Mutashabihat can generally be said to be the verses of the Quran and Hadith whose intended meaning cannot be definitively understood. Expressions like Yad, Ayn, etc., which apparently do not conform to the greatness of Allah and seem to be similar to creatures, have been included in this category by the A'immah (Imams).
There are clear references in the Quran stating that Allah is unique in every way compared to creatures.
لَیۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَیۡءࣱۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِیعُ ٱلۡبَصِیرُ [الشورى ١١]
Therefore, it is certain that the literal meaning of verses that seem to suggest similarity to creatures is not intended. On this subject, the Salaf and Khalaf have a unified stance. (Those of the first three centuries are described as Salaf, and those who came later as Khalaf). Although the general positions of the Salaf and Khalaf regarding Mutashabihat are different, when attention is turned to the underlying principles, it is noteworthy to see them united.
Ta'wil, Tafwid, and the Salaf
Tafwid is the method of entrusting their meaning to Allah's knowledge, with the understanding that the literal meaning is not intended. Ta'wil is to assign another possible meaning that is consistent with Allah. Although Tafwid is famously known as the general stance of the Salaf and Ta'wil as the general stance of the Khalaf, there were those in both groups who held both positions.
Imam Nawawi (﵀) says:
هذا الحديث من أحاديث الصفات وَفِيهِ مَذْهَبَانِ مَشْهُورَانِ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ سَبَقَ إِيضَاحُهُمَا فِي كِتَابِ الْإِيمَانِ وَمُخْتَصَرُهُمَا أَنَّ أَحَدُهُمَا وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ جُمْهُورِ السَّلَفِ وَبَعْضِ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ أَنَّهُ يُؤْمِنُ بِأَنَّهَا حَقٌّ عَلَى مَا يَلِيقُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَنَّ ظَاهِرَهَا الْمُتَعَارَفُ فِي حَقِّنَا غَيْرُ مُرَادٍ وَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ فِي تَأْوِيلِهَا مَعَ اعْتِقَادِ تَنْزِيهِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَنْ صِفَاتِ الْمَخْلُوقِ وَعَنِ الِانْتِقَالِ والحركات وسائر سمات الخلق والثاني مذهب أكثرالمتكلمين وَجَمَاعَاتٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ وَهُوَ مَحْكِيٌّ هُنَا عَنْ مَالِكٍ وَالْأَوْزَاعِيِّ أَنَّهَا تُتَأَوَّلُ عَلَى مَا يَلِيقُ بها بِحَسَبِ مَوَاطِنِهَا
[النووي، شرح النووي على مسلم، ٣٦/٦]
Regarding the Hadith of Sifat, there are two well-known views. The first is the position of believing that all such verses are from Allah, that their apparent meaning is not intended, and that one should not seek their interpretation. This is the stance of the majority of the Salaf. The second view is to provide an interpretation in a manner befitting Allah. The majority of the Mutakallimun (theologians) and some of the Salaf, like Imam Malik (﵀), have adopted this opinion.
From Imam Nawawi (﵀)'s aforementioned statement, it is understood that there were unparalleled figures among the Salaf, like Imam Malik (﵀), who adopted the method of Ta'wil.
“Ta’wil” – A Solution Demanded by the Times
The scholarly interventions of the A'immah were appropriate for their time. When the Qadariyyah movement, denying Qadr (Divine Decree), appeared in the first three centuries, the Salaf took a strong stance against them. Later, when the Mujassimah (anthropomorphists) emerged, equating Allah with creatures and citing Mutashabihat verses as proof for their claims, the Khalaf confronted them intellectually. The Khalaf confronted the Mujassimah by clarifying that the aforementioned verses are open to different interpretations (Ta'wil) and that the clear textual evidence (Nass) stating Allah is completely unique from His creation invalidates likening the Creator to creatures.
Badruddin Ibn Jama'ah (﵀) says:
يقول عز بن عبد السلام ولَيْسَ الكَلام فِي هَذا بِدعَة قبيحة وإنَّما الكَلام فِيهِ بِدعَة حَسَنَة واجِبَة لما ظَهرت الشُّبْهَة وإنَّما سكت السّلف عَن الكَلام فِيهِ إذْ لم يكن فِي عصرهم من يحمل كَلام الله وكَلام رَسُوله على مالا يجوز حمله ولَو ظَهرت فِي عصرهم شُبْهَة لكذبوهم وأنكروا عَلَيْهِم غايَة الإنْكار فقد رد الصَّحابَة والسَّلَف على القَدَرِيَّة لما أظهرُوا بدعتهم ولم يَكُونُوا قبل ظُهُورهمْ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ فِي ذَلِك ولا يردون على قائِله ولا نقل عَن أحد من الصَّحابَة شَيْء من ذَلِك إذْ لا تَدْعُو الحاجة إلَيْهِ
(ابن جماعة، بدر الدين، إيضاح الدليل في قطع حجج أهل التعطيل)
“Izzuddin ibn Abdissalam (﵀) says: The method of performing Ta'wil on the Ayat as-Sifat (verses of attributes) is not a reprehensible trend. Rather, it is a commendable trend that emerged when those who misinterpreted the Mutashabihat appeared. The Salaf did not adopt that method because such people did not exist in their time. If such people had existed, the Salaf too would have been compelled to perform Ta'wil. When the Qadariyyah movement was formed, the Salaf precisely defended against them. Before that, they had not spoken against them. Because such a situation did not exist then.”
In short, Ibn Jama'ah (﵀) is stating that when the trend of misusing verses related to Allah's Sifat and equating Allah with creatures emerged, Ta'wil was a method adopted by the Ulema of that period to defend against them, and it is not contrary to the stances of the Salaf.
Ta'wils of the Salaf
We have established that there were scholars among the Salaf who performed Ta'wil. Let's look at some examples.
وَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ مَالِكًا وَالْأَوْزَاعِيَّ، وَهُمَا مِنْ كِبَارِ السَّلَفِ أَوَّلَا الْحَدِيثَ تَأْوِيلًا تَفْصِيلِيًّا، وَكَذَلِكَ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ أَوَّلَ الِاسْتِوَاءَ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ بِقَصْدِ أَمْرِهِ، وَنَظِيرُهُ {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ} [البقرة: 29] ، أَيْ: قَصَدَ إِلَيْهَا، وَمِنْهُمُ الْإِمَامُ جَعْفَرٌ الصَّادِقُ
[الملا على القاري، مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، ٩٢٤/٣].
Note what Mulla Ali al-Qari (﵀) says while explaining a Hadith from Ahadith as-Sifat: “The eminent figures among the Salaf, Imam Malik and Imam Awza'i, have interpreted the aforementioned Hadith in detail. Sufyan ath-Thawri has given the meaning 'intended' to the word 'Istawa' (ascended/established) over the Throne, and similarly for {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ} [Al-Baqarah: 29], meaning He intended towards it. Among them is Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq."
وَرَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ، عَنِ الْحَاكِمِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرِو بْنِ السَّمَّاكِ، عَنْ حَنْبَلٍ، أَنَّ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ تَأَوَّلَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى {وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ} [الفجر: 22] أَنَّهُ جَاءَ ثَوَابُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ: وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ لَا غُبَارَ عَلَيْهِ.
[ابن كثير، البداية والنهاية ط هجر، ٣٨٦/١٤]
“Imam Bayhaqi narrates from al-Hakim, from Abu Amr ibn as-Sammak, from Hanbal, that Ahmad bin Hanbal interpreted the saying of Allah Ta'ala {وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ} [Al-Fajr: 22] (And your Lord comes) as ‘His reward came.’ Then al-Bayhaqi said: And this is a chain of narration upon which there is no dust (i.e., it is authentic).”
In short, both stances, Ta'wil and Tafwid, are part of Ahlus Sunnah. There were those among the Salaf and Khalaf who adopted both stances.
From the above explanation, it is understood that the stance of the Asha'irah is not different from the stance of the Salaf.
The eagerness shown by some to create a dichotomy such as 'this is the stance of the Asha'irah, and the stance of the Salaf is something else,' is a cruelty towards the A'immah. It is also a product of the weak thinking of modern Salafism.
