Ibn Qudamah was not a Mufawwid

The Speech of Allah consists of sound and letters

Ibn Qudamah believes that Allah speaks in the literal sense, consisting of sound and letter, which opposes the belief of the Jahmiyyah, Mu'tazilah, Asha'irah, and Maturidiyyah.

Because of this, he cannot be a tafwid practioner, for they would never believe Allah speaks with sound and letter, as they do not take the literal meaning of speech when it comes to Allah.

سمعوا من أفضل ممن سمع منه موسى، لكونهم سمعوا من موسى، فلم سمي إذاً كليم الرحمن؟
فإذا ثبت هذا لم يجز أن يكون الكلام الذي سمعه موسى إلا صوتاً وحرفاً، فإنه لو كان معنى في النفس، وفكرة وروية، لم يكن ذلك تكليماً لموسى، ولا موسى يتعدى الفكر، ولا يسمى مناداة.
فإن قالوا: نحن لا نسميه صوتاً مع كونه مسموعاً. قلنا: الجواب من وجوه:
أحدها: أن هذا مخالفة في اللفظ مع الموافقة في المعنى، فإننا لا نعني بالصوت إلا ما كان مسموعاً.
الثاني: أن لفظ الصوت قد جاءت به الأخبار والآثار، فإن في قصة موسى أنه لما رأى النار هالته وفزع منها، فناداه ربه: يا موسى، فأجاب سريعاً استئناساً بالصوت، فقال: لبيك لبيك، أسمع صوتك ولا أرى مكانك، فأين أنت؟ قال: أنا فوقك، وأمامك، ووراءك، وعن يمينك، وعن شمالك، فعلم أن هذه الصفة لا تنبغي إلا لله تعالى.
قال: فكذلك أنت يا إلهي، فكلامك أسمع أم كلام رسولك؟ قال: بل كلامي يا موسى.
وقال بنو إسرائيل لموسى: بما شبهت صوت ربك؟ قال: إنه لا شبه له.
[ص47 - الصراط المستقيم في إثبات الحرف القديم ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah said: “So why then was he (Musa) called ‘the one who spoke with the Most Merciful (Kalim al-Rahman)’?” If this is established, then it is not permissible to say that the speech which Musa heard was anything other than a sound and letters. For if it were merely an internal meaning, or an idea or reflection in the mind, then it would not be considered true speech directed to Musa, nor would Musa be described as having received speech, nor would it be called a calling out. If they say: “We do not call it a sound, even though it is heard and audible”, we reply with several points: First: This is a disagreement over words while the meaning is the same (just semantics), for we mean by “sound” nothing other than what is heard. Second: The term “sound” has been reported in both authentic narrations and reports. In the story of Musa, when he saw the fire, he was startled and afraid, and then his Lord called out to him: “O Musa!” He responded quickly, comforted by the sound, saying: “Here I am, here I am! I hear Your voice but I do not see Your location. So where are You?” He (Allah) said: “I am above you, in front of you, behind you, to your right, and to your left.” So Musa realized that these qualities can only belong to Allah. He then said: “Likewise are You, my God. Is the speech I am hearing Yours, or that of Your messenger?” He said: “It is My speech, O Musa.” The Children of Israel asked Musa: “What did you liken the voice of your Lord to?” He replied: “There is nothing like it.” [Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim fi Ithbaat al-Harf al-Qadim - Ibn Qudamah - Page 47]

وروي عن النبي أنه قال : إذا تكلم الله بالوحي سمع صوته أهل السماء. وروي ذلك موقوفاً على ابن مسعود، وروي عن عبد الله بن أحمد قال: سألت أبي فقلت: يا أبه إن الجهمية يزعمون أن الله لا يتكلم بصوت؟ فقال: كذبوا، إنما يدورون على التعطيل. ثم قال: حدثني عبد الرحمن بن محمد المحاربي، قال: حدثني الأعمش عن أبي الضحى عن مسروق عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال: "إذا تكلم الله بالوحي سمع صوته أهل السماء". قال السجزي: وما في رواة هذا الخبر إلا إمام مقبول. وحديث عبد الله بن أنيس: "إن الله تعالى يجمع الخلائق في صعيد واحد، ثم يناديهم بصوت يسمعه من بعد كما يسمعه من قرب: أنا الملك، أنا الديان". فإذا كان حقيقة التكليم والمناداة شيئاً واحداً، وتواردت الأخبار والآثار به، فما إنكاره إلا عناد واتباع للهوى المردي، وصدوف عن الحق، وترك للصراط المستقيم: ﴿ وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا ﴾ [النساء: ١١٥].
[ص52 - الصراط المستقيم في إثبات الحرف القديم ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah said: It is reported from the Prophet that he said: When Allah speaks with revelation, His voice is heard by the inhabitants of the heavens (angels). And this was narrated in a mawqūf form (i.e., a statement attributed to a Companion) on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ūd. And it was narrated from ‘Abdullāh ibn Aḥmad who said: I asked my father (i.e., Imām Aḥmad), “O my father, the Jahmiyyah claim that Allah does not speak with a voice?” He replied: “They have lied! They are only revolving around ta‘ṭīl (negation of the divine attributes).” Then he said: “‘Abdur-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad al-Muḥāribī narrated to me, he said: al-A‘mash narrated to me from Abū Ḍaḥā from Masrūq from ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd who said: ‘When Allah speaks by revelation, the inhabitants of the heavens hear His voice.’ Al-Sijzī said: “There is no one among the narrators of this report except an accepted Imām.” And the ḥadīth of ‘Abdullāh ibn Unays: ‘Indeed, Allah will gather the creation on one plain, then He will call them with a voice that is heard by those who are far just as it is heard by those who are near: “I am the King! I am the Judge!”’ So if the reality of speech and calling is one and the same, and reports and narrations have come continuously about it, then rejecting it is nothing but stubbornness, following destructive whims, and turning away from the truth and abandoning the straight path: “And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a path other than that of the believers—We will turn him to what he has turned to and burn him in Hell, and what an evil destination it is.” [Sūrat an-Nisā’, 4:115] [Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim fi Ithbaat al-Harf al-Qadim - Ibn Qudamah - Page 52]

Ibn Qudamah makes it very clear that Allah has a Voice, and that He speaks with sound and letters. He backs this up with many narrations in his book 'Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim fi Ithbaat al-Harf al-Qadim'.

It becomes quite evident to anyone who reads such quotes that Ibn Qudamah is not a mufawwid, as he accepts Allah's speech in the apparent language of the Arabs, meaning to be speech that is heard and consists of sound and letters.

Also interesting to note is that Ibn Qudamah uses al-Sijzi to prove a point, indicating that he cannot be an Ash'ari, for the Asha'irah would never promote al-Sijzi as they view him as their opponent.

بأن الله تعالى وصفاته ليس شيء منها مخلوقاً، وكلام الله صفة من صفاته وهو حروف وأصوات
[ص49 - الصراط المستقيم في إثبات الحرف القديم ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Allah, the Exalted, and His attributes—none of them are created. The speech of Allah is one of His attributes, and it consists of letters and sounds." [Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim fi Ithbaat al-Harf al-Qadim - Ibn Qudamah - Page 49]

It cannot be any more clear than this. Ibn Qudamah believes Allah speaks in the literal form, unlike the Asha'irah, who believe that Allah is silent outward and speaking inward.

What is in the Mushaf is the Quran, which is Kalamullah

Asha'irah believe that the content of the Mushaf is not the actual Quran, as they believe the Quran cannot consist of sound and letters. So they say, what is the actual Quran is what is in Allah's Essence, and He has Kalam Nafsi (internal speech).

Basically, they believe that Allah never actually speaks, and that He is silent, and that the Quran that was given to Jibreel is just a created expression or narrative, not the actual Speech of Allah.

As for Ibn Qudamah, he outrightly rejects the view of the Asha'irah on the subject of Quran not being the actual Speech of Allah.

He believes that the Quran is what we have on earth, in the Mushaf, memorized, recited, etc. And that Allah spoke the Quran in sound and letters. This goes against the belief of the Mufawwidah from amongst the Asha'irah, and other deviant sects besides them.

فالقرآن غیر مخلوق وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : " لا تسافروا بالقرآن إلى أرض العدو مخافة أن تناله أيديهم يريد المصاحف التي فيها القرآن
[ص49 - الصراط المستقيم في إثبات الحرف القديم ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah said: "The Quran is not created. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Do not travel with the Quran to the land of the enemy, fearing that it may fall into their hands'. Meaning, the masahif (plural of mushaf) which contain in it the Quran." [Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim fi Ithbaat al-Harf al-Qadim - Ibn Qudamah - Page 49]

This shows that Ibn Qudamah believes that what is in the mushaf, is the Quran. This is unlike what the Asha'irah believe, as they say that what is in the mushaf is not the actual Quran, but only a narrative of it, which is created.

The mufawwidah among the Asha'irah are even worse than the muawilun, as they refrain from speaking about the uncreatedness of the Quran, and they leave it just like the Waqifiyyah do, only to further conceal their kufr.

Allah is above in the literal sense

Ibn Qudamah was an affirmer of Allah's 'Uluww, as he believes that Allah is above in the literal sense. This goes against the Mufawwidah, who believe that stating Allah to be above in the literal sense is tajsim.

فإن الله تعالى وصف نفسه بالعلو في السماء، ووصفه بذلك محمد خاتم الأنبياء، وأجمع على ذلك جميع العلماء من الصحابة الأتقياء والأئمة من الفقهاء، وتوارترت الأخبار بذلك على وجه حصل به اليقين، وجمع الله تعالى عليه قلوب المسلمين، وجعله مغروزا في طباع الخلق أجمعين، فتراهم عند نزول الكرب بهم يلحظون السماء بأعينهم، ويرفعون نحوها للدعاء أيديهم (٢) ، وينتظرون مجيء الفرج من ربهم، وينطقون بذلك بألسنتهم لا ينكر ذلك إلا مبتدع غال في بدعته، أم مفتون (بتقليده) (٣) واتباعه على ضلالته، وأنا ذاكر في الجزء بعض بلغني من الأخبار في ذلك عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وصحابته والأئمة (المقتدين) (٤) بسنته على وجه يحصل القطع واليقين بصحة ذلك عنهم، ويعلم تواتر الرواية بوجوده منهم، ليزداد من وقف عليه (٥) من المؤمنين إيمانا وينتبه من خفي عليه ذلك، حتى يصير كالمشاهد له عيانا، ويصير للمتمسك بالسنة حجة وبرهانا.
[ص63 - كتاب إثبات صفة العلو ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Indeed, Allah the Exalted has described Himself as being above the heavens, and Muhammad — the Seal of the Prophets — has described Him as such. All the scholars, among the pious Companions and the leading jurists (imams), have unanimously agreed upon this. Reports (narrations) about this have reached such mass transmission that they yield certainty. Allah has united the hearts of the Muslims upon this belief and ingrained it in the natural disposition of all creation. You see them, when calamity befalls them, looking up to the sky with their eyes and raising their hands toward it in supplication, awaiting relief from their Lord, and expressing this with their tongues. None denies this except an innovator who is extreme in his innovation, or someone deceived by blindly following (another) in his misguidance. I will mention in this volume some of what has reached me of the reports on this matter from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), his Companions, and the imams who followed his Sunnah, in a way that establishes certainty and definitive knowledge of the authenticity of this from them, and demonstrates the mass transmission of its narration from them — so that those believers who read it may increase in faith, and those unaware of it may become alert to it, until it is as if they see it with their own eyes. Thus, it will serve as proof and evidence for the one who holds fast to the Sunnah." [Ithbaat Sifah al-'Uluww - Ibn Qudamah - Page 63]

