How to reconcile the hadith (When you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is the middle of Paradise and it is the highest of Paradise, and above it is the Throne, and from it the rivers of Paradise flow)

The questioner : The hadith and the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in Surat Hud: The understanding of this hadith is that it mentions that the highest of Paradise is the Throne, while the verse mentions that the Throne of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is above the water.

The Shaykh : .

The questioner : .

The Shaykh This is the basis of this, first of all, because the fact that the Throne is the greatest of Allah’s (Mighty and Majestic) creations does not negate that it is of such greatness and also above the Throne, and it is above Paradise. The problem with this question and other similar questions is that some Muslims today try to materialize and concretize the reports about the unseen, and this is a great error. That is because it is not permissible to expand upon matters of the unseen; rather, one must stop at their words and not add to them. As for attempting to delve into understanding the modality of these unseen matters, like this issue: the Throne was over the water, and the Throne is the ceiling of Paradise. We are now trying to conceptualize that the Throne is a small size first, and then we try to conceptualize that the matter was as it was before, meaning the Throne of the Most Merciful was over the water, as Allah has told the truth. However, this first point does not necessitate the contradiction I referred to earlier. Second and finally, I say that it is possible that the matter was as stated in the Qur’an, and then our Lord (Mighty and Majestic), as He said: It is within His (Mighty and Majestic) capacity to create, give life, cause death, and deal with His creation as He wills. Therefore, there is no necessity for us to reconcile first that His Throne is over the water and His Throne is above Paradise at the same time. It is possible that it was so, and the answer has been given previously. It is also possible that a new creation occurred regarding this water such that the entire Throne became the ceiling of Paradise. This is what we say in general terms, and it is not permissible to enter into the details of the unseen.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: Yes.