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In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. O God, grant success, guidance, and ease.

Praise be to God, who manifested Himself to all His servants through His attributes and names, and who caused the minds of seekers to wander lost in the wilderness of His majesty. He clipped the wings of thought before the sanctuary of His glory and transcended in His loftiness beyond the ability of intellects to grasp the essence of His reality. He established Himself in the hearts of His saints and chosen ones, and immersed their souls until they were consumed by the fire of His love, bewildered by the radiance of the lights of His greatness. Their tongues became mute from praising the beauty of His Presence, except for what they heard of His names and attributes, and the news conveyed to them by the tongue of His Messenger Muhammad, the best of His creation—may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, his companions, and his progeny.

To proceed: You have asked me—may God guide you—about the reports Prophetic traditions or Hadiths that might suggest anthropomorphism Tashbih: the attribution of human physical characteristics to God to the common folk, the ignorant, and the misguided literalists Hashwiyya: a derogatory term for those who hold overly literalist or anthropomorphic views of God. These groups have come to believe things about God and His attributes that He is far above and sanctified from—such as having a form, a hand, a foot, or the acts of descending, moving, and sitting or settling upon the Throne. They take these descriptions from the literal and outward appearance of the reports, claiming that their belief is that of the Salaf The "Salaf" refers to the first three generations of Muslims, regarded as the standard for orthodox belief..

You desired that I explain to you the creed of the Salaf and clarify what the general public is required to believe regarding these reports. I shall uncover the truth of the matter and distinguish between what must be investigated and what must be avoided and restrained. I have answered your request to draw closer to God, the Sublime, by manifesting the plain truth without flattery, without regard for any side, and without clinging to the partisanship of any school of thought. For the truth is most worthy of being followed, and sincerity and fairness are most deserving of being preserved. I ask God Almighty for guidance and success; He is the one who truly answers those who call upon Him. I have organized this book into three parts:

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A chapter clarifying the reality of the Salaf’s way regarding these reports

A chapter providing proof that the truth lies in the way of the Salaf, and that whoever opposes them is an innovator

A chapter of various beneficial sections regarding this discipline

The First Chapter: Explaining the Creed of the Salaf regarding these Reports

Know that the plain truth, in which there is no doubt according to those of spiritual insight, is the way of the Salaf—meaning the way of the Companions and their immediate followers. We shall provide its explanation and its proof. I say: the reality of the Salaf's way—which is the truth in our view—is that every common person who hears these traditions is obligated to observe seven matters: Sanctification, Affirmation, Acknowledging Incapacity, Silence, Abstinence, Restraint, and Submission to the People of Knowledge.

As for Sanctification original: "al-Taqdis", I mean by it declaring the Lord, the Exalted, to be free from having a physical body and the attributes of bodies.

As for Affirmation original: "al-Tasdiq", it is the faith that what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said is the truth, that he is truthful in what he mentioned, and that it is the truth in the exact sense he said it and intended it.

As for Acknowledging Incapacity original: "al-I'tiraf bi-l-'ajz", it is for the person to admit that knowing the intended meaning of such reports is not within his power, and that such inquiry is not his concern or his profession.

As for Silence original: "al-Sukut", it means he must not ask about its meaning nor delve into it; he must realize that asking about it is an innovation original: "bid'ah" and that by delving into it, he risks his religion and nears disbelief without even realizing it.

As for Restraint original: "al-Imsak", it means not tampering with those words by changing them, or translating them into another language, or adding to or subtracting from them, or joining or separating them. Rather, he should only utter that specific word in the exact manner of its delivery, its grammar, its inflection, and its linguistic form.

As for Abstinence original: "al-Kaff", it means that his heart should abstain from searching for the meaning or reflecting upon it.

As for Submission to its People original: "al-Taslim li-ahlihi", it is that he should not believe that if a meaning is hidden from him due to his own incapacity, it was also hidden from the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the Prophets.