he returned to al-Salihiyyah, where his illness continued until he died."

Adh-Dhahabi said in [العبر في خبر من غبر]:

"On the twelfth (of Jumada al-Aakhirah), the judge and imam 'Ala' ad-Deen 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi died. He was the preacher of Jaami' al-Afram and served as deputy judge of al-Qaadi Imad ad-Deen at-Tarsoosi."

His Grandfather: Al-Qaadhi Shams ad-Deen Muhammad ibn Muhamamd ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi

Ibn Katheer in [البداية والنهاية] said about him:

"Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn ash-Shaykh Sharaf ad-Deen Abi al-Barakaat Muhammad ibn ash-Shaykh 'Izz ad-Deen Abi al-'Izz Saleh ibn Abi al-'Izz ibn Wuhayb ibn 'Ata ibn Jubayr ibn Kabin ibn Wuhayb al-Adhraa'i al-Hanafi.

One of the Hanafi shaykhs, imams, and distinguished scholars, excelling in numerous branches of knowledge. He served as deputy judge for approximately twenty years. His judgments were sound, his conduct was praiseworthy, and his manner was exemplary. He possessed noble character and was abundant in kindness, generosity, and beneficence toward both his companions and others."

"He delivered sermons at Jaami' al-Afram for a period, and he was the first person to preach there. He taught at al-Mu'adhhamiyyah, al-Yaghmuriyyah, al-Qaleejiyyah, and adh-Dhaahiriyyah. He served as supervisor of their endowments. He also granted people authorization to issue fatawa' (legal verdicts). And He was a great, respected, and awe-inspiring indiviual."

"He passed away only a few days after returning from Hajj, on Thursday, the last day of Muharram. The funeral prayer was performed for him that same day after Dhuhr at Jaami' al-Afram, and he was buried near the Mu'adhhamiyyah beside his relatives. His funeral was large and well attended. The people spoke well of him and regarded this manner of death as a blessed one."

'Abd al-Qaadir al-Qurashi in [الجواهر المضية في طبقات الحنفية] said:

"Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz ibn Saleh ibn Abi al-'Izz Wuhayb ibn 'Ata' ibn Jubayr ibn Jabir [* Kabin] ibn Wuhayb al-Adhra'i, the Chief Judge, Preacher, Abu Abdullah, was born in 663 AH."

"He taught at al-Mu'adhhamiyyah on the slope of Mount Qasiyun beginning in Rajab of 694 AH. On Friday, the 10th of Rabee' al-Aakhir 697 AH, the Friday sermon was established there, and its principal, the aforementioned Muhammad, delivered the sermon. He also taught at adh-Dhaahiryyah in place of Ibn al-Hareeri when the latter was sent to Qaahirah (Cairo)."

"And he was an imam, jurist, poet, and mufti. He possessed complete and excellent knowledge of al-Hidayah, and was highly knowledgeable in legal rulings and judicial matters. His conduct was praiseworthy. He first served as deputy for Ibn al-Hareeri, and later his maternal uncle, the chief judge Sadr ad-Deen, appointed him as his deputy. He exercised judicial authority in this district for approximately twenty years. He died in Damascus in 722 AH."

His Great-Grandfather: Al-Qaadhi Abu al-Barakaat Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi

'Abd al-Qaadir al-Qurash in [الجواهر المضية في طبقات الحنفية] said:

"Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz ibn Saleh ibn Abi al-'Izz Wuhayb ibn 'Ata' al-Adhraa'i, known as Abu al-Barakaat, was the fourth principal of al-Murshidiyyah from the time of its founder. He was born in Damascus in 645 AH. He studied Hadeeth from Ibn 'Abd ad-Dayim and others. He was known for his righteousness and piety. He was the grandson (through his mother) of al-Qaadhi Sharaf ad-Deen ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Hawrani."

From the sons of his Paternal Uncles: Qaadhi al-Qudha' (Chief Judge) Sadr ad-Deen Sulaymaan ibn Abi al-'Izz

one of those who reached the highest authority in the Hanafi madhhab in his time. He was among the major scholars and authored works in the madhhab. He held judicial office in Egypt, Syria, and other lands. He was granted authority to judge wherever he resided. His appointment as Chief Judge took place during the reign of Sultan al-Malik adh-Dhaahir Baybars. He performed Hajj with him, and the Sultan loved and honored him greatly, keeping him close even during his military campaigns. Later, he requested to be relieved from the judiciary in Qaahirah (Cairo) and returned to Damascus, where he taught at adh-Dhaahiryyah. He was again appointed to the judiciary shortly before his death, held the position for about three months, and then died in Damascus in 677 AH.

Sources from: [العبر ج ٥ ص ٣١٥], [البداية والنهاية ج ١٣ ص ٢٩٧], [الجواهر المضية في طبقات الحنفية ج ١ ص ٢٥٥], [الفوائد البهية في تراجم الحنفية ص ٨٠]

Shams ad-Deen Muhammad ibn Sulaymaan ibn Abi al-'Izz

The jurist and Mufti, one of the leading Hanafi scholars. He issued fataawa' for more than thirty years and served as deputy in judicial matters on behalf of his father in Damascus. He taught at an-Nuriyyah and al-Adhrawiyyah. He died in 699 AH.

Sources from: [الجواهر المضية في طبقات الحنفية ج ٢ ص ٥٧], [الفوائد البهية في تراجم الحنفية ص ١٧٠]

Abu al-Mahasin Yoosuf ibn Muhammad ibn Sulaymaan ibn Abi al-Izz

He was born in 651 AH. He taught at al-Adhrawiyyah and al-Iqbaaliyyah, but later in his life he left them to his son 'Ali. He also served as supervisor of the mosque (endowment authority) and had previously taught in al-Quds (Jerusalem) in 673 AH. He died in Safar of 728 AH at al-Iqbaaliyyah, and his funeral prayer was performed at the Great Mosque of Damascus.

Sources from: [الجواهر المضية في طبقات الحنفية ج ٢ ص ٢٣٢], [الدرر الكامنة ج ٤ ص ٤٦٩]

'Ali ibn Yoosuf ibn Muhammad ibn Sulaymaan ibn Abi al-'Izz

He was a Hanafi jurist and scholar. He taught in Damascus and served as deputy judge in Qaahirah (Cairo). He died there in 737 AH and was buried in the Qaraafa cemetery.

Sources from: [الدرر الكامنة ج ٣ ص ١٤٣]

Isma'eel ibn Abi al-Barakaat Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz ibn Saleh al-Hanafi

Known as Ibn al-Kashak, was the Judge of Damascus. He assumed the position after al-Qaadi Jamal ad-Deen ibn as-Sarraj, but held it for less than a year. He then passed it on to his son Najm ad-Deen. He also taught in several schools in Damascus. He combined knowledge with practice, had a good reputation, and was firm and decisive in important matters. He died in 783 AH, at an age exceeding ninety years.

Sources from: [الدرر الكامنة ج ١ص ٣٧٩]

Najm ad-Deen Ahmad ibn Isma'eel ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz

He was born in 720 AH. He studied Hadeeth from Ibn al-Hajjar and narrated from him, and he also studied Fiqh. He was appointed judge of Egypt in 777 AH, but the position did not suit him, so he returned. He later served as judge of Damascus multiple times, the last time being in 792 AH, after which he remained at home. He was highly knowledgeable in the Hanafi madhhab and taught in various places. He died in Dhu al-Hijjah 799 AH.

Sources from: [الدرر الكامنة ج ١ص ١٠٧]

Section One: Conclusion

Thus, we see that Imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz himself, his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, paternal cousins and others were all jurists and scholars of the Hanafi madhhab. If one reads the biography of the Imam, he will find him teaching in different schools, all of them were for Hanafis. Similarly, he was appointed as judge of the Hanafis as well. Why would one be appointed that if he himself did not belong to that particular school of thought?! Yet these people say Ibn Abi al-'Izz was "wrongly attributed" to the madhhab! Where has sense and reason gone?!

For further reading, one may refer to: [شرح العقيدة الطحاوية (ت: التركي-الأرناؤوط)]

Section Two: Scholarly Testimony of his Existence and Correct Attribution to the Hanafis

1- Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani (d. 852 AH)

Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaani in [الدرر الكامنة في أعيان المائة الثامنة] stated:

188 – 'Ali ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi, who served as Chief Judge in Damascus, then in the Egyptian lands, and then again in Damascus. He is the one who was put on trial because of his objection to a poem by Ibn Aybak ad-Dimashqi. He was born in the year 731 AH and died in 792 AH. The author later became his student, so it was appropriate that he mention him. He did mention him by name, but he called him Muhammad; the correct name is 'Ali. And Allaah knows best.

And in [رفع الإصر عن قضاة مصر], he said about Ibn Abi al-'Izz:

"He was among the distinguished and intelligent scholars."

2- Al-Haafidh As-Sakhaawi (d. 902 AH)

As-Sakhaawi as one of the students of Ibn Hajar, and one of the well-known scholars of Hadeeth and History. He said in his [وجيز الكلام في الذيل على دول الإسلام] about those who died in the year 792 AH:

"And in Dhu al-Qa'dah: Al-'Allamah As-Sadr 'Ali ibn al-'Ala 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz ad-Dimashqi - its judge - al-Hanafi. The explainer [شارح] of 'Aqeedah of At-Tahaawi and al-Manaqashaat 'Ala al-Hidayah. He was made the judge of Egypt, and he was trialed. Those who took from him, our shaykh Ibn ad-Dayree, and our shaykh [i.e. Ibn Hajar] called him Muhammad, and the correct name is what is here. [Ibn Hajar corrected the name in the work we cited, the mistake comes from another work of his.]

Ibn ad-Dayree is Al-Qaadhi Sa'd ad-Deen Sa'd ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Bakr ad-Dimashqi al-Hanafi. He was born in Rajab of the year 768 AH. He studied under his father and others, and the leadership of the Hanafis in his time eventually came to rest with him. He was appointed shaykh of Shaykhuniyyah in Egypt and served as the chief Hanafi judge, taking over from al-'Allamah Badr ad-Deen al-'Ayni. He died in 868 AH. Abu al-Hasanaat al-Lucknawi mentioned him in [الفوائد البهية في تراجم الحنفية].

3- Al-Haafidh Jalaal ad-Deen as-Suyooti (d. 911 AH)

In his work [حسن المحاضرة في تاريخ مصر والقاهرة], under the judges of the Hanafis. He mentions:

"Sadr ad-Deen 'Ali ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Adhraa'i was appointed (as judge). He requested to be relieved, and his request was granted."

Section Two: Conclusion

These are three well known scholars and men of vast knowledge in history and men who have testified not only to his existence, but also have mentioned having been his student. All of them (including the sources from section one) have quoted him as being a Hanafi. Yet al-Kawthari and Isma'eel Moosa argue against it. Based on what evidence? The matter of fact is if you change "Hanafi" to "Matureedi", then their statements make sense. Ibn Abi al-'Izz is a Hanafi, but not a Matureedi. But because these people falsely claim and believe every Hanafi is a Matureedi, their response is to argue it's an incorrect attribution despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. May Allaah rectify them.

Section Three: Claims against Ibn Abi al-'Izz

Al-Kawthari has made the claim that Ibn Abi al-'Izz is a "anthropomorphist who has lost direction", while his follower Isma'eel Moosa claims "Ibn Abil 'Izz differs with numerous of the beliefs", and that he believes in "Allaah has a direction and does not believe Jahannam is eternal."

Have either of the two provided any kind of proof for these claims? Of course they have not. As for the claims of him being an anthropomorphist and believing Jahannam has an end, these are the most egregious ones. Whereas the claim that he believes "Allaah has a direction" requires elaboration as to what Isma'eel Moosa means by this accusation. We will assume a reasonable assumption, in sha Allaah.

1- Anthropomorphism

Before we proceed, we should first define what anthropomorphism or [التشبيه] is. Linguistically, Ibn Faaris said in [معجم مقاييس اللغة]: "The letters sheen, baa, and haa form a single root indicating the similarity and resemblance of things in type and description."

Terminologically, it refers to saying the essence, actions, or attributes of Allaah resemble the creation or vice versa. Imam At-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH) quoted from Ishaaq ibn Ibraheem, known as Ishaaq ibn Rahwayh, one of the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah, after narrating the hadeeth: "Allaah accepts charity, and He accepts it with His Right Hand":

"More than one of the scholars has spoken about this hadith and similar reports that referred to divine attributes and the descent of the Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, to the lowest heaven every night. They said: We affirm the reports concerning that and we believe in it, but it cannot be imagined or asked how it is. Similarly, it was narrated from Maalik, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah and ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubaarak that they said concerning such ahaadeeth: Let it pass without discussing how. This was the view of the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah. As for the Jahmiyyah, they denied these reports and said that this is likening Allaah to His creation."

"Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has mentioned His hand, His hearing and His seeing in more than one place in His Book. The Jahmiyyah misinterpreted these Ayat and explained them in a way different from the scholars; they said: Allaah did not create Adam with His hand. And they said that what is meant by the hand here is power."

"Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem said: Rather likening Allaah to His creation is saying that He has a hand like their hand, or hearing like their hearing. If someone says that Allaah has hearing like their hearing, this is likening Him to His creation. But if he says, as Allaah, may He be exalted, said: A hand, hearing, sight - without discussing how or saying it is like their (attributes), this is not likening Him to His creation; rather it is as Allaah, may He be exalted, says in His Book:"

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ ...

“... There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing” (Ash-Shoora 42:11)

Thus, in order for this claim to be true, Ibn Abi al-'Izz should have compared Allaah (may He be exalted) to the creation or vice versa. Is that what we find from him? The answer is no.

Imam at-Tahaawi said:

"And there is nothing like Him (Allaah)."

Ibn Abi al-'Izz explaining this said:

"Ahlus-Sunnah agree that there is nothing like Allaah, neither in His essence, nor in His attributes, nor in His actions. However, the term 'tashbeeh' has become, in people's speech, a broad and ambiguous term. Sometimes it is used to mean the correct concept mentioned by the Quraan and reason: namely, that the unique characteristics of the Lord, Most High, cannot be attributed to any created thing, and that no created thing resembles Him in any of His attributes. Allaah says:"

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ ...

“... There is nothing like unto Him...” (Ash-Shoora 42:11)

"This is a refutation of those who liken Allaah to His creation (al-mumaththilah and al-mushabbihah)."

"And He says:"

وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ

“... and He is the Hearing, the Seeing” (Ash-Shoora 42:11)

"This is a refutation of those who deny or negate the divine attributes (an-nufah and al-mu'attilah). Therefore, whoever makes the attributes of the Creator like the attributes of the creation is the false and blameworthy anthropomorphist.And whoever makes the attributes of the creation like the attributes of the Creator is akin to the Christians in their disbelief."

End quote from [شرح العقيدة الطحاوية]

Imam at-Tahaawi said:

"And no one among mankind resembles Him."

Imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz explains:

"Allaah, Most High, says (which means): "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing" (Ash-Shoora42:11). The meaning of this verse is not to negate the divine attributes, as the people of innovation claim. Among the statements of Abu Haneefah in al-Fiqh al-Akbar is: 'He does not resemble anything from His creation, nor does anything from His creation resemble Him." He then said: "All of His attributes are unlike the attributes of created beings. He knows, but not as we know; He has power, but not as we have power; and He sees, but not as we see.'"

"Nu'aym ibn Hammad said: 'Whoever likens Allaah to anything from His creation has committed disbelief; and whoever denies what Allaah has described Himself with has committed disbelief. There is no anthropomorphism in what Allaah has described Himself with, nor in what His Messenger has described Him with.'' Ishaq ibn Rahawayh said: 'Whoever describes Allaah and then likens His attributes to the attributes of any of Allaah's creation has disbelieved in Allaah." He also said: 'The distinguishing mark of Jahm and his followers is their accusation against Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah that they are anthropomorphists; rather, it is they who are the negators.' This is a refutation of the anthropomorphists, who liken the Creator to the creation. Exalted and Glorified is He above such comparisons."

End quote from [شرح العقيدة الطحاوية]

So the question arises, why did Al-Kawthari say Ibn Abi al-'Izz is an anthromophist, and Isma'eel Moosa quoted it? The answer to that is also given by Imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz. Both al-Kawthari and Isma'eel Moosa, being Matureedis, think that affirming the attributes as they have come in the Book and the Sunnah is akin to anthropomorphism! This was explicitly refuted by Imam at-Tirmidhi and Ishaaq ibn Ibraheem. This is, in reality, the accusation of the Jahmiyyah on Ahlus-Sunnah, and it is mentioned by the scholars that one of the signs of the Jahmiyyah is they accuse Ahlus-Sunnah of being anthropomorphists. (Source)

2- Believing Punishment of Hell is not Eternal

Imam at-Tahaawi said in his treatsie:

"Paradise and Hellfire are two creations that never end, nor perish..."

Imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz said on this:

"As for the eternity and permanence of Hellfire, people have eight opinions on this matter:..."

"Seventh, Allaah will take out of Hell whom He will, as the narrations say, then He will keep it for a while and then destroy it because He has fixed a term for it.

Eighth, Allaah will take out from it whom He will, as the narrations state, and leave the disbelievers there to suffer forever. This is the view of the author."

"Apart from these last two views, the apparent falsehood (of others) is evident. These two views of Ahlus-Sunnah require further examination of their evidence."

