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The question

Do Salafis believe in the literal meaning of God's attributes, and that He has a body, face, and leg, or not?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

In the domain of divine names and attributes, the Salafis adhere to the principle of affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself and what His Messenger has affirmed for Him, without distortion, resemblance, or denial. They negate what He has negated from Himself or what His Messenger has negated from Him. They reserve judgment on matters for which there is no negation or affirmation until their meaning becomes clear. If the meaning is corrupt, both the word and the meaning are negated. If the meaning is sound, the meaning is affirmed without the word. Applying this principle to the attributes of "Istawa" (ascension), "al-Wajh" (Face), and "al-Saq" (Shin), they affirm them as they appeared in the religious texts, without anthropomorphism, denial, or distortion, relying on the understanding of the righteous predecessors. As for the word "body" (al-jasad), its affirmation or negation has not been mentioned in the Sharia, so it is neither affirmed nor negated absolutely, except after inquiring about its meaning. If it indicates a false meaning such as need and composition, it is negated. If it indicates a sound meaning such as self-subsistence and choice, the meaning is affirmed with the appropriate legal wording.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

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Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
3691
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
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