Thus, they attempt to attack the hadiths of the attributes with all the cunning they possess, either by rejecting them explicitly, or by rejecting them through interpretation, or by rejecting them by attacking their narrators—even if they were the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him—claiming that they narrate what they do not understand! Or that they received it from the People of the Book and narrated it despite what it contains of likening and anthropomorphism! Or simply based on what they reckon to be true and correct! This is the implication of al-Khaṭṭābī's statement regarding this hadith, as he claimed that Anas, may God be pleased with him, related it on his own accord without attributing it to the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him! The same applies to his treatment of Ibn Masʿūd, may God be pleased with him, in the story of the Jewish rabbi who came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and said to the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him: "Indeed, God places the heavens on one finger, and the earths on one finger..." the hadith. The Companion Ibn Masʿūd, may God be pleased with him, said: "So the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, laughed until his premolars became visible, in affirmation of the rabbi's statement."
Al-Khaṭṭābī said: "This was merely an assumption and reckoning from the Companion."
Then he rejected this hadith on the grounds that it is among the solitary hadiths which are not accepted in the chapters of the attributes, and also that it is from the statement of the anthropomorphist Jews, so no attention should be paid to it. [Aʿlām al-Sunan (3/1898)].
Ibn Khuzayma, may Allah have mercy on him, refuted him and his likes in Al-Tawḥīd (1/178), saying: "...And God has exalted the stature of His Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, above allowing the Creator, the Maker, to be described in his presence with what is not among His attributes, such that he hears it and laughs at it, and instead of the obligation to object and show anger toward the one speaking it, he responds with laughter that reveals his premolars in affirmation and amazement at its speaker. No believer who affirms his message would describe the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, with such a trait." End quote.
He also said (1/187): "(Chapter on affirming fingers for God Almighty from the Sunna of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, as his own statement, not as a narration from someone else, contrary to what some people of ignorance and stubbornness claimed that the report of Ibn Masʿūd, may God be pleased with him, is not the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, but rather the statement of the Jews, and denied that the laughter of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, was an affirmation of the Jew)." End quote.
As for al-Khaṭṭābī's statement regarding the hadith of the Ascension: "(That necessitates defining the distance between one of the two mentioned and the other, and distinguishing the place of each of them)."
It is explicit in denying the highness of God Almighty over His creation, since there is no distinction between the place of the Creator
وهكذا هم يحاولون الطعن في أحاديث الصفات بكل ما أوتوه من مكر، إما بردِّه صراحة، وإما برده بتأويله، وإما برده بالطعن في رواته ولو كانوا أصحاب النبي ﷺ بأنهم يروون ما لا يفهمون! أو أنهم تلقوه عن أهل الكتاب وحدثوا به مع ما فيه من التشبيه والتجسيم! أو بمجرد ما يحسبون أنه حق وصواب! كما هو مقتضى قول الخطابي في هذا الحديث، فقد ادعى أن أنسًا رضي الله عنه حكاه من تلقاء نفسه لم يعزه إلى النبي ﷺ! وكذا صنيعه مع ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه في قصة اليهودي الَحبر الذي جاء إلى النبي ﷺ فقال للنبي ﷺ: ( إن الله يضع السموات على إصبع، والأرضين على إصبع .. ) الحديث، فقال الصحابي ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه: فضحك النبي ﷺ حتى بَدَتْ نواجِذُهُ تصديقًا لقول الَحبر.
فقال الخطابي: إنما هذا من الصحابي ظنًّا منه وحسبانًا.
ثم رد هذا الحديث بأنه من أحاديث الآحاد التي لا تقبل في أبواب الصفات، وأيضًا هو من قول اليهود المشبهة فلا يلتفت إليه. «أعلام السنن» (١٨٩٨/٣).
وقد رد عليه وعلى أمثاله ابن خزيمة رحمه الله في «التوحيد» (١٧٨/١) فقال: .. وقد أجل اللهُ قدرَ نبيه ﷺ عن أن يُوصَفَ الخالقُ البارئ بحضرته بما ليس من صفاته، فيسمعه فيضحك عنده، ويجعل بدل وجوب النكير والغضب على المتكلم به ضحكًا تبدو نواجذه تصديقًا وتعجبًا لقائله، لا يصف النبي ﷺ بهذه الصفة مؤمن مُصدِّقٌ برسالته. اهـ
وقال (١٨٧/١): (باب إثبات الأصابع لله تعالى عز وجل من سنة النبي ﷺ قيلًا له، لا حكايةً عن غيره، كما زعم بعض أهل الجهل والعناد أن خبر ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه ليس هو قول النبي ﷺ وإنما هو قول اليهود، وأنكر أن يكون ضحك النبي ﷺ تصديقًا لليهودي). اهـ
وأما قول الخطابي في حديث المعراج: (إن ذلك يقتضي تحديد المسافة بين أحد المذكورين وبين الآخر، وتمييز مكان كل واحد منهما).
فهو صريح في نفي علو الله تعالى على خلقه، إذ لا تمييز بين مكان الخالق =