The seventh opinion as Ibn Abi al-'Izz mentions as being held by some of Ahlus-Sunnah is not authentically established to any of the Salaf whom he had ascribed it to. He mentioned 'Umar, Ibn Mas'ood, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Sa'eed, and others. As has been mentioned by the scholars of research and verification, none of these narrations are authentic. Ahlus-Sunnah has always held the eighth view, which was also mentioned by At-Tahaawi.

Does this, then mean that Ibn Abi al-'Izz is guilty of what he is accused of? The answer is a resounding no. While Ibn Abi al-'Izz may have made a mistake by ascribing the view to some of the Salaf, this is not done intentionally. He did so on the basis of some reports that reached him. But throughout his explanation, he did not ascribe the seventh view to himself. Rather,he ends this section by discussing the evidences of the second group (i.e. the eighth view), then continues on with his explanation.

Since Ibn Abi al-'Izz himself did not explicitly ascribe this view to himself, I wonder how Isma'eel Moosa reached the conclusion that he did? And if we, for the sake of argument, accept that Ibn Abi al-'Izz held this view, does that make him unreliable, untrustworthy, or an innovator? The answer is once again, a no. Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah do not disavow our scholars for mistake they may have made, or mistaken views they may have held, whether it be a mistake in interpretation, evidence might not reaching them or such. If we did that, then we would be left with no imam to call our own. This has been mentioned by dozens of scholars from both the Salaf and the Khalaf (later scholars).

Imam adh-Dhahabi said in [سير أعلام النبلاء] in the biography of Ibn Khuzaymah who had interpreted an attribute of Allaah (mistakenly):

"If we were to abandon and declare an innovator every person who erred in his judgment (ijtihaad) — while having sound faith and sincerely seeking to follow the truth — then very few of the imams would remain safe from us. May Allaah have mercy upon them all through His grace and generosity."

Imam adh-Dhahabi said in [سير أعلام النبلاء], in the biography of Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi, and his mistake in saying that faith (eeman), the testimony of faith, and our reading of the Quraan is created:

"If, whenever an imam made a mistake in his ijtihaad regarding one of the issues — a mistake for which he is forgiven — we were to rise against him, declare him an innovator, and boycott him, then neither Ibn Nasr nor Ibn Mandah, nor those greater than them, would remain safe from us."

Ibn Taymiyyah said in [مجموع الفتاوى]:

"Moreover, many of the Salaf erred in a number of these issues, yet they unanimously did not regard such errors as disbelief. For example, some Companions denied that the dead can hear the call of the living, some denied that the Night Journey and Ascension (Mi'raj) occurred while awake, some denied that Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw his Lord. There are also well-known disagreements among some of them regarding the Caliphate and the relative superiority of certain individuals, as well as regarding fighting one another, cursing one another, and applying takfeer to certain statements."

"Al-Qaadhi Shurayh even objected to the recitation “Bal 'ajibta” (“Rather, you were amazed”), saying, 'Allah does not become amazed.' When this reached Ibraheem an-Nakha'i, he said: 'Shurayh is only a poet who is impressed by his own knowledge. Abdullah was more knowledgeable than him, and he used to recite: Bal 'ajibta.' Thus, Shurayh rejected an established Quraanic recitation and denied an attribute indicated by the Quraan and Sunnah, yet the Muslims unanimously regarded him as one of the leading imams. Likewise, some of the early scholars denied other matters of a similar nature."

A valid question then arises, that if mistakes and errors in some of these matters are excused, then why have the misguided sects such as the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, the Qadariyyah, Jabriyyah, and others not been exucsed? Why then do we declare them to be misguided, but when one of the imams of Ahlus-Sunnah say a similar thing, we do not declare them innovators?

The questioner asked: "How do we distinguish between a scholar's mistake and an innovator's innovation?"

After a long answer, it is written in the end:

Thus, the gist is that the difference between the mistake of innovation and the mistake of ijtihaad is as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The reason for the difference between the people of knowledge and the people of desires is that the scholar has done what he was commanded to do in terms of sound intention and exertion of effort. Outwardly, he is commanded to believe according to the evidence that has reached him, even if it is not actually in accordance with reality…

So if a scholar holds two contradictory beliefs in one issue or in two issues, while intending the truth and following what he has been commanded to follow of the Book and wisdom, then he is excused for what he did not know; and that is the forgiven mistake.

