بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah (Ash’aris, Maturidis, and virtuous Hanbalis) is derived from the Qur’an and Sunnah. It relies on the understandings of the righteous predecessors and understanding of complexities within the Arabic language.

The Qur’an affirms the absence of contradictions within revelation.

“Do they not then consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction.”

[4:82].

We deal with the unclear verses in light of the clear verses. It is decisively established that Allah is dissimilar to His creation.

“There is nothing like Him, for He ˹alone˺ is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”

[42:11].

When we encounter verses that seem to contradict this verse, this is a clue that the verse is not to be taken upon the literal meaning. Hence, we understand it to be allegorical.

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah either relegate their meanings completely or suggest a possible interpretation using the Arabic language.

“Those with deviant hearts follow the elusive verses seeking ˹to spread˺ doubt through their ˹false˺ interpretations—but none grasps their ˹full˺ meaning except Allah. As for those well-grounded in knowledge, they say, “We believe in this ˹Quran˺—it is all from our Lord.” But none will be mindful ˹of this˺ except people of reason.”

[3:7].

Some scholars have read this verse to include “those well-grounded in knowledge” amongst those who know the meanings of the elusive verses.

Ibn Abbas (ra) said: “If one of you recites anything from the Qur’an and does not achieve what its interpretation is, then if the need arises, stick to
what is in poetry, for it is the register of the Arabs.”

[Talkhis al-Mustadrak vol. 2 pg. 500]

There are verses of the Qur’an that mention the “Hand” of God, such as

“Allah’s Hand is above their hands”

[48:10].

Imam al-Ghazali says of the word hand:

“One should realize that hand may mean two different things. The first is the primary lexical sense; namely, the bodily member composed of flesh, bone, and nervous tissue. Now, flesh, bone, and nervous tissue make up a specific body with specific attributes, with body meaning, something of an amount (with height, width, depth) that prevents anything else from occupying wherever it is until it is moved from that place.

Or [secondly] the word may be used figuratively, in another sense with no relation to that of a body at all: as when one says, “The city is in the leader’s hands,” the meaning of which is well understood, even if the leader’s hands are missing, for example”

[Iljam al-‘Awam ‘an ‘Ilm al-Kalam; Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi, 1406/1985], 55].

Allah ﷻ knows best.

جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا