The Prohibition of Takyeef

 The Prohibition of Takyeef

 

(describing Allah or asking about His description) 

The Attributes of Allah cannot be described - neither by actions nor 

by words. 

Textual Proof 

(for the prohibition of Takyeef) 

“They will never encompass anything of His Knowledge." [Soorah Ta￾Ha (20): 110] "They will never encompass anything of His 

Knowledge." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 255] 

"Say (O Muhammad ), "the things that my Lord has indeed 

forbidden are... saying things about Allah of which you have no 

knowledge." [Soorah al-A'raf (7): 33] 

"Do not follow that which you have no knowledge of. Verily! The 

hearing and the sight and the heart of each of those you will be 

questioned (by Allah)." [Soorah al-Isra (17): 33] 

Thus, he who describes Allah has said that which he has no 

knowledge of (because we are not informed about the description of 

Allah’s Attributes). 

Rational Proof

 

for the Prohibition of Takyeef

 

(describing Allah or asking for description)

 

It is not possible for anyone to know the description of 

something except 

- after seeing it 

- or seeing its like 

- or hearing a true information about it 

For example, if I were to see something with my own eyes then I 

would know its description because I have seen it with my own eyes. 

(an example of seeing its like is when) someone comes to me and 

says, “I have purchased a certain model of car.” and he describes the 

car and its color to me. Although I have not seen the actual car, I know 

this car because I know and have seen the like of it. 

An example of true information is when a man comes to me and says, 

“I have a camel.” and he describes its attributes to me and informs me 

that it has such-and-such marking. Then I will know what the camel is 

like from hearing information about it. 

If we apply this rational principle to the Attributes of Allah, then it is 

not possible for us to know the Attributes of Allah through any of 

these sources, because we have neither witnessed it, seen its like nor 

are we informed about it. 

Therefore, some of the scholars said, "If a jahmi asks you, 'how does 

Allah descend to the lower heaven?' Then reply saying, “Allah has 

informed us that He descends but He did not inform us how He 

descends. So we have to believe in what has reached us, and keepsilent about that which we have not been informed about. 

An example of this is the saying of Malik (rahimahullah) when he was 

asked (about the verse), "The Most Beneficent Istawa (rose over) the 

Throne." [Soorah Ta-Ha (20): 5] How does Allah Istawa (rise over the 

throne)? 

Imam Malik dropped his head due to the enormity of the question 

and in order to produce an appropriate reply until he was sweating. 

Then he raised his head and replied with his famous statement which 

is considered the scale of all the Attributes of Allah, 

"الاستواٍء غير مجهول٬ والكيف غير معقول٬

والإلايرمچان به واجب٬ والسؤال عنه بدعة"

"Istiwa is not unknown,

 

its description is beyond our understanding,

 

belief in it is obligatory,

 

and questioning about it is an innovation."

 

So we say to every person who asks about the description of an 

Attribute of Allah, 'You are an innovator. Your job is to believe in 

that which has reached you and keep silent about 

that which you are not informed about .'