SHAIKH ‘ABDUL - ‘AZEEZ IBN BAAZ - hafizahullaah -
When asked about the speech of Sayyid Qutb concerning the saying of Allah - the Most High - Ar-rahmanu ‘alal Arshis tawa -, Sayyid Qutb said in ‘az-Zilaal:
"As for al-Istiwaa’ upon the Throne, then we are able to say:
It is a metaphor for His mastery over the creation." [‘az-Zilaah’: 4/2328 & 6/3408 - 12th edition, 1406H, Daarul-‘Ilm]
So the Shaikh replied: "This is all a futile saying - that this means His mastery. He has not affirmed ‘al-Istiwaa. - which means a denial of ‘Istiwaa.’ Which is known and means His ascension upon the throne. [What he has said] is futile and shows that he is destitute with regard to tafseer and lost in that regard."
Then one of those present mentioned that some people always advise that this book should be read, so he said: "That which he says is an error. No! An error. That which he says is an error. We will soon write in that regard - if Allah wills."
Then in the same lesson some parts of the book of Sayyid Qutb ‘at-Tasweer al-Fannee fil-Qur’aan’ were read to him such as his speech about Moosaa - ‘alaihis-Salaam - upon whom he said: "Let us take Moosaa - as the example of the leader of excitable nature - and this excitable impulse quickly passes away and he regains his composure, as is the case with the excitable folk." Then he said with regard to the Saying of Allah - the Most High - "Fa as-ba-hu fil madinati kha bi fan..." :- "This is the description of a well known state: the restlessness or fear of one expecting evil at every turn - and this is the characteristic of the excitable folk." [‘at-Tasweer al-Fannee fil-Qur’aan’: p.200,201,203. 13th ....]
So the Shaikh replied to this:
"Mockery of the Prophets is apostasy in its own."
And is was said to him that Shaikh Rabee’ al-Madhkhalee has written a refutation of Sayyid Qutb, so the Shaikh said: "Rebuttal of him is good." *
[During a lesson of Shaikh ‘Abdul - ‘Azeez ibn Baaz - hafizahullaah - in his house in Rayaad: 1413H, ‘Minhaajus-Sunnah tapes of ar-Rayaad]