Introduction — The Question from Hama and Ibn Taymiyyah's Methodology

Al-Aqeedah al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubra is one of the most important epistles written by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661–728 AH / 1263–1328 CE) on the subject of the divine names and attributes. The work takes its name from the city of Hama in Syria, from whose scholars and judges a formal question was posed to Ibn Taymiyyah regarding the correct Islamic position on Allah's attributes — particularly the attributes mentioned in what are known as the mutashabihat, or the verses and hadiths whose apparent meanings some considered difficult to reconcile with transcendence.

The question reached Ibn Taymiyyah while he was in Egypt, and he composed this fatwa as a comprehensive written response. The query specifically asked about what the scholars of Islam have said regarding the attributes of Allah — such as His settling over the Throne (al-istiwa'), His descent to the lowest heaven, His Hand, His Face, and similar attributes mentioned explicitly in the Quran and established Sunnah. The questioners wanted to know which position was correct: the approach of those who affirm these attributes (the way of the Salaf), or the approach of those who reinterpret or negate them (the way of certain later theologians).

Ibn Taymiyyah's methodology in this treatise is grounded in a fundamental principle: the obligation to follow the Quran, the authentic Sunnah, and the understanding of the righteous predecessors (al-Salaf al-Salih) — namely the Companions, the Successors (Tabi'un), and the leading scholars of the early generations. He argues that these three sources together form the only reliable guide to understanding what Allah has revealed about Himself, and that any theological position which departs from this foundation is suspect at best and deviant at worst.

A key aspect of his approach is his insistence that affirming the texts as they appear does not entail anthropomorphism (tashbih) or likening Allah to His creation. Rather, it entails affirming for Allah what He has affirmed for Himself, in a manner that befits His Majesty and perfection, without asking how (bila kayf) and without comparing Him to created things. This position, he demonstrates, was the unanimous stance of the early Muslim community.

Ibn Taymiyyah also emphasizes that the Salaf were not a people who left difficult texts unaddressed out of ignorance or incapacity. On the contrary, they understood these matters deeply and chose the path of affirmation because it is demanded by both the revealed texts and sound reason. Their silence on speculative interpretation (ta'wil) was not confusion — it was deliberate adherence to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions had transmitted.

This treatise became a landmark in Athari theology, offering a detailed, text-based rebuttal of the Mu'tazilite and Ash'arite positions on divine attributes, while simultaneously defending the classical Sunni position that had been the common ground of Muslim scholarship for centuries. It remains studied today as a primary reference for understanding the Athari understanding of tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat.