So if they say to us about al-Istiwaa: You have made tashbeeh! Then we reply to them about as-Sam’: You have made tashbeeh and have described your Lord with organs! So if they say: No organs and bodily parts, rather it is in a manner that befits Him. Then we reply about al-Istiwaa and al-Fawqiyyah: There is no confinement nor limitation, rather it is in a manner that befits Him. So whatever is necessary concerning the Attributes of Life, Hearing, Seeing and Knowledge and not making any tashbeeh to them, then such is also necessitated regarding Allaah’s Attributes of Ascending, Descending, al-Yad (Hand), al-Wajh (Face), al-Qadm (Foot), ad-Dahak (Laughing) and Ta’ajjub (Amazament). So just as they do not imply for Him any organs we do not imply for Him any limbs nor anything that befits the creation. And it is not from justice and fairness that they understand the Attributes of Ascending, Descending, Face and Hand to imply resemblance to the creation, and therefore they think that they must resort to ta’weel and tahreef - (yet they do not do so for the other Attributes such as Life, Hearing and Seeing.)
So those possessing justice and fairness will understand what we have said, have aqeedah in it, accept our sincere advice and will take as the Deen of Allaah the affirmation of all His Attributes, negating from them any tashbeeh, ta’teel, ta’weel or wuqoof. This is what Allaah intended from us concerning this. Since all these Attributes (that they affirm), all the others (that they make ta’weel of) come from a single place - and that is the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. Thus, when we affirm one set of Attributes without ta’weel, but make ta’weel and tahreef for the others, then we are like those who believed in on part of the Book, but disbelieved in another part. And this is sufficient and clear - if Allaah - the Most High - wills." [2]
Notes
1. He is Abu Muhammad al-Juwaynee father of the famous Imaam ul-Haramayn Abu Ma’aalee al-Juwaynee. Abu Muhammad was a Shaafi’ee faqeeh and initially followed the Asha’riyy madhhab in aqeedah. However he retracted from this and returned to the madhhab of the Salaf - as is attested to by his book Risaalah Ithbaatul-Istiwaa wal-Fawqiyyah.
2. Taken from: Risaalah Ithbaatul-Istiwaa wal-Fawqiyyah (p.176-183), abridged - which is part of Majmoo’atur-Rasaa’il il-Muneeriyyah.