Denying Allah’s Attributes? That’s Not What the Sahabah Did!
- Muiz As-Siddeeqi
- May 27
- 2 min read
Denying Allah’s Attributes? That’s Not What the Sahabah Did!
Today you’ll hear:
— “We can’t say Allah is above the Throne — it’s metaphor.”
— “We can’t affirm His Face or Hand — it’s anthropomorphism.”
— “These attributes must be reinterpreted.”
— “We follow the Qur’an and Sunnah... BUT!”
But here’s the truth:
This is not how the Sahābah understood the Names and Attributes of Allah.
This is not how the Salaf affirmed the āyāt and aḥādīth about Allah.
This is not the way of Ahl al-Sunnah — it’s the poisoned legacy of the Jahmiyyah, the Ashʿarīs, and philosophers who put their 'aql over naql.
Imām Mālik was once asked:
How is Allah above the Throne?
He replied:
“The how is unknown, the meaning is understood, to believe in it is obligatory, and to ask about it is bidʿah.”
The Sahābah affirmed the Attributes exactly as revealed — without distortion, denial, resemblance, or imagination.
They said:
— Allah has a Face — as befits His Majesty
— Allah has Hands — as befits His Perfection
— Allah rose above the Throne — in a way that is known in wording, but unknown in how
But never did they say:
— “Face means reward.”
— “Hand means power.”
— “Above the Throne means dominance.”
These interpretations came centuries later, from people who tried to “protect” Allah with Greek logic — and ended up distorting His words.
The true way is to affirm everything Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) affirmed — without twisting, without denying, and without inventing meanings.
That is the Salafi way.
That is the Sunnah.
That is the path of the Sahābah.
Denying Allah’s Attributes is not tanzīh (exalting Allah) — it’s taʿṭīl (negating Him).
And no one was more cautious of falling into falsehood than the Sahābah.
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