Allah's Establishment Over the Throne (istiwa' Allah `ala al-`arsh)

We continue listing the positions of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna in establishing the sound understanding and refuting the unsound understanding of the attributes mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunna.

Umm Salama the Prophet's wife said the following about istiwa' as quoted by bn !a"ar in Fath al-bari# $%he establishment is not un&nown (ghayr majhul) and its modality is inconcei'able in the mind (ghayr ma`qul)( one does not as& $how$ about !im( $how$ is inapplicable to !im.$) Sufyan al-%hawri *d. )+), forwarded an interpretation of istiwa' in 'erse -.#/ as $a command concerning the %hrone$ (amrun fi al-`arsh)0 according to mam al-!aramayn al1uwayni *d. /23, in his al-Irshad ila qawati` al-adilla fi usul al-i`tiqad *%he guidance to the decisi'e proofs in the foundations of belief,0 as quoted by al-4afi5i in the latter's boo& Kitab marham al-`ilal al-mu`dila fi daf` al-shubah wa al-radd `ala al-mu`tazila *6oo& of the resolution of difficult problems for the remo'al of doubts and the refutation of the 7u5ta8ila,# %he understanding of istiwa' as Allah's turning to a particular command concerning the %hrone is not far-fetched0 and this is the ta'wil of mam Sufyan al-%hawri0 who too& as corroborating e'idence for it the 'erse# $%hen turned !e (istawa) to the hea'en when it was smo&e$ */)#)),.mam Abu !anifa *d. )9., says in his Wasiyya# $!ad !e been in a place and needing to sit and rest before creating the %hrone0 then the question $Where was Allah:$ would ha'e applied to !im0 which is impossible... We assert that Allah is established on the throne without !is need (haja) nor settlement (istiqrar) upon it0 for !e it is Who preser'es the %hrone and other than it without needing any of them.$; !e said in his al-Fiqh al-akbar# $Allah has no limits0 nor any ri'als... !e who says# $ do not &now if my <ord is in the hea'ens or on the earth$ is a disbelie'er0 and he who says# $!e is on the %hrone0 and do not &now whether the %hrone is in the hea'en or on the earth0$ he is also a disbelie'er.$ mam Abu 7ansur al-7aturidi e=plained this to mean# $%he reason is that by such words he suggests a place for Allah and this is idolatry.$/

A man as&ed mam 7ali& *d. )2>,# $!ow did Allah ma&e istiwa' on the throne:$ mam 7ali& inclined his head and was silent until the sweat of fe'er co'ered his brow0 then he loo&ed up and said# $Istiwa' is not un&nown (ghayru majhul)0 the modality of it is inconcei'able in the mind (al-kayfu minhu ghayru ma`qul) ( but belief in it is obligatory0 and inquiring about it is a heretical inno'ation. 4ou are an inno'ator.$ And he ga'e orders for him to be ta&en out.9 mam Shafi5i *d. -./, in his small treatise entitled al-Fiqh al-akbar said# $Whoe'er says# al-Rahmanu `ala al-`arsh istawa0 it is said to him# %his 'erse is one of the mutashabih *ambiguous matter, concerning which one is perple=ed to gi'e an answer0 and the same is said regarding similar 'erses.$+ ?thers who list the 'erse of istiwa' among the mutashabihat are mam 7ali& ibn Anas0 the fuqaha' of 7adina0 and al-Asma5i according to Abu 7ansur 5Abd al-Qahir al-6aghdadi in sul al-!in.2 %he mam of Ahl al-Sunna0 Abu al-!asan al-Ash5ari *d. ;-/,0 says in his "l-ibana fi usul al-diyana# $Allah is abo'e the hea'ens0 abo'e the %hrone0 abo'e e'erything0 with a loftiness (fawqiyya) which does not ma&e !im any closer to the %hrone or the hea'ens0 "ust

as it does not ma&e !im any further from the earth. !e is close to e'erything in e=istence0 !e is closer to the ser'ant than his "ugular 'ein0 and !e is a witness o'er all things.$ !e also says0 as reported by Abu 7ansur al-6aghdadi in sul al-!in# $Allah's establishment on the %hrone is an action !e has created named istiwa' and related to the %hrone0 "ust as !e has created an action named ityan *coming, related to a certain people( and this implies neither descent nor mo'ement.$3

Al-hafi8 Abu !atim bn !ibban al-6usti *d. ;9/, flatly denied that Allah had limits and was e=pelled from Si"istan under pain of death by the anthropomorphists0 as mentioned abo'e. bn 1arir al-%abari *d. ;)., said in his #afsir# $Allah made himself e=alted o'er the hea'en with the e=altation of so'ereignty and power0 not that of displacement and mo'ement.$> mam Abu 7ansur 5Abd al-Qahir al-6aghdadi *d. /->, in sul al-!in says# $%he correct position according to us is the interpretation of the %hrone in this 'erse to mean the so'ereignty (al-mulk)0 as if !e meant that the so'ereignty has not been established for any but !im. %his interpretation is ta&en from the saying of the Arabs# $So-and-so's %hrone has toppled$ if he lost his power.$ !e then cites three e=amples from poetry illustrating this.). !e says about the characteristics of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-1ama5a in his al-Farq bayn al-firaq *%he differences between the sects,# $Ahl al-Sunna are in consensus (ajma`u) that Allah0 the @lawless0 the A=alted0 is not bounded by location.$ !e then reports the saying of Sayidina 5Ali# $Allah created the %hrone as an indication of !is power0 not for ta&ing it as a place for !imself.$)) mam al-!aramayn al-1uwayni *d. /23, said in his al-Irshad as quoted by al-4afi5i in the latter's boo& Kitab marham al-`ilal al-mu`dila# Bare must be ta&en to show the 'ulgar anthropomorphists (hashwiyya) the 'erses upon which they do practice ta'wil so that when they in'o&e as proof of their belief in Allah's $settling$ (istiqrar) the e=ternal meaning of $%he 7erciful is established on the %hrone$ *-.#/,0 as& them for the meaning of $And !e is with you wheresoe'er you are$ *92#/,. f they ta&e the latter according to its e=ternal sense also0 then they annul the e=ternal sense of !is being established on the %hrone which they claim0 and they also proclaim the disgrace of their beliefs for all resonable persons to see( howe'er0 if they understand it as referring to !is encompassing us with !is &nowledge0 then they ha'e applied ta'wil0 and it is no longer forbidden for us to do the same in interpreting !is establishment as $subduing$ (qahara) and $pre'ailing o'er$ (ghalaba)0 as is permitted by the Arabic language... 7oreo'er0 istiwa' in the sense of istiqrar0 or settling0 presupposes a prior state of disturbance0 and to hold this is disbelief (kufr).... f they say# Why don't you let the 'erse pass according to its e=ternal sense without interpreting it0 and only say that it is among the mutashabihat whose meaning only Allah &nows: We say# f the questioner wants to let istiwa' pass according to the e=ternal sense it commonly suggests0 which is physical settlement0 then such a sense dri'es us to anthropomorphism0 but if that is e=plicitly shown to be impossible0 then the e=ternal sense ceases... at which time it is not far-fetched to understand the 'erse rightly and reasonably according to the demands of the di'ine <aw and the obligation to a'oid ta'wil0 lest wrong belief results.)-

mam Abu !amid Cha8ali *d. 9.9, says almost the same thing as Abu 7ansur al6aghdadi in the Ihya'0 section on qawa`id wa `aqa'id *principles and doctrines,0 and something related to it in the Iljam which we ha'e e=cerpted already.

%he grammarian al-Daghib *d. 9.2:, says# $%he e=pression istawa `ala has the meaning of istila' or holding mastery o'er something0 as in the 'erse of Qur'an# al-rahmanu `ala al`arsh istawa... t means that e'erything is ali&e in relation to !im in such manner that no one thing is nearer to !im than another thing0 since !e is not li&e the bodies that abide in one place e=clusi'e of another place.$); mam @a&hr al-Ein Da8i *d. +.+, in his al-#afsir al-kabir says in his commentary to 'erse )>#>;# $Since it is affirmed by this 'erse that $All those in the hea'ens and the earth must come to Allah as !is sla'e0$ and since it is obligatory that Allah is clear of being a sla'e0 !e is therefore clear of being in a place or direction0 or on the %hrone or the Bhair.$ mam Abu 7ansur bn 5Asa&ir *d. +-., says in his `"qida# $ t must not be said# When was !e0 or where was !e0 or how was !e. !e e=ists without a place.$ bn al-1aw8i said# $Whoe'er says# !e is established on the %hrone $in person$ (bi dhatihi)0 has di'erted the sense of the 'erse to that of sensory perception. Such a person must not neglect that the principle is established by the mind0 by which we ha'e come to &now Allah0 and ha'e attributed pre-eternity to !im decisi'ely. f you said# We read the hadiths and &eep quiet0 no one would critici8e you( it is only your ta&ing them in the e=ternal sense which is hideous. %herefore do not bring into the school of this pious man of the Salaf -mam Ahmad -- what does not belong in it. 4ou ha'e clothed this madhhab with an ugly deed0 so that it is no longer said $!anbali$ e=cept in the sense of $anthropomorphist$$$$$ %hen they say# We ta&e them according to their e=ternal senses. ? wonderF What is the $e=ternal sense$ of what Allah alone &nows: s the $e=ternal sense$ of istiwa' other than sitting down: and is the $e=ternal sense$ of nuzul other than displacement:... %hey said# !e is established on the %hrone $in person.$ 6ut this addition is not related by anyoneF t is only what they understood with their senses0 namely0 that one is not established other than with his own person... )/

mam al-5 88 ibn 5Abd al-Salam *d. ++., was as&ed in his Fatawa# $What do you say about Abu Gayd al-Qayrawani al-7ali&i's *d. ;3+, saying# $Allah is abo'e !is e=alted %hrone in person (bi dhatihi)0 and !e is in e'ery place with !is &nowledge$# Eoes such an affirmation attribute a direction to Allah or not: And is the one who holds such belief declared a disbelie'er (kafir) or not:$ !e replied# $%he apparent meaning of what bn Abi Gayd said attributes direction for Allah0 because he has made a difference between Allah's being on the %hrone and !is being with !is creation. As for the second question# the more correct position is that the one who holds belief in Allah's direction is not declared a disbelie'er0 because the scholars of slam did not bring such as these out of slam0 rather0 they ad"udicated inheritance from 7uslims for them0 burial in 7uslim grounds0 sanctity of their blood and property0 and the obligation to pray o'er their remains. %he same is true of all the upholders of inno'ations# People ne'er ceased to apply to them the rulings that apply to 7uslims. Pay no attention to what the common people claim about their disbelief.$)9 mam Hawawi *d. +2+, said in %harh al-muhadhdhab# $ t is said# We belie'e that the 7erciful is established o'er the %hrone0 and we do not &now the reality of the meaning of this nor what is meant by it (la na`lamu haqiqata mi`na dhalika wa al-murada bihi)0 while we do belie'e that $%here is nothing li&e !im whatsoe'er$ and that !e is e=alted far abo'e the most ele'ated of created things. %hat is the way of the Salaf or at least their 'ast ma"ority0 and it is the safest because one is not required to probe into such matters.$)+ bn al-!ammam al-!anafi *d. +3), said in al-&usayara# $ t is obligatory to belie'e that Allah is established on the %hrone while negating any li&eness to creation. As for saying that !is establishment (istiwa') is a conquering (istila')0 it is permissible but not obligatory

since there is no e'idence for it specifically... !owe'er0 if it is feared that the common people will not understand istiwa' without concei'ing of contact and other corporeal characteristics0 and if they do not negate the latter0 then there is no harm in directing their understanding to istila'0 as its usage and meaning for istiwa' is established in language from the poet's saying# $6ishr has conquered (istawa `ala) raq$ and $When we towered abo'e them and conquered them (istawayna `alayhim)...$)2

Shay&h 5Abd al-Chani al-Habulusi's *d. ))/;, statement already quoted# $Whoe'er belie'es that Allah permeates the !ea'ens and the Aarth0 or that !e is a body sitting on !is %hrone0 is a disbelie'er0 e'en if he thin&s he is a 7uslim.$ Al-Ehahabi disa'owed the term $in person$# $%here is no need for this e=pression0 and it disturbs the soul.$)3 bn !a"ar also re"ected the statement that Allah is on the %hrone $in person$ as equally preposterous as saying that !e is e'erywhere# Some of the 7u5ta8ila ha'e claimed that Allah was e'erywhere on the basis of the hadith $ f one of you stands in prayer0 let him not spit in front of him for Allah is in front of him.$ %his is e'ident ignorance0 because the hadith then states that he should spit under his foot0 which in'alidates their principle. %he hadith also constitutes a refutation of those who say that Allah is on the %hrone $in person.$)>

A'en Sulayman ibn 5Abd Allah ibn 7uhammad ibn 5Abd al-Wahhab *d. )3)2 BA,0 the Wahhabi founder's grandson0 declared as unbelie'er anyone who used the term $in person$ in relation to Allah being in a place0 whether one place or an infinite number# $Whoe'er belie'es or says# Allah is in person (bi dhatihi) in e'ery place0 'r in 'n( )la*(# he is a disbelie'er (kafir). t is obligatory to declare that Allah is distinct from !is creation0 established o'er !is throne without modality or li&eness or e=amplarity. Allah was and there was no place0 then !e created place and !e is e=alted as !e was before !e created place.$-.

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bn !a"ar0 Fath al-bari );#/.+-/.2 *6eirut )>3> ed.,. n al-4afi5i0 &arham al-`ilal al-mu`dila0 ed. A. Eenison Doss *Balcutta# Asiatic Society of 6engal0 )>)., p. -/9. Abu !anifa0 Wasiyyat al-imam al-a`zam "bu +anifa0 ed. @u'ad 5Ali Dida *6eirut # 7a&tabat al-1amahir0 )>2., p.

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Abu !anifa0 Kitab al-fiqh al-akbar bi sharh al-,ari *Bairo# Ear al-&utub al-5arabiyya al-&ubra0 );-2I)>.>, p. )+( cf. al-7aturidi0 %harh al-Fiqh al-akbar in &ajmu`at rasa'il *!yderabad# 7atba5at ma"lis da'irat al-7a5arif al-Hi8amiyya0 );-)I)>.;,. 9 bn Abi Gayd al-Qayrawani0 al--ami` fi al-sunan wa al-adab wa al-maghazi wa al-tarikh 0 ed. 7. Abu al-A"fan J 5Uthman 6atti&h *6eirut# 7u'assasat al-risala( %unis# al-ma&taba al-5atiqa0 )/.-I)>3-, p. )-;. + Al-Shafi5i0 al-Fiqh al-akbar p. )2. 2 al-6aghdadi0 sul al-!in p. ))--));. 3 al-6aghdadi0 sul al-!in p. ));. > #afsir al-#abari )#)>-. ). al-6aghdadi0 sul al-!in p. ))--));. )) al-6aghdadi0 al-Farq bayn al-firaq *6eirut# dar al-&utub al-5ilmiyya0 n.d., p. -9+. )mam al-!aramayn in al-4afi5i0 &arham al-`ilal p. -/9. ); al-Sayyid al-Gabidi0 #aj al-`arus0 s$.$ s-w-y$ )/ bn al-1aw8i0 !af` shubah al-tashbih p. ).-0 )./0 )-2-)-3. )9 al-5 88 ibn 5Abd al-Salam0 Fatawa p. )9)0 )9;. )+ Hawawi0 al-&ajmu` )#-9. )2 bn al-!ammam0 al-&usayara fi `ilm al-kalam wa al-`aqa'id al-tawhidiyya al-munjiya fi al-akhira *Bairo# almatba5a al-hamawiyya0 );/3I)>->, p. )3. )3 al-Ehahabi0 %iyar a`lam al-nubala' )>#+.2. )> bn !a"ar0 Fath al-bari *)>3> ed., )#++>. -. Sulayman ibn 5Abd Allah b. 7uhammad b. 5Abd al-Wahhab0 al-#awdih `an tawhid al-khallaq fi jawab ahl al`Iraq *);)>I)>.), p. ;/. Hew ed.# al-Diyad # Ear tibah0 )>3/.