Explanation of the report of Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding Istiwa' (rising above the Throne).
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The Shaykh : For this reason, "Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Taha 20:5] How did He rise above the Throne? So he lowered his head and sweated profusely, then he raised his head and said to the questioner: The Istiwa' (rising above the Throne) is not unknown, but the how is not conceivable, and belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is a religious innovation." So the Istiwa' (rising above the Throne) is not unknown, meaning its meaning is known, and the how is not conceivable, meaning our minds cannot grasp it, and we cannot reach the knowledge of how Allah rose above the Throne with our minds. And since the mind has no role in the how of the attributes of Allah, and the Shari'ah has not come with it, it becomes unknown to us. For this reason, we cannot know how Allah rose above the Throne. And belief in it, namely in the Istiwa' (rising above the Throne), is obligatory because Allah informed us of it about Himself. And asking about it is a religious innovation, meaning the one who asks and says, "How did Allah rise above the Throne?" We say to him: You are an innovator, you are an innovator. Why is he an innovator? For two reasons:
The first reason is that it was not the practice of the righteous Salaf to ask about the how of the Istiwa' (rising above the Throne).
The second reason is that only the people of innovation ask this question, because they are the ones who bring these questions to make the people of the Sunnah doubt what they have held. They say, for example, "Do you know how Allah rose above the Throne?" The Salafi will say: ...
The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
الرحمن على العرش استوىThe first reason is that it was not the practice of the righteous Salaf to ask about the how of the Istiwa' (rising above the Throne).
The second reason is that only the people of innovation ask this question, because they are the ones who bring these questions to make the people of the Sunnah doubt what they have held. They say, for example, "Do you know how Allah rose above the Throne?" The Salafi will say: ...