The Authority of Analogical Reasoning from the Seen to the Unseen (Qiyās al-ghāib ʻalā al-shāhid) for Understanding the Attributes of God According to Qādī ʻAbd al-Jabbār

Abstract

Understanding the attributes of God has long been a contentious issue among Muslim scholars, persisting as a central theological debate. This polemic fundamentally revolves around the interpretation of religious texts (Dilalah Alfadz ala Ma’aani). Numerous Muslim scholars have proposed alternative approaches to interpret the divine attributes in the Qur'an, aiming to preserve meaning while preventing readers from anthropomorphism (Tashbih). Consequently, two key principles have emerged for understanding ambiguous (mutashabihat) verses: first, delegating the interpretation (tafwidh) of such verses to God while affirming His transcendence; and second, selecting contextually appropriate meanings for divine attributes based on a range of arguments, thus avoiding anthropomorphic misinterpretations.Despite the continued teaching of these methods, the debate remains vigorous among theologians. The core of this controversy lies in the tendency to understand God by analogy to observable phenomena (Qiyas Ghaib ala Shahid), which often results in the flawed application of Qiyas Tamsili. This underscores the need for an in-depth study of Qiyas Ghaib ala Shahid, emphasizing proper principles (Dhawabit) to prevent misunderstandings as anthropomorphic analogy. Qadi Abdul Jabbar (d. 1052 CE) offers significant guidance on employing Qiyas Ghaib ala Shahid to avoid Tashbih when discussing God and His attributes. There are compelling academic reasons to study Qadi Abdul Jabbar’s approach in this context. First, his interpretation avoids a literal understanding of divine attributes, thus averting paradoxes and contradictions. Second, Qadi Abdul Jabbar advocates for objectivity (inshof) in applying Qiyas Ghaib ala Shahid, exemplified in his rejection of negative attributes, such as "the Avenger" (Al Muntaqim), which he argues detract from divine perfection. Instead, he applies this method to clarify God’s justice. This research adopts a literature review approach, focusing on Qadi Abdul Jabbar's major works, Sharh Usl al-Khamsah and Al-Mughni fi Abwab al-Tawhid, alongside other relevant sources to deepen the understanding of this theme.