Assalamu Alaikum sheikh my question is on aqeedah and the interpretation of sifaat of Allah SWT in the Quran. I am busy learning arabic at a madrassah the teacher is Ashariy. i would like to know about sheikh ibn baaz statement that all the verses in quran should be taken literally what did he mean by this. if yadd in the arabic language both means power and hand are they both literal meanings understood by the arabs?. in this case both ashariy and salaf are correct in their interpretation of these verses. about the yadd. please explain i know the ashariy are clearly incorrect with regards to their understanding of istawa. but please explain the above to me in detail.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The method of our righteous predecessors (the companions and those who followed them), is to affirm all the Divine Names and Attributes of Allaah in a manner that suits His Majesty and Highness, without changing words from their true context and without resembling His Attributes with the attributes of His Creatures, as discussed in Fatwa 88618. This rule applies to all the texts about Allaah's Names and Attributes.

For instance, the word 'Hand' does not refer to power unless in its figurative meaning, and it is not permissible to change the meaning of a word from its apparent meaning to another possible meaning unless there are indications which suggest that.

The evidence that the interpretation of the Ashaa'irah of the term 'Hand' by 'power' or 'might' is wrong, is that the word 'Hand' is mentioned in the Quran in the dual form (i.e. two Hands) as Allaah Says (what means): {…to one whom I have created with both My Hands.} [Quran 38:75].

As regards the term limb, it is not mentioned in religion, so it is not permissible to attribute this to Allaah. Ibn Abu Al-'Izz when interpreting Al-'Aqeedah At-Tahaawiyyah, said: [It cannot be said that these Names and Attributes are organs, limbs, tools or body parts, because a body part is a portion of the entity, and Allaah is (the) One, As-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks) and is not divided into parts. Moreover, organs have the meaning of being divided into parts, and Allaah, is the Most High and Above all this, Allaah Says (what means): {Who have made the Quran into parts (i.e. believed in a part and disbelieved in the other).} [Quran 15:91].

Furthermore, the limbs have the meaning of acquiring and benefiting, similarly, the tools include this meaning of being used in order to get a benefit and repel harm; all these meanings cannot be attributed to Allaah, that's why they have not been listed among Allaah's Attributes.

The religious terms have a correct meaning and are free from any kind of wrong probabilities, therefore in order not to confirm any wrong meaning, one should not substitute such religious terms by resembling them to human's or denying them all together.] (end of quote)

Therefore, in order to be on the safe side, one should follow the method of our righteous predecessors and those who followed them, and not indulge in these Attributes by giving one's opinion, as this is a means of misguidance.

Finally, it should be noted that one should avoid debating the people of falsehood unless one is really grounded in religious knowledge.

Allaah Knows best.