A glimpse at the belief of the Salaf to do with Descent:
Imaam al-Aajurree (d.360) says in his exposition on Aqueedah, under the chapter ‘to have faith and trust that Allaah descends to the lowest heaven every night.’
"Faith in this is obligatory, and it is not allowed for the intelligent Muslim to say, ‘how does he descend?’ - and none would answer this except the Mu`tazila. [For example the saying of some, that His command descends, and the saying of others that His angels descend etc.] As for the people of truth, then they say, ‘faith in this is obligatory without asking how. Because the narrations are authentic to the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) - that Allaah descends to the lowest heaven every night - and the ones who transmitted this narration to us are the ones that transmitted the rules of the lawful and prohibited, the knowledge of salaah, zakaah, fasting, hajj, and jihaad. So just as the scholars accepted these from them then like this they accepted from them these Sunan. They said, ‘the one who opposed these is horribly misguided’ - warning him and warning against him." [ ‘ash-Sharee`ah’ (pg. 272)]
Then he goes on to mention the ahaadeeth that occur on this subject.
The great hadeeth master, ibn Khuzaymah brings a chapter heading in his work ‘at-Tawheed’, "mentioning the narrations of Descent," in which he mentions many ahaadeeth to do with this Attribute.
al-Laalikaa`ee (d.414) brings a chapter heading in his encyclopaedic work on aqueedah - Sharh Usul I`tiqaad - , "what is related about the Descent of the Lord, Blessed and Exalted, is He"
He states that the ahaadeeth that Allaah descends to the lowest heaven have been reported by twenty companions and then....
"775) Fudail bin Ayaad (Taabi`ee) said, ‘when you hear the Jahmi say, "I disbelieve in a Lord Who descends"- say - "I believe in a Lord Who does what He wills"’
776) Yahya bin Ma`een said, ‘when you hear the Jahmi say, "I disbelieve in a Lord Who descends", then say, ‘I believe in a Lord Who does what He desires."’
777) Imaam Ahmad said, ‘He descends as He wills, according to His Knowledge and Power and Greatness. He encompasses everything with His Knowledge.’
Similar narrations occur in Khalq Af`aal al-Ebaad of Imaam al-Bukhaaree and ‘Ghunya at-Taalibeen’ of Abdul Qaadir Jeelaanee.
Imaam Abdullaah bin Ahmad narrates in his work ‘as-Sunnah’,
"508) After mentioning the hadeeth of Descent the people said to Shareek, ‘verily there are a people who reject these ahaadeeth.’ He said, ‘what do they say?’
They said, ‘they abuse these ahaadeeth.’
He replied, ‘Those who brought (i.e. Companions) these ahaadeeth, are those who brought the Qur`aan, and that the prayers are five, and the Hajj to the House, and the fast of Ramadaan. And we do not know Allaah except by these ahaadeeth.’
509) Abaad bin al-Awaam said, Shareek bin Abdullaah came to us about fifty years ago. He said (Abaad), ‘I said, "O Abu Abdullaah, verily there is a people with us from the Mu`tazila who reject these ahaadeeth."’
He said, ‘so he narrated to me about ten ahaadeeth to do with this (i.e. the Descent of Allaah) and said, "as for us we take our religion from the taabi`een from the companions of the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), from where do they take theirs?"’"
Abul Hasan al-Ash`aree (d.294) said, "and we believe in all the narrations that the People of Transmission have established about the Descent to the lowest heaven and that the Lord says, ‘is there one who is asking? Is there one who is seeking forgiveness?’ And in the generality of what they transmit and establish, at odds to what the people of deviancy and misguidance say." [‘al-Ibaanah’ (pg. 60) of Abu Hasan al-Ash’aree]
He also said, "and we believe in the ahaadeeth that have come from the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) that Allaah descends to the lowest Heaven and says, ‘is there one who is seeking forgiveness?’" [‘al-Maqaalaat’ (pg. 224) of Abu Hasan al-Ash’aree]
So we say yet again, if by ibn Taymiyyah’s affirmation of this Attribute, that Allaah indeed Descends to the lowest heaven as befits His Majesty, is misguidance then so are all of the above scholars, and in fact Ahlus Sunnah itself misguided! And so is the very Imaam that the accusers claim to follow misguided, Abu Hasan al-Ash`aree!
