The establishment of Istiwa' (rising above the Throne) by the Book, the Sunnah, and consensus.
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The Shaykh : If it is established by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Companions, then it is obligatory to believe in it. If someone were to ask you, "How do you say it came in the Sunnah when it is in the Qur'an?" the answer is: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the Qur'an and spoke it, believing in it, affirming it, and acknowledging it. And if they are the people of knowledge, and if they are, I mean the people of knowledge, when something is established by the Qur'an, they do not say it is established by the Sunnah, because the establishment of the Qur'an is higher than the establishment of the Sunnah. For the Sunnah, no matter how many chains it has, will not reach the rank of the Qur'an. Therefore, they did not say that this was established by the Book and the Sunnah; as long as it is in the Qur'an, it is in the Qur'an. Is there any one of the Companions from whom a single word is reported saying that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) rose above His Throne, meaning He took control of it? Never. And we say here to everyone who has knowledge of this, let him please share it, and we will be grateful to him, but we do not accept it, even if it were from a Companion, because it contradicts the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the other Companions.
Belief in it is obligatory. How do you say that? Because it is established by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Companions. But note the correction: what is established by the Qur'an is not the convention of scholars to say it is established by the Qur'an and the Sunnah, for the reason we mentioned, that the establishment of the Qur'an is higher than the establishment of the Sunnah, so one restricts it to the higher one. Did you see, if a hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and narrated by Ibn Majah, and you wanted to cite it, what would you say?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Or Ibn Majah. Al-Bukhari, without doubt, means the man is criticized if he cites a hadith or presents a hadith for evidence, and he cites it from Ibn Majah and al-Bukhari, mentioning Ibn Majah and remaining silent about al-Bukhari. The scholars of terminology criticize him, and he deserves criticism. You want now to establish the hadith to use it as evidence, so do you take the weaker path and leave the stronger one? No. Even Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said about his Shaykh, the Shaykh al-Islam, that the unique narrations of Ibn Majah (may Allah have mercy on him) are all weak, meaning what Ibn Majah uniquely narrated and extracted from among the six books, it is weak. Yes, well, if belief in it is obligatory.
Asking about it is a religious innovation. Why? For two reasons:
The first reason is that the Companions did not ask about that, and we bear witness to Allah and know that the Companions were more eager than we are to know Allah and His attributes, is that not so? Then they did not ask, even though the one who would answer if they asked would be the most knowledgeable of the answerers on this matter, who is he? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So when the cause necessitating the question was present, and there was no obstacle, and they did not ask, it is known that the question is what? That the question is a religious innovation. This is one.
The second reason is that asking about it is a religious innovation because only the people of innovation ask about this. They come to the affirmers and test them with this question: How is His direction? How is His descent? How is His laughter? How is His delight? And the like of that. It is a torment for the affirmers and a challenge to them. But Allah refuses but to complete His light, and praise be to Allah.
Then he said, may Allah have mercy on him, Imam Malik said: "And I do not see you but as an innovator". We mentioned the first possibilities, how many? The possibility of the question. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I do not see you but as an innovator". Either you are denying it or challenging. You are not seeking guidance. From where did you know the features of the face indicate the heart? No person conceals a secret but Allah the Exalted reveals it on the pages of his face and the slips of his tongue. Whatever a person keeps hidden, Allah the Exalted must reveal his defect on his face or his perfection on his face. It must be one of these. Glory be to Allah, the face is the page of the heart, the mirror of the heart. So Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) perceived in this man that he is what? That he is an innovator. And for this reason, he ruled according to this perception and ordered that he be taken out of the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) mosque. He is to be taken out of the Prophet's Mosque, which is general for the Muslims. Why? Because this is a corrupter. And Imam Malik in Medina has his word and his scale. And for this reason, he ordered his expulsion. But Ma'bad al-Juhani and 'Amr ibn 'Ubayd in the gathering of al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him), when he asked him about the divine decree.
Belief in it is obligatory. How do you say that? Because it is established by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Companions. But note the correction: what is established by the Qur'an is not the convention of scholars to say it is established by the Qur'an and the Sunnah, for the reason we mentioned, that the establishment of the Qur'an is higher than the establishment of the Sunnah, so one restricts it to the higher one. Did you see, if a hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and narrated by Ibn Majah, and you wanted to cite it, what would you say?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Or Ibn Majah. Al-Bukhari, without doubt, means the man is criticized if he cites a hadith or presents a hadith for evidence, and he cites it from Ibn Majah and al-Bukhari, mentioning Ibn Majah and remaining silent about al-Bukhari. The scholars of terminology criticize him, and he deserves criticism. You want now to establish the hadith to use it as evidence, so do you take the weaker path and leave the stronger one? No. Even Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said about his Shaykh, the Shaykh al-Islam, that the unique narrations of Ibn Majah (may Allah have mercy on him) are all weak, meaning what Ibn Majah uniquely narrated and extracted from among the six books, it is weak. Yes, well, if belief in it is obligatory.
Asking about it is a religious innovation. Why? For two reasons:
The first reason is that the Companions did not ask about that, and we bear witness to Allah and know that the Companions were more eager than we are to know Allah and His attributes, is that not so? Then they did not ask, even though the one who would answer if they asked would be the most knowledgeable of the answerers on this matter, who is he? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So when the cause necessitating the question was present, and there was no obstacle, and they did not ask, it is known that the question is what? That the question is a religious innovation. This is one.
The second reason is that asking about it is a religious innovation because only the people of innovation ask about this. They come to the affirmers and test them with this question: How is His direction? How is His descent? How is His laughter? How is His delight? And the like of that. It is a torment for the affirmers and a challenge to them. But Allah refuses but to complete His light, and praise be to Allah.
Then he said, may Allah have mercy on him, Imam Malik said: "And I do not see you but as an innovator". We mentioned the first possibilities, how many? The possibility of the question. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I do not see you but as an innovator". Either you are denying it or challenging. You are not seeking guidance. From where did you know the features of the face indicate the heart? No person conceals a secret but Allah the Exalted reveals it on the pages of his face and the slips of his tongue. Whatever a person keeps hidden, Allah the Exalted must reveal his defect on his face or his perfection on his face. It must be one of these. Glory be to Allah, the face is the page of the heart, the mirror of the heart. So Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) perceived in this man that he is what? That he is an innovator. And for this reason, he ruled according to this perception and ordered that he be taken out of the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) mosque. He is to be taken out of the Prophet's Mosque, which is general for the Muslims. Why? Because this is a corrupter. And Imam Malik in Medina has his word and his scale. And for this reason, he ordered his expulsion. But Ma'bad al-Juhani and 'Amr ibn 'Ubayd in the gathering of al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him), when he asked him about the divine decree.