A Note on a Question Concerning Istiwa'
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The Shaykh : A questioner asked me today: He said, "Allah said: [Al-A'raf 7:54]. Then He rose above the Throne. When did the rising above the Throne occur? After the creation of the heavens and the earth. He asked me: Did He rise above the Throne before the creation of the heavens and the earth? If I say yes, then Allah would have two instances of rising above the Throne. If I say no, do I deny Allah's rising above the Throne?"
Look how Satan answers these questions for people!
Now, are you more sincere in faith than the Companions? Are you more loving of Allah than the Companions? Are you more loving of knowledge than the Companions? Did the Companions ask the Messenger this question? You are nothing but a perisher, The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said this. What business do you have with whether Allah rose above the Throne before the creation of the heavens and the earth or not?
The answer to this is that we say: Allah the Exalted informed us that after He created the heavens and the earth, He rose above the Throne. He did not inform us about the state of affairs before the creation of the heavens and the earth: whether He was risen above it or not. In this situation, we have no choice but what? But what? But silence and submission. We say nothing. These are matters of the unseen, greater than our minds, so we cannot measure them by any of the created things, nor can we speak about them without knowledge. So, is this question in its proper place? Or is it not?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : This is not in its proper place. We say: My brother, as long as Allah has been silent about it, be silent about it. As long as the Messenger has been silent about it, be silent about it. As long as the Companions have been silent about it, be silent about it. And this is the truth.
So, in summary: We believe, we hold in our hearts, and we testify with our tongues that Allah the Exalted is above everything and that He is All-Powerful over everything. It is absolutely impossible for Him to be in every place by His essence; rather, far is He from that (Exalted and Majestic is He). We ask Allah the Exalted for those who followed this path, or for whom the truth became confused in this matter, we ask Allah the Exalted to guide them to the truth and to return them to it. And Allah is All-Powerful over everything.
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne
إن ربكم الله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض في ستة أيام ثم استوى على العرشLook how Satan answers these questions for people!
Now, are you more sincere in faith than the Companions? Are you more loving of Allah than the Companions? Are you more loving of knowledge than the Companions? Did the Companions ask the Messenger this question? You are nothing but a perisher,
The extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed
هلك المتنطعون ، هلك المتنطعون ، هلك المتنطعونThe answer to this is that we say: Allah the Exalted informed us that after He created the heavens and the earth, He rose above the Throne. He did not inform us about the state of affairs before the creation of the heavens and the earth: whether He was risen above it or not. In this situation, we have no choice but what? But what? But silence and submission. We say nothing. These are matters of the unseen, greater than our minds, so we cannot measure them by any of the created things, nor can we speak about them without knowledge. So, is this question in its proper place? Or is it not?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : This is not in its proper place. We say: My brother, as long as Allah has been silent about it, be silent about it. As long as the Messenger has been silent about it, be silent about it. As long as the Companions have been silent about it, be silent about it. And this is the truth.
So, in summary: We believe, we hold in our hearts, and we testify with our tongues that Allah the Exalted is above everything and that He is All-Powerful over everything. It is absolutely impossible for Him to be in every place by His essence; rather, far is He from that (Exalted and Majestic is He). We ask Allah the Exalted for those who followed this path, or for whom the truth became confused in this matter, we ask Allah the Exalted to guide them to the truth and to return them to it. And Allah is All-Powerful over everything.