222338
lit., except His Face. Following the stance of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jamâ’ah, we believe in Allah’s Attributes such as His Face, Hands, and Eyes, as well as the fact that He is established above the Throne—in a manner that befits His Majesty and Honour. These attributes can be found in 11:37, 13:2, and 48:10. In some places, the word “Face” in relation to Allah is sometimes understood to mean “He alone.” This understanding can be found in verse 28:88, which reads, “Everything is bound to perish except He alone” and verse 55:27 which reads, “Only your Lord alone, full of Majesty and Honour, will remain forever.” Allah is Eternal and all His Attributes will remain forever, not just His Face. This is based on commentary from scholars such as Ibn Taimiyah, Ibn Kathîr, Al-Qurṭubi, Aṭ-Ṭabari, Al-Baghawi, As-Sa’di, Ibn ’Ashûr, and many others. In the words of Imam Ibn Taimiyah in his Fatâwa (collection of religious rulings), “The fact that Allah’s Face, full of Majesty and Honour, will remain forever means in essence: He Himself.” In the same way, if a verse states that something good is done “seeking Allah’s Face,” this style is understood in Arabic rhetoric (balâghah) to mean “it is done sincerely for Allah, seeking to please Him alone, not anyone else.” Footnotes include the literal translation to emphasize that Allah does have a Face, but not like ours.