10 and 11- Al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ (d. 544 AH), and al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH) followed him as is his habit in Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (5/24-25).
Both of them are among those who deny the elevation of Allah, the Exalted, over His creation and His establishment over His Throne. Here is al-Nawawī transmitting from ʿIyāḍ, without any objection, the Consensus of the theologians on the Interpretation of the verses and hadiths affirming elevation, and that their apparent meaning is not intended!
He said in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (5/24) while explaining the hadith of the black slave girl who pointed to Allah, the Exalted, in the heaven, he said: "...Al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ said: There is no disagreement among Muslims entirely—their jurist, their traditionist, their theologian, their debater, and their imitator—that the apparent texts mentioning Allah, the Exalted, in the heaven, such as His statement: {Do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven} [Al-Mulk: 16] and similar to it, are not upon their apparent meaning; rather, they are interpreted according to all of them!!" End quote.
I say: Even if al-Nawawī mentions another opinion regarding the attributes in his commentary, he will mention the opinion of the consigners, which is that their meaning is known to none but Allah, the Exalted. This is the opinion about which Ibn Taymiyya, may Allah have mercy on him, informed that it is among the worst opinions of the people of Innovation and heresy. He said in Darʾ al-Taʿāruḍ (1/204): "Thus it becomes clear that the opinion of the people of consignment who claim that they are followers of the Sunna and the Predecessors (Salaf) is among the worst opinions of the people of Innovation and heresy." End quote.
I say: As for the opinion of the people of the Sunna who affirm the attributes, he only mentions it in the context of refuting it and attacking whoever says and believes it. He is exactly as al-Dhahabī said in Tārīkh al-Islām (15/335): "Al-Nawawī is a man of Ash'arite creed, well-known for that; he declares whoever opposes him to be an innovator and goes to extremes in being harsh against him." End quote.
