قَالَHe saidالإِمَامُthe ImamأَحْمَدُAhmad::لَاnotيُوَصَفُdescribedاللَّهُGodإِلَّاexceptبِمَاby whatوَصَفَdescribedبِهِHimنَفْسَهُHimself،,أَوْorوَصَفَهُHe describedبِهby itرَسُولِهِHis Messengerلَاnotيُتَجَاوَزُtransgressedالْقُرْآنُthe Qur'anوَالْحَدِيثُand the Hadith(١)(1)..يَعْنِيIt meansأَنَّنَاthat weلَاnotنَصِفُdescribeاللَّهَGodإِلَّاexceptبِمَاby whatوَصَفَdescribedبِهِHimنَفْسَهُHimselfفِيinكِتَابِهِHis Book،,أَوْorعَلَىonلِسَانِthe tongueرَسُولِهِof His Messenger..وَيَدُلُّAnd it indicatesلِذَلِكَto thisالْقُرْآنُthe Qur'anوَالْعَقْلُand the intellect::فَفِيFor inالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anيَقُولُsaysاللَّهُGodعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Almighty::﴿﴿قُلْSayإِنَّمَاIndeedحَرَّمَhas forbiddenرَبِّيَMy Lordالْفَوَاحِشَthe immoral actsمَاwhatظَهَرَhas appearedمِنْهَاfrom themوَمَاand whatبَطَنَhas concealedوَالإِثْمَand the sinوَالْبَغْيَand the oppressionبِغَيْرِwithoutالْحَقِّthe truthوَأَنَّand thatتُشْرِكُواyou associate partnersبِاللَّهِwith Allahمَاwhatلَمْhas notيُنَزِّلْsent downبِهِwith itسُلْطَانًاany authorityوَأَنَّand thatتَقُولُواyou sayعَلَىaboutاللَّهِAllahمَاwhatلَاnotتَعْلَمُونَyou know﴾﴾[الأعراف: ٣٣][Al-A'raf: 33]؛;فَإِذَاSo ifوَصَفْتَyou describedاللَّهَGodبِصِفَةٍwith a characteristicلَمْthat He did notيَصِفْdescribeاللَّهَGodبِهَاwith itنَفْسَهُHimself؛;فَقَدْthen you haveقُلْتَsaidعَلَيْهِagainst Himمَاwhatلَاnotتَعْلَمُyou know،,وَهَذَاAnd thisمُحَرَّمٌis forbiddenبِالنَّصِّby textالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'an..وَيَقُولُAnd saysاللَّهُGodعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Almighty::﴿﴿وَلَاand do notنَقْفُfollowمَاwhatلَيْسَis notلَكَfor youبِهِwith itعِلْمٌknowledgeإِنَّIndeedالسَّمْعَthe hearingوَالْبَصَرَand the sightوَالْفُؤَادَand the heartكُلُّallأُولَـٰئِكَthoseكَانُواwereعَنْهُabout Himمَسْئُولِينَquestioned﴾﴾[الإسراء: ٣٦][Al-Isra: 36]،,وَلَوْAnd ifوَصَفْنَاwe describedاللَّهَGodبِمَاby whatلَمْhas notيَصِفْdescribedبِهِby itنَفْسَهُHimself؛;لَكِنَّاwe would beقَفَوْنَاtrackingمَاwhatلَيْسَis notلَنَاfor usبِهِwith itعِلْمٌknowledge،,فَوَقَعْنَاand we have fallenفِيinto whatنَهَىHe prohibitedاللَّهُAllahعَنْهُabout HimالْأُمُورَmattersوَأَمَّاAnd as forالدَّلِيلُthe evidenceالْعَقْلِيُّ؛rational;فَلَأَنَّIt is becauseصِفَاتَqualitiesاللَّهِGodعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Almightyمِنْare ofالْغَيْبِ،the unseen,وَلَاand cannotيُمكِنُbe comprehendedفِيinالْأُمُورِthe mattersالْغَيْبِيَّةِof the unseenوَحِينَئِذٍAnd at that timeلَاnotنَصِفُwe describeاللَّهَGodبِمَاby whatلَمْhas notيَصِفْdescribedبِهِby itنَفْسَهُHimselfوَلَاand do notنَكِيفُwe resembleصِفَاتَهُ؛His attributes;لَأَنَّbecauseذَلِكَthatغَيْرُis notمُمْكِنٌpossibleنَحْنُWeالْآنَnowلَاnotنُدْرِكُrealizeمَاwhatوَصَفَdescribedاللَّهُGodبِهِby itنَعِيمَthe blissالْجَنَّةِof Paradise
Imam Ahmad said: God is only described by what He described Himself, or what He was described with by His Messenger; the Qur'an and the Hadith are not to be transgressed (1). It means that we do not describe God except by what He described Himself in His Book, or on the tongue of His Messenger. The Qur'an and the intellect indicate this: In the Qur'an, God, the Almighty, says: “Say: My Lord has only prohibited the immoral acts, those that are apparent and those that are hidden, and sin and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah what He has not sent down about which you have no authority, and that you say about Allah what you do not know” [Al-A'raf: 33]; if you describe God with a characteristic that He did not describe Himself with, then you have said against Him what you do not know, and this is forbidden according to the text of the Qur'an. And God, the Almighty, says: “And do not follow that of which you have no knowledge; indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—all of those will be questioned” [Al-Isra: 36], and if we were to describe God with something He did not describe Himself with, we would be following what we have no knowledge of, thus falling into what Allah has prohibited. As for the rational evidence: the attributes of God, the Almighty, are from the unseen, and it is not possible to grasp the unseen matters with the intellect, thus we do not describe God with what He did not describe Himself, nor do we resemble His qualities; for that is not possible. We now do not realize what God described about the bliss of Paradise.