Ithbāt al Maʿnā (affirming the meaning) and Nafī al Kayf (denying the how)
If those people had believed in the wording alone, without understanding its maʿnā (meaning) in a way that befits Allah, they would not have said: “al istiwāʾ (rising) is not unknown, and how is not comprehended.”
Nor would they have said: “Pass them on as they came bila kayf (without asking how).” Because in that case, al istiwāʾ (rising) would not be something known, rather it would be unknown, like the letters of the alphabet.
Also, there would be no need to deny knowledge of how if no maʿnā (meaning) were understood from the wording. The need to deny knowledge of how only arises when the attributes are affirmed.
Also, those who deny al ṣifāt al khabariyyah (reported attributes), or deny the attributes altogether, do not need to say “bila kayf (without asking how).”
Whoever says: “Allah is not above al ʿArsh (the Throne)” does not need to say “bila kayf (without asking how).”
So if the madhhab of the Salaf had been to deny the attributes in reality, they would not have said “bila kayf (without asking how).”
Also, their statement “Pass them on as they came” requires that their dalālah (indication) remains as it is. These texts came as wordings that point to maʿānī (meanings).
So if their indication were removed, then it would be necessary to say: “Pass on their wording while believing that what is understood from them is not intended,”
or: “Pass on their wording while believing that Allah is not described by what they truly indicate.”
In that case, they would not have been passed on as they came.
And it would not make sense to say “bila kayf (without asking how),” because denying the kayf (how) of something that is not affirmed is meaningless speech.
Majmūʿ al Fatāwā by Shaykh al Islām Ibn Taymiyyah 5/41–42
