Ibn Khaldūn mentioned, “The people of al-Maghrib were far off from following the Ashʿarīs in their distortion of the texts (tawīl[1]) and adopting their opinion concerning this. This was due to their adherence to following the Salaf (the first three generations of Muslims). In the latter’s rejection of al-Taʾwīl and their affirmation of those verses that deal with Allāh’s Attributes as they are (i.e. their outward linguistic meaning). Ibn Tūmart forced the people of al-Maghrib to adopt the position of al-Taʾwīl and the madhhab of the Ashʿarīs in all aspects of belief. He also announced their being the imāms (leaders) and the obligation of following them. Similarly, he penned a treatise comprising of matters of belief in line with their creed as exemplified in his Al-Murshidah fī al-Tawhīd.”[2]

[1] Taʾwīl is distortion of the texts by giving a word another meaning with no proof that the apparent, literal meaning was not intended. Misguided groups like the Ashʿarī distort the Attributes of Allāh by falsely claiming that the apparent, evident meaning was not intended as this necessitates drawing a similitude between Allāh and His creation. However, this is not the case as Allāh mentions in al-Qurān {Nothing resembles Allāh and He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing}. In this verse, Allāh has negated any likeness to Him, and then affirms that He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing despite the fact that from His creation are those who hear and see, which denotes that affirming these attributes for Allāh does not necessitate drawing similitudes between Allāh and His creation. Rather, Allāh’s Attributes are in a manner suitable and befitting to His Greatness and are perfect and complete. Whereas these attributes, despite having similar linguistic meanings, when used to describe the creation are in a manner suitable to their deficiencies and incompleteness.

[2] Fatāwá ʿUlamā ʾ al-Mālikīyah fī Taqrīr ʿAqīdah Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamā ʿah, (pg.116), al-Istiqsā, (pg.80, v.1).