Is it permissible to attribute the term "movement" (harakah) to Allah Almighty?
The term "motion" (al-harakah) has not been explicitly affirmed or denied for Allah Almighty in the texts. However, it is established that He (Glorified and Exalted be He) comes and arrives to judge on the Day of Resurrection, and descends every night to the lowest heaven. Thus, "coming," "arriving," and "descending" are of the same genre as motion and convey its meaning, but they are not the exact word "motion."
The Salaf differed concerning attributing motion to Allah. Some affirmed it, like Harb al-Kirmani and al-Darimi, considering its denial to be the saying of the Jahmiyyah. Others denied the term but affirmed its meaning.
The most appropriate stance is to refrain from both denying and affirming motion, because it is an ambiguous term that can bear both a sound and a corrupt meaning. Therefore, we affirm for Allah what has been mentioned in the texts, such as descent, coming, and arrival, while negating how (takyīf) and resemblance (tashbīh).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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