described Him with. [“I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah” by al-Lalaka’i (936)]

Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Rahwayh (d. 238 AH, may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Whoever describes Allah and likens His attributes to the attributes of any of Allah’s creation is a disbeliever in Allah the Magnificent; because it is a description of his [the creation's] attributes; rather, it is only a surrender to Allah’s command and what the Messenger ﷺ legislated.” [al-Lalaka’i (937)]

“Benefit”: On the differentiation between Tashbih (anthropomorphism) according to the People of the Sunnah and according to the Jahmiyyah Mu'attilah (negators of attributes).

The People of the Sunnah negate Tashbih from Allah, the Exalted, and likewise, the Jahmiyyah Mu'attilah negate Tashbih from Allah, the Exalted, but what a vast difference there is between the two positions!

The negated Tashbih according to the People of the Sunnah is as Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Tashbih only occurs if one says: ‘A hand like a hand,’ or ‘similar to a hand,’ or ‘hearing like hearing,’ or ‘similar to hearing.’ So if he says: ‘hearing like hearing’ or ‘similar to hearing,’ this is Tashbih. However, if he says as Allah, the Exalted, said: ‘Hand,’ ‘Hearing,’ and ‘Sight,’ and does not say ‘How?’ nor does he say ‘similar to hearing’ or ‘like hearing,’ then this is not Tashbih. It is as Allah said: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing}.” End quote. [Sunan al-Tirmidhi (3/51)].

As for the negated Tashbih according to the Jahmiyyah, it is the affirmation of the reality of the attributes mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah, as Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Radd ‘ala al-Jahmiyyah (p. 104): “And he—meaning Jahm bin Safwan—claimed that whoever describes Allah with anything He described Himself with in His Book, or what His Messenger ﷺ narrated about Him, was a disbeliever and was among the Mushabbihah (anthropomorphists), thus misguiding many people with his speech...” End quote.