قال الله تعالى: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْش} في مواضع من كتابه (٦) ، وقال تعالى: {أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ} في موضعين (٧) ، وقال تعالى: {إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّب} (٨) ، وقال سبحانه: {يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ} (١) ، وقال تعالى: {تَعْرُجُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْه} (٢) ، وقال لعيسى: {إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَي} (٣) ، وقال تعالى: {بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ} (٤) ، وقال تعالى: {وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ} (٥) ، وقال سبحانه وتعالى: {يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ} (٦) ، وأخبر عن فرعون أنه قال: {يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْحاً لَعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَابَ أَسْبَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ كَاذِباً} (٧) ، يعني أظن موسى كاذبا (في أن الله إلهه في السماء) (٨) ، والمخالف في هذه المسألة (قد أنكر هذا) (٩) يزعم أن موسى كاذب في هذا بطريق (القطع) (١٠) واليقين، مع مخالفته لرب العالمين، وتخطئته لنبيه الصادق الأمين، وتركه منهج الصحابة والتابعين، والأئمة السابقين، وسائر الخلق أجمعين (١١) . نسأل الله تعالى أن يعصمنا من البدع برحمته، ويوفقنا لاتباع سنته.
[ص65-64 - كتاب إثبات صفة العلو ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Allah the Exalted said: {Then He rose over the Throne} [mentioned] in several places in His Book. And He said: {Do you feel secure from Him who is above the heavens?} in two places. And He said: {To Him ascends good speech}. And He, glorified be He, said: {He manages the affair from the heaven to the earth, then it ascends to Him}. And He said: {The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him}. And He said to ʿĪsā: {Indeed, I will take you and raise you to Myself}. And He said: {But Allah raised him to Himself}. And He said: {He is the Subjugator above His servants}. And the Exalted said: {They fear their Lord above them}. And He informed us about Pharaoh, that he said: {O Hāmān, build for me a tower that I may reach the means — the means of the heavens — so that I may look at the God of Musa, but indeed I think he is a liar}, meaning: 'I think Musa is lying in his claim that his God is in the heaven.' But the one who opposes this matter has in effect rejected it — claiming with certainty and decisiveness that Musa is lying in this regard, thus contradicting the Lord of the Worlds, declaring His trustworthy Prophet mistaken, abandoning the way of the Companions and Followers, and the early leading Imams, and indeed opposing the entire creation. We ask Allah the Exalted to protect us from innovations by His mercy, and to grant us success in following His Sunnah. [Ithbaat Sifah al-'Uluww - Ibn Qudamah - Page 64-65]

Ibn Qudamah is very clear in saying that anyone who rejects Allah being above is in fact calling Musa a liar, just like Fir'awn called Musa a liar in his belief that Allah is above.

Ibn Qudamah also says that it the consensus of the Sahaba, Tabi'een, early leading Imams, and the entire creation (non-Muslim or Muslim), that Allah is above in the literal sense.

٩٦- أَنْبَأَ أَبُو الْمُطَهَّرِ الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ الصَّيْدَلَانِيُّ (قَالَ) (١) : أَنْبَأَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ خَلَفٍ، أَنْبَأَ الْحَاكِمُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَافِظُ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ صَالِحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ -رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ- يَقُولُ: مَنْ لَمْ يُقِرَّ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى عَرْشِهِ، قَدِ اسْتَوَى فَوْقَ سَبْعِ سَمَاوَاتِهِ، فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ بِهِ، يُسْتَتَابُ، فَإِنْ تَابَ وَإِلَّا ضُرِبَتْ عُنُقُهُ، وَأُلْقِيَ عَلَى بَعْضِ المزابل، حيث يتأذى المسلمون ولا الْمُعَاهِدُونَ بِنَتنِ رِيحِ جِيفَتِهِ، وَكَانَ مَالُهُ فَيْئًا، لَا يَرِثُهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، إِذِ الْمُسْلِمُ لَا يَرِثُ الْكَافِرَ، كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (٢) .
[ص185 - كتاب إثبات صفة العلو ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah mentioned: Abū al-Muṭahhar al-Qāsim ibn al-Faḍl ibn ʿAbd al-Wāḥid al-Ṣaydalanī reported (he said): Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Khalaf narrated to us, al-Ḥākim Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥāfidh narrated to us, he said: I heard Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ ibn Hāniʾ say: I heard Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Khuzaymah, rahimahullah, say: "Whoever does not affirm that Allah is above His Throne, having risen above His seven heavens, is a disbeliever in Him. He must be asked to repent; if he repents, [fine], otherwise his neck is to be struck, and he is to be thrown on a garbage heap—where both Muslims and people of the covenant are not harmed by the stench of his corpse. His wealth becomes spoils of war (fayʾ), and no one among the Muslims inherits from him—for a Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever, just as the Prophet ﷺ said." [Ithbaat Sifah al-'Uluww - Ibn Qudamah - Page 185]

Ibn Qudamah relates from Ibn Khuzaymah while the Asha'irah hate him. This further proves that Ibn Qudamah could not have been an Ash'ari.

٩٧- وَذَكَرَ أَبُو عُمَرَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ حَدِيثَ مَالِكٍ فِي الْمُوَطَّإِ (عَنِ) (٣) ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَغَرِّ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) (٤) أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: "يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ، مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ، مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ" وَقَالَ (١) : هَذَا حَدِيثٌ ثَابِتٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ النَّقْلِ، صَحِيحُ الأَسَانِيدِ، لَا يَخْتَلِفُ أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ فِي صِحَّتِهِ، وَهُوَ مَنْقُولٌ مِنْ طُرُقٍ سِوَى هَذِهِ مِنْ أَخْبَارِ الْعُدُولِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (٢) ، وَفِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فِي السَّمَاءِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ، مِنْ فَوْقِ سَبْعِ سَمَاوَاتٍ، كَمَا قَالَتِ الْجَمَاعَةُ، وَهُوَ مِنْ حُجَّتِهِمْ عَلَى الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ فِي قَوْلِهِمْ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ مَكَانٍ، قَالَ: وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى صِحَّةِ قَوْلِ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى} (١) ، وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ} (٢) ، وَقُوْلُهُ سُبْحَانَهُ: {أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ} (٣) ، وَقَالَ: {إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ} (٤) ، وَقَالَ: {يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ} (٥) ، وَقَالَ: {يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ} (١) ، وَقَالَ: {تَعْرُجُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ} (٢) ، وَقَالَ: {وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ} (٣) ، وَقَالَ لِعِيسَى: {إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ} (٤) ، وَقَالَ: {بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ} (٥) ، وَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي مَوْضِعَيْنِ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ عَنْ فِرْعَوْنَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْحًا لَعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَابَ أَسْبَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لأَظُنُّهُ كَاذِبًا} (٦) ، يَعْنِي: أَظُنُّ مُوسَى كَاذِبًا فِي أَنَّ لَهُ إِلَهًا فِي السَّمَاءِ، هَذِهِ الآيَةُ تَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ مُوسَى كَانَ يَقُولُ: إِلَهِي فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَفِرْعَوْنُ يَظُنُّهُ كَاذِبًا. قَالَ: وَمِنَ الْحُجَّةِ أَيْضًا فِي أَنَّهُ عَلَى العرش فوق السموات السَّبْعِ: أَنَّ الْمَوْجُودِينَ أَجْمَعِينَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ وَالْعَجَمِ، إِذَا كَرَبَهُمْ أَمْرٌ، وَنَزَلَتْ بِهِمْ شِدَّةٌ، رَفَعُوا وُجُوهَهُمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَنَصَبُوا أَيْدِيهِمْ، رافعين لها، مشرين بِهَا إِلَى السماء، يستغيثون الله رَبِّهِمْ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى. وَهَذَا أَشْهَرُ وَأَعْرَفُ عِنْدَ الْخَاصَّةِ وَالْعَامَّةِ مِنْ (أَنْ) (٧) يُحْتَاجَ أَكْثَرِ مِنْ حِكَايَتِهِ، لِأَنَّهُ اضْطِرَارٌ لَمْ يُوقِفْهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ، وَلَا أَنْكَرَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مُسْلِمٌ، وَقَدْ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِلْأَمَةِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ مَوْلَاهَا عِتْقَهَا، وَكَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ رَقَبَةٌ مُؤْمِنَةٌ، فَاخْتَبَرَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِأَنْ قَالَ لَهَا: أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَقَالَ لَهَا: مَنْ أَنَا؟ قَالَتْ: رَسُولُ اللَّهِ. قَالَ: اعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ (٨) فَاكْتَفَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِرَفْعِ رَأْسِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَاسْتَغْنَى بِذَلِكَ عَمَّا سِوَاهُ (١) .
[ص185-189 - كتاب إثبات صفة العلو ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah mentioned: Abū ʿUmar Ibn ʿAbdul-Barr mentioned the ḥadīth of Mālik in the Muwaṭṭaʾ from Ibn Shihāb, from Abū Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Agharr, both from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Our Lord—Blessed and Exalted is He—descends to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains and says: Who is calling upon Me, so that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me, so that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?" And he (Ibn ʿAbdul-Barr) said: This ḥadīth is reliably transmitted, with authentic chains of narration. The people of ḥadīth do not differ regarding its authenticity. It has been transmitted through other routes as well from trustworthy narrators, from the Prophet ﷺ. And in it is evidence that Allah is above the heaven, above the Throne, above the seven heavens, just as the Jama'ah has said. It (those narrations) is among their proofs against the Muʿtazilah in their claim that Allah is in every place. He said: *And the evidence for the correctness of the view of the people of truth is the saying of Allah Almighty: {The Most Merciful rose over the Throne} [Quran 20:5], and His statement: {Then He rose over the Throne} [Quran 7:54], and His statement: {Do you feel secure from the One who is in the heaven?} [Quran 67:16], and His statement: {To Him ascends the good word} [Quran 35:10], and His statement: {They fear their Lord above them} [Quran 16:50], and His statement: {He regulates the affair from the heaven to the earth, then it ascends to Him} [Quran 32:5], and His statement: {The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him} [Quran 70:4], and His statement: {And He is the Subjugator above His slaves} [Quran 6:18], and His statement to ʿĪsā: {Indeed, I will take you and raise you to Myself} [Quran 3:55], and His statement: {Rather, Allah raised him to Himself} [Quran 4:158].* And Allah has informed us in two places in His Book that Pharaoh said: {O Hāmān, build for me a tower so that I may reach the ways, the ways of the heavens, so that I may look upon the God of Mūsā, and indeed, I think he is a liar} [Quran 40:36–37]. Meaning, 'I think Mūsā is lying in saying that he has a god in the heaven.' This verse indicates that Mūsā used to say: My Lord is in the heaven, and Pharaoh considered him to be lying. He (Ibn 'Abdul-Barr) said: And among the proofs that He is above the Throne, above the seven heavens, is that all people, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, when faced with distress or calamity, they instinctively raise their faces to the heaven, and stretch their hands upward, pointing toward the heaven, seeking aid from Allah, their Lord—Blessed and Exalted is He. This is more well-known and widely acknowledged among the elite and common folk alike than to require lengthy explanation—for it is an instinctive response that no one taught them, nor has any Muslim ever rejected it. And the Prophet ﷺ said to the slave girl whose master wanted to set her free (as part of expiation for a vow, since he had a believing soul to free): He tested her by asking: "Where is Allah?" She pointed to the heaven. He said to her: "And who am I?" She said: "You are the Messenger of Allah." He said: "Free her, for she is a believer." So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was satisfied with her pointing her head toward the heaven, and considered that sufficient evidence of her faith—dispensing with any further questioning. [Ithbaat Sifah al-'Uluww - Ibn Qudamah - Page 185-189]

Affirming the Attributes of Allah in the literal sense

Ibn Qudamah was an affirmer of Allah's Attributes, as he takes the apparent meaning of the verses and narrations regarding Allah's Attributes. This goes against the Mufawwidah, who believe that one should leave the apparent meaning and believe that the meaning is only known by Allah.

وعلى هذا درج السلف وأئمة الخلف رضي الله عنهم، كلهم متفقون على الإقرار والإمرار والإثبات، لما ورد من الصفات في كتاب الله وسنة رسوله من غير تعرض لتأويله. وقد أمرنا بالاقتفاء لآثارهم، والاهتداء بمنارهم (١) وحذرنا المحدثات وأخبرنا أنها من الضلالات، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «عليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي، عضوا عليها بالنواجذ، وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور، فإن كل محدثة بدعة، وكل بدعة ضلالة» (٢) .
[ص8-7 - كتاب لمعة الاعتقاد]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Upon this path the Salaf (pious predecessors) and the leading scholars who came after them — may Allah be pleased with them — proceeded. All of them were united in affirming, accepting, and passing on (the texts) as they came, without delving into interpretation (ta’wīl) of the attributes mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. We have been commanded to follow in their footsteps and to be guided by their light. We have been warned against innovations, and informed that they are forms of misguidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Hold on to it with your molar teeth. Beware of newly introduced matters, for every innovation is a bid‘ah, and every bid‘ah is misguidance.'" [Lum'at al-I'tiqaad - Ibn Qudamah - Page 7-8]

فمما جاء من آيات الصفات قول الله عز وجل: {وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ} [الرحمن: ٢٧] وقوله سبحانه وتعالى: {بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ} [المائدة: ٦٤] وقوله تعالى إخبارا عن عيسى عليه السلام أنه قال: {تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ} [المائدة: ١١٦] وقوله سبحانه: {وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ} [الفجر: ٢٢] وقوله تعالى: {هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ} [البقرة: ٢١٠] وقوله تعالى: {رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ} [المائدة: ١١٩] وقوله تعالى: {يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ} [المائدة: ٥٤] وقوله تعالى في الكفار: {وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ} [الفتح: ٦] وقوله تعالى: {اتَّبَعُوا مَا أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ} [محمد: ٢٨] وقوله تعالى: {كَرِهَ اللَّهُ انْبِعَاثَهُمْ} [التوبة: ٤٦] ومن السنة، قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «ينزل ربنا تبارك وتعالى كل ليلة إلى سماء الدنيا» (١) وقوله: «يعجب ربك من الشاب ليست له صبوة» (٢) وقوله: «يضحك الله إلى رجلين قتل أحدهما الآخر ثم يدخلان الجنة» (٣) فهذا وما أشبهه مما صح سنده وعدلت رواته، نؤمن به، ولا نرده ولا نجحده ولا نتأوله بتأويل يخالف ظاهره، ولا نشبهه بصفات المخلوقين، ولا بسمات المحدثين، ونعلم أن الله سبحانه وتعالى لا شبيه له ولا نظير {لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ} [الشورى: ١١] وكل ما تخيل في الذهن أو خطر بالبال فإن الله تعالى بخلافه.
[ص12-10 - كتاب لمعة الاعتقاد]

Ibn Qudamah said: Among the verses that mention Allah’s attributes are His words, the Mighty and Exalted: {But the Face of your Lord will remain} [Ar-Rahman: 27], His saying: {Rather, both His Hands are extended} [Al-Ma'idah: 64], And His saying, informing about ‘Isa (peace be upon him), that he said: {You know what is within myself, but I do not know what is within Yourself} [Al-Ma'idah: 116], And His saying: {And your Lord will come} [Al-Fajr: 22], And His saying: {Are they waiting except that Allah should come to them} [Al-Baqarah: 210], And His saying: {Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him} [Al-Ma'idah: 119], And His saying: {He loves them, and they love Him} [Al-Ma'idah: 54], And His saying regarding the disbelievers: {Allah became angry with them} [Al-Fath: 6], And His saying: {They followed that which angered Allah} [Muhammad: 28], And His saying: {Allah disliked their being sent forth} [At-Tawbah: 46]. And from the Sunnah: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven." And he said: "Your Lord marvels at a young man who has no inclination to sin." And he said: "Allah laughs at two men: one kills the other, yet both enter Paradise." These and similar texts — whose chains of transmission are authentic and whose narrators are trustworthy — we believe in them. We do not reject them, nor do we deny them, nor do we interpret them in a way that contradicts their apparent meaning (dhahirihi). We do not liken them to the attributes of created beings, nor do we describe them with the traits of those who are created. We know that Allah, Exalted is He, has no equal and no one who is like Him: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing} [Ash-Shura: 11]. And whatever is imagined in the mind or crosses the heart — Allah is completely unlike it. [Lum'at al-I'tiqaad - Ibn Qudamah - Page 10-12]

٦ - وَمذهب السّلف رَحْمَة الله عَلَيْهِم الْإِيمَان بِصِفَات الله تَعَالَى وأسمائه الَّتِي وصف بهَا نَفسه فِي آيَاته وتنزيله أَو على لِسَان رَسُوله من غير زِيَادَة عَلَيْهَا وَلَا نقص مِنْهَا وَلَا تجَاوز لَهَا وَلَا تَفْسِير وَلَا تَأْوِيل لَهَا بِمَا يُخَالف ظَاهرهَا وَلَا تَشْبِيه بِصِفَات المخلوقين وَلَا سمات الْمُحدثين بل أمروها كَمَا جَاءَت وردوا علمهَا إِلَى قَائِلهَا وَمَعْنَاهَا إِلَى الْمُتَكَلّم بهَا
٧ - وَقَالَ بَعضهم ويروى ذَلِك عَن الشَّافِعِي رَحْمَة الله عَلَيْهِ آمَنت بِمَا جَاءَ عَن الله على مُرَاد الله وَبِمَا جَاءَ عَن رَسُول الله على مُرَاد رَسُول الله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم
٨ - وَعَلمُوا أَن الْمُتَكَلّم بهَا صَادِق لَا شكّ فِي صدقه فصدقوه وَلم يعلمُوا حَقِيقَة مَعْنَاهَا فَسَكَتُوا عَمَّا لم يعلموه وَأخذ ذَلِك الآخر وَالْأول ووصى بَعضهم بَعْضًا بِحسن الإتباع وَالْوُقُوف حَيْثُ وقف أَوَّلهمْ وحذروا من التجاوز لَهُم والعدول عَن طريقهم وبينوا لَهُم سبيلهم ومذهبهم ونرجوا أَن يجعلنا الله تَعَالَى مِمَّن اقْتدى بهم فِي بَيَان مَا بَينُوهُ وسلوك الطَّرِيق الَّذِي سلكوه
[ص11 - كتاب ذم التأويل]

Ibn Qudamah said: The creed of the Salaf — may Allah have mercy on them — was to believe in the Names and Attributes of Allah the Exalted as He described Himself with them in His verses and revelation, or upon the tongue of His Messenger, without adding to them, nor taking away from them, nor exceeding them, nor interpreting or explaining them in a way that contradicts their apparent meaning (dhahirihi), and without likening them to the attributes of created beings or the qualities of those who are originated. Rather, they accepted them as they came, entrusted the knowledge of them to the One who said them, and referred their (descriptive) meaning to the One who spoke them. Some of them said — and this is narrated from al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah have mercy on him: "I believe in what has come from Allah in the way He intended, and in what has come from the Messenger of Allah in the way the Messenger of Allah intended." And they knew that the One who spoke them is truthful, and there is no doubt about His truthfulness, so they believed Him, but they did not know the reality of the meaning (meaning: kayfiyyah) — so they remained silent about what they did not know. The latter took this from the former. And they advised one another to follow rightly and to stop where their predecessors stopped, and they warned against exceeding their bounds and straying from their path. They clarified their way and their creed. And we hope that Allah the Exalted makes us among those who follow them in clarifying what they clarified and in treading the path they walked. [Dhamm al-Tawil - Ibn Qudamah - Page 11]

Ibn Qudamah meant to say that the Attributes of Allah are to be taken upon their apparent meaning, and that the description of it is left to Allah (tafwid al-kayfiyyah).

A person might read this quote of Ibn Qudamah and find it difficult to understand, because it seems to suggest opposing stances: taking the literal while delegating the meaning to Allah (tafwid al-ma'na).

However, it becomes quite clear after reading the whole quote and putting it into context. Ibn Qudamah was talking about delegating the reality of the meaning to Allah. Meaning, he delegated the knowledge of the kayfiyyah (details) to Allah, and this is the way of the Salaf Saliheen.

Besides this, it also becomes clear that Ibn Qudamah could not have been a mufawwid, or that he meant that one should delegate the meaning to Allah. This is because Ibn Qudamah believes that Allah's 'Uluww is literal, and that His Speech consists of both letters and sound (literal speech).

١٥ - أخبرنَا الْمُبَارك بن عَليّ الصَّيْرَفِي إِذْنا أَنبأَنَا أَبُو الْحسن مُحَمَّد بن مَرْزُوق ابْن عبد الرازق الزَّعْفَرَانِي أَنبأَنَا الْحَافِظ أَبُو بكر أَحْمد بن عَليّ بن ثَابت الطّيب قَالَ أما الْكَلَام فِي الصِّفَات فَإِن مَا رُوِيَ مِنْهَا فِي السّنَن الصِّحَاح مَذْهَب السّلف رَضِي الله عَنْهُم إِثْبَاتهَا وإجراؤها على ظَاهرهَا وَنفي الْكَيْفِيَّة والتشبيه عَنْهَا وَالْأَصْل فِي هَذَا أَن الْكَلَام فِي الصِّفَات فرع على الْكَلَام فِي الذَّات ويحتذى فِي ذَلِك حذوه ومثاله فَإِذا كَانَ مَعْلُوما أَن إِثْبَات رب الْعَالمين عز وَجل إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِثْبَات وجود لَا إِثْبَات تَحْدِيد وتكييف فَكَذَلِك إِثْبَات صِفَاته إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِثْبَات وجود لَا إِثْبَات تَحْدِيد وتكييف فَإِذا قُلْنَا لله تَعَالَى يَد وَسمع وبصر فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ إِثْبَات صِفَات أثبتها الله تَعَالَى لنَفسِهِ وَلَا نقُول إِن معنى الْيَد الْقُدْرَة وَلَا أَن معنى السّمع وَالْبَصَر الْعلم وَلَا نقُول إِنَّهَا الْجَوَارِح وَلَا نشبهها بِالْأَيْدِي والأسماع والأبصار الَّتِي هِيَ جوارح وأدوات الْفِعْل ونقول إِنَّمَا ورد إِثْبَاتهَا لِأَن التَّوْقِيف ورد بهَا وَوَجَب نفي التَّشْبِيه عَنْهَا لقَوْله تبَارك وَتَعَالَى {لَيْسَ كمثله شَيْء وَهُوَ السَّمِيع الْبَصِير} [الشورى ١١] وَقَوله عز وَجل {وَلم يكن لَهُ كفوا أحد} [الْإِخْلَاص ٤]
[ص15 - كتاب ذم التأويل]

Ibn Qudamah mentioned: Al-Mubārak ibn ʿAlī al-Ṣayrafī informed us by authorization; he said: Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad ibn Marzūq ibn ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Zaʿfarānī informed us; he said: Al-Ḥāfidh Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Thābit al-Ṭayyib (Khatib al-Baghdadi) said: "As for discourse regarding the attributes (ṣifāt) [of Allah], then what has been authentically narrated about them in the reliable sunan collections – the methodology of the Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them) is to affirm them and to carry them according to their apparent wording (ʿalā ẓāhirihā), while negating modality (kayfiyyah) and anthropomorphism (tashbīh) from them. The principle in this matter is that discourse about the attributes is a branch of discourse about the essence (dhāt) [of Allah], and it follows its pattern and example. So just as it is known that affirming the Lord of the Worlds (Mighty and Majestic) is merely an affirmation of existence, not an affirmation of limits or modality, so likewise affirming His attributes is merely an affirmation of their existence, not an affirmation of limits or modality. So when we say: Allah the Exalted has a hand (yad), and hearing (samʿ), and sight (baṣar), then it is only an affirmation of attributes that Allah affirmed for Himself. We do not say that “hand” means power (qudrah), nor that “hearing” and “sight” mean knowledge (ʿilm), nor do we say that these are limbs (jawāriḥ), nor do we liken them to hands, ears, or eyes that are limbs and tools of action. We say: These attributes were affirmed because we have been textually commanded to do so (tawqīf), and we must negate any resemblance (tashbīh) concerning them, due to His statement — Blessed and Exalted is He: 'There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.' [al-Shūrā 11] and His statement — Mighty and Majestic: 'And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.' [al-Ikhlāṣ 4]" [Dhamm al-Tawil - Ibn Qudamah - Page 15]

Here Ibn Qudamah is relating the saying of Khatib al-Baghdadi, who is disputed whether he was an Ash'ari or Sunni like Ibn Qudamah himself.

