Part 2: Ibn Uthaymeen & the Neo-Muqatilliyyah – Istiwaa ‘Alal ‘Arsh – Negating the Anthropomorphism
In the previous discussion we made the claim that Ibn Uthaymeen, and in reality the Wahhabi movement of today, have revived the madh-hab of Muqaatil, a madh-hab of creed laced with tajseem and tashbeeh (anthropomorphism). There is yet another issue that manifests the fact that Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) was a neo-Muqaatili. In his work “Aqidat Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah” he states after mentioning Yunus:3,
واستواؤه على العرش: علوه عليه بذاته علوَّاً خاصاً يليق بجلاله وعظمته لا يعلم كيفيته إلا هو.
[We believe that He "created the Heavens and the Earth in six days, then He settled Himself on the throne; He manages everything" (10:3).] His “settling on the throne” means that He is sitting in person (bi-dhaatih) on His throne in a way that is becoming to His majesty and greatness. No one save He knows the kayfiyyah (howness, modality etc) [of the sitting].
Ibn Uthaymeen and the Pseudo-Salafis: Muqaatiliyyah
Muqaatil ibn Sulayman ibn Basheer Al-Azdi, is an author of Tafsir and a liar Mujassim. Ibn Hajr states about him in his Taqrib, “He [was a] liar…he delved into tajseem (saying Allah has limbs etc).” ((#6868 ))
Is-haaq ibn Ibrahim reports from Abu Haneefah that he said, “Two depraved opinions have reached us from East, those of Jahm [ibn Safwan] (d. 128/745), the nullifier of the divine attributes (Mu’attil), and those of Muqatil [ibn Sulayman al-Balkhi (d. c.a. 150/767)], the likener of Allah to His creation (mushabbih).” ((Dhahabi, Siyar a‘lam al-nubala’ [Beirut: Mu’assasa al-Risala, 1401/1984], 7.202, also see Ibn Hajr’s Tahtheeb At-Tahtheeb entry number 7981 published by Daar Ihyaa’ ))