[Yahya added:] "He possessed abundant knowledge, but he did not have much religion. He came to us and denied the limit (hadd) for Allah, so we expelled him from Sijistan."
Al-Dhahabi said in al-Siyar (16/97), commenting: "Your denunciation of him is also an innovation, and delving into this matter is something Allah has not permitted; no text has been transmitted affirming it nor denying it. 'Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.' Exalted is Allah beyond being limited or described except by that which He has described Himself with, or taught His messengers."
He also said in al-Mizan (3/507): "His denial of the limit and your affirmation of the limit are a type of superfluous speech! Remaining silent regarding both sides is more appropriate, as no text has come to deny it or affirm it; and Allah the Exalted—'there is nothing like unto Him'."
I say:
Al-Dhahabi’s words indicate that he did not grasp the issue, nor did he know the reason why the Pious Predecessors (al-salaf al-salih) affirmed the limit for Allah the Exalted, nor the objective of the Jahmiyyah in their denial of it—which is that they sought thereby to deny the highness (uluww) of Allah the Exalted over His creation.
Remaining silent on the matter would have been more appropriate before the people of innovation delved into denying the highness of Allah over His creation and asserted His indwelling (hulul) within His creation—Exalted is He far above what they say.
As for his denunciation of those who explicitly affirmed the limit, they are—as their names were previously mentioned—among the Imams of Islam: such as Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak, al-Humaydi, Sa‘id ibn Mansur, Ahmad, Ishaq, al-Karmani, Abd Allah ibn Ahmad, al-Khallal, and al-Darimi,
كان له علمٌ كثيرٌ، ولم يكن له كبير دينٍ، قدِمَ علينا، فأنكرَ الحدَّ لله، فأخرجناه من سجستان. اهـ
فقال الذهبي في «السير» (٩٧/١٦) معلِّقًا: إنكاركم عليه بدعةٌ أيضًا، والخوض في ذلك لم يأذن به الله، ولا أتى نصٌّ بإثبات ذلك ولا بنفيه.
ومن حُسنِ إسلام المرء تركه مالا يعنيه!! وتعالى الله أن يُحدَّ ويوصف إلا بما وصف به نفسه، أو علَّمه رسلَه. اهـ
وقال أيضًا في «الميزان» (٥٠٧/٣): إنكاره للحدِّ، وإثباتكم للحدِّ نوعٌ من فضول الكلام !! والسكوت عن الطَّرَفين أولى؛ إذ لم يأتِ نصٌّ بنفي ذلك ولا إثباته!! والله تعالى ليس كمثله شيء. اهـ
قلت:
١ - كلام الذهبي يدلُّ على أنه ما فهم المسألة، ولا عرف سبب إثبات السَّلف الصَّالح للحدِّ لله تعالى، ولا مغزى الجهمية في إنكارهم الحد، وأنهم يصدون بذلك إنكار علو الله تعالى على خلقه.
٢ - السُّكوت عن ذلك أولى قبل أن يخوض أهل البدع في نفي علو الله على خلقه، وقولهم بالحلول في خلقه، تعالى عما يقولون علوًا كبيرًا.
٣ - أما إنكاره على من صرَّح بالحدِّ؛ فهم كما تقدم ذكر أسمائهم من أئمة الإسلام: كعبدالله بن المبارك، والحميدي، سعيد بن منصور، وأحمد، وإسحاق، والكرماني، وعبدالله بن أحمد، والخلال، والدارمي،
