Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The term “movement” is neither affirmed nor denied concerning Allah Almighty in the Quran or Sunnah. Therefore, the more appropriate position is not to apply this term to Him, Glorified be He.
Rather, we affirm the expressions that occur in the revealed texts, such as coming, approaching, descending, and drawing near, in a manner befitting Allah, without likening them to the actions of created beings or discussing how they occur.
Scholars have differed regarding the use of the term “movement.” Some used it, while others refrained from doing so while still affirming the actions mentioned in the revealed texts.
The revealed texts establish that Allah Almighty comes, approaches, descends, and draws near.
Allah Almighty says:
“And your Lord will come, and the angels, rank upon rank.”
[Al-Fajr: 22]
And He says:
“Are they waiting for Allah to come to them in canopies of clouds along with the angels, and the matter is then decided?”
[Al-Baqarah: 210]
It is also authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains...”
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
The Prophet ﷺ also said concerning the Day of Arafah:
“Indeed, He draws near, then He boasts of them before the angels.”
Narrated by Muslim.
These actions are therefore established by the revealed texts, and the Muslim believes in them as they have been reported, while also affirming Allah’s statement:
“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
[Ash-Shura: 11]
Because the word “movement” itself does not occur in the revealed texts as a description of Allah, although some scholars considered certain established actions—such as coming, descending, and approaching—to fall under the general meaning they called movement.
For this reason, scholars differed regarding the use of the term.
Some early scholars explicitly affirmed it, including Harb al-Kirmani and Uthman ibn Sa‘id al-Darimi, and its use has also been reported from some other leading scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah.
On the other hand, other scholars affirmed coming, descending, approaching, and the other actions mentioned in the revealed texts, but refrained from using the word “movement” because it is not a transmitted scriptural term and may carry different meanings.
Ibn Taymiyyah reported this difference of opinion and explained that some leading scholars of the Sunnah affirmed the meanings established in the revealed texts while avoiding the term “movement” itself.
Because “movement” is an ambiguous term that may be understood in more than one way.
A person may intend by it the movement of a created being, which is subject to bodily characteristics, such as moving from one place that it needs to another place, or leaving one place empty and occupying another.
Such concepts, derived from the conditions of created beings, must not be used as a standard for Allah’s actions.
On the other hand, a person might use the word “movement” merely to affirm the actions that Allah has informed us about Himself, such as coming, descending, and approaching.
Therefore, using such an ambiguous term may cause unnecessary confusion.
It is more precise to use the scriptural expressions themselves. Thus, we say:
Allah comes as He has informed us, He approaches as He has informed us, and He descends as the Prophet ﷺ informed us, without attempting to place these actions under additional terminology that does not occur in revelation.
Affirming descent or coming does not mean that Allah’s descent or coming resembles the movement or relocation of a human being.
The principle regarding all of Allah’s Attributes and Actions is that whatever is attributed to Allah is befitting Him, while whatever is attributed to a created being is befitting that created being.
Therefore, we do not ask: How does He descend? How does He come? Nor do we imagine a particular form for these actions, because the manner of Allah’s Attributes and Actions belongs to the unseen, about which we have not been informed.
Ibn al-Qayyim favored the approach of those who refrain from either affirming or denying the term “movement,” while affirming the actions established in the revealed texts.
He explained that terms such as “movement” and “transition” may carry both a correct meaning and an incorrect meaning. Therefore, they should not be affirmed or denied without qualification.
If what is intended is the characteristics of created movement and the creature’s need, then this meaning is not affirmed for Allah.
But if what is intended is to affirm Allah’s actions mentioned in the revealed texts, such as coming, descending, and approaching, then these actions themselves are already established by the texts, and there is no need to replace the wording of revelation with ambiguous terminology.
Scholars differed regarding applying the term “movement” to Allah Almighty. Some affirmed it, while others refrained from using it while affirming the actions mentioned in the revealed texts.
The more appropriate and cautious position is not to describe Allah with movement, either by affirmation or denial, because this term does not occur in the Quran or Sunnah and may carry different meanings.
Instead, we affirm what revelation explicitly affirms: coming, approaching, descending, and drawing near, in a manner befitting Allah Almighty, without asking how or likening Him to His creation:
“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
[Ash-Shura: 11]
And Allah knows best.