Ibn Qudamah related the saying of Khatib, which means he views him to hold the same belief as himself. For this reason, we hold Khatib al-Baghdadi to be a Sunni as well, who is against the belief of the Asha'irah.

A passage before the one we quoted talks about Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, who also affirms the correct position regarding Allah's Attributes.

Some passages later, Ibn Qudamah lists others who say that the correct belief is to affirm the apparent meaning while rejecting tashbih. These are scholars such as: Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ibrahim Al-Ismaili, Ibn Wadah, Yahya bin Ammar, Abu Uthman Ismail bin Abdul Rahman Al-Sabuni, Abu Umar Ibn Abdul-Barr, Imam al-Lalakaee, and others.

٩٣ - فَإِن قيل فقد تأولتم آيَات وأخبارا فقلتم فِي قَوْله تَعَالَى {وَهُوَ مَعكُمْ أَيْن مَا كُنْتُم} [الْحَدِيد ٤] أَي بِالْعلمِ وَنَحْو هَذَا من الْآيَات وَالْأَخْبَار فيلزمكم مَا لزمنا
٩٤ - قُلْنَا نَحن لم نتأول شَيْئا وَحمل هَذِه اللفظات على هَذِه الْمعَانِي لَيْسَ بِتَأْوِيل لِأَن التَّأْوِيل صرف اللَّفْظ عَن ظَاهره وَهَذِه الْمعَانِي هِيَ الظَّاهِر من هَذِه الْأَلْفَاظ بِدَلِيل أَنه الْمُتَبَادر إِلَى الأفهام مِنْهَا
٩٥ - وَظَاهر اللَّفْظ هُوَ مَا يسْبق إِلَى الْفَهم مِنْهُ حَقِيقَة كَانَ أَو مجَازًا
[ص45 - كتاب ذم التأويل]

Ibn Qudamah mentioned: If it is said: “You yourselves have interpreted (figuratively) certain verses and reports. For example, in Allah’s saying: {And He is with you wherever you are} [al-Ḥadīd: 4] you said it means: ‘He is with you by His knowledge.’ And likewise with other verses and reports. Therefore, the same criticism you direct at us applies to you too.” We say: We have not engaged in interpretation (taʾwīl) at all. Interpreting these expressions with such meanings is not taʾwīl, because taʾwīl is to divert the expression away from its apparent meaning. And these (like “with you by His knowledge”) are in fact to be understood in their apparent meanings of these words — evidenced by the fact that these are what immediately come to mind upon hearing them. The dhahir of a word is what first comes to the mind upon hearing it, regardless of it being literal (ḥaqīqah) or figurative (majāz). [Dhamm al-Tawil - Ibn Qudamah - Page 45]

Here Ibn Qudamah explains what the term 'dhahir' means, and he says that it means whatever comes to mind when hearing it. And because he showed his approach of taking the apparent, it cannot be said that he is a mufawwid, as he accepts the dhahir meaning while rejecting tashbih.

٩٨- قَالَ أَبُو عُمَرَ -رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ-: أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ مُجْمِعُونَ عَلَى الإِقْرَارِ بِالصِّفَاتِ الْوَارِدَةِ كُلِّهَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، وَالإِيمَانِ بِهَا، وَحَمْلِهَا عَلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ لَا عَلَى الْمَجَازِ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَيِّفُونَ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَلَا يَحُدُّونَ فِيهِ صِفَةً مَحْصُورَةً. وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الْبِدَعِ، الْجَهْمِيَّةُ (٢) ، وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةُ (٣) كُلُّهَا، وَالْخَوَارِجُ، فَكُلُّهُمْ يُنْكِرُهَا، وَلَا يَحْمِلُ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا عَلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ، وَيَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ مَنْ أَقَرَّ بِهَا مُشَبِّهٌ، وَهُمْ عِنْدَ مَنْ أَقَرَّ بِهَا نَافُونَ لِلْمَعْبُودِ، وَالْحَقُّ فِيمَا قَالَهُ الْقَائِلُونَ بِمَا يَنْطِقُ بِهِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَسُنَّةُ رَسُولِهِ، وَهُمْ أَئِمَّةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (١) .
[ص189-190 - كتاب إثبات صفة العلو ابن قدامة]

Ibn Qudamah mentioned: Abu ‘Umar (Ibn 'Abdul-Barr), rahimahullah, said: "Ahl Sunnah unanimously agree upon affirming all of the attributes that are mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah, and believing in them, and carrying them upon their literal (real) meaning, not figuratively. However, they do not delve into how any of them are (i.e., they do not ask 'how?' or assign a modality), nor do they restrict the attributes to be limited. As for the people of innovation — the Jahmiyyah, all of the Mu'tazilah, and the Khawārij — all of them deny these attributes and do not take anything from them literally. They claim that whoever affirms these attributes is resembling (God to creation). However, according to those who affirm these attributes, those who deny them are negating the existence of the deity. The truth lies with those who speak according to what the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger have spoken, and they are the leaders of the congregation, and praise be to Allah." [Ithbaat Sifah al-'Uluww - Ibn Qudamah - Page 189-190]

Ibn Qudamah condemns the Asha'irah and their likes

Ibn Qudamah is a staunch opponent of the Asha'irah and their ways in dealing with the Attributes of Allah. He deems them to be innovators, and he excludes them from Ahl Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.

Even worse is that he regards the Asha'irah to be Zanadiqah (heretics), excluding them from Islam.

ومن السنة: هجران أهل البدع ومباينتهم، وترك الجدال والخصومات في الدين، وترك النظر في كتب المبتدعة، والإصغاء إلى كلامهم، وكل محدثة في الدين بدعة، وكل متسم بغير الإسلام والسنة مبتدع، كالرافضة (١) والجهمية (٢) والخوارج (٣) والقدرية (٤) والمرجئة (٥) والمعتزلة (٦) والكرامية (١) والكلابية (٢) ونظائرهم، فهذه فرق الضلال، وطوائف البدع، أعاذنا الله منها.
[ص42-40 - كتاب لمعة الاعتقاد]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Among the practices of the Sunnah is to shun the people of innovation, to keep away from them, to avoid disputation and arguments in matters of religion, to refrain from reading the books of the innovators, and from listening to their speech. Every newly introduced matter in the religion is an innovation (bid‘ah), and everyone who affiliates themselves with anything other than Islam and the Sunnah is an innovator — such as the Rāfiḍah, the Jahmiyyah, the Khawārij, the Qadariyyah, the Murji'ah, the Muʿtazilah, the Karrāmiyyah, the Kullābiyyah, and their likes. These are the sects of misguidance and the factions of innovation — may Allah protect us from them." [Lum'at al-I'tiqaad - Ibn Qudamah - Page 40-42]

قَالَ السَّيْفُ: وَكَتَبَ ابْنُ الجَوْزِيِّ عَنْ كَلَامِ شَيْخِ الإِسْلَامِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ كَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ الأَنْصَارِيُّ يَمِيْلُ إِلَى التَّشْبِيْهِ، فَلَا يُقْبَلُ قَوْلُهُ، فَأَلْحَقَ جَدِّي: حَاشَاهُ مِنَ التَّشْبِيهِ، وَلَا يُقْبَلُ قَوْلُ ابنِ الجَوْزِيِّ فِيْهِ.
[ذيل طبقات الحنابلة - المجلد ٣ - الصفحة ٣٠٤]

Al-Sayf (Ibn Al-Majd) said: "Ibn al-Jawzi wrote about the words of Sheikh al-Islam al-Ansari (al-Harawi): Abdullah al-Ansari inclined towards anthropomorphism (al-Harawi), so his words are not accepted. My grandfather (Ibn Qudamah) added: Far removed is he (al-Harawi) from anthropomorphism, and the words of Ibn al-Jawzi regarding him are not accepted." [Dhayl Tabaqat al-Hanabilah - Volume 3 - Page 304]

Ibn Qudamah defends Abu Ismail al-Harawi, who is the author of Dhamm al-Kalaam, by saying that one should not accuse him of anthropomorphism.

If Ibn Qudamah was a Mufawwid, he would have never defended Abu Ismail al-Harawi, as he is a staunch opponent of the Asha'irah, and even made takfir of them. The Mufawwidah regard Abu Ismail al-Harawi to be from the anthropomorphists.

وَأما قَوْله إِن الْإِخْبَار يجب إطراحها لِأَنَّهَا أَخْبَار آحَاد وَقد ثَبت بأدلة الْعُقُول الْقطع بِنَفْي التَّشْبِيه والتجسيم فَالْجَوَاب عَنهُ من وَجْهَيْن
أَحدهمَا بَيَان وجوب قبُول هَذِه الْأَخْبَار لوَجْهَيْنِ أَحدهمَا اتِّفَاق الْأَئِمَّة عل نقلهَا وروايتها وتخريجها فِي الصِّحَاح وَالْمَسَانِيد وتدوينها فِي الدَّوَاوِين وَحكم الْحفاظ المتفقين عَلَيْهَا بِالصِّحَّةِ وعَلى رواتها بالإتقان وَالْعَدَالَة فطرحها مُخَالف للْإِجْمَاع خَارج عَن أهل الِاتِّفَاق فَلَا يلْتَفت إِلَيْهِ وَلَا يعرج عَلَيْهِ وَالثَّانِي أَن رُوَاة هَذِه الْأَخْبَار هم نقلة الشَّرِيعَة ورواة الْأَحْكَام وَعَلَيْهِم الِاعْتِمَاد فِي بَيَان الْحَلَال وَالْحرَام فِي الدّين
وَإِذا أبطلنا قَوْلهم بتأويلنا وَجب رد قَوْلهم ثمَّ فَتبْطل الشَّرِيعَة وَيذْهب الدّين
الْجَواب الثَّانِي أننا لَا نسلم لَهُ فِي جَمِيعهَا أَنَّهَا أَخْبَار آحَاد
فَإِن مِنْهَا مَا نقل من طرق كَثِيرَة متواطئة يصدق بَعْضهَا بَعْضًا وَيشْهد بَعْضهَا لبَعض
فَهِيَ وَإِن لم تتواتر آحادها لَكِن حصل من الْمَجْمُوع الْقطع وَالْيَقِين بِثُبُوت أَصْلهَا وَيَكْفِي ذَلِك فِي التَّوَاتُر
فإننا نقطع بسخاء حَاتِم وشجاعة عَليّ وَعدل عمر وَعلم عَائِشَة وَخِلَافَة الْخُلَفَاء الْأَرْبَعَة وَلم ينْقل إِلَيْنَا فِيهَا خبر وَاحِد متواتر لَكِن تظاهرت الْأَخْبَار بهَا وَصدق بَعْضهَا بَعْضًا وَلم يُوجد لَهَا مكذب فَحصل التَّوَاتُر بالمجموع
كَذَا هَهُنَا
[ص57-56 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "As for his claim that these reports must be discarded because they are solitary (āḥād) reports, and that definitive rational proofs establish the negation of anthropomorphism (tashbīh) and corporealism (tajsīm), the response is from two angles: 1: the obligation to accept these reports is based on two considerations that the imams agreed on transmitting, narrating, and producing them in the Ṣaḥīḥs, the Masānīd, and recording them in the well-known compilations. The hadith scholars unanimously judged them to be authentic and judged their transmitters to be precise and trustworthy. Therefore, discarding them is contrary to consensus, and outside the fold of agreement. For this reason, this stance (of disregarding Ahad reports) deserves no attention or regard. 2: The narrators of these reports are the very same transmitters of the Sharīʿah and narrators of legal rulings, and upon them relies the explanation of what is ḥalāl and ḥarām in the religion. If we invalidate their statements through our interpretation, then we must reject all their reports. Consequently, the Sharīʿah would be nullified and the religion lost. The second response is that we do not concede that all of these reports are solitary reports (āḥād). Because some of them have been transmitted through multiple corroborating chains which support each other and testify to one another. Even if their individual chains do not reach the level of tawātur (mass-transmission), the collective body of these reports yields certainty and assurance about the authenticity of their origin. And this suffices for establishing tawātur. For instance, we are certain about the generosity of Ḥātim, the bravery of ʿAlī, the justice of ʿUmar, the knowledge of ʿĀʾishah, and the caliphate of the four rightly guided caliphs — despite the fact that not a single one of these was conveyed to us through mutawātir reports. Rather, the reports about them corroborate one another, none of them were contradicted by any report, and thus tawātur was achieved by the collective whole. Such is the case here (about Ahad reports regarding Allah's Attributes)." [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Page 56-57]

Ibn Qudamah accepts Ahad reports, unlike the Asha'irah who disregard them.

