At-Tabarî said in his book at-Tabsîr fî Ma'âlim'id Dîn,
"The statement regarding the attributes which their knowledge is understood by means of reports:
This is like Allâh informing us that He is Samî and Basîr, and that He has two Hands with His statement,﴿بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ﴾
"Rather, both His hands are extended." (al-Mâ'idah, 5/64)
It is also like Allâh informing us that He has a face with His statement,﴿وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ﴾
"And the Face of your Rabb full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever." (ar-Rahmân, 55/27)
It is also like Allâh informing us that He has a foot with the statement by the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam,«حتى يضع رب العزة فيها قدمه»
"Until the Lord of Majesty places His foot in it (hell)."205
It is also like Allâh informing us that He laughs with the statement by the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam,«لقي الله وهو يضحك إليه»
"He will meet Allâh while Allâh is laughing at him."
It is also like Allâh informing us that«يهبط إلى سماء الدنيا»
"Allâh descends to the heaven of the earth."206
The Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam informed this.
It is also like Allâh informing us that He has fingers with the statement by the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam,«ما من قلب إلا وهو بين إصبعين من أصابع الرحمن»
"All hearts are between two fingers of the fingers of ar-Rahmân."207
Verily, unless its knowledge reaches him, we do not declare Takfîr upon anyone because of ignorance regarding these good qualities I have described and similar to them which Allâh described Himself with and which His messenger described Him with, which the reality of its knowledge cannot be established through thinking and reflecting."208
Abû Ya'lâ cited these statements from him in his book Ibtâl'ut Ta'wîl.209
Whoever wants to know the statements by the Salaf narrated from them in the Tafsîr of Tabarî should read Tabarî's statements in his exegesis of the statement by Allâhu Taâlâ,﴿فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ﴾
"So when his Lord appeared to the mountain..." (al-A'râf, 7/143)
Also, his exegesis of the statement by Allâhu Taâlâ,﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ﴾
"And then He did Istiwâ over the Arsh." (al-A'râf, 7/54)
Also, his exegesis of the statement by Allâhu Taâlâ,﴿تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ﴾
"The heavens almost burst apart from above them." (ash-Shûrâ, 42/5)
[Khatîb said, "Ibnu Jarîr had gathered knowledge that nobody in his era had gathered. He was acquainted with the Qur'ân, had insight regarding the meanings of words, a jurist in the ruling, knowledgeable regarding the Sunnah, the statements by the Sahâbah, and the Tâbi'ûn."
Until he said, "I heard the philologist Alî bin Ubaydillâh mention that Muhammad bin Jarîr wrote forty pages every day for forty years.
Ibnu Khuzaymah the Imâm of the Imâms said, "I do not know anyone on the face of this earth more knowledgeable than Muhammad bin Jarîr."210
He passed away in the year 310 H, when he was around ninety years old. May Allâh have mercy upon him.]
205- Al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 6661; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2848.
206- Al-Bazzâr, Musnad, 12/317, Hadîth no. 6177.
207- With similar wording in Muslim, Hadîth no. 2654.
208- With similar wording in at-Tabarî, at-Tabsîr fî Ma'âlim'id Dîn, p. 132-139.
209- Abû Ya'lâ, Ibtâl'ut Ta'wîlât, p. 54-55.
210- Al-Khatîb al-Baghdâdî, Târîkhu Baghdâd, Dâr'ul Kutub'il Ilmiyyah, 2/161.
