Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
We believe in what Allah Almighty has informed us about concerning His attributes, including manifestation and descent, in a manner befitting His Majesty, without likening His attributes to those of created beings and without attempting to describe how they occur. Manifestation and descent are also two distinct attributes in meaning, so it is not correct to measure one by the other.
We should teach our children that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has no equal or likeness. Allah says:
{There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing} [Ash-Shura: 11].
We believe in Allah’s attributes as He has informed us about Himself or as His Messenger ﷺ informed us, while believing that these attributes do not resemble the attributes of created beings.
Allah is capable of what human beings are incapable of. He hears all sounds, sees all of His creation, and does whatever He wills. The actions of the Creator, Glorified be He, are not to be measured against the actions of created beings.
Therefore, if Allah or His Messenger ﷺ informs us of Allah’s descent, we believe in this descent in the manner that befits Allah, without imagining its manner or likening it to the descent of a created being.
It is important to distinguish between manifestation and descent. It does not follow that every attribute of Allah must have the same effect as another attribute.
Manifestation refers to appearing or becoming evident to sight. Allah informed us of His manifestation to the mountain in the story of Musa, peace be upon him, saying:
{He said, “My Lord, show me Yourself that I may look at You.” He said, “You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble, and Musa fell unconscious} [Al-A‘raf: 143].
Ibn Kathir mentioned in his commentary on this verse statements from the early generations concerning the meaning of manifestation, including that when Allah manifested Himself to the mountain, there appeared to it something that it could not bear, so the mountain was crushed and Musa, peace be upon him, fell unconscious. At-Tabari also mentioned similar explanations in his commentary on the verse.
This shows that what happened to the mountain was connected to the manifestation mentioned in the verse, and it is not correct to make that effect necessary for every other attribute of Allah Almighty.
As for descent, we believe in what has been established in the mutawatir hadiths: that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, in a manner befitting His Majesty and Greatness.
We do not know how this descent occurs, and it is not permissible for us to imagine it or describe its manner by comparing it to the descent of created beings.
Allah’s descent is not like the descent of humans, which occurs through ordinary movement from one place to another. Affirming His descent does not require that it be like the movement of created beings or that the same effects resulting from their actions should result from His.
Rather, we believe that He, Glorified be He, descends to the lowest heaven while He is upon His Throne, above all His creation, and we do not encompass how this occurs, because Allah’s attributes do not resemble the attributes of His creation.
Allah says:
{And they do not encompass Him in knowledge} [Ta-Ha: 110].
Thus, the question of why no perceptible event occurs in the world during the descent is based on comparing the descent of the Creator to the descent of a created being. This comparison is incorrect, because there is nothing like Allah, and His attributes must not be imagined in the form of human attributes.
The Muslim is required to affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself, or what His Messenger ﷺ affirmed for Him, without distortion or denial, and without asking how or drawing resemblance.
Just as we believe that Allah hears and sees without imagining how His hearing and sight are, likewise we believe in His descent and manifestation in the manner befitting Him, Glorified be He, without attempting to know how.
The distinction between the attributes of the Creator and those of created beings is an important principle in matters of creed. Sharing a name or a general meaning does not imply resemblance in reality or manner.
Manifestation and descent are two established attributes of Allah Almighty, but they differ in meaning, and it is not permissible to measure one by the other. Allah’s manifestation to the mountain resulted in what He informed us of—its being crushed and Musa falling unconscious. As for His descent to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, we believe in it as established in the Sunnah, without resemblance, without asking how, and without imagining its manner.
The comprehensive principle in all of this is Allah’s statement:
{There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing} [Ash-Shura: 11].
And Allah knows best.