''Tashbih'' ( ar, تشبيه) is an Islamic religious concept meaning
anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
, assimilating/comparing God to His creatures. In
Islamic theology
Schools of Islamic theology are various Islamic schools and branches in different schools of thought regarding ''ʿaqīdah'' (creed). The main schools of Islamic Theology include the Qadariyah, Falasifa, Jahmiyya, Murji'ah, Muʿtazila, Bati ...
, two opposite terms are attributed to
Allah
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
, ''tashbih'' and ''
tanzih
''Tanzih'' ( ar, تنزيه) is an Islamic religious concept meaning transcendence. In Islamic theology, two opposite terms are attributed to Allah: ''tanzih'' and ''tashbih''.
The latter means ''"nearness, closeness, accessibility".''
However ...
'' (
transcendence).
However, the fuller meaning of ''tashbih'' is 'affirming similarity', i.e. affirming similarity between God and His creatures. This concept is eternally juxtaposed with Allah's ''tanzih'' (transcendence, or 'declaring incompatibility').
Both
ta'til
In Islamic theology, taʿṭīl ( ar, تَعْطِيل) means "divesting" God of His attributes. The word literally means to suspend and stop the work and refers to a form of apophatic theology which is said because God bears no resemblance to ...
, divesting God of His attributes, and tashbih, anthropomorphism, are considered to be
heresies
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
by
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
s.
Tashbih were apparent in
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
teaching, particularly in the thought of
Al-Qasim al-Rassi
Al-Qāsim ibn Ibrāhīm al-Rassī ( ar, القاسم بن إبراهيم الرسي; 785–860) was a 9th-century religious leader in the Arabian Peninsula. He was one of the founders of the theological traditions of the Zaydi branch of Shi'a Isl ...
,
Zaidiyyah
Zaydism (''h'') is a unique branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali‘s unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. In contrast to other Shia Muslims of Twelver Shi'ism and Isma'ilism, Zaydis, ...
Imam of 8 AD century.
See also
*
Tanzih
''Tanzih'' ( ar, تنزيه) is an Islamic religious concept meaning transcendence. In Islamic theology, two opposite terms are attributed to Allah: ''tanzih'' and ''tashbih''.
The latter means ''"nearness, closeness, accessibility".''
However ...
*
Ta'til
In Islamic theology, taʿṭīl ( ar, تَعْطِيل) means "divesting" God of His attributes. The word literally means to suspend and stop the work and refers to a form of apophatic theology which is said because God bears no resemblance to ...
*
Ta'wil
Esoteric interpretation of the Quran ( ar, تأويل, taʾwīl) is the allegorical interpretation of the Quran or the quest for its hidden, inner meanings. The Arabic word ''taʾwīl'' was synonymous with Tafsir, conventional interpretation in i ...
*
Tafwid
Tafwid ( ar, تفويض) is an Arabic term meaning "relegation" or "delegation", with uses in theology and law.
In theology
In Islamic theology, ''tafwid'' (or ''tafwid al-amr li-llah'', relegation of matters to God) is a doctrine according to ...
*
Bila Kayf
The Arabic phrase ''Bila Kayf'', also pronounced as ''Bila Kayfa'', ( ar, بلا كيف) is roughly translated as "without asking how", "without knowing how or what", or "without modality" which means without considering how and without comparis ...
References
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External links
Tashbīh,
Encyclopaedia Britannica
An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...
Anthropomorphism in Islam
Islamic terminology
God in Islam
Islamic theology
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