A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
The types of deviation regarding the Names and Attributes of Allah.
Deviation in the realm of Allah’s Names and Attributes takes various forms.
It ranges from negation (ta'til), anthropomorphism (tashbih), representation (tamthil), and distortion (tahrif).
As for negation—that is, denying the Names of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
and denying the attributes and meanings they encompass—
it is an act of disbelief (kufr),
because it constitutes a rejection of the explicit verses of the Noble Qur'an,
which affirm for Allah the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Exalted Attributes.
As for anthropomorphism or representation,
which is likening the Creator, glory be to Him, to the creation,
it is also an act of disbelief,
because it contradicts the statement of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic:
﴾There is nothing like unto Him﴿.
And His statement:
“And there is none comparable unto Him.” (112:4)
It is of two types:
First:
Likening the attribute of the Creator, glory be to Him, to the attribute of the creation,
such as one who says:
"He has a hand like my hand,"
or "hearing like my hearing,"
and so on.
Exalted is Allah far above that.
This is something that almost no one asserts,
except for what is known of the extinct Karramiyyah sect.
Second:
Deriving names for false, alleged deities from the names of the True God,
such as deriving the name 'al-Lat' from 'Allah',
or 'al-'Uzza' from 'al-'Aziz'.
As for distortion (tahrif),
it is what the people of innovation call 'interpretation' (ta'wil).
Some of this is also an act of disbelief,
such as the interpretations of the Batiniyyah,
which are not based on any semblance of evidence.
Some of it is a misguided innovation,
such as the interpretations of those who negate the attributes.
And some of it occurs by mistake.
A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.