Ibn Taymiyyah says, while discussing the use of the word ‘harakah’,
"…like Harb al-Kirmaanee, and Uthmaan bin Sa`eed ad-Daarimee and others. Indeed these clearly used the word harakah and they made clear that this was the madhab of the Imaams of Ahlus Sunnah and Hadeeth from the early and the later.
Harb al-Kirmaanee mentioned that this was the saying of the Imaams of Ahlus Sunnah that he had met, like Ahmad bin Hanbal, and Ishaaq bin Raahawiyyah, and Abdullaah bin Zubair al-Humaidee and Sa`eed bin Mansur.
Sa`eed bin Mansoor and others said: indeed harakah (movement) is from the necessary qualities of life and every living thing moves. They made out that denying this was from the saying of the Jahmiyyah upon whom Ahlus Sunnah are agreed with respect to their misguidance and innovation.
Another group from the Salaf, like Nu`aym bin Hammad al-Khazaa`ee, and Bukhaaree the author of the ‘Saheeh’, and Abu Bakr ibn Khuzaymah, and others like Abu Umar bin Abd al-Barr, affirmed the meaning of what they (the first group) affirmed but they named it Actions (of Allaah). From these were those that forbade the use of the word harakah due to its not being narrated." [‘Dar at-Ta`aarud’ (7/2)]
He said, "the word harakah was affirmed by a group from Ahlus Sunnah and Hadeeth and this is what was mentioned by Harb bin Ismaa`eel al-Kirmaanee in his ‘Sunnah’ which he relates from a group of Imaams that he met like al-Humaidee and Ahmad bin Hanbal….
Some groups of Ahlus Sunnah negated the usage of the word harakah like Abu al-Hasan at-Taymee and Abu Sulaymaan al-Khattaabee….
What is narrated from Imaam Ahmad is the rejection of the one that negates movement but neither is the usage of the word harakah established from him, even though he may have affirmed some types (of Attributes and Actions) that the affirmer (of the word harakah) would have placed within the ranks of the word harakah. For when he heard someone narrating the hadeeth of Descent and saying, ‘He Descends without movement and transmission, and without change.’ So Imaam Ahmad rejected this and said, ‘say as the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, for he was more shy of His Lord than you.’" [‘al-Istiqaamah’ (1/70)]
So from this we learn that:
1.From the salaf were those who negated the usage of the word harakah because it did not occur in the Qur`aan and Sunnah when describing Allaah, but they affirmed the Attributes of Descent, Coming etc.
2.From the salaf were those who affirmed the word harakah meaning that Allaah Comes, and Descends etc. and it is not like the movement of the Creation but rather as it befits His Majesty.
3.Shaykh al-Islaam quotes the two sayings stating that in meaning that they are the same and that there is no resembling Allaah to His creation in this. He himself only affirms the Attributes of Allaah without adding anything further.
Finally ibn Taymiyyah belonged to the first group above. So with all of this, the fourth accusation is cleared and all praise is due to Allaah.
The Accusation that ibn Taymiyyah held the Hellfire to come to an end
Another accusation by which the opponents declared ibn Taymiyyah to be misguided due to his contradicting the ‘consensus’ on this issue. Yet nowhere in the works of ibn Taymiyyah does he say this, in fact what we find from him is the exact opposite, and we challenge anybody who accuses ibn Taymiyyah of this to bring his proof.
Ibn Taymiyyah says,
"The Salaf of this nation, its Imaams, and the whole Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa`ah are agreed that there are some things from the creation that will not come to an end in their entirety like Paradise, Hellfire, the Throne, and others. No one believed that all of the creation would come to an end except for a group from the People of innovated speech (Ahl al-Kalaam) and those who agreed with them from amongst the Mu`tazila and their likes. This is an invalid opinion which contradicts the Book of Allaah, the Sunnah of His Messenger and the consensus of the nation and its Imaams." [‘Bayaan Talbees al-Jahmiyyah’ (1/851)]
This is from one perspective, as for the other than it is over the issue of the Punishment of the Hellfire coming to an end. This is an issue over which there is a difference of opinion emanating from the Salaf themselves as the reader of the Tafseers of at-Tabari, as-Suyuti and others can see under the verse 11:107 and 6:128. It is possible to explain these narrations in two ways: the first being that the saying of some of the Companions and Taabi`een that, ‘their will come a time when there will be no-one in Hellfire’ is to be taken literally. The second is that it is to be taken to refer only to the Muslims in the Hellfire.
