All praise is to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.

Among the established principles for Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah (the People of the Sunnah and the Community) are the following:

Firstly: They differentiate between entities/substances (A'yān) and attributes of meaning (Sifāt al-Ma'ānī). Attributes of meaning are those which it is valid to describe someone with, provided those meanings are established in their essence; such as Life, Knowledge, Power, Will, Hearing, Sight, and Speech. Thus, whoever possesses these meanings is described as being Living, Knowing, Powerful, Willing, Hearing, Seeing, and Speaking. This is unlike entities/substances, such as Hand, Shin, Fingers, and Palm. It is not valid to describe someone with these terms if they are considered parts of them. For example, it is not valid to say about a human being that "he is a hand," or "a palm," or "a shin," or "possessor of a hand." Rather, there is a difference between attributes and ascriptions (Idāfāt). Not everything ascribed to Allah, the Exalted, is considered an attribute of His. Considering them as attributes is something unsupported by the Arabic language.

Major Imams from Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah have clarified that what is ascribed to Allah, the Exalted, is either an attribute – like Hearing, Sight, and Knowledge – or a term that is not an attribute – like Hand, Face, and Eye. These terms cannot be taken according to their apparent meanings (Dhāhir), because Allah is exalted above being characterized with body parts and limbs. Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanbali, may Allah have mercy on him, said in [Daf' Shubah al-Tashbīh / p. 7], refuting the proponents of this specious argument: "They have taken the apparent meaning in (the case of) the Names and Attributes, and they named them 'attributes' by an innovated naming for which they have no proof from textual transmission (Naql) or intellect ('Aql). They did not pay attention to the texts that divert these apparent meanings to the meanings that are obligatory for Allah, the Exalted, nor to negating what the apparent meaning would necessitate from the characteristics of temporality (Hudūth). They were not content with saying 'attributes of action' until they said 'attributes of essence.' Then, when they affirmed them as attributes of essence, they said: 'We do not interpret them according to the guidance of the language, such as interpreting "hand" as blessing and power, or "coming" and "arriving" as meaning kindness and grace, or "shin" as severity. Rather, they said: We take them according to their conventional apparent meanings, and the apparent meaning is what is conventionally known from the descriptions of human beings.'"

Consequently, analogizing entities/substances to attributes of meaning in what is ascribed to Him, the Exalted, and arguing against Ahl al-Sunnah by saying, "Just as you affirmed Hearing, Sight, and the like from the attributes of meaning, then you should also affirm Hand, Finger, and so forth," is an analogy with a fundamental discrepancy (Qiyās Ma'a al-Fāriq). This is because the reality of each is different from the reality of the other.

Secondly: They negate from Allah, the Exalted, everything that inherently contradicts the exaltation of Allah above resembling His creatures, based on the statement of Allah, the Exalted {which means}: "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing." [Ash-Shūrā/11]. This includes corporeality (Jismiyyah), confinement in a place (Tahayyuz), direction (Jihah), change (Taghayyur), limit (Hadd), and parts/composition (Ab'ād, Tarkīb). For if He were a corporeal body, confined, and subject to change, He would be temporally originated (Hādith) and dependent (Muftaqir) like all other bodies, as there is no difference between one body and another; they are all alike in their essential attributes.

Furthermore, confinement and being composed of parts and components necessarily entail having a limit (Hadd), and everything limited is deficient relative to the limit beyond it. This is something from which our Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He, is utterly exempt.

Likewise, "Place" is among the terms that cannot be made attributes for the Creator, Glorified and Exalted be He. For place is that in which a limited, confined, composite, and created body resides. All of these are impermissible for Allah, the Exalted. Therefore, it is fundamentally impossible for Him to have a place; rather, we declare Him far exalted above everything that is not befitting to Him.

Thirdly: The sharing of necessary implications (Lawāzim) does not entail the sharing of realities (Haqā'iq). For example, fire burns, and extreme cold (ice) can also burn (i.e., cause a burning sensation). The fact that they share the implication of "causing a burning sensation" does not mean that the reality of fire is identical to the reality of ice. This is an approximating example. Similarly, the fact that Allah's knowledge and the creature's knowledge share the implication of "disclosure/revelation" (Inkishāf) occurring through each of them, does not mean that the reality of the creature's knowledge is like the reality of the knowledge of the Creator, Glorified and Exalted be He. It is noteworthy that the disclosure achieved by each is different from the other; the creature's knowledge is preceded by non-existence (ignorance), whereas the Creator's knowledge is eternal. Allah's knowledge is perfect in its disclosure, while the creature's knowledge is imperfect in disclosure and preceded by ignorance. The same applies to the sharing of Hearing and Sight. Hearing and Sight are each a meaning, and they are not corporeal limbs. The meaning of Hearing is the disclosure of audible things, and the meaning of Sight is the disclosure of visible things. There is no resemblance in this to the hearing or sight of created beings.

Fourthly: They differentiate between what, if its reality were affirmed, would necessarily lead to resemblance and likeness between Allah, the Exalted, and His creation, and the attributes of meaning, whose affirmation and the affirmation of their realities do not necessitate likening Allah to His creatures. This is because the realities of the attributes of meaning are broader and more general such that affirming them does not mean affirming instruments and limbs for Allah, the Almighty. Rather, the utmost that can be said is that this falls under verbal correspondence (Al-Mushākalah al-Lafziyyah), not under sharing realities between the attributes of the Creator and the attributes of the creatures.

Furthermore, Ahl al-Sunnah from among the Ash'arīs, for instance, describe Allah, the Exalted, with attributes of meaning – such as Knowledge, Power, Will, Life, Hearing, and Sight – because it is linguistically valid to describe Him with these, and Allah, the Exalted, has described Himself with them. He, the Glorified and Exalted, said {what means}: "And whatever good they do - never will it be denied them. And Allah is Knowing of the righteous." [Āl 'Imrān/115] And He, the Glorified and Exalted, said {what means}: "And Allah judges in truth, while those they invoke besides Him judge not by anything. Indeed, Allah is the Hearing, the Seeing." [Ghāfir/20] Therefore, it is valid to say: Allah, the Exalted, is Knowing, Powerful, Hearing, Seeing, Living, and Speaking.

This is unlike other terms such as Hand, Shin, Side, and Face. It is not valid – neither linguistically nor islamically – to describe Him with these. Rather, these terms are mentioned as being ascribed to Him (Idāfah). Ascription does not necessitate that the thing ascribed is an attribute of His. Otherwise, it would be necessary to affirm everything ascribed to Him, the Exalted, and consider it from His attributes – a position which no one holds. Therefore, these terms are interpreted (Ta'wīl) and understood according to meanings that are befitting to Allah, the Exalted, in accordance with the context, while observing the rhetorical styles of the Arabs in speech.

Someone might say: "Let us affirm the terms for body parts and limbs for Allah, the Exalted, and believe that they are attributes for Him, but on the basis that they are befitting to Allah without the false meanings (associated with creation)." The response to this is: This is a contradiction and an emptying of the term from its content. This is a specious argument held by the anthropomorphists (Mujassimah), which is why Ahl al-Sunnah gave them the name "Al-Hashwiyyah" (the Stuffers) – because they affirm the term without a meaningful reality, which is a meaningless stuffing that rational people would deem Allah far above, let alone the speech of Allah, the Exalted, and His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

In conclusion, analogizing the terms for body parts, limbs, and components – such as Hand and Face – mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah, to the divine attributes such as Knowledge and Power, is an invalid analogy (Qiyās Fāsid). It contradicts the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah. Rather, these terms are understood according to what is befitting to Allah, the Exalted, from divine descriptions and perfections. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.