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The question

Did Imam Al-Bukhari interpret the attributes of Allah Almighty, such as laughter as mercy and face as dominion?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Firstly: There is no fixed text attributed to Al-Bukhari that interprets the attribute of laughter as mercy, and this attribution is questionable.

Secondly: Regarding the attribute of the Face, Al-Bukhari, in his interpretation of the verse (Everything will perish except His Face), presented two interpretations: "except His dominion" and "except that which is intended for the Face of Allah." The interpretation "except His dominion" does not refer to His creations but rather to the attribute of dominion, and it fits the context of the surah which mentions the destruction of Pharaoh and Qarun for their dominion. Al-Bukhari has affirmed the attribute of the Face for Allah Almighty in other places in his Sahih.

Thirdly: Among the common errors in argumentation, for both those who affirm and those who deny, is confusing texts that mention a "word" with their indication of the "attribute" itself. The mere occurrence of a word does not necessarily indicate the attribute directly, for each context has its own meaning, as clarified by Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.

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Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
3059
Imported
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