No matter how we take it, to rule someone’s deviancy or unbelief based on this is not possible, for only one who contradicts a consensus that is firmly established to exist, and unequivocal in it’s meaning can be ruled to be a deviant or a disbeliever. This is not the case here despite the efforts of some scholars to make it seem so. Even if it were so, then neither ibn Taymiyyah or ibn al-Qayyim held this view, so do not be deceived by what the likes of as-Subki writes in his ‘al-I`tibaar bi Baqaa al-Jannah wa an-Naar’ (forming part of his ‘Risaa`il’).
As-Subki says, in the course of his discussion on this point,
"…I came across the aforementioned book and he mentioned in it three opinions over the Hellfire coming to an end. 1) both Paradise and Hell will end and he said that no one from the salaf held this opinion. 2) that both are eternal. 3) that Paradise remains and Hellfire will come to an end. And he inclined to this position and said that this was the madhab of the Salaf." [‘al-I’tibaar’ (pg. 201)]
The opponents who read this book, thought that as-Subki was referring to ibn Taymiyyah and hence the origin of this accusation against ibn Taymiyyah. But in reality this is from the words of ibn al-Qayyim and it seems that as-Subki did not even fully read what this Imaam had to say!"
Ibn al-Qayyim says: ‘Al-Haadee al-Arwaah’ (pg. 429+),
"And this is an issue over which the latter people differed over, falling into three opinions:
1.That both Paradise and Hell will come to an end and are not eternal, rather just as all created things they will come to an end.
2.That both will remain, never coming to an end.
3.That Paradise is eternal, and the Hellfire will come to an end.
We will mention these opinions and their proponents along with their evidences, and we will reject what contradicts the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
1) As for the first saying, then it was said by Jahm bin Safwaan, the Imaam of the Jahmiyyah, and he did not any precedent in this from the Salaf - neither in the Companions, nor the Taabi`een, nor any of the Imaams of Islaam, or indeed anyone from Ahlus Sunnah. Rather this saying was one that was rejected by the Imaams and they declared the unbelief of the ones that held to it, as is mentioned in ‘as-Sunnah’ of Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal reporting from Khaarijah bin Mus`ab that he said, "I declare the Jahmiyyah to be unbelievers due to three verses from the Book of Allaah, Azza wa Jall, ‘its (Paradise) provision and food is eternal’ and they say it will end. ‘Verily this is Our provision which will never finish’, and they say they will. ‘Whatever is with you will pass away, and what is with Allaah will remain’"…
2) As for the saying that the Hellfire is eternal, then Shaykh al-Islaam said, "there are two famous opinions from the Salaf and Khalaf and this difference is known to exist amongst the Taabi`een." I say: and here are seven opinions on this:
a.That the one entering it will never leave, this being the saying of the Khawaarij and Mu`tazila.
b.That it’s inhabitants will be punished for a time but then this punishment will be changed for them and they will live in a normal manner, gaining pleasure from the Fire, due to its being in conformity to their nature. This is the saying of the Imaam of the Ittihaadiyyah (anthropomorphists) ibn Arabee at-Taa`ee…
c.That its inhabitants will be punished for a time, then they will be removed from it, and another creation placed in Hell. This opinion was one that the Jews related to the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and he declared them liars due to it as did Allaah by saying, "and they (the Jews) say: the Fire will not touch us but for a few days. Say: have you taken a covenant from Allaah, so that Allaah will not break His Covenant? Or is it that you say of Allaah what you know not. And those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they will dwell therein forever." This saying is then the saying of the enemies of Allaah, the Jews, and they are the shaykhs of its proponents. The Qur`aan, Sunnah, and the consensus of the Sahaabah and the Taabi`een and the Imaams indicate this opinions invalidity. Allaah says, ‘and they will not leave it’….
d.That its inhabitants will leave it and the Fire will remain, being empty, this is related by Shaykh al-Islaam (ibn Taymiyyah). And this opinion is also refuted by the Qur’aan and Sunnah as has preceded.
e.That it will come to an end due to its being created. It is impossible for anything that is created to remain forever, this is the saying of Jahm bin Safwaan, and he does not distinguish in this between the Fire and Paradise.
f.That its inhabitants will die and lose movement and remain in there as inanimate things, and they will not be affected by pain. This is the saying of Abu al-Hudhail al-Alaaf, the Imaam of the Mu`tazila, and in this ruling he does distinguish between Paradise and Hell.
g.That its Creator and Lord will cause it to come to an end, for He has given it a limited period.
Shaykh al-Islaam said, "this (last) saying was related from Umar, ibn Mas`ud, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Sa`eed and others." Abd bin Humaid related - and he is from the most noble of the scholars of hadeeth - in his famous tafseer, ‘Sulaymaan bin Harb reported to us, from Salma, from Thaabit from Hasan who said, "Umar said: if the people of Hell were to remain in the Fire to the extent of the stones in a mountain there would be a day that they would leave it."’
And he said, ‘Hajaaj bin Minhaal, from Hammaad bin Salma, from Humaid from Hasan that Umar bin al-Khattaab said, "if the People of the Fire were to remain in the Fire to the extent of the stones in a mountain there would be a day that they would leave it.’" He mentioned this in the tafseer of His saying, "they will stay in there for periods" (Naba`a: 23).
So Abd, who is from the Imaams of the Huffaadh and scholars of Sunnah relates from these two noble personalities: Sulaymaan bin Harb and Hajjaaj bin Minhaal, who in turn narrate from Hammad bin Salma, and he narrates from Thaabit and Humaid, and these two from Hasan. And this is sufficient to show the excellence of this isnaad.
And Hasan, even if he did not hear anything from Umar, relates this also from some of the Taabi`een. If this was not authentic from Umar, according to him, then why did he narrate it and designate his narration with certainty by saying, "Umar said"? And why did those Imaams narrate it from him without rejection or refutation when it is known that they rejected anything that contradicted the Sunnah and refuted matters less than this? So if this saying was from those that contradicted the Qur’aan and Sunnah and ijmaa of the Imaams then they would have been the first to reject it.
There is no doubt that the one who sticks to this opinion of Umar, and narrates it from him means a portion/type of the inhabitants of the Fire. For the people (i.e. Muslims) that are punished due to their sins, then these people would leave it and they would not stay in it the extent of the stones in a mountain. And the word, ‘People of the Fire’ is not specific to the believers in the Oneness of Allaah, rather it is specific to their enemies, as the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "as for the People of the Fire who are it’s inhabitants, then they will neither live or die in their." [Saheeh Muslim] What has preceded does not contradict His saying, ‘they will remain in their forever’ and His saying, ‘and they will never leave it’."…
…Ibn Mas`ud said, "there will come a time in which there will be no-one in the Fire and that is after they have remained in there for periods." The likes of this is related from Abu Hurayrah, both being reported by al-Baghawee in his tafseer. Then he says after this, "and the meaning of these according to Ahlus Sunnah, if they are established, is that no one of the People of faith will remain in there."…." [‘al-Haadee al-Arwaah’ (pp. 429 +)]
Imam Taymiya was not from Najd, Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab was. As well, hadeeth does not say "Beware of Shaykhu-n-Najdi, since he is Shaytan." this part has been copy pasted from the innovated source. So this lame argument of yours is lame, does not apply to Imam Taymiya.
So with this it is clear that both ibn Taymiyyah and his student did not hold the Hellfire to come to an end or that the punishment would cease for the unbelievers. Were it not for the fear of lengthening the discussion beyond what is necessary, we would quote from the tafseer of ibn Taymiyyah in which he makes clear that certain types of people would remain in the Hellfire forever, for example, Pharaoh.
