Arabic · noun · Poetry, Speech & Art
Tashbeeh
तश्बीह
said tash-beeh
also written: Tashbih, tashbih, tashbeeh
Meaning
Simile; an explicit comparison of one thing to another.
Literally: likening; comparison (of God to creatures)
Usage & notes
The likening of God to created things — ascribing to Him form, limbs or human attributes in a literal way — the doctrinal opposite of tanzeeh. Sound theology balances the two: affirming the reality of God's attributes without compromising His transcendence. The pair frames much of the metaphysical debate Iqbal navigates about how God relates to the world.