Does the saying of the Salaf, "Pass them on as they came," imply delegation (Tafwid), and how do we understand Ibn al-Jawzi's opinion that the madhhab of the Salaf "is not affirmation, but rather abandoning research altogether"?

The righteous Salaf interpreted tafwid (conceding knowledge) as conceding the knowledge of kayfiyyah (modality or how) to Allah's essence and attributes. In contrast, later generations (khalaf) interpreted it as conceding the meanings of religious texts that conflicted with their beliefs. The Salaf knew and believed in the meanings of the texts, as Imam Malik said: "The istiwa' (Allah's ascension) is known, its kayf (modality) is unknown, questioning it is an innovation, and believing in it is obligatory." Their saying, "We pass them on as they came," means affirming their reality and conceding the knowledge of their kayfiyyah to Allah the Almighty, since they are Arabic words carrying clear meanings.