وَهَذَا حَال هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْم لَا محَالة فهم زنادقة بِغَيْر شكّ فَإِنَّهُ لَا شكّ فِي أَنهم يظهرون تَعْظِيم الْمَصَاحِف إيهاما أَن فِيهَا الْقُرْآن ويعتقدون فِي الْبَاطِن أَنه لَيْسَ فِيهَا إِلَّا الْوَرق والمداد ويظهرون تَعْظِيم الْقُرْآن ويجتمعون لقرَاءَته فِي المحافل والأعرية ويعتقدون أَنه من تأليف جِبْرِيل وَعبارَته ويظهرون أَن مُوسَى سمع كَلَام الله من الله ثمَّ يَقُولُونَ لَيْسَ بِصَوْت
وَيَقُولُونَ فِي أذانهم وصلواتهم أشهد ان مُحَمَّدًا رَسُول الله ويعتقدون أَنه انْقَطَعت رسَالَته ونبوته بِمَوْتِهِ وَأَنه لم يبْق رَسُول الله وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ رَسُول الله فِي حَيَاته وَحَقِيقَة مَذْهَبهم أَنه لَيْسَ فِي السَّمَاء إِلَه وَلَا فِي الأَرْض قُرْآن وَلَا أَن مُحَمَّدًا رَسُول الله وَلَيْسَ فِي أهل الْبدع كلهم من يتظاهر بِخِلَاف مَا يَعْتَقِدهُ غَيرهم وَغير من أشبههم من الزَّنَادِقَة
[ص51-50 - كتاب المناظرة في القرآن]

Ibn Qudamah said: "And this is undoubtedly the condition of these people — they are certainly zanadiqah without any doubt. For there is no doubt that they outwardly show veneration for the muṣḥafs (written copies of the Quran) to give the impression that the Quran is in them, while inwardly they believe that they contain nothing but paper and ink. They outwardly display reverence for the Quran and gather to recite it in public assemblies and ceremonies, while inwardly believing that it is the composition and expression of Jibrīl. And they outwardly claim that Mūsā heard the speech of Allah from Allah, then they say that it was without sound." "They say in their call to prayer and their prayers: ‘I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’, yet they believe that his message and prophethood ended with his death, and that he is no longer the Messenger of Allah — rather, he was the Messenger of Allah only during his lifetime. The true reality of their doctrine is that there is no God in the heavens, nor is there a Quran on earth, nor that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Among all the people of innovation, there is none who outwardly shows the opposite of what they inwardly believe more than them and those like them from among the heretics (zanādiqah)." [Al-Manadhirah fi al-Quran - Page 50-51]

Ibn Qudamah is very harsh towards the Asha'irah, as could clearly be seen in his sayings. How can some say that he was a mufawwid, while he views the Asha'irah to be zanadiqah!?

He then adds to this by speaking harshly about the founder of the Asha'irah: Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari:

وَمن الْعجب أَن إمَامهمْ الَّذِي أنشأ هَذِه الْبِدْعَة رجل لم يعرف بدين وَلَا ورع وَلَا شَيْء من عُلُوم الشَّرِيعَة الْبَتَّةَ وَلَا ينْسب إِلَيْهِ من الْعلم إِلَّا علم الْكَلَام المذموم وهم يعترفون بِأَنَّهُ أَقَامَ على الاعتزال أَرْبَعِينَ عَاما ثمَّ أظهر الرُّجُوع عَنهُ فَلم يظْهر مِنْهُ بعد التَّوْبَة سوى هَذِه الْبِدْعَة فَكيف تصور فِي عُقُولهمْ أَن الله لَا يوفق لمعْرِفَة الْحق إِلَّا عدوه وَلَا يَجْعَل الْهدى إِلَّا مَعَ من لَيْسَ لَهُ فِي علم الاسلام نصيب وَلَا فِي الدّين حَظّ ثمَّ إِن هَذِه الْبِدْعَة مَعَ ظُهُور فَسَادهَا وَزِيَادَة قبحها قد انتشرت انتشارا كثيرا وَظَهَرت ظهورا عَظِيما وأظنها آخر الْبدع وأخبثها وَعَلَيْهَا تقوم السَّاعَة وَأَنَّهَا لَا تزداد إِلَّا كَثْرَة وانتشارا
[ص51 - كتاب المناظرة في القرآن]

Ibn Qudamah said: "And among the astonishing things is that the imam (leader) of theirs who originated this innovation was a man not known for religion, nor for piety, nor for any knowledge of the Shari‘ah whatsoever. He is not attributed with any knowledge except the blameworthy ‘ilm al-kalām (theological dialectic). They themselves admit that he adhered to the doctrine of i‘tizāl (Mu‘tazilism) for forty years, then claimed to have abandoned it — yet nothing appeared from him after his ‘repentance’ except this innovation. So how can it be conceived in their minds that Allah would not guide anyone to the truth except His enemy, and that He would place guidance only with someone who has no share in the knowledge of Islam, nor any portion in the religion? Furthermore, this innovation — despite the clear evidence of its corruption and the increasing ugliness of it — has spread widely and appeared greatly. I suspect it is the last of the innovations and the most wicked of them. Upon it the Hour (Day of Judgment) will be established. And it will only continue to increase in number and spread further." [Al-Manadhirah fi al-Quran - Page 51-53]

Here Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari is critiqued harshly, being attributed to having no knowledge of Islam, nor being known for it. Would a mufawwid every speak about his imam in this way!?

Ibn Qudamah also adds that the Asha'irah are the worst kind of innovation that has ever emerged, and that it has spread widely during his time. And we are still witnessing it growing till this day.

وَلَا خلاف بَين الْمُسلمين أَجْمَعِينَ أَن من جحد آيَة أَو كلمة مُتَّفقا عَلَيْهَا أَو حرفا مُتَّفقا عَلَيْهِ أَنه كَافِر وَقَالَ عَليّ رَضِي الله عَنهُ من كفر بِحرف مِنْهُ فقد كفر بِهِ كُله والأشعري يجحده كُله وَيَقُول لَيْسَ شَيْء مِنْهُ قُرْآنًا وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ كَلَام جِبْرِيل وَلَا خلاف بَين الْمُسلمين كلهم فِي انهم يَقُولُونَ قَالَ الله كَذَا إِذا أَرَادوا ان يخبروا عَن آيَة أَو يستشهدوا بِكَلِمَة من الْقُرْآن ويقرون كلهم بِأَن هَذَا قَول الله وَعند الْأَشْعَرِيّ لَيْسَ هَذَا قَول الله وانما هُوَ قَول جِبْرِيل فَكَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُم أَنهم يَقُولُونَ قَالَ جِبْرِيل أَو قَالَ النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم إِذا حكوا آيَة ثمَّ إِنَّهُم قد أقرُّوا ان الْقُرْآن كَلَام الله غير مَخْلُوق فَإِذا لم يكن الْقُرْآن هَذَا الْكتاب الْعَرَبِيّ الَّذِي سَمَّاهُ الله قُرْآنًا فَمَا الْقُرْآن عِنْدهم وَبِأَيِّ شَيْء علمُوا أَن غير هَذَا يُسمى قُرْآنًا فَإِن تَسْمِيَة الْقُرْآن إِنَّمَا تعلم من الشَّرْع أَو النَّص فَأَما الْعقل فَلَا يَقْتَضِي تَسْمِيَة صفة
[ص33 - كتاب المناظرة في القرآن]

Ibn Qudamah said: “There is no disagreement among all the Muslims that whoever denies a verse, a word agreed upon, or even a single letter agreed upon from the Quran is a disbeliever. And ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘Whoever disbelieves in a single letter of it has disbelieved in all of it.’ Yet al-Ashʿarī denies all of it and says that none of it is the Quran — rather, it is the speech of Jibrīl. And there is no disagreement among all Muslims that when they say ‘Allah said such and such,’ intending thereby to quote a verse or cite a word from the Quran, they all affirm that this is the speech of Allah. But according to al-Ashʿarī, this is not the speech of Allah — rather, it is the speech of Jibrīl. So it would have been more appropriate for them to say: ‘Jibrīl said,’ or ‘the Prophet ﷺ said,’ when quoting a verse. Moreover, they have acknowledged that the Quran is the uncreated speech of Allah. So if this Arabic book — which Allah Himself called the Quran — is not, according to them, the Quran, then what is the Quran in their view? And by what means did they come to know that something else is called the Quran? For the naming of the Quran is only known through the Sharʿ (divine law) or transmitted texts (naṣṣ), whereas the intellect cannot on its own determine what qualifies as a divine attribute.” [Al-Manadhirah fi al-Quran - Page 33]

Ibn Qudamah says that there is no disagreement among Muslims that rejecting anything from the Quran is considered major kufr, so how about Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari who rejects everything from it by saying it is not the actual Quran.

Al-Ash'ari views that whatever is in the mushaf is not the actual Quran. He came up with his own definition of Quran, saying it is the internal speech of Allah, that does not consist of letters or sound.

So basically, he views the Quran we have on earth to not be the actual Quran, as he believes the actual Quran is inside Allah, unexpressed. And that what we have on earth is just an expression of the actual Quran.

With this, it boils down to him believing that the Quran is created, just like the Mu'tazilah. But al-Ash'ari went further by concealing it more.

ومدار الْقَوْم على القَوْل بِخلق الْقُرْآن ووفاق الْمُعْتَزلَة وَلَكِن أَحبُّوا ان لَا يعلم بهم فارتكبوا مُكَابَرَة العيان وَجحد الْحَقَائِق وَمُخَالفَة الْإِجْمَاع ونبذ الْكتاب وَالسّنة وَرَاء ظُهُورهمْ وَالْقَوْل بِشَيْء لم يقلهُ قبلهم مُسلم وَلَا كَافِر
[ص34 - كتاب المناظرة في القرآن]

Ibn Qudamah said: "The foundation of their doctrine is the claim that the Quran is created, in agreement with the Muʿtazilah. But they preferred to conceal this, so they resorted to denying what is clearly visible, rejecting realities, opposing consensus, discarding the Book and the Sunnah, and saying something that no Muslim or disbeliever before them ever said." [Al-Manadhirah fi al-Quran - Page 34]

وَمن الْعجب انهم لَا يتجاسرون على إِظْهَار قَوْلهم وَلَا التَّصْرِيح بِهِ إِلَّا فِي الخلوات وَلَو أَنهم وُلَاة الْأَمر وأرباب الدولة وَإِذا حكيت عَنْهُم مقالتهم الَّتِي يعتقدونها كَرهُوا ذَلِك وأنكروا وكابروا عَلَيْهِ وَلَا يتظاهرون إِلَّا بتعظيم الْقُرْآن وتبجيل الْمَصَاحِف وَالْقِيَام لَهَا عِنْد رؤيتها وَفِي الخلوات يَقُولُونَ مَا فِيهَا إِلَّا الْوَرق والمداد وَأي شَيْء فِيهَا وَهَذَا فعل الزَّنَادِقَة
[ص34 - كتاب المناظرة في القرآن]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Astonishingly, they do not dare to make their belief public, nor to openly state it — except in secret gatherings — and only if they are among the authorities or rulers. If you report their belief as something they actually hold, they hate that, deny it, and dispute it. Outwardly, they appear to venerate the Quran, honor the physical muṣḥaf, and even stand for it when they see it. But in private they say: ‘There is nothing in it but paper and ink — what is in it anyway?’ This is the very behavior of the zanādiqah." [Al-Manadhirah fi al-Quran - Page 34]

وَلَقَد حكيت عَن الَّذِي جرت المناظرة بيني وَبَينه بعض مَا قَالَه فَنقل إِلَيْهِ ذَلِك فَغَضب وشق عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ من أكبر وُلَاة الْبَلَد وَمَا أفْصح لي بمقالته حَتَّى خلوت مَعَه وَقَالَ أُرِيد ان أَقُول لَك أقْصَى مَا فِي نَفسِي وَتقول لي اقصى مَا فِي نَفسك وَصرح لي بمقالتهم على مَا حكيناه عَنْهُم وَلما الزمته بعض الْآيَات الدَّالَّة على ان الْقُرْآن هُوَ هَذِه السُّور قَالَ وَأَنا أَقُول إِن هَذَا قُرْآن وَلَكِن لَيْسَ هُوَ الْقُرْآن الْقَدِيم قلت وَلنَا قرآنان قَالَ نعم وَأي شَيْء يكون إِذا كَانَ لنا قرآنان ثمَّ غضب لما حكيت عَنهُ هَذَا القَوْل وَقَالَ لَهُ بعض أَصْحَابنَا أَنْتُم وُلَاة الْأَمر وأرباب الدولة فَمَا الَّذِي يمنعكم من إِظْهَار مَقَالَتَكُمْ لعامة النَّاس وَدُعَاء النَّاس إِلَى القَوْل بهَا بَينهم فبهت وَلم يجب إِلَيّ وَلَا نَعْرِف فِي أهل الْبدع طَائِفَة يكتمون مقالتهم وَلَا يتجاسرون على إظهارها الا الزَّنَادِقَة والأشعرية
[ص35-34 - كتاب المناظرة في القرآن]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Indeed, I narrated from the one with whom I had the debate some of what he said, and when it was conveyed to him, he became angry and distressed. He was one of the highest officials in the land. He did not clearly express his position to me until we were alone, and he said, 'I want to tell you the utmost that is in my heart, and you tell me the utmost that is in yours.' He then explicitly stated to me their doctrine as we had reported from them. When I confronted him with some verses that clearly indicate that the Quran is this very chapter, he said, 'I say that this is a Quran, but it is not the actual Quran.' I said, 'Then we have two Qurans?' He said, 'Yes.' I asked, 'Then what would be the meaning of that, that we have two Qurans?' Then he became angry when I narrated this statement about him. Some of our companions said to him, 'You are rulers and holders of power. What prevents you from declaring your position openly to the general public and calling the people to adopt it among themselves?' He was stunned and did not answer me. And we do not know of any group among the innovators who conceal their doctrine and do not dare to openly declare it except the zanādiqah and the Ash'ariyyah." [Al-Manadhirah fi al-Quran - Page 34-35]

والكفار الذين لا يؤمنون بالقرآن أقرب إلى العذر في جحدهم للقرآن من هؤلاء الذين يزعمون أنهم يؤمنون به ثم يتركونه بغير حجة. نسأل الله العافية.
فإن قال قائل: لا نسلم أننا خالفنا الإجماع، بل قولنا هو مقالة السلف.
قلنا: هاتوا أخبرونا من قال قبلكم: إن هذا القرآن عبارة وحكاية٢، وأن حقيقة القرآن معنى قائم في
النفس، ليس فيه سورة ولا آية؟! ومن قال قبلكم: إنه ليس في المصحف إلا العفص١والزاج٢، لا فرق بينه وبين ديوان ابن الحجاج١؟
[ص54 - كتاب رسالة في القرآن وكلام الله]

Ibn Qudamah said: "And the disbelievers who do not believe in the Quran are closer to being excused for their denial of it than those who claim to believe in it and then abandon it without any proof. We ask Allah for well-being. If someone says: 'We do not concede that we have opposed the consensus; rather, our statement is the very statement of the Salaf (early generations),' We reply: Then bring forth—tell us—who before you said: 'This Quran is merely expression and narration (ʿibārah wa ḥikāyah), and that the true Quran is a meaning that subsists in the soul, containing neither a surah nor a verse?!' And who before you said: 'There is nothing in the muṣḥaf but ink from the ingredients 'Afs and Zāj, and that there is no difference between it and the Dīwān of Ibn al-Ḥajjāj (poetry book known for debauchery and immoral themes)?!'" [Al-Risalah fi al-Quran wa Kalamullah - Page 54]

Ibn Qudamah is criticizing the Asha'irah for their belief about the Quran that we have on earth not being the actual Quran.

وَأما مَا يموه بِهِ من نفي التَّشْبِيه والتجسيم فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْء وَضعه المتكلمون وَأهل الْبدع توسلا بِهِ إِلَى إبِْطَال السّنَن ورد الْآثَار وَالْأَخْبَار والتمويه على الْجُهَّال والأغمار ليوهموهم إِنَّمَا قصدنا التَّنْزِيه وَنفي التَّشْبِيه
وَهَذَا مثل عمل الباطنية فِي التَّمَسُّك بِأَهْل الْبَيْت وَإِظْهَار بحثهم إيهاما للعامة أَنهم قصدُوا نَصرهم
وَإِنَّمَا تستروا بهم إِلَى إبِْطَال الشَّرِيعَة والتمكن من عيب الصَّحَابَة وَالْخُلَفَاء الرَّاشِدين رضوَان الله عَلَيْهِم بنسبتهم إِلَيْهِم وظلم أهل الْبَيْت والتعدي عَلَيْهِم
كَذَلِك طَائِفَة الْمُتَكَلِّمين والمبتدعة تمسكوا بِنَفْي التَّشْبِيه توسلا إِلَى عيب أهل الْآثَار وَإِبْطَال الْأَخْبَار وَإِلَّا فَمن أَي وَجه حصل التَّشْبِيه إِن كَانَ التَّشْبِيه حَاصِلا من الْمُشَاركَة فِي الْأَسْمَاء والألفاظ فقد شبهوا الله تَعَالَى حَيْثُ أثبتوا لَهُ صِفَات من السّمع وَالْبَصَر وَالْعلم وَالْقُدْرَة والإرادة والحياة مَعَ الْمُشَاركَة فِي ألفاظها
وَللَّه تِسْعَة وَتسْعُونَ اسْما لَيْسَ فِيهَا مَا لَا يُسمى بِهِ غَيره إِلَّا اسْم الله تَعَالَى والرحمن وسائرها يُسمى بهَا غَيره سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى وَلم يكن ذَلِك تَشْبِيها وَلَا تجسيما
ثمَّ كَيفَ يعْملُونَ فِي الْآيَات الْوَارِدَة فِي الصِّفَات فَهَل لَهُم سَبِيل إِلَى ردهَا أَو طَرِيق فِي إِبْطَالهَا أَو يثبتونها مَعَ التَّشْبِيه فِي زعمهم وَلَقَد علمُوا إِن شَاءَ الله أَن لَا تَشْبِيه فِي شَيْء من هَذَا وَلَكنهُمْ قبحهم الله تَعَالَى يبهتون وَلَا يستحيون
وَإِن كَانَ الله تَعَالَى قد أعمى قُلُوبهم حَتَّى ظنُّوا ذَلِك فَمَا هُوَ بِبَعِيد
فقد رَأينَا من ينْسب قَول الله تَعَالَى وَقَول رَسُوله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم إِلَيْنَا على وَجه الْعَيْب لنا بهَا فَيَقُول أَنْتُم تَقولُونَ {الرَّحْمَن على الْعَرْش اسْتَوَى}
وَأَنْتُم تَقولُونَ {وكلم الله مُوسَى تكليما} وَأَنْتُم تَقولُونَ ينزل الله كل لَيْلَة إِلَى سَمَاء الدُّنْيَا
وَهَذَا كَلَام الله تبَارك وَتَعَالَى الَّذِي {لَا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِل من بَين يَدَيْهِ وَلَا من خَلفه تَنْزِيل من حَكِيم حميد} وَكَلَام رَسُوله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم حملتهم العصبية وعمى الْقلب على أَن جَعَلُوهُ كلَاما لنا ثمَّ عابوه علينا
وَمن عَابَ كتاب الله عز وَجل وَسنة رَسُوله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فَلَيْسَ بِمُسلم
وَمن جعل كَلَام الله عز وَجل كلَاما لغيره فَهُوَ جَاهِل غبي
وَسمعت بعض أَصْحَابنَا يَقُول سَمِعت قوما يَقُولُونَ الْحَنَابِلَة يَقُولُونَ {الرَّحْمَن على الْعَرْش اسْتَوَى}
قَالَ فَقلت لَهُم يَا قوم الله الله إِنَّكُم لتنسبون إِلَى الْحَنَابِلَة شَيْئا مَا يصلحون لَهُ وَلَا يبلغون إِلَيْهِ
هَذَا قَول الله سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى {قل لَئِن اجْتمعت الْإِنْس وَالْجِنّ على أَن يَأْتُوا بِمثل هَذَا الْقُرْآن لَا يأْتونَ بِمثلِهِ وَلَو كَانَ بَعضهم لبَعض ظهيرا}
فجعلتموه قولا للحنابلة ورفعتم قدرهم حَتَّى جعلتموهم أَهلا لذَلِك
وَإِنَّمَا يحصل التَّشْبِيه والتجسيم مِمَّن حمل صِفَات الله سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى على صِفَات المخلوقين فِي الْمَعْنى وَنحن لَا نعتقد ذَلِك وَلَا ندين بِهِ بل نعلم أَن الله تبَارك وَتَعَالَى {لَيْسَ كمثله شَيْء وَهُوَ السَّمِيع الْبَصِير}
[ص57-59 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "As for the denial of tashbīh (resemblance) and tajsīm (anthropomorphism) that some people use deceptively — it is nothing more than a scheme devised by the theologians and innovators (mutakallimūn and ahl al-bid‘ah) as a means to undermine the Sunnah, reject the traditions (āthār) and reports (akhbār), and to confuse the ignorant and naïve, giving them the impression that their aim is merely to declare Allah's transcendence and deny resemblance. But this is like the way of the Bāṭiniyyah sect: they cling to the name of Ahl al-Bayt and pretend to be seeking their support, when in reality they only use their name as a cover to invalidate the Sharī‘ah, insult the Companions and the rightly guided caliphs — may Allah be pleased with them — and attribute lies to the Ahl al-Bayt and commit injustice against them. In the same way, the group of theologians and innovators clung to the denial of tashbīh in order to insult the people of ḥadīth, and to nullify the reports — otherwise, where exactly is tashbīh found? If tashbīh is supposedly found due to sharing in words or names, then these people themselves have done tashbīh — since they affirm for Allah attributes such as hearing, seeing, knowledge, power, will, and life, even though these words are shared (with created beings). ... Then how do they deal with the verses concerning the attributes? Can they reject them? Can they invalidate them? Or do they affirm them while claiming it is tashbīh? Indeed, they must surely know — God willing — that there is no tashbīh in any of this, but may Allah disgrace them, they behave arrogantly and shamelessly. And if Allah has blinded their hearts to the point where they think this [resemblance] exists, then that is not far-fetched. For we have even seen people attributing the speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger ﷺ to us in the form of criticism, saying: “You people say: ‘al-Raḥmān rose over the Throne’,” “You people say: ‘Allah spoke to Mūsā — real speech’,” “You people say: ‘Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven’.” But these are the words of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, about which He says: “Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it — [it is] a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy.” [Quran 41:42] And these are also the words of His Messenger ﷺ, yet due to their partisanship and blindness of heart, they attribute it to us, and then blame us for it. Whoever criticizes the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, is not a Muslim. And whoever attributes the speech of Allah to someone other than Allah is an ignorant fool. I heard one of our companions say: “I heard people saying: ‘The Ḥanbalīs say: al-Raḥmān rose over the Throne.’” So I said to them: “O people, fear Allah! You are attributing to the Ḥanbalīs something that did not emmerge from them.” This is the statement of Allah, Glorified is He: “Say: If mankind and jinn were to gather to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like, even if they were helpers to one another.” [Quran 17:88] So you have called it the statement of the Ḥanbalīs, and raised their status to the level of revelation — while in reality, they are merely conveying what Allah said. Indeed, tashbīh and tajsīm only occur when someone interprets the attributes of Allah in the same meaning as the attributes of created beings. But we do not believe that, nor do we follow it. Rather, we know that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [Quran 42:11] [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Page 57-59]

Here Ibn Qudamah is talking about the deviance of the Asha'irah, who hide behind the notion that they reject tashbih, only to invalidate the reports.

They are deceptive, and Ibn Qudamah calls them out. Ibn Qudamah does not mean the mufawiddah when he said 'the Hanbalis', rather, he intends those like Yahya ibn Ammar, Abu Ismail al-Harawi, al-Sijzi, and others.

الْوَجْه الرَّابِع أَن التَّأْوِيل حكم على الله عز وَجل بِمَا لَا يُعلمهُ المتأول وَتَفْسِير مُرَاده بِمَا لَا يعلم أَنه أَرَادَهُ
فَإِن أَكثر مَا عِنْد المتأول أَن هَذِه اللَّفْظَة تحْتَمل هَذَا الْمَعْنى فِي اللُّغَة وَلَيْسَ يلْزم من مُجَرّد إحتمال اللَّفْظ للمعنى أَن يكون مرَادا بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ كَمَا يحْتَمل هَذَا الْمَعْنى يحْتَمل غَيره وَقد يحْتَمل مَعَاني أخر لَا يعلمهَا
وَلَيْسَ لَهُ إحاطة بِمُقْتَضى اللُّغَات لَا سِيمَا الْمُتَكَلِّمين فَإِنَّهُم بعداء من معرفَة اللُّغَات والعلوم النافعة
وَقد حرم الله تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ القَوْل بِغَيْر علم فَقَالَ تَعَالَى {قل إِنَّمَا حرم رَبِّي الْفَوَاحِش مَا ظهر مِنْهَا وَمَا بطن وَالْإِثْم وَالْبَغي بِغَيْر الْحق وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّه مَا لم ينزل بِهِ سُلْطَانا وَأَن تَقولُوا على الله مَا لَا تعلمُونَ}
[ص51 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: “Now, the most the interpreter can claim is that a given expression admits a given meaning in the classical language. But it does not necessarily follow from the mere fact of the expression’s admissibility of this meaning, that this meaning is intended by it. For just as it may admit this meaning, it may also admit others. It may even admit still other meanings with which the interpreter is not acquainted.” [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 51]

One who reads this might think that Ibn Qudamah is saying that the apparent is not to be taken, and that it may be possible to mean something else. But this is not what Ibn Qudamah said.

This quote is taken out of context, as Ibn Qudamah is speaking about those who make tawil of Allah's Attributes. They give the words another meaning by doing so, but there are so many ways to interpret it differently using tawil, so the result for a specific word may not be the correct one, as there are so many possible outcomes.

With this, Ibn Qudamah is trying to show the wrongness of making tawil of Allah's Attributes, as one cannot reach one outcome, as tawil is so broad and thereby cannot neccesitate one meaning.

Here is the full quote of Ibn Qudamah:

الْوَجْه الرَّابِع أَن التَّأْوِيل حكم على الله عز وَجل بِمَا لَا يُعلمهُ المتأول وَتَفْسِير مُرَاده بِمَا لَا يعلم أَنه أَرَادَهُ
فَإِن أَكثر مَا عِنْد المتأول أَن هَذِه اللَّفْظَة تحْتَمل هَذَا الْمَعْنى فِي اللُّغَة وَلَيْسَ يلْزم من مُجَرّد إحتمال اللَّفْظ للمعنى أَن يكون مرَادا بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ كَمَا يحْتَمل هَذَا الْمَعْنى يحْتَمل غَيره وَقد يحْتَمل مَعَاني أخر لَا يعلمهَا
وَلَيْسَ لَهُ إحاطة بِمُقْتَضى اللُّغَات لَا سِيمَا الْمُتَكَلِّمين فَإِنَّهُم بعداء من معرفَة اللُّغَات والعلوم النافعة
وَقد حرم الله تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ القَوْل بِغَيْر علم فَقَالَ تَعَالَى {قل إِنَّمَا حرم رَبِّي الْفَوَاحِش مَا ظهر مِنْهَا وَمَا بطن وَالْإِثْم وَالْبَغي بِغَيْر الْحق وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّه مَا لم ينزل بِهِ سُلْطَانا وَأَن تَقولُوا على الله مَا لَا تعلمُونَ}
[ص51 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "The Fourth Point: Interpretation (taʾwīl) is a judgment upon Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, regarding something that the interpreter does not know. It is an attempt to explain Allah’s intent with something the interpreter is not certain He intended. For the most that the interpreter has is that this particular word could carry a given meaning in the language. But the mere possibility that a word carries a certain meaning does not necessitate that this is the intended meaning. For just as it may carry this meaning, it may carry other meanings as well—and possibly meanings unknown to the interpreter. And the interpreter does not have full mastery of the implications of the language—especially the mutakallimūn (speculative theologians), for they are far from true knowledge of language and the beneficial sciences. Moreover, Allah the Exalted has forbidden speaking without knowledge, as He said: “Say: My Lord has only forbidden immoralities—what is apparent of them and what is hidden—and sin, and unjust transgression, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.” (Sūrah al-Aʿrāf, 7:33) [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 51]

Here Ibn Qudamah explains that tawil is a wrong approach of Allah's Attributes. As it claims Allah intended a specific meaning, while there can be no certainty with it due to the broadness of tawil.

He also critiques the mutakallimun, and says that they are far removed from true knowledge of language and beneficial sciences.

لا حاجة لنا إلى علم معنى ما أراد الله تعالى من صفاته جل وعز فإنه لا يراد منها عمل ولا يتعلق بها تكليف سوى الإيمان بها ويمكن الإيمان بها من غير علم معناها فإن الإيمان بالجهل صحيح فإن الله تعالى أمر بالإيمان بملائكته وكتبه ورسله وما أنزل إليهم وإن كنا لا نعرف من ذلك إلا التسمية
[ص52-51 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: “There is no need for us to know the meanings of what Allah intended from His Attributes, for indeed, He has not intended any action by them and neither has He attached any responsibility regarding them besides believing in them. It is possible to believe in them without knowledge of their meanings and therefore, indeed faith with ignorance [of the meanings] is correct. Verily, Allah has ordered us to have faith in His angels, His books, His messengers and what He had revealed unto them even if we do not know of them except their names.” [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 51-52]

This quote could be understood in the sense Asha'irah use it to "prove" Ibn Qudamah was a mufawwid, or it could be understood by anyone who takes his quote into context.

One would be able to understand what Ibn Qudamah is saying here, as he actually is talking about the modality. Muslims are ordered to believe in the angels, His books, His messengers and what He had revealed unto them, even if they do not know the specifics of them.

If anyone were to say Ibn Qudamah meant to remove the meaning, then what is a messenger? What are books? What are angels?

How could you believe in them while not knowing the meaning? That could not be belief.

We know what those words mean, but, we may not know every detail of it. We have never seen an angel, yet we know they exist and that they are a living creature.

So this quote is about Ibn Qudamah making clear that you can believe in something without knowing/understanding its details.

الصادقون وَهِي الْإِيمَان بالألفاظ والآيات وَالْأَخْبَار بِالْمَعْنَى الَّذِي أَرَادَهُ الله تَعَالَى وَالسُّكُوت عَمَّا لَا نعلمهُ من مَعْنَاهَا وَترك الْبَحْث عَمَّا لم يكلفنا الله الْبَحْث عَنهُ من تَأْوِيلهَا وَلم يطلعنا على علمه وَاتِّبَاع طَرِيق الراسخين الَّذين أثنى الله عَلَيْهِم فِي كِتَابه الْمُبين حِين قَالُوا {آمنا بِهِ كل من عِنْد رَبنَا}
[ص54 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: “It is to have faith in the words, the verses and reports with the meaning that Allah has intended, silence upon what we do not know regarding its meanings, to leave searching for what Allah has not burdened us with and searching for their explanations as well as what He has not informed us from His Knowledge and to follow the path of those who are steadfast whom Allah has commended in His clear Book wherein they say: “We believe in all that has come from our Lord.” (Qur’ān, 3:7) [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 54]

For someone reading this quote of Ibn Qudamah it might look like Ibn Qudamah believes in tafwid al-ma'na. However, Ibn Qudamah uses wording differently, and he does not always specify what he means when he talks about meaning.

It is to be understood that he is talking about the specific of the meaning, also known as the reality of the meaning.

We do not know the details of Allah's attributes, nor should we delve into that. And this is how the Salaf Saliheen dealt with this subject.

Ibn Qudamah believes the same, that we should not delve into the details of those attributes, for we have not been informed about that. We should rather believe in the wordings in the apparent, and believe in them while delegating the kayfiyyah to Allah.

وإن عاب السكوت عن التفسير أخطأ فإننا لا نعلم لها تفسيرا ومن لم يعلم شيئا وجب عليه السكوت عنه وحرم عليه الكلام فيه قال الله تعالى {ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علم} وذكر الله تعالى في المحرمات {وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمون}… وأيضا فإن عائب هذه المقالة عائب على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فإنه كان يؤمن بالله وكلماته ولم يفسر شيئا من ذلك ولا بين معناه
[ص54-55 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: “And if one finds fault in silence regarding the explanation, he is erroneous; for indeed, we do not know an explanation for them and the one who does not know anything, it is necessary upon him to remain silent regarding it and it is impermissible for him to speak on it. Allah has said: ‘And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge…’ (Qur’ān, 17:36) and Allah has mentioned from among the impermissible things: ‘… and to say about Allah what you do not know.’ (Qur’ān, 2:169). Also, if one faults this position, then one faults the Prophet ﷺ; for, indeed, he believed in Allah and His Words and did not explain anything from them (His Attributes) and he did not explain their meanings.” [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 54-55]

One might see this quote of Ibn Qudamah and find it confusing, as he uses the wordings 'explain their meanings'.

However, it is not actually that confusing, knowing that Ibn Qudamah uses his own style of explaining things. When he is talking about not knowing the meaning, he is talking about the reality (details) of it.

This becomes quite evident in his books, as in one place he talks about the reality of the meaning being unknown, and then actually affirms the apparent meaning. This has been shown in his positions on Allah's 'Uluww for example. He takes its apparent meaning, while delegating the reality (details) of it to Allah.