As for the people of desires, they follow nothing but conjecture and what the souls desire (Qur’an 53:23), and they assert what they say based on conjecture and desire with a certainty that does not admit contradiction, while lacking true knowledge of it. They believe what they were not commanded to believe, neither inwardly nor outwardly, and they intend what they were not commanded to intend, and they exert effort in a manner they were not commanded to exert.

Thus, nothing issued from them of exertion and intent warrants forgiveness for what they did not know. So they are unjust, resembling those upon whom is wrath, or ignorant, resembling those who are astray. The scholar who engages in pure scholarly ijtihad has no goal except the truth, and he follows its path. As for the follower of pure desire, he is one who knows the truth yet turns away from it.”

End quote from Majmu‘ al-Fatawa (29/43–44).

(Source)

3- Allaah has a Direction

This claim is the weakest as Isma'eel Moosa did not elaborate nor care enough to explain what he had meant here. Let the reader know that the Salaf did not use words like "direction" to describe Allaah (may He be exalted), nor did they deny it. This was mentioned by Abu 'Abdullah al-Qurtubi. He said:

وَقَدْ كَانَ السَّلَفُ الْأَوَّلُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ لَا يَقُولُونَ بِنَفْيِ الْجِهَةِ وَلَا يَنْطِقُونَ بِذَلِكَ، بَلْ نَطَقُوا هُمْ وَالْكَافَّةُ بِإِثْبَاتِهَا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى كَمَا نَطَقَ كِتَابُهُ وَأَخْبَرَتْ رُسُلُهُ

"And the early Salaf (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not say the negation of direction (al-jihah), nor did they speak with that terminology. Rather, they and the Muslims in general affirmed it [the istawa] for Allaah Most High, just as His Book has said and His messengers have informed."

This is how the Salaf were. They disliked using terminology that was foreign and additional to the texts. Ibn Abi al-'Izz explained:

"And the Salaf did not dislike speaking about “substance” (jawhar), “body” (jism), “accident” (ʿarad), and similar terms merely because they are newly coined terminology referring to correct meanings, just as terminology is coined for the naming of sound sciences. Nor did they dislike using such language for establishing truth or debating people of falsehood. Rather, they disliked it because it contains false notions that contradict the truth, including contradiction of the Book and the Sunnah. For this reason, you do not find among its adherents the certainty and knowledge that is found among the common believers, let alone among their scholars."

"Because their premises contain a mixture of truth and falsehood, disputation and argumentation among them became frequent, and controversy spread widely, and it produced from them views that contradict sound reveleation and sound reasoning, matters too extensive to be fully detailed..."

End quote from [شرح العقيدة الطحاوية]

Thus, we can only guess what Isma'eel Moosa intended by using the word "direction". If we consider the context, and how he quotes al-Kawthari, a known biased Matureedi, then it can be assumed they mean the same thing that the Matureedis generally say, which is that by denying direction, they intend to deny the exaltation of Allaah over His creation in a real sense.

Therefore to clarify the accusation, Isma'eel Moosa "accuses" Ibn Abi al-'Izz for saying that Allaah (may He be exalted) is over His throne, in the Heavens. They consider such a saying or statement as misguidance and deviancy. However, as the reader may refer to the parent article, this is the view and belief of the Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah, and dozens of consensuses on this have been narrated. From among them:

1- Imam al-Awzaa'i (d. 157 AH)

He said, "We, while the Tabi'oon (students of the Companions) were numerous among us, used to say: Allaah, Mighty and Majestic, is above His Throne, and we believe in whatever has come in the Sunnah regarding His attributes."

See: Mukhtasar al-‘Uluw by adh-Dhahabi p. 137, al-Asma’ wa as-Sifat by al-Bayhaqi, and Fath al-Bari 13/417.

2- Imam Qutaybah ibn Sa'ed (d. 240 AH)

He said: "This is the saying of the imams in Islam, the Sunnah, and the Jama'ah: We know our Lord is in the seventh heaven on His throne, as He, may His glory be exalted, said: “The Most Merciful is rose over the throne. [20:5]"

Adh-Dhahabi said: "So this is Qutaybah, in his leadership and truthfulness, who transmitted consensus on the issue. He met Maalik, al-Layth, and Hammad ibn Zayd, and the great scholars. He lived a long life, and the hadeeth scholars crowded at his door."

See: Mukhtasar al-‘Uluw p. 187, Dar’ Ta‘arud al-‘Aql wa an-Naql 6/260, Bayan Talbees al-Jahmiyyah 2/37.

3- Imam Abu Zur'ah ar-Razi (d. 264 AH) and Imam Abu Haatim ar-Razi (d. 277 AH)

Ibn Abi Haatim said:

"I asked my father and Abu Zur'ah about the views of Ahlus-Sunnah in the fundamentals of religion, and what the scholars in all regions had reached consensus upon, and what they themselves believed regarding it."

They said:

"We met the scholars in all regions: Hijaz, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and among their doctrine was: ... and Allaah, Mighty and Majestic, is above His Throne, separate from His creation, as He described Himself in His Book and upon the tongue of His Messenger (peace be upon him), without asking how. He encompasses everything in knowledge: (There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.) [42:11]"

End quote from Sharh Usool I‘tiqad Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l Jama‘ah by al-Laalika'i (1/197–204).

4- Imam Zakariyyah as-Saaji (d. 307 AH)

He said: "The view I have seen held by our companions, the scholars of Hadeeth whom we met, is that Allaah Almighty is on His Throne in His heaven, and He draws near to His creation as He wills." End quote.

Adh-Dhahabi said: "As-Saaji was the shaykh of Basrah and its memorizer, and Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari took the science of hadeeth and the doctrines of Ahlus-Sunnah from him."

See: Mukhtasar al-‘Uluw p. 223, and Ijtima‘ al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah by Ibn al-Qayyim p. 245.

5- Imam Muhammad ibn Ishaaq ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH)

"Whoever does not affirm that Allaah is above His heavens and that He is above His Throne, separate from His creation, must be asked to repent. If he repents, [it is accepted], otherwise he is to be executed, and then thrown in a heap of garbage so that neither the people of the qiblah nor the people of the covenant are harmed by the foulness of his corpse."

See: Dar’ Ta‘arud al-‘Aql wa an-Naql 6/264.

Al-Dhahabi said about him in Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ 14/365:"The memorizer, the proof, the jurist, Shaykh al-Islam, Imam of the Imams."

And he transmitted from him the statement:

"Whoever does not affirm that Allaah is above His Throne, having risen above it, above the seven heavens, is a disbeliever whose blood is lawful, and his wealth is to be taken as booty."

6- Imam Ibn Battah al-Ukbari (d. 387 AH)

He said in his book, Al-Ibanah:

"Chapter: Faith that Allaah is above His Throne, separate from His creation, and His knowledge encompasses His creation."

"The Muslims, among the Companions, the Tabi'oon, and all the scholars of the believers, are unanimously agreed that Allaah, Blessed and Most High, is above His Throne, above His heavens, separate from His creation, and that His knowledge encompasses all of His creation."

"None rejects this or denies it except those who adopt the doctrine of hululiyyah, a group whose hearts have deviated and whom Shaytaan has led astray, so they have strayed from the religion. They say that Allaah Himself does not exist free of being in any place."

End quote: Al-Ibanah, vol. 3, p. 136.

7- Imam Abu 'Umar at-Talamanki al-Andalusi (d. 429 AH)

He said in his book Al-Wusool Ila Ma'rifat al-Usool:

“The Muslims from Ahlus-Sunnah are unanimously agreed that the meaning of His saying: (And He is with you wherever you are) and similar verses in the Quraan is that it refers to His knowledge, and that Allaah the Exalted is above the heavens by His Essence, over His Throne as He wills.

"And he said: Ahlus-Sunnah say regarding His saying: (The Most Merciful rose over the Throne) that the rising (istiwa’) of Allaah over His Throne is real, not metaphorical."

Adh-Dhahabi said: "At-Talamanki was among the major hadeeth scholars and leading Quraan reciters of al-Andalus."

See: Dar’ Ta‘arud al-‘Aql wa an-Naql 6/250, al-Fatāwā 5/189, Bayan Talbees al-Jahmiyyah 2/38, Mukhtasar al-‘Uluw p. 264.

8- Imam Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahaani (d. 430 AH)

He said in his book al-I‘tiqad:

Our way is the way of the Salaf who follow the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah. Among what they believed is:...

"And that the narrations that are authentically reported regarding the Throne and Allaah’s rising over it are affirmed, without asking how or likening Him to creation. And that Allaah is separate from His creation and the creation is separate from Him. He does not dwell within them nor mix with them; and He is above His Throne in His heaven, not in the earth."

Adh-Dhahabi said: "This Imam has transmitted consensus on this view, praise be to Allah. He was the hadeeth scholar of the non-Arabs of his time without dispute… Ibn Asaakir mentioned him among the companions of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari."

See: Dar’ Ta‘arud al-‘Aql wa al-Naql 6/261, al-Fatawa 5/190, Bayan Talbees al-Jahmiyyah 2/40, Mukhtasar al-‘Uluw p. 261.

9- Imam Abu Nasr as-Sijzi (d. 444 AH)

He said in his book al-Ibanah:

"Our imams, such as Sufyaan ath-Thawri, Maalik, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Hammad ibn Salamah, Hammad ibn Zayd, 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ishaq ibn Ibraheem al-Handhali, are unanimously agreed that Allaah, Glorified is He, is above the Throne by His Essence, and that His knowledge encompasses every place ... Whoever opposes anything from this is free from them and they are free from him."

Adh-Dhahabi said about him: "The Imam, the knowledgeable, the hadeeth memorizer, the proficient, Shaykh as-Sunnah, Abu Nasr… the Shaykh of the Haram, the author of al-Ibanah al-Kubra."

See: Dar’ Ta‘arud al-‘Aql wa an-Naql 6/250, and adh-Dhahabi quoted this in Siyar A‘lam an-Nubala’ 17/656.

10- Imam Abu 'Uthmaan as-Sabooni (d. 449 AH)

He said in his book:

"The people of Hadeeth believe and bear witness that Allaah is above the seven heavens, over His Throne, as His Book states and as the scholars of the Ummah and leading imams of the Salaf have said. They did not differ that Allaah is above His Throne, and His Throne is above His heavens."

Al-Dhahabi said: "Shaykh al-Islam As-Sabooni was a jurist, hadeeth scholar, Sufi, and preacher. He was the Shaykh of Naysaboor (Nishapur) in his time and he had good writings."

See: 'Aqeedah as-Salaf wa As-hab al-Hadeeth p. 44.

11- Imam Ibn 'Abd al-Barr al-Andalusi (d. 463 AH)

He said in at-Tamheed after mentioning the hadeeth of descent:

"In it is evidence that Allaah, Mighty and Majestic, is in the heaven, above His Throne, above the seven heavens, as the Jama‘ah has said. This is among their proofs against the Mu‘tazilah and Jahmiyyah in their claim that Allaah is in every place and not above the Throne."

Then he mentioned proofs for this, including:

"Among the evidence that He, Mighty and Majestic, is above the seven heavens is that all monotheists, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, when struck by distress or hardship, raise their faces toward the sky, seeking help from their Lord, Blessed and Exalted. This is more well-known among the common and the elite than to require extensive narration, because it is an innate necessity, and no Muslim has objected to it or denied it."

He also used the hadeeth of the slave-girl (jariyah) as evidence, and responded in detail to the claim that "istawa" means "istawla" (conquered/overcame).

See: Fath al-Barr bi Tarteeb at-Tamheed 2/7-48.

13- Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH)

He said:

"Belief in Allaah being above the Throne is a doctrine upon which all prophets agreed, and this is mentioned in all the divinely revealed books. The early generations of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and its scholars are unanimously upon it."

End quote from Bayan Talbees al-Jahmiyyah vol. 2, p. 9

14- Al-Haafidh Adh-Dhahabi (d. 748 AH)

He said:

"Allaah is above His Throne, as was the consensus of the early Muslims, and this consensus was transmitted by the scholars."

End quote from al-'Uluw p. 596

Section Three: Conclusion

Thus, it is established that there is no claim in the article that proves or points to imam Ibn Abi al-'Izz not being Hanafi, or being misguided, or that his explanation is "impermissible" to read. Since the author of the aritcle is a Deobandi, then the following are words of the Deobandi scholar Muhammad Anwar al-Badkhashani. He was Shaykh al-Hadeeth in Jamia' al-'Uloom al-Islamiyyah 'Allamah Binori Town, Karachi. In his summary of Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah of Ibn Abi al-'Izz:

"6- Explanations of al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah"

"Al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah has been explained by the eminent scholars. The author of 'al-Kashf adh-Dhunoon" counts seven from them who are all Hanafis."

1- 'Ali ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-'Izz al-Hanafi, the one we mentioned earlier, and the starting of his commentary is 'Praise is due to Allaah, we ask Him for help, and we ask Him for forgiveness' which is among the most beautiful, easiest, most complete, most comprehensive in research, and most beneficial in style."

End quote from Talkhees Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah p. 9

And Allaah knows best.