Answer- Definitions of Ta’teel – Tamtheel – Taykeef and Tahreef by Sh. Fawzaan (MUST READ)

Tahreef

The meaning of Tahreef is to introduce a change or make an alteration (taghyeer) and also to turn something away from its true position (imaalah).

The First Type: Changing the Word. This is to refrain from (accepting) this word as it is and instead adopting another word either by adding or taking away an additional letter or word or by changing a vowel point. An example is the saying of the people of misguidance regarding the speech of Allaah:

Ar-Rahmaan ascended (istawaa’) the Throne [Sooratut Taahaa 20:5]

They say: istawlaa, which gives it the meaning of conquered and have therefore added a letter to the verse.

Also, their saying about the speech of Allaah And your Lord comes (jaa’a) with the angels in rows [Sooratul Fajr 89:22]

They say: The command (amr) of your lord, meaning the command of your Lord comes. Therefore, they have added a word.

Also their saying about the speech of Allaah: And Allaah spoke to Moses directly.

They change the vowel point in the word Allaah, so they made it from Allaahu to Allaaha giving it the altered meaning: And to Allaah Moses spoke directly. So they have changed the vowel point from a dhamma to a fatha to enable a change in the meaning.

The Second Type: Changing the Meaning. This means to refrain from (accepting) the (established and proven) meaning (of the word in question) as it is, to refuse its reality and to give the word signifying it the meaning of another word.

An example is the saying of the innovators: The meaning of mercy (rahmah) is: The desire to bestow favours, and that the meaning of anger (ghadab) is: The desire to seek revenge.

Ta’teel

The meaning of Ta’teel in the language is to leave and vacate (al-ikhlaa’). It is said: He neglected it, left it (atalahu) meaning he vacated it (akhlaahu). The intended meaning of it here is the denial of Allaahs attributes, free and sublime is He from all imperfections, the Exalted. The difference between tahreef and ta’ateel is that tahreef is to deny the correct meaning which is proven by the texts (of the Book and the Sunnah) and substituting another incorrect meaning for it. Ta’ateel is to merely deny the proven and established meaning without substituting it for another meaning and this is the way of the Mufawwidah. Therefore, anyone who changes the meaning of the word (muharrif) is also one who denies the proven and correct meaning (muattil) but one who denies the meaning indicated by the word is not one who actually changes the proven meaning.

Tamtheel

The meaning of Tamtheel is resemblance (tashbeeh) and it is committed when it is said that Allaah’s attributes are like the attributes of the creation. For example, it might be said: The hand of Allaah is like our hands and His hearing is like our hearing. High is Allaah above such things.

Allaah said: There is nothing like Him and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing [Sooratush Shooraa 42:11].

Therefore, it cannot be said that His attributes are like our attributes or that they resemble our attributes just like it cannot be said that the Self of Allaah is like our selves or that it resembles our selves.

Ta’teel

The meaning of Takyeef is to specify the exact nature and reality of the established meaning of the attribute. It is said: He gave something a shape or form (kayyafa) when he made for it a known quality.

Committing takyeef with Allaahs attributes is to specify their precise nature, state or condition and their form or shape. This is impossible for mankind since the knowledge of this is amongst that knowledge which Allaah has kept to Himself. Therefore, there is no way of knowing the precise nature of His attributes because the
attribute follows the Self (dhaat). Just as it is not possible for a person to know the exact nature of the Self of Allaah, it is likewise impossible to know the exact nature of His attributes. Their exact nature is not known.

This is why when Imaam Maalik was asked about the verse:

Ar-Rahmaan has ascended (istiwaa’) the Throne [Sooratut Taahaa 20:5]. How is the ascending (istiwaa’)?

He replied: “The ascending is known, its reality is unknown, having eemaan in it is obligatory and asking about it is an innovation.”

And this is said with respect to all of Allaahs attributes.

[Source: Sharhul ‘Aqeedatil Wasitiyyah p.15-16 with Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan’s explanation]