Al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubra - Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

Some of the inhabitants of the city of Hama’ from the Levant sent a question in the year 698 AH to Ibn Taymiyyah, asking him about the scholars’ opinions on the Attributes with which Allah has described Himself in the following Verses: (The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty) (Surat Taha: 5), and (Then He Istawa (rose over) towards the heaven when it was smoke) (Surat Fussilat: 11); and the Prophetic Hadiths: “Verily, the hearts of all human beings are between two of the Fingers of the Most Merciful” and “Almighty Allah will put his Foot in Hell Fire”.

Ibn Taymiyyah answered these questions in great detail and clarification (this answer was known as “The Great Hamawiyyah Creed,” in a 50-page treatise, and it is included in “A Collection of Great Messages”. Historians have mentioned that in this treatise Ibn Taymiyyah spoke about the doctrine of the Companions, the followers, the diligent Imams, and the earlier theologians, such as Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, and al-Qadi Abu Bakr al-Baqlani and al-Juwayni; and that his sayings and compositions were inferred, and from some of their books that they saw belief in Allah’s Attributes as one of the obligations of religion, without questioning Allah’s Attributes, likening Allah’s Attributes to those of His Creation, distortion of the meaning, or denial of Allah’s Attributes.