Salaf never interpreted verses of the Holy Quran describing Allah?

No, it is not true that the Salaf never interpreted verses of the Holy Quran that seem to describe Allah Most High. Rather there are authentic narrations proving that they provided interpretations at times. At other times they essentially repeated the verse without providing an interpretation.

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

The Day upon which a shin will be revealed. They will be called to prostration, but they will not be able (to prostrate). (Surah al-Qalam, 42).

There is a group of Muslims who repeatedly attack the Ashari school for accepting Taweel. Which is to interpret certain verses of the Holy Quran based upon evidence. They believe this to be misguidance and insist the Salaf (early Muslims) did not engage in Taweel.

They themselves will sometimes simply repeat the verse, which is a position amongst the Salaf. At other times they will understand it to be literal from a human perspective (anthropomorphism), which is not only unacceptable but Kufr.

As for the claim that the Salaf did not interpret such verses of the Holy Quran it is false. Rather in a sound narration in the Mustadrak of Imam Hakim not only do we find the great Sahabi Abdullah Ibn Abbas (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) interpreting verse 42 of Surah al-Qalam, he goes further and encourages us to look to the Arabic language for sound interpretation.

قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: هَذَا يَوْمُ كَرْبٍ وَشِدَّة. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ. قال الامام الذهبي: صحيح

(Sayidina) Ibn Abbas (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) said, ‘(It means) this is a day of calamity and intensity.’ (Al- Mustadrak 3845, Sahih according to Imams al-Hakim and al-Dhahabi).

In the same authentic narration Sayidina Ibn Abbas went further and explained the importance of making Taweel (interpreting). He (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said:

إِذَا خَفِي عَلَيْكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَابْتَغُوهُ فِي الشِّعْرِ، فَإِنَّهُ دِيوَانُ الْعَرَبِ

If something of the Holy Quran is unclear to you then seek clarification in poetry. Since it is the catalogue of the Arabs.

This clearly encourages interpretation. He (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) then referenced the following line of poetry when presenting his interpretation of the Ayah from Surah al-Qalam:

وَقَامَتِ الْحَرْبُ بِنَا عَنْ سَاقْ

War has erupted amongst us upon a shin (upon intensity).

When you contrast the statement of Sayidina Ibn Abbas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) to statements from others of the Salaf, then it makes his approach even clearer:

عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ , فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ} [القلم: 42] قَالَ: عَنْ سَاقِهِ , يَعْنِي سَاقَهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى. (تفسير عبد الرزاق)

Regarding the verse, The Day upon which the shin will be revealed. (Surah al-Qalam, 42). Sayidina Ibn Masood (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said ‘His shin. Meaning His shin Blessed and Exalted is He.’ (Tafseer Abd al-Razzaq, 3293).

In the Nass above we find that the great Sahabi Sayidina Abdullah bin Masood (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) took the other approach. Since he said it refers to the shin of Allah Most High. Which is essentially repeating the words of the verse without going into further description. Sayidina Ibn Abbas did not do so. He clearly felt it was to be interpreted (Majaaz). Others from the Salaf took the approach of Sayidina Ibn Abbas too:

عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ} [القلم: 42] قَالَ: «يُكْشَفُ عَنْ شِدَّةِ الْأَمْرِ». (تفسير عبد الرزاق)

Regarding the verse, The Day upon which the shin will be revealed. (Surah al-Qalam, 42). (Imam) Qatadah said, ‘The intensity of the situation will be revealed.’ (Tafseer Abd al-Razzaq, 3292).

In the discussion above we find two valid approaches. Simply repeating the verse without adding any interpretation and interpreting the verse. The classical scholars of Aqeedah referred to these two approaches as Tafweed and Ta’weel. Both have always been considered acceptable approaches by the vast majority of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah.

However, a recent innovation has crept in. Some people insist on a literal and anthropomorphic understanding of such verses and similar Hadith. They do not simply repeat the contents of the verse but insist on projecting a human interpretation. This is not the way of the believers. Rather it is the way of the Kufaar. And it jeopardises the Iman of those who are misguided in this manner.

And Allah Most High Knows Best

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (19.08.2022)

See also:
Is it possible to see Allah (Most High) in the Afterlife?

Did scholars from Salaf interpret the verse about the Eyes of Allah?

Is it correct everyone interprets verses of Quran describing Allah?

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