Ithbat Sifat al-Uluw - Ibn Qudama

Ithbat Sifat al-Uluw (Affirmation of the Attribute of Divine Transcendence) is a theological treatise by the Hanbali jurist and traditionist Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama (541–620 AH / 1147–1223 CE) devoted to affirming the attribute of divine aboveness and transcendence (al-uluw) over the creation and above the heavens Majallat al-Buhuth al-Isl…+1.

Purpose and Scope

The work belongs to the genre of theological monographs dedicated to single divine attributes, which scholars authored to defend traditionalist creedal positions against the interpretations of theological disputants (ahl al-kalam) Ijtima al-Juyush al-Islam…+1. In early bibliographic records, such as that of Ibn al-Mibrad, it is recorded under the title Mas'alat al-Uluw (The Issue of Highness) in two fascicles (juz'an) Mujam al-Kutub.

Ibn Qudama articulates the core thesis of the treatise by stating that God described Himself with highness in the heaven, His Messenger ﷺ described Him likewise, and the Companions and leading jurists reached a consensus upon this belief Dar Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-…+1. He further argues that this affirmation is ingrained in the innate disposition of all creation (fitra), pointing out that individuals in distress instinctively look toward the sky and raise their hands upward in supplication Dar Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-…+1. According to the author, the purpose of collecting these texts is to provide definitive certainty regarding the transmission of this creed from early authorities Dar Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-….

Content and Method

Ibn Qudama structures his arguments around textual evidence from the Quran, prophetic hadiths, and transmitted reports (athar) from early generations of Muslims:

• Prophetic Traditions: The author compiles narrations evidencing divine highness, such as the hadith of the slave girl asked by the Prophet ﷺ where God is, to which she answered in the heaven Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad lil…+1.
• Statements of Early Scholars: He records theological statements from the founding figures of Islamic jurisprudence and tradition, including Malik ibn Anas (stating that God is in the heaven while His knowledge is everywhere), al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa, and Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak Sharh al-Iqtisad fi al-It…+1.

Like several other classical compilations dedicated to specific theological topics, the book records transmitted chains and reports without systematically evaluating their authenticity, resulting in the inclusion of a number of weak or unverified narrations alongside well-attested ones Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad lil…+1.

Reception and Editions

The treatise was widely cited by later scholars who compiled works on the divine attributes. Ibn Taymiyya quoted from it directly in Dar' Ta'arud al-Aql wa-l-Naql and Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyya Dar Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-…+1. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya relied on its citations in Ijtima' al-Juyush al-Islamiyya and al-Sawa'iq al-Mursala Ijtima al-Juyush al-Islam…+1. Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi also transmitted narrations through Ibn Qudama's text in his biographical and theological work al-Uluw lil-Aliyy al-Ghaffar Rawdat al-Muhaddithin.

The text has been published in modern printed editions, including an edition edited by Ahmad ibn Atiyya al-Ghamidi (published in 1409 AH / 1988–1989 CE by Maktabat al-Ulum wa-l-Hikam and Mu'assasat Ulum al-Quran) and an edition edited by Badr ibn Abd Allah al-Badr (published in 1406 AH / 1986 CE by al-Dar al-Salafiyya in Kuwait) Ijtima al-Juyush al-Islam…+1.