‘Abbād ibn al-‘Awwām said: Sharīk ibn ‘Abdillāh came to us fifty years ago. I said to him: O’ Abū ‘Abdillāh, there are a group of Mu‘tazilah who reject these hadiths that Allāh descends to the lowest heaven and that the people of Jannah will see their Lord. So, he narrated approximately ten hadiths regarding this matter and then said: “As for us, then we have taken our religion from the Tabi‘īn (students of the Companions) who took it from the Companions of Allah’s Messenger, so where did they take their religion from?!”

Abdullāh ibn Ṭāhir, the Amīr (ruler) of Khurāsan, said to Imām Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh: O’ Abū Ya‘qūb, these hadiths they narrate regarding al-Nuzūl (Allāh descending) and al-Ru’yah (Allāh being seen in the hereafter), what are they (i.e. do we accept them)? Imām Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh replied: “These hadiths have been narrated by the same people who narrated to us rulings of purification, prayer and other Islamic rulings, so they are either trustworthy [and these narrations are accepted] or otherwise all Islamic rulings are baseless and the Islamic legislation is nullifed.” The Amīr said: “May Allāh cure you as you have cured me.” (Meaning that Isḥāq has removed this doubt from his mind).

Source: Sharḥ Usūl I‘tiqād Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah of Imām al-Lālakā’ī

Originally published: 3 February 2024