The Meanings of Istiwa' in Language and Clarifying the Meaning of Istawa, Ascended, and Settled
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Question:
The Shaykh said: May Allah inform us, we will weigh your case to clarify the meaning of istiwa', ascended, and settled, to remove the notion of descending from the thing He ascended to.
Answer:
There is no ambiguity, my brother, no ambiguity. It is an ascent befitting His Majesty, not like your ascent to a roof. It is an ascent befitting His Majesty, an elevation befitting His Majesty, a settling befitting His Majesty. Do you have in your mind the ascent of a created being, or the elevation of a created being, or the settling of a created being upon a created thing? This is what Allah is free from, (Glorified and Exalted is He). None of this comes to mind because it does not befit Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He); rather, it befits created beings.
The scholars mentioned that istiwa' in the language comes in two types: absolute and restricted. The absolute is like His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Qasas 28:14]. This means completion; istiwa' means it became complete and perfected. When Musa (peace be upon him) reached his prime and was established, it means his creation was completed and perfected. And you say "the food has istiwa'" meaning it has finished, become complete, and ripened, becoming fit for eating. This is absolute, not restricted by a preposition. The second type is restricted by a preposition; istiwa' restricted by a preposition is of three types. Restricted by the preposition "ila" (to), like His saying, and this is in two places in the Book of Allah. The first place is in Surat al-Baqarah in His saying, (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Al-Baqarah 2:29]. The second place is in Surat Fussilat: [Fussilat 41:9-11]. The meaning of istiwa' in these two verses is "upon" and "ascended to the heavens," (Glorified and Exalted is He). Upon and ascended to the heavens.
The third type is istiwa' restricted by "ala" (upon), as in the seven verses that passed by you: He istiwa' upon the Throne. He istiwa' upon the Throne, and its meaning is He elevated and settled upon the Throne. He sat upon the Throne, upon the Throne, and it is like that among created beings. Then it settled upon the mountain. In what is heard, it settled upon the mountain, and the mountain is a mountain, meaning it settled upon it, elevated upon it, and rose above the mountain. And like His saying, the Exalted:[Az-Zukhruf 43:12-13]. You settle upon their backs, meaning you rise above the backs of the mounts, settle upon their backs, ascend upon their backs, and rise above them. You rise above their backs.
So the meaning of istiwa' upon is the four components: ascended upon, elevated, settled. And there is a difference between the istiwa' of a created being upon a created being and the istiwa' of Allah upon the Throne, as you have known. The fourth type.
The third type, meaning the third type of the restricted by a preposition, restricted by the letter "waw" which indicates companionship. The restricted istiwa' restricted by the letter "waw" which indicates companionship, as you say "the water and the wood istiwa'." I traveled with the road, meaning with the road. The water and the wood istiwa' means they became equal; the water settled and the wood settled. So this means equality between the water and the wood. I traveled with the road means I traveled with the road, traveling with the road swiftly, as Ibn Malik says. This is called the "waw" of companionship. So istiwa' in the Book of Allah and the language of the Arabs does not go beyond these four meanings: either absolute or restricted, and the restricted is of three types. All types are four types, and Allah knows best.
The Shaykh said: May Allah inform us, we will weigh your case to clarify the meaning of istiwa', ascended, and settled, to remove the notion of descending from the thing He ascended to.
Answer:
There is no ambiguity, my brother, no ambiguity. It is an ascent befitting His Majesty, not like your ascent to a roof. It is an ascent befitting His Majesty, an elevation befitting His Majesty, a settling befitting His Majesty. Do you have in your mind the ascent of a created being, or the elevation of a created being, or the settling of a created being upon a created thing? This is what Allah is free from, (Glorified and Exalted is He). None of this comes to mind because it does not befit Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He); rather, it befits created beings.
The scholars mentioned that istiwa' in the language comes in two types: absolute and restricted. The absolute is like His saying, the Exalted:
And when he attained his full strength and was [mentally] mature
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَىٰIt is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ(9) Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds." (10) And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask. (11) Then He directed Himself to the
قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَندَادًا ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِّلسَّائِلِينَ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِThe third type is istiwa' restricted by "ala" (upon), as in the seven verses that passed by you: He istiwa' upon the Throne. He istiwa' upon the Throne, and its meaning is He elevated and settled upon the Throne. He sat upon the Throne, upon the Throne, and it is like that among created beings. Then it settled upon the mountain. In what is heard, it settled upon the mountain, and the mountain is a mountain, meaning it settled upon it, elevated upon it, and rose above the mountain. And like His saying, the Exalted:
and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount. (13) That you may settle yourselves upon their backs
وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِSo the meaning of istiwa' upon is the four components: ascended upon, elevated, settled. And there is a difference between the istiwa' of a created being upon a created being and the istiwa' of Allah upon the Throne, as you have known. The fourth type.
The third type, meaning the third type of the restricted by a preposition, restricted by the letter "waw" which indicates companionship. The restricted istiwa' restricted by the letter "waw" which indicates companionship, as you say "the water and the wood istiwa'." I traveled with the road, meaning with the road. The water and the wood istiwa' means they became equal; the water settled and the wood settled. So this means equality between the water and the wood. I traveled with the road means I traveled with the road, traveling with the road swiftly, as Ibn Malik says. This is called the "waw" of companionship. So istiwa' in the Book of Allah and the language of the Arabs does not go beyond these four meanings: either absolute or restricted, and the restricted is of three types. All types are four types, and Allah knows best.
Source
شرح العقيدة الواسطية [ صالح الفوزان ] [ الشرح القديم ]، بداية من قوله : وقال في سورة طه : { الرحمن على العرش استوى } — islamhouse.com (54:52)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.