Part One
The creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah in summary
First Issue: The Word ʿUluww (عُلُوّ) in Language and in the Sharīʿah
ʿUluww (عُلُوّ) is the verbal noun of ʿalā, yaʿlū (عَلَا يَعْلُو). Ibn Fāris gives the root ʿayn–lām–wāw a single meaning from which nothing departs: elevation (al-sumuww, السُّمُوّ) and rising (al-irtifāʿ, الارْتِفَاع). From it come al-ʿalāʾ (height), al-ʿuluww (being high), and taʿālā al-nahār (تَعَالَى النَّهَارُ), the day rose high. The upper part of anything is its ʿāliyah and ʿulyā; and fawq (فَوْق), above, is the word the Arabs set against taḥt (تَحْت), below. From the same root come three of the Names of Allah: al-ʿAliyy (الْعَلِيّ), the High; al-Aʿlā (الأَعْلَى), the Most High, the superlative; and al-Mutaʿāl (الْمُتَعَالِ), the One exalted above all things, on the form tafāʿalah, which carries the sense of being exalted beyond what is attributed to Him. The verse “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” (sabbiḥi sma rabbika l-aʿlā) is recited by the Muslim in every prostration, when his face is at its lowest, so that he declares his Lord's Highness at the moment of his own lowliness.
Ibn Fāris said in Maqāyīs al-Lughah, under the root ʿayn–lām–wāw:
ويقولون: تَعالى النّهارُ، أى ارتفع.
ʿAyn, lām and the weak letter, whether yāʾ, wāw or alif: a single root that indicates elevation and rising, from which nothing departs. From it are al-ʿalāʾ and al-ʿuluww. They say: taʿālā al-nahār, the day rose high, meaning it rose.
Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah 4/112, root ʿ-l-w
Source, chain and authenticity
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عَلِهَتْ تبلّد فى نِهَاءِ صُعائدٍ … سَبْعاً تُؤَاماً كاملاً أيّامُها (¬١)
ومنه قول أبى النَّجم يصف الفرسَ بنشاطٍ وطرب:
من كلِّ عَلْهَى فى اللجام جائل
ومن الأسماء التى يمكن أن تكون مشتقَّةً من هذا القياس العَلْهَان: اسم فرسٍ لبعض العرب (¬٢). قال جرير:
شَبَثٌ فخرتُ به عليك ومَعْقِلٌ … وبمالك وبفارسِ العَلْهَانِ (¬٣)
علو
العين واللام والحرف المعتل ياءً كان أو واواً أو ألفاً، أصلٌ واحد يدلُّ على السموّ والارتفاع، لا يشذُّ عنه شئ. ومن ذلك العَلَاء والعُلُوّ.
ويقولون: تَعالى النّهارُ، أى ارتفع. ويُدْعَى للعاثر: لعاً لك عاليا! أى ارتفعْ فى علاء وثبات. وعاليتُ الرّجُل فوق البعير: عالَيْتُه. قال:
وإلاّ تَجَلّلْهَا يُعَالُوكَ فَوقها … وكيف تَوَقَّى ظَهْرَ ما أنت راكبُهْ (¬٤)
In the Sharīʿah the Highness of Allah is of three kinds, and Ahl al-Sunnah affirm all three. The first is the Highness of His Essence: He Himself is above His creation, over His heavens, upon His Throne. The second is the Highness of His rank: no attribute of perfection is lacking in Him, and no creature is His equal. The third is the Highness of His dominion: He subdues everything, and nothing escapes His command. The Jahmiyyah and those who followed them accept the second and third and deny the first. Yet the first is the one the texts state most often, in the most varied wordings, and the other two do not empty it of its meaning: a king who is highest in rank is not thereby in the heaven, and the texts say that Allah is in the heaven.
The kinds of proof for the Highness of the Essence are many. The texts speak of His being above (fawq), of things rising up to Him and ascending to Him, of things being sent down from Him, of His being in the heaven, of His being upon the Throne, of the Prophet ﷺ being taken up to Him on the Night Journey, and of hands and eyes being raised to Him. Each kind on its own is decisive, and together they leave no room for any other reading.
Part Two
The texts of the Qurʾān and the Sunnah
Second Issue: The Highness in the Book of Allah
The Book of Allah states the Highness in more ways than can be counted easily: the istiwāʾ over the Throne, His being in the heaven, things ascending to Him and being raised to Him, the angels fearing Him above them, His subduing above His servants, and His name al-Aʿlā. Each of these kinds is a proof by itself, and together they leave no room for another reading.
Allah, the Exalted, said:
Al-Raḥmān rose over the Throne.
Qurʾān 20:5 (Ṭā Hā) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
The verb istawā is construed with ʿalā, and in the language of the Arabs istawā ʿalā means to rise over and settle upon. The verse names the Throne, the highest of created things, as that over which al-Raḥmān rose.
And He, the Exalted, said:
Do you feel secure from the One who is in the heaven, that He would cause the earth to swallow you while it sways? Or do you feel secure from the One who is in the heaven, that He would send against you a storm of stones? Then you will know how was My warning.
Qurʾān 67:16–17 (al-Mulk) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
The preposition fī in “Do you feel secure from the One who is in the heaven” does not mean that the heaven contains Him. In the speech of the Arabs fī comes in the sense of ʿalā, as in the saying of Pharaoh, “I will crucify you on (fī) the trunks of the palm trees”, meaning upon them. And if al-samāʾ is taken in its root meaning of everything that is high, then “in the heaven” means in the highest place, above everything. On both readings the verse states His Highness, and on neither does it place Him inside a created thing.
And He said:
Whoever desires honour — to Allah belongs all honour. To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it. And those who plot evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the plotting of those will perish.
Qurʾān 35:10 (Fāṭir) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
The good word ascends to Him, and the righteous deed is raised. Ascent (ṣuʿūd) and raising (rafʿ) are only towards what is above; there is no meaning in a thing ascending to One who is in every place, or in no place.
And He said:
The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose measure is fifty thousand years.
Qurʾān 70:4 (al-Maʿārij) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
And He said to ʿĪsā:
When Allah said: O ʿĪsā, I will take you and raise you to Myself, and purify you from those who disbelieve, and make those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that in which you used to differ.
Qurʾān 3:55 (Āl ʿImrān) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
Allah said: “To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it.” He said: “The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him.” He said to ʿĪsā: “I will take you and raise you to Me.” Ascending and raising are only towards what is above. If the Lord were in every place, or in no place, there would be no meaning in anything ascending to Him or being raised to Him.
And He said of the angels:
They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.
Qurʾān 16:50 (al-Naḥl) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
The angels, who are in the heavens, fear their Lord above them: min fawqihim. The word fawq is the plain word for above, set against taḥt, below, and it is said of the angels who are themselves high.
And He said:
And He is the Subduer above His servants, and He is the Wise, the Aware.
Qurʾān 6:18 (al-Anʿām) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
He is al-Qāhir fawqa ʿibādih: the Subduer above His servants. The verse joins the Highness of dominion (qahr) and the Highness of the Essence (fawq) in one statement, and does not let either cancel the other.
And He said, joining His Highness and His withness in one verse:
It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends into it; and He is with you wherever you are. And Allah sees what you do.
Qurʾān 57:4 Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
The Qurʾān joins two statements in a single verse: that Allah rose over the Throne after creating the heavens and the earth, and that He is with His servants wherever they are. The verse itself explains the second by the first: He knows what enters the earth and what ascends to the heaven, and He sees what they do. His being with them is His knowledge, hearing and sight, not His being mixed into His creation.
And He said:
Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.
Qurʾān 87:1 (al-Aʿlā) Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
The Muslim says subḥānah rabbiya l-aʿlā in every prostration, with his face at its lowest, declaring the Highness of his Lord at the moment of his own lowliness. The name al-Aʿlā is the superlative of ʿalā: the Highest in every sense of highness.
Third Issue: The Highness in the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ
The Sunnah states the Highness in the plainest words, in ḥadīths that the two Ṣaḥīḥs agreed upon and the ummah received with acceptance.
Al-Bukhārī and Muslim reported from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
When Allah decreed the creation, He wrote in His Book, which is with Him above the Throne: 'My mercy has prevailed over My wrath.'
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 3194 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 4/106); also 7404, 7422, 7553; Muslim 2751
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance. Agreed upon: al-Bukhārī reported it in several places (3194, 7404, 7422, 7553) and Muslim (2751), through more than one route from Abū Hurayrah.
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The Book in which Allah wrote “My mercy prevails over My anger” is with Him above the Throne. The Prophet ﷺ placed what is with Allah above the Throne.
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ, in the ḥadīth of Abū Dharr on the Ascension, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
Then he ascended with me to the lowest heaven. When I came to the lowest heaven, Jibrīl said to the keeper of the heaven: Open…
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 349 (ed. al-Bughā no. 342, 1/135), ḥadīth of Abū Dharr; the fuller narrations of the ascent through the seven heavens: al-Bukhārī 3207, 7517; Muslim 162
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance. The ḥadīth of the Ascension is reported by a large number of the Companions; this is the wording of Abū Dharr, from Anas.
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أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: (فُرِجَ عَنْ سَقْفِ بَيْتِي وَأَنَا بِمَكَّةَ، فَنَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ، فَفَرَجَ صَدْرِي، ثُمَّ غَسَلَهُ بِمَاءِ زَمْزَمَ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِطَسْتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، مُمْتَلِئٍ حِكْمَةً وَإِيمَانًا، فَأَفْرَغَهُ فِي صَدْرِي، ثُمَّ أَطْبَقَهُ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَعَرَجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، فَلَمَّا جِئْتُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ لِخَازِنِ السَّمَاءِ: افْتَحْ، قَالَ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ، قَالَ: هَلْ مَعَكَ أَحَدٌ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، مَعِي مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ عَلَوْنَا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا، فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ قَاعِدٌ، عَلَى يَمِينِهِ أَسْوِدَةٌ، وَعَلَى يَسَارِهِ أَسْوِدَةٌ، إِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ يَمِينِهِ ضَحِكَ، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ يَسَارِهِ بَكَى، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالِابْنِ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ لِجِبْرِيلَ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَال: هَذَا آدَمُ، وَهَذِهِ الْأَسْوِدَةُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَشِمَالِهِ نَسَمُ بَنِيهِ، فَأَهْلُ الْيَمِينِ مِنْهُمْ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْأَسْوِدَةُ الَّتِي عَنْ شِمَالِهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ، فَإِذَا نَظَرَ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ ضَحِكَ، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ شِمَالِهِ بَكَى، حَتَّى عَرَجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الثَّانِيَةِ، فَقَالَ لِخَازِنِهَا: افْتَحْ، (فَقَالَ لَهُ خَازِنِهَا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُ، فَفَتَحَ). قَالَ أَنَسٌ: فَذَكَرَ: أَنَّهُ وَجَدَ فِي السماوات آدَمَ، وَإِدْرِيسَ، وَمُوسَى، وَعِيسَى، وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ، صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَلَمْ يُثْبِتْ كَيْفَ مَنَازِلُهُمْ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ: أَنَّهُ وَجَدَ آدَمَ فِي السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ: فَلَمَّا مَرَّ جِبْرِيلُ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِإِدْرِيسَ، قَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ. (فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ:
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هَذَا إِدْرِيسُ، ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِمُوسَى، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا مُوسَى، ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِعِيسَى، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا عِيسَى، ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالِابْنِ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ﷺ.
قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَأَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ حَزْمٍ: أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبَا حَبَّةَ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ: كَانَا يَقُولَانِ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: (ثُمَّ عُرِجَ بِي حَتَّى ظَهَرْتُ لِمُسْتَوًى أَسْمَعُ فِيهِ صَرِيفَ الْأَقْلَامِ). قَالَ ابْنُ حَزْمٍ وَأَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: (فَفَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي خَمْسِينَ صَلَاةً، فَرَجَعْتُ بِذَلِكَ، حَتَّى مَرَرْتُ عَلَى مُوسَى، فَقَالَ: مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لَكَ عَلَى أُمَّتِكَ؟ قُلْتُ: فَرَضَ خَمْسِينَ صَلَاةً، قَالَ: فَارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ، فراجعني فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى، قُلْتُ: وَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَقَالَ: رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ، فَرَاجَعْتُ فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ، فَرَاجَعْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: هِيَ خَمْسٌ، وَهِيَ خَمْسُونَ، لَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَيَّ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى، فَقَالَ: رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، فَقُلْتُ: اسْتَحْيَيْتُ مِنْ رَبِّي، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ بِي، حَتَّى انْتَهَى بِي إِلَى سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى، وَغَشِيَهَا أَلْوَانٌ لَا أَدْرِي مَا هِيَ، ثُمَّ أُدْخِلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا حَبَايِلُ اللُّؤْلُؤِ، وَإِذَا تُرَابُهَا الْمِسْكُ).
[١٥٥٥، ٣١٦٤، وانظر: ٣٠٣٥].
In the ḥadīth of the Ascension he was taken up through heaven after heaven until he came near to his Lord and was spoken to, and he went back and forth between Mūsā and his Lord over the number of the prayers. Every stage of the journey was upward.
Al-Bukhārī and Muslim reported from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
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فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ، فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ: كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي
Angels take turns among you by night and angels by day, and they gather at the Fajr prayer and the ʿAṣr prayer. Then those who spent the night among you ascend (yaʿruju), and He asks them, though He knows them better: How did you leave My servants?
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 555 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 1/115); also 3223, 7429, 7486; Muslim 632
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance. Agreed upon: al-Bukhārī (555, 3223, 7429, 7486) and Muslim (632), through Mālik from Abū al-Zinād from al-Aʿraj from Abū Hurayrah — the “golden chain” of the people of Madīnah.
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فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ، فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ: كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: تَرَكْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ، وَأَتَيْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ».
Muslim reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
…The deeds of the night are raised up to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night…
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 179 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 1/161), ḥadīth of Abū Mūsā
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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٢٩٣ - (١٧٩) حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ. قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ. حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ:
قَامَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِخَمْسِ كَلِمَاتٍ.
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فَقَالَ: "إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷿ لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ. يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ. يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ. وَعَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ. حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ. (وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ: النَّارُ) لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ". (وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ حدثنا).
The deeds of the servants are raised up to Him, and the angels who spend the night among people ascend to Him and are asked about them. Each of these reports names a direction of ascent to Allah; none of them names a descent to Him or a presence within the earth.
Al-Bukhārī and Muslim reported from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī that the Prophet ﷺ said, when a man objected to his division of the spoils:
Do you not trust me, when I am the trusted one of Him who is in the heaven? The news of the heaven comes to me morning and evening.
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 4351 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 5/163); Muslim 1064
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance. Agreed upon: al-Bukhārī (4351) and Muslim (1064).
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⦗١٦٤⦘
مِنَ الْيَمَنِ بِذُهَيْبَةٍ فِي أَدِيمٍ مَقْرُوظٍ، لَمْ تُحَصَّلْ مِنْ تُرَابِهَا، قَالَ: فَقَسَمَهَا بَيْنَ أَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ: بَيْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ بْنِ بَدْرٍ، وَأَقْرَعَ بْنِ حَابِسٍ، وَزَيْدِ الْخَيْلِ، وَالرَّابِعُ: إِمَّا عَلْقَمَةُ، وَإِمَّا عَامِرُ بْنُ الطُّفَيْلِ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ: كُنَّا نَحْنُ أَحَقَّ بِهَذَا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ، قَالَ: فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: أَلَا تَأْمَنُونِي وَأَنَا أَمِينُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ، يَأْتِينِي خَبَرُ السَّمَاءِ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً، قَالَ: فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ غَائِرُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ، مُشْرِفُ الْوَجْنَتَيْنِ، نَاشِزُ الْجَبْهَةِ، كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ، مَحْلُوقُ الرَّأْسِ، مُشَمَّرُ الْإِزَارِ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، اتَّقِ اللهَ، قَالَ: وَيْلَكَ، أَوَلَسْتُ أَحَقَّ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَنْ يَتَّقِيَ اللهَ، قَالَ: ثُمَّ وَلَّى الرَّجُلُ، قَالَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَلَا أَضْرِبُ عُنُقَهُ؟ قَالَ: لَا، لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ يُصَلِّي، فَقَالَ خَالِدٌ: وَكَمْ مِنْ مُصَلٍّ يَقُولُ بِلِسَانِهِ مَا لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِهِ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: إِنِّي لَمْ أُومَرْ أَنْ أَنْقُبَ قُلُوبَ النَّاسِ وَلَا أَشُقَّ بُطُونَهُمْ، قَالَ: ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مُقَفٍّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ ضِئْضِئِ هَذَا قَوْمٌ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللهِ رَطْبًا، لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ وَأَظُنُّهُ قَالَ لَئِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ لَأَقْتُلَنَّهُمْ قَتْلَ ثَمُودَ.»
The Prophet ﷺ called himself the trusted one of Him who is in the heaven, and said that the news of the heaven came to him morning and evening. He did not say the trusted one of Him who is in every place.
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ, in the Book of Tawḥīd, from Anas:
⦗١٢٥⦘
ﷺ تَقُولُ: زَوَّجَكُنَّ أَهَالِيكُنَّ، وَزَوَّجَنِي اللهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ فَوْقِ سَبْعِ سَمَاوَاتٍ»
Zaynab used to boast to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, saying: 'Your families married you off, while Allah, the Exalted, married me off from above seven heavens.'
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 7420 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 9/124)
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance.
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⦗١٢٥⦘
ﷺ تَقُولُ: زَوَّجَكُنَّ أَهَالِيكُنَّ، وَزَوَّجَنِي اللهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ فَوْقِ سَبْعِ سَمَاوَاتٍ» وَعَنْ ثَابِتٍ: ﴿وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي شَأْنِ زَيْنَبَ وَزَيْدِ بْنِ حَارِثَةَ.
Zaynab boasted to the other Mothers of the Believers that Allah had married her to the Prophet ﷺ from above seven heavens, and the Prophet ﷺ did not object to it. The Companions spoke of their Lord as above the seven heavens, as the Qurʾān had taught them.
Muslim reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī:
I had a slave-girl who used to tend my sheep towards Uḥud and al-Jawwāniyyah. One day I looked in and found that a wolf had taken one of her sheep. I am a man from the children of Ādam; I grow angry as they grow angry, so I struck her. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he made it seem grave to me. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I not free her?' He said: 'Bring her to me.' So I brought her to him, and he said to her: 'Where is Allah?' She said: 'In the heaven.' He said: 'Who am I?' She said: 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Free her, for she is a believer.'
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 537 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 1/381–382), from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. Muslim reported it through Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Hilāl ibn Abī Maymūnah, from ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam — every man trustworthy, and the Companion is the one to whom the incident happened. The question “Where is Allah?” and the answer “In the heaven” are the wording of this chain. Other wordings in other routes outside the Ṣaḥīḥ are weaker, and a weaker route does not overturn the stronger one; the claim that the ḥadīth is muḍṭarib sets the weak wordings against the strong to escape what the strong says.
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٣٣ - (٥٣٧) حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ (وَتَقَارَبَا فِي لَفْظِ الْحَدِيثِ) قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيل بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ الصَّوَّافِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ؛ قَالَ:
بَيْنَا أَنَا أُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ. فَقُلْتُ: يرحمك الله! فرماني القوم بأبصارهم. فقلت: واثكل أُمِّيَاهْ! مَا شَأْنُكُمْ؟ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيَّ. فَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُصَمِّتُونَنِي. لَكِنِّي سَكَتُّ. فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَبِأَبِي هُوَ وَأُمِّي! مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلَا بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ. فَوَاللَّهِ! مَا كَهَرَنِي وَلَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلَا شَتَمَنِي. قَالَ "إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ لَا يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ
⦗٣٨٢⦘
مِنْ كَلَامِ النَّاسِ. إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ".
أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! إِنِّي حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ. وَقَدْ جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالإِسْلَامِ. وَإِنَّ مِنَّا رِجَالًا يَأْتُونَ الْكُهَّانَ. قَالَ "فَلَا تَأْتِهِمْ" قَالَ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ. قَالَ "ذَاكَ شَيْءٌ يَجِدُونَهُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ. فلا يصدنهم (قال ابن المصباح: فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمْ) قَالَ قُلْتُ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَخُطُّونَ. قَالَ "كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ. فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطَّهُ فَذَاكَ" قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ لِي جَارِيَةٌ تَرْعَى غَنَمًا لِي قِبَلَ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ. فَاطَّلَعْتُ ذات يوم فإذا الذيب [الذئب؟؟] قَدْ ذَهَبَ بِشَاةٍ مِنْ غَنَمِهَا. وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ. آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ. لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً. فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ. قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَفَلَا أُعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ "ائْتِنِي بِهَا" فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا. فَقَالَ لَهَا "أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ " قَالَتْ: فِي السَّمَاءِ. قَالَ "مَنْ أَنَا؟ " قَالَتْ: أَنْتَ رسول الله. قال "أعتقها. فإنها مؤمنة".
When the Prophet ﷺ tested a slave-girl he asked her: “Where is Allah?” She answered: “In the heaven.” He then asked who he was, and she said: “You are the Messenger of Allah,” and he judged her a believer. The question “Where?” is the Prophet's own question, and the answer he approved is the creed he approved.
Part Three
The chains of transmission, with comments on them
Fourth Issue: The Chains of the Texts in This Study
The texts of the Highness in the two Ṣaḥīḥs need no defence of their chains: the ummah received the books of al-Bukhārī and Muslim with acceptance, and the ḥadīths of the Book above the Throne, the angels who ascend to their Lord, the Ascension and the slave girl are in them with chains of trustworthy, precise men joined from beginning to end.
The ḥadīth of the slave girl in particular has been attacked by those who could not answer its wording. In Muslim it comes through Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Hilāl ibn Abī Maymūnah, from ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī: every one of them trustworthy, and the Companion himself is the one to whom the incident happened. The question “Where is Allah?” and the answer “In the heaven” are the wording of this chain. Other routes, outside the Ṣaḥīḥ, give other wordings; a weaker route does not overturn a sound one, and the opponents who claim that the ḥadīth is confused (muḍṭarib) set the weaker wordings against the stronger to escape what the stronger says.
The report of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak, “above the seventh heaven, upon His Throne, distinct from His creation”, and his answer “with a ḥadd”, comes through his student ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Shaqīq, a trustworthy ḥāfiẓ of Marw who heard from him directly. Al-Bukhārī cited it in Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād, al-Dārimī and al-Bayhaqī reported it with their chains, and Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim each declared its chains authentic. Imām Aḥmad, when it reached him, approved it, as al-Marrūdhī reported. A report that passed through these hands is not a report whose chain is in doubt.
The editor of al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad gathered the routes and gradings of the report:
Al-Bukhārī reported it without a full chain in Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād (11), al-Dārimī in al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah (67), al-Bayhaqī in al-Asmāʾ wa-l-Ṣifāt 2/335 (902), Ibn Abī Yaʿlā in Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah 2/233, al-Maqdisī in Ithbāt Ṣifat al-ʿUluww (105) and al-Dhahabī in al-ʿUluww 2/987 (361). Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah graded it authentic in al-Fatwā al-Ḥamawiyyah, p. 333, and said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad and others reported it with authentic chains. Ibn al-Qayyim graded it authentic in al-Juyūsh, p. 55, and said: al-Dārimī, al-Ḥākim and al-Bayhaqī reported it with the most authentic of chains to ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Shaqīq, who said: I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak. I did not find it in al-Ḥākim. And al-Albānī graded it authentic in Mukhtaṣar al-ʿUluww, p. 152.
Editor's note to the report of Ibn al-Mubārak in al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad, al-ʿAqīdah 3/310
Source, chain and authenticity
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(٢) رواه ابن بطة في "الإبانة" ٣/ ١٥٨ - ١٥٩ (١١٤)، وابن عبد البر في التمهيد ٧/ ١٤٢، وانظر التخريج السابق.
(٣) رواه اللالكائي في "شرح أصول الاعتقاد" ٣/ ٤٤٥ (٦٧٤)، وابن قدامة في "إثبات صفة العلو" ص ١١٦ (٩٦).
Part Four
The explanation of the mufassirūn and the Salaf
Fifth Issue: The Mufassirūn on the Istiwāʾ and on “He is with you”
Al-Bukhārī placed at the head of the chapter of the Throne in Kitāb al-Tawḥīd the explanations of two imams of tafsīr from the Followers. Abū al-ʿĀliyah, who took the Qurʾān from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, explained istawā ilā al-samāʾ as “He rose”. Mujāhid, who went through the Qurʾān three times with Ibn ʿAbbās, stopping at every verse to ask about it, explained istawā as “He ascended upon the Throne”. These are the meanings of the people who received the Qurʾān from the Companions, and they are the plain sense of the Arabic.
Al-Bukhārī opened the chapter of the Throne in Kitāb al-Tawḥīd with the explanations of the Followers:
Chapter: {And His Throne was upon the water}, {and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne}. Abū al-ʿĀliyah said: {istawā ilā al-samāʾ}: He rose (irtafaʿah). {fa-sawwāhunnah}: He created them. And Mujāhid said: {istawā}: He ascended (ʿalā) upon the Throne.
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ (al-Sulṭāniyyah), Kitāb al-Tawḥīd, 9/124
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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On the verse “and He is with you wherever you are”, the mufassirūn of the Salaf said with one voice that He is with them by His knowledge. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, whose words are given in the next chapter, recorded that the Companions and the Followers from whom the interpretation of the Qurʾān is taken explained it in this way, and that no one whose saying is a proof differed from them. The verse itself begins with “then He rose over the Throne” and ends with “and Allah sees what you do”: the withness is placed between the Highness and the seeing, and does not cancel either.
Part Five
The statements of the Salaf
Sixth Issue: The Salaf: Imām Aḥmad, Ibn al-Mubārak and Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr
The imams of the Salaf stated the Highness in their own words, and answered the Jahmiyyah with it.
Al-Khallāl reported in Kitāb al-Sunnah, through ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad, that his father was asked:
يخلو شيء من علمه
Al-Khallāl said in Kitāb al-Sunnah: Yūsuf ibn Mūsā narