Al Istiwaa Malum wal Kayf Majhul

In al-Istiwāʾ Maʿlūm wa’l-Kayf Majhūl, Sharīf Ḥātim al-ʿAwnī offers an in-depth critical study of one of the most debated issues in Islamic theology: the Divine attribute of istiwāʾ and the meaning of Imām Mālik’s famous statement, “The istiwāʾ is known, while its modality is unknown.”

The author examines the classical debate between tafwīḍ and affirmation in interpreting texts concerning the Divine attributes, presenting the discussion in a scholarly manner while maintaining the etiquette of academic dialogue.

Drawing upon authentic reports from Imām Mālik, al-ʿAwnī argues that his statement should be understood as affirming tafwīḍ of the meaning rather than establishing a specific meaning of istiwāʾ. He also discusses the wording he considers most accurate: “The istiwāʾ is not unknown, its modality is inconceivable, belief in it is obligatory, and questioning about it is an innovation.”

The book further surveys the statements of more than ninety early scholars, arguing that they likewise adopted tafwīḍ of meaning and avoided assigning a specific interpretation to istiwāʾ that could lead to anthropomorphism or corporealism.