The Shaykh’s mention of the doubt that led them to this figurative interpretation and his refutation of it.
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The questioner : What led them to such a figurative interpretation? They claimed that they wanted to save themselves from attributing a place to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). In their opinion, if a Muslim believes in the saying of Allah the Exalted, meaning He rose above, they thought that the meaning of this verse is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is in a place. This is a false assumption and a void opinion; a Muslim should not be entangled in it or be deceived by it, for Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) is not in a place, neither before the creation nor after the creation. Allah existed and there was nothing with Him. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) is free of need from His creations, for among His attributes is that He is the One free of need from the worlds, as He said: [Ali 'Imran 3:97] So Allah was, as we all know, and there was nothing with Him and no creation with Him. Then He created all the creations. Before He created the creations, He was certainly not in a place, for place came into existence with the existence of creation. Before the existence of creation, there was no place. So Allah was, and there was no creation with Him, meaning there was no place with Him either. When Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) created the creations, place came into existence. Did He settle in this place? Far be it from our Lord that He should be poor and in need of anything from His creation. So He (Mighty and Majestic), in this respect, is not in a place and is not in need of a place. He is now as He was before the existence of place. Before the existence of place, He was not in a place, so He is likewise after the existence of place not in a place.
This is a self-evident truth. Those who interpret the previous verse, understanding "istawa" (rose above) to mean "istawla" (dominated), are trying to escape from affirming a place for Allah. But this is not the way to escape, as it was said:
"Sa'd led them in, and Sa'd was wrapped up *** This is not how, O Sa'd, you lead in the camels".
The Muslim must affirm that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) was not in a place, and that He is likewise not in a place after He created place. The Muslim’s belief that Allah is above the creations does not mean that He is in a place, because the creations are limited in extent. Everything among the creations is limited. If the creations are limited, then what is beyond the creations is non-existence; there is no place. If we say that Allah was and there was nothing and no place, then He was not in a place. So He is likewise, as long as He is beyond the creations, not in a place.
So the problem that compelled them to interpret dozens of texts from the Book and the Sunnah is an illusion and imagination, for they imagine that affirming the attribute of being above for Allah means placing Him in a place. The being above, which is an attribute of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), has a relation to the Eternal, the Ancient Allah, and has no relation to the created, the transient thing that came into existence after it was not.
This created thing is limited, so within its limits are place and time. But what is beyond this created thing has no place and no time. So whatever is beyond this created thing is nothing but Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
Then He rose above the Throne
ثم استوى على العرشAnd [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.
ولله على الناس حج البيت من استطاع إليه سبيلا ومن كفر فإن الله غني عن العالمينThis is a self-evident truth. Those who interpret the previous verse, understanding "istawa" (rose above) to mean "istawla" (dominated), are trying to escape from affirming a place for Allah. But this is not the way to escape, as it was said:
"Sa'd led them in, and Sa'd was wrapped up *** This is not how, O Sa'd, you lead in the camels".
The Muslim must affirm that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) was not in a place, and that He is likewise not in a place after He created place. The Muslim’s belief that Allah is above the creations does not mean that He is in a place, because the creations are limited in extent. Everything among the creations is limited. If the creations are limited, then what is beyond the creations is non-existence; there is no place. If we say that Allah was and there was nothing and no place, then He was not in a place. So He is likewise, as long as He is beyond the creations, not in a place.
So the problem that compelled them to interpret dozens of texts from the Book and the Sunnah is an illusion and imagination, for they imagine that affirming the attribute of being above for Allah means placing Him in a place. The being above, which is an attribute of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), has a relation to the Eternal, the Ancient Allah, and has no relation to the created, the transient thing that came into existence after it was not.
This created thing is limited, so within its limits are place and time. But what is beyond this created thing has no place and no time. So whatever is beyond this created thing is nothing but Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).