A Comparative Analysis of the Shiite and Sunni Perspectives of Sifat-I-Khabari Based on the Question of Royat (Vision of God)

One of the main problems in Islamic theology is Sifāt-I-Khabari (testified attributes) about which the scholars of different sects of Islam have different perspectives. Some of them are accused of Tashbeeh (Analogization), some of Tajseem (Anthropomorphism), and some of Ta’teel (Rejecting). Sometimes, even some schools of thought such as Wahhābism exceeded to excommunicate the opponents who stand against Sifāt-i-Khabari
Shiite scholars, not being excluded from these kinds of accusations along the history, have strongly rejected them; pronounce that their interpretation of Sifāt-i-Khabari is the same as the perspective of the Household of the Prophet, namely Tanzeeh (Purification). According to the Shiite scholars based on the Hadithes told by the Shiite Twelve Innocent Imams on Sifāt-I-Khabari; three main theories could be extracted: proving through analogization, refutation of Sifāt (attributes of God), and proving without analogization. From all these perspectives, the latter is as same as Tanzeeh (Purification) that the Shiite scholars believe in it.
In this article, we try to explain different positions on Sifāt-i-Khabari through a systematic classification emphasizing the notion of Divine Vision.