So here, he is actually talking about the descriptive meaning rather than the meaning itself. The meaning is known in the Arabic language, and Ibn Qudamah holds this position of taking the apparent, as evident in his positions.

وَإِن عيب علينا السُّكُوت فَلَيْسَ السُّكُوت بقول وَلَا ينْسب إِلَى سَاكِت قَول
[ص56 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "And if we are reproached for remaining silent, then silence is not a statement, and no statement can be attributed to someone who is silent." [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 56]

Here Ibn Qudamah is not saying that he is silent regarding Allah's Attributes with regards to the meaning, but rather about the kayfiyyah.

And if one were to be silent about the kayfiyyah of Allah's Attributes, there is no blame on him. And it cannot be said that because he does not interpret them, that he is allowing tashbih, for that cannot be claimed without evidence.

وَإِن عيب علينا السُّكُوت فَلَيْسَ السُّكُوت بقول وَلَا ينْسب إِلَى سَاكِت قَول
وَإِن قَالُوا قد اعتقدتم التشبية مِنْهَا فقد كذبُوا علينا ونسبوا إِلَيْنَا مَا قد علم الله تَعَالَى براءتنا مِنْهُ
ثمَّ لَيْسَ لَهُم اطلَاع على قُلُوبنَا وَإِنَّمَا يعبر عَمَّا فِي الْقلب اللِّسَان وألسنتا تصرح بِنَفْي التَّشْبِيه والتمثيل والتجسيم فَلَيْسَ لَهُم أَن يتحكموا علينا بِأَن ينسبوا إِلَيْنَا مَا لم يظْهر منا وَلم يصدر عَنَّا
[ص56 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "And if we are reproached for remaining silent, then silence is not a statement, and no statement can be attributed to someone who is silent. And if they say, 'You have believed in comparison (or analogy) from it,' then they have lied against us and attributed to us what Allah, the Exalted, knows we are innocent of. Moreover, they have no insight into our hearts, for only the tongue expresses what is in the heart. Our tongues explicitly deny comparison, representation, and embodiment. Therefore, they have no right to judge us by attributing to us what did not manifest from us and did not proceed from us." [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 56]

وَأما إيمَاننَا بِالْآيَاتِ وأخبار الصِّفَات فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ إِيمَان بِمُجَرَّد الْأَلْفَاظ الَّتِي لَا شكّ فِي صِحَّتهَا وَلَا ريب فِي صدقهَا وقائلها أعلم بمعناها فَآمَنا بهَا على الْمَعْنى الَّذِي أَرَادَ رَبنَا تبَارك وَتَعَالَى فجمعنا بَين الْإِيمَان الْوَاجِب وَنفي التَّشْبِيه الْمحرم
وَهَذَا أَسد وَأحسن من قَول من جعل الْآيَات وَالْأَخْبَار تجسيما وتشبيها وتحيل على إِبْطَالهَا وردهَا فحملها على معنى صِفَات المخلوقين بِسوء رَأْيه وقبح عقيدته ونعوذ بِاللَّه من الضلال الْبعيد
[ص59 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "As for our belief in the verses and the reports concerning the divine attributes, it is merely a belief in the exact wording—wordings about which there is no doubt regarding their authenticity and no uncertainty about their truthfulness. Their Speaker (i.e., Allah) knows best their meaning, so we believed in them according to the meaning intended by our Lord, Blessed and Exalted. And we combined the obligatory belief in it with negating anthropomorphism (tashbīh). And this is stronger and better than the statement of those who interpret the verses and reports as embodiment and anthropomorphism, which leads to their nullification and rejection. They distort them by attributing to them the meanings of the attributes of created beings according to their misguided opinion and corrupt creed, and we seek refuge in Allah from such distant misguidance." [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 59]

We believe in the Attributes of Allah according to the kayfiyyah that only Allah knows. And we do not specify His Attributes, for that knowledge has not been given to us. This is what Ibn Qudamah meant to say.

وَأما إيمَاننَا بِالْآيَاتِ وأخبار الصِّفَات فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ إِيمَان بِمُجَرَّد الْأَلْفَاظ الَّتِي لَا شكّ فِي صِحَّتهَا وَلَا ريب فِي صدقهَا وقائلها أعلم بمعناها فَآمَنا بهَا على الْمَعْنى الَّذِي أَرَادَ رَبنَا تبَارك وَتَعَالَى فجمعنا بَين الْإِيمَان الْوَاجِب وَنفي التَّشْبِيه الْمحرم
وَهَذَا أَسد وَأحسن من قَول من جعل الْآيَات وَالْأَخْبَار تجسيما وتشبيها وتحيل على إِبْطَالهَا وردهَا فحملها على معنى صِفَات المخلوقين بِسوء رَأْيه وقبح عقيدته ونعوذ بِاللَّه من الضلال الْبعيد
[ص59 - كتاب تحريم النظر في كتب الكلام]

Ibn Qudamah said: "As for his statement, “Bring it, tell us what meaning appears to you from these words mentioned concerning the attributes,” this is hastiness in ignorance and blindness, as if he does not know the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah. And their saying about it, “It is His word,” while he grew up among them and knew their statements regarding it—yet Allah, Glorious and Exalted, has rendered him mute and blinded his heart to this extent, so that he does not know their position on this matter despite living among them, reading their books, and claiming understanding. Allah is capable of all things. How many times has he explained the stance of Ahl al-Sunnah on this matter and clarified the truth after repenting from that view! He showed that if a questioner asks us about the meaning of these words, we say to him: “We do not add to their wording anything that implies meaning beyond the wording itself.” Verily, reading or interpreting them is not about giving an exact or independent meaning or interpretation. But we know that they have a meaning in the overall context, known by The Speaker (Allah) using them, and we believe in them according to that meaning." [Tahrim al-Nadhar fi Kutub al-Kalaam - Ibn Qudamah - Page 59]

This quote of Ibn Qudamah may make one think that he believed that the apparent wording should be accepted while leaving off the apparent meaning. But this is not what Ibn Qudamah said.

Ibn Qudamah clarifies that we should take the apparent without adding to it a modality.

The true modality is only known to Allah, and we affirm belief in the kayfiyyah Allah intends, rather than inventing our own interpretations that lead to comparing Allah with His creation.

ولأن قولهم: (آمَنَّا بِهِ) يدل على نوع تفويض وتسليم لشيء لم يقفوا على معناه
[روضة الناظر - ابن قدامة - الجزء الأول - الصفحة ٢١٦]

Ibn Qudamah said: "And because their saying, 'We believe in it,' indicates a form of delegation and surrender to something whose meaning they have not fully grasped." [Rawdah al-Naadhir - Ibn Qudamah - Volume 1 - Page 216]

This quote shows that Ibn Qudamah acknowledges the permissibility of delegating knowledge to Allah, and there is nothing wrong with it. He talks about delegating the knowledge of the modality, not the apparent meaning. And this shows in his positions about Allah's attributes.

Some use it to say he believes in tafwid al-ma'na, but its argument is not very strong.

Those who do not practise tafwid al-ma'na also delegate knowledge to Allah in that which they do not know, such as the modality of His Attributes.

فإن قيل: فكيف يخاطب الله الخلق بما لا يعقلونه أم كيف ينزل على رسوله ما لا يطّلع على تأويله؟
يجوز أن يكلفهم الإيمان بما لا يطّلعون على تأويله ليختبر طاعتهم كما قال تعالى: (وَلِنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ) (وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ) الآية، (وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ)
وكما اختبرهم بالإيمان بالحروف المقطّعة مع أنه لا يعلم معناها والله أعلم
[روضة الناظر - ابن قدامة - الجزء الأول - الصفحة ٢١٧]

Ibn Qudamah said: "If it is said: How can Allah address the creation with what they do not understand, or how can He reveal to His Messenger something whose interpretation is not known? The answer: It is possible for Him to obligate them to believe in what they do not comprehend the interpretation of, in order to test their obedience — just as He said: “And We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you and those who are patient” and “And We did not make the Qiblah which you used to face except to know…” (the verse), and “And We did not make the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people.” Likewise, He tested them with belief in the disjointed letters (ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿāt), even though their meaning is unknown. And Allah knows best." [Rawdah al-Naadhir - Ibn Qudamah - Volume 1 - Page 217]

Ibn Qudamah is speaking about the mutashaabihat-verses, which did not provide an explanation, like 'Alif lam-meem' and others.

Allah did not provide an explanation for them to test His creation's patience with it, as we tend to seek explanation and are not easily content with what we do not know.

Same goes for the Attributes of Allah, as we do not know their modality. And some delved into it and fell into tashbih, while others were not content with the apparent and sought to interpret (tawil) or delegate meaning (tafwid al-ma'na).

Ahl Sunnah wal-Jama'ah takes the middle path, accept, and affirm the apparent meaning, known in the language of the Arabs, and leave off any tashbih, while delegating the knowledge of the modality to Allah (tafwid al-kayfiyyah).

قال الإمام أبو عبد الله أحمد بن محمد بن حنبل رضي الله عنه في قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «إن الله ينزل إلى سماء الدنيا» ، أو «إن الله يرى في القيامة» ، وما أشبه هذه الأحاديث نؤمن بها، ونصدق بها بلا كيف، ولا معنى، ولا نرد شيئا منها، ونعلم أن ما جاء به الرسول حق، ولا نرد على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولا نصف الله بأكثر مما وصف به نفسه بلا حد ولا غاية {لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ} [الشورى: ١١] ونقول كما قال، ونصفه بما وصف به نفسه، لا نتعدى ذلك، ولا يبلغه وصف الواصفين، نؤمن بالقرآن كله محكمه ومتشابهه، ولا نزيل عنه صفة من صفاته لشناعة شنعت، ولا نتعدى القرآن والحديث، ولا نعلم كيف كنه ذلك إلا بتصديق الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، وتثبيت القرآن (١) .
[ص7-6 - كتاب لمعة الاعتقاد]

Ibn Qudamah said: "Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, radiyAllahu 'anhu, said regarding the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “Indeed, Allah descends to the lowest heaven” or “Indeed, Allah will be seen on the Day of Judgment” and other similar hadiths: We believe in them, and affirm them without asking how, without meaning, and without rejecting any of them. We know that what the Messenger brought is the truth, and we do not reject anything from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. We do not describe Allah with more than what He described Himself—with no limit and no end— {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing} [Surah al-Shura: 11]. We say as He said, and describe Him as He described Himself. We do not go beyond that, and no description by describers can fully grasp Him. We believe in the entire Quran—its clear and its ambiguous parts. We do not negate any of His attributes due to any ugly claim that has been made. We do not go beyond the Quran and the Hadith. We do not know the reality of how these things are, except by believing the Messenger ﷺ and affirming what the Quran states." [Lum'at al-I'tiqaad - Ibn Qudamah - Page 6-7]

This statement related to Imam Ahmad may be confusing to some due to the wording used regarding 'meaning'.

What is meant with the statement of Imam Ahmad regarding the delegation of Allah's attributes in the kayfiyyah, and to not give a meaning to them, is that we should not make up our own meaning of those mentioned Attributes. We should not practise tawil on them, as that would distort its apparent meaning. Nor should we make it to mean that it resembles the creation.

So his statement says: We should accept those attributes without modality, and without adding a meaning to it that is contrary (tashbih or tawil) to its apparent meaning.

Taking the apparent meaning is neutral, and only those who have a disease in their hearts would add to the meaning to make it resemble creation, or to totally distort its apparent meaning by practising tawil.

If Ibn Qudamah really was someone who understood this statement of Imam Ahmad as the Asha'irah do, then he would not have believed that Allah is above in the literal sense, or that Allah speaks with sound and letters.

Besides this, Ibn Qudamah praises and defends those who take the apparent meaning, like Abu Ismail al-Harawi, Yahya ibn Ammar, and others. So how can it ever be said that he is a mufawwid if one considers everything of Ibn Qudamah's positions?