I am sorry to say but you need to verify the source you are getting your 'facts' from. The scholars I take knowledge from would be considered 'Salafi', yet I only know off them to emphasise on Ijma` and they are very strict in following the Qur'an & Sunnah according to the understanding of the Salaf.
An example of the Asha`irah deviating from the Ijma` of the Sahabah and the Salaf is that the Salaf affirmed the Dhahir (apparent meaning) of the attributes of Allah, whilst the Asha`irah deviated from Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l Jama`ah by doing Ta'weel/Tafwidh in the attributes of Allah.
I gave you the example of the statements of the Salaf as to how they affirmed the Dhahir of the `Uluww of Allah. The problem with the Deobandis, as I mentioned before, is that they want to attach themselves to the Salaf in Fiqh but distance away from the Salaf in `Aqidah.
Take note of the words of the great Mufassir, al-Qurtubi (who is an Ash`ari scholars by the way). He said commenting on the verse of Istiwa in Surah al-A`raf (verse 54), after discussing the madh-hab of the Mutakallimun (the people of Kalam, like the Ash`aris, Mu`tazilis) and their negation of Allah being above the Creation, he said:
كان السلف الأول رضي الله عنهم لا يقولون بنفي الجهة ولا ينطقون بذلك ، بل نطقوا هم والكافة بإثباتها لله تعالى كما نطق كتابه وأخبرت رسله . ولم ينكر أحد من السلف الصالح أنه استوى على عرشه حقيقة . وخص العرش بذلك لأنه أعظم مخلوقاته ، وإنما جهلوا كيفية الاستواء فإنه لا تعلم حقيقته . قال مالك رحمه الله : الاستواء معلوم - يعني في اللغة - والكيف مجهول ، والسؤال عن هذا بدعة
"...and the Salaf of the very first times - may Allaah be pleased with them all - never used to negate direction (al-jihah) for Allaah and nor did they used to express this (negation). Rather, they, and all of the others, used to speak with its affirmation for Allaah, the Most High just as His Book has spoken about it and just as His Messengers informed of it. And not a single one of the Salaf denied that his ascending (istawaa) the Throne was real and true (haqeeqah) (as opposed to metaphorical, majaaz). And Allaah specified the Throne with istawaa because that is the greatest of all His creation. However they assumed ignorance only of the exact nature (kaifiyyah) of istiwaa, for the true nature of that is not known. Imaam Maalik said, 'Istiwaa is known...', meaning in the language, '...its true nature is unknown and asking about it is an innovation�"
These are the words of your very own classical Ash`ari scholars who admitted the truth regarding the `Aqidah of the Salaf.
So, it is pretty clear as to who is rejecting the Ijma` of the Sahabah here.
A more accurate interpretation of the tafsir of Imam Al-Qurtubi [d. 671H] was provided on marifah . net as follows:
Regarding God’s statement (may He be exalted): “He then established Himself over the Throne”
This is the theological issue of “establishment” (al-istiwā’). The scholars have spoken at length regarding this issue. We have shown the various positions of the scholars in the book The Radiant Explanation of God’s Most Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes , where we made mention of fourteen opinions.
Most of both the early and latter-day scholars have held that if it is obligatory to affirm the transcendence (tanzīh) of the Originator (ta’āla) from the limitations of direction (jiha) and spatial confinement (taḥayyuz), then - according to the generality of early scholars and the foremost latter-day scholars - the need to affirm His transcendency (may He be blessed and exalted) of direction (jiha) necessarily follows as a corollary; for according to these scholars, He is not attributed with moving in an ‘upwards’ direction, since, in their view, specifying for Him a direction logically necessitates that He be situated in a place (makān) or within spatial confines (ḥayyiz), both of which logically necessitate that that which is spatially confined be capable of movement and stillness as well as change (taghayyur) and occurrence in time (ḥudūth). This is the opinion of the scholastic theologians (al-mutakallimīn). And the early salaf (May Allah be pleased with them all) did not speak in negation of a direction for Allah nor did they affirm it [a direction]. Rather, what they and the rest did was to affirm it [al-istiwā’] in the manner that it was affirmed in Allah’s book and in the manner in which His Messengers informed of it. Nor did any of the pious predecessors ever deny that He established Himself over the Throne in reality. He specifically mentioned the Throne because of its stature as the greatest of his creations. Rather, they did not know the modality (kayfiyya) of His establishment (al-istiwā’), for its reality (ḥaqīqa) cannot be known. Mālik (may God be merciful towards him) said: “The ‘establishment’ (al-istiwā’) is known,” -- meaning, lexically -- “and the ‘how’ (kayf) is unknown (majhūl), and inquiring about it [al-istiwā’] is a blameworthy innovation (bid’ah)” . And thus spoke Umm Salama (may God be pleased with her). In sum, this amount of discussion suffices. Whoever wishes to go further in this matter should have recourse to the relevant sections in the works of the specialized scholars.
“Establishment” (al-istiwā’) in the language of the Arabs means rising above (‘uluww) and settlement (istiqrār). Al-Jawharī says, “‘It was beyond having any crookedness’; and ‘he established himself upon the back of his riding animal’, meaning settled himself thereupon; and ‘he rose up to the sky’, meaning aspired; and ‘he became established’, meaning he overpowered and conquered. He said: ‘Bishr became established over Iraq without recourse to sword or the spilling of blood’, and ‘the man became established’, meaning the days of his youth ended. ‘A thing is established’ if it is straight, symmetrical or well-balanced (i’tadala). Abū ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-Barr reports from Abū ‘Ubayda that the latter commented upon God Most High’s statement, ‘The All-Merciful became established on the throne’ saying “was elevated above” (‘alā). And, as a poet said, ‘For you granted them water in the desolate desert, as the star of Canopus circled around and then settled’, meaning ascended and rose high.
Therefore, I say: the “elevation” (‘uluww) of God Most High and His “being raised high” (irtifā) is an expression of the exaltedness (‘uluww) of His Glory (majd), His Attributes, and His Sovereignty; meaning, there is none that is above Him or vies with him in His Majesty, nor is there anyone who shares with Him His Highness (‘uluww); rather, He is the Most High without any qualification, may He be most praised.
The accuracy of the above interpretation in comparison to what was quoted from the pseudo salafi above is confirmed by what we find Imam al-Qurtubi writes elsewhere in his tafsir regarding the belief of the salaf. The following passage from his tafsir of 3:7 [translation again courtesy of marifah . net] explains what he really believes without leaving any room for doubt:
اختلف في جواز ذلك بناء على الاختلاف في جواز تأويلاتها ، وقد عرف أن مذهب السلف ترك التعرض لتأويلاتها مع قطعهم باستحالة ظواهرها فيقولون أمروها كما جاءت ، وذهب بعضهم إلى إبداء تأويلاتها ، وحملها على ما يصح حمله في اللسان عليها من غير قطع بتعيين محتمل منها
There is a difference of opinion concerning that (action) based upon the difference of opinion in the permissibility of (various) ta’wīls (interpretations) of the mutashābih. And it is known that the madhhab of the Salaf (pious predecessors) was to leave the undertaking of interpreting them while being certain that the literal meaning (ẓawāhir) was impossible. So they would say, “Let it pass as it came!” And some of them (the Salaf) took the madhhab of manifesting its interpretations by interpreting it with meanings consistent with the (Arabic) tongue without definitively confirming a specific possible meaning.
And elsewhere Imam Al-Qurtubi also says:
الجامع لأحكام القرآن
الجزء 18 من الطبعة >> سورة الملك >> الآية: 16 {أأمنتم من في السماء أن يخسف بكم الأرض فإذا هي تمور}.
والأخبار في هذا الباب كثيرة صحيحة منتشرة، مشيرة إلى العلو لا يدفعها إلا ملحد أو جاهل معاند. والمراد بها توقيره وتنزيهه عن السفل والتحت. ووصفه بالعلو والعظمة لا بالأماكن والجهات والحدود لأنها صفات الأجسام
“The hadiths on this subject are numerous, sound, and widely known, and indicate the exaltedness of Allah, being undeniable by anyone except an atheist or obstinate ignoramus. Their meaning is to dignify Allah and exalt Him above all that is base and low, to characterize Him by exaltedness and greatness, not by being in places, particular directions, or within limits, for these are the qualities of physical bodies.”
