Opinions of Sunni prominent Schloars on Refuting the Concept of Tafwid about the Divine Attributes “consigning the knowledge of what is meant to Allah”

Analytical Study

Abstract

Research Objective: Copiling the opinions Sunni prominent scholars that show their refutation of the heresy of Tafwid about the Divine Attributes “consigning the knowledge of what is meant to Allah”.

Methodology: Descriptive, deductive, analytical and critical approach.

The most important findings:

Tafwid refers to consigning the knowledge of what is meant by the Divine Attributes to Allah, while believing that the literal meaning is not intended because it involves analogy, corporealism/anthropomorphism while the intended meaning is not identified.

Nomenclature of the proponent of Tafwid: People of anonymity, Tafwid, Holistic Hermenutics.

Scholars of Theology differed about Tafwid. Some prohibited and refuted it, others deemed it the best method and prohibited heremnutics, while others regarded it the correct method but it is not as strong as interpretation.

The statements of early Mulim figures about the refutation of Tafwid are varied. Some of these statements are related to their emphasis on the necessity of the considratation of the literal meaning and refuting the non-literalists; highlighting the validity of the denotation of the Divine Attributes not the metaphorical senses; explaining the individual attributes; interpreting the lexical forms; using the method of the realization of the attribute; the necessity of  understanding the attribute according to the Arabic language; using the words that enhance the realization of the concept; affirming the details of the attribute; and denouncing the opionions of the analogists (corporealists). In this regard, the meaning for which they denied analogy is discussed.  

Consequences of Tafwid: Criticizing the wisdom of Almighty Allah since He revealed words unfathomable by the addressees, closing the ways to meditating the words of God because meditation is a branch of knowing the meaning, and claiming that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not perfect in communicating Allah’s message, since he does not know the meanings of the attributes of Almighty Allah.

Recommendations of this paper include the following: Some of the misconceptions of contemporary Ash’aris and Matridis about what they attribute to some of the Hanbalis' jurists should be studied well, particulary their opionion about the heresy of Tafwid and that Hanbalis follow Tafwid rather than affirmation