Does Allah Have A Jism (Body)?

Firstly we need to realise that we only affirm and negate what Allaah has affirmed or negated from Himself. The proof for this is found in the uncreated Words of Allaah Ta’aalah in Soorah Baqarah (2:111): “Produce your proof if you are truthful.” And the Qur’aan is filled with descriptions of Allaah, whether by way of affirmation or by way of negation. So to affirm or negate anything from Allaah, we need proof from the only two sources of Islaam (The Qur’aan and Sunnah).

For example, Allaah affirms for himself that he is the All-Hearer, the All Seer in Soorah 40, verse 20 “He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.”

And He negates for Himself that he does any injustice to anyone in Soorah 18, verse 49, where He says “your Lord treats no one with injustice.”

Based upon this, Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:

“Describe Allaah with what He has described Himself with, and negate from Allaah what He has negated from Himself…” (1)

Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal also said:

“…and in no way is Allaah to be described with anything more than what He – the Mighty and Majestic – has described himself with.” (2)

And indeed Ibn Taymiyyah, neither affirmed, nor negated that Allaah has a jism (body). Shaykhul Islaam, Ibn Taymiyyah said in the course of this topic:

“Indeen the term jism (body), a’raadh (organs), mutahayyiz (extent) are newly invented terminologies. We have mentioned many a time before that the Salaf and the imaams have not spoken about such things – neither by way of negation, nor by way of affirmation. Rather they declare those who spoke about such a matter to be innovators, and went to great lengths to censure them.” (3)

Likewise, Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah mentions the intending meaning of ascribing Alaah with the term jism (body), by saying:

“Whoever alleges that the Lord is a jism – with the meaning that he accepts division, separation and partition (for Allaah) – then he is the most disbelieving of people and the most ignorant. Indeed, his statement is more evil than the one who says that Allaah has a son.” (4)

And know, O Brothers in Islaam, that to say Ibn Taymiyyah affirmed that Allaah has a jism (body) is a great lie. Ibn Taymiyyah’s view on this topic, as is shown in his quotes mentioned above, is to folllow the way of the Salaf, which is to neither affirm nor negate that Allaah has a jism (body). This is what he has been repeatedly saying and calling to in many of his books, such as: Sharh Hadeethin Nuzool Pp. 69-76, Majmoo’ Al-Fataawaa 3/306-310, 13/304 -305, Minhaajus Sunnatin Nabawiyyah 2/134-135, 192, 198-200, 527.

Footnotes:

(1) Manaaqibul Imaam Ahmad, by Ibn Al-Jawzee, p. 221

(2) Kitaabul-Mhnah p. 68

(3) Minhaajus-Sunnah (1/271)

(4) Sharh Hadeethin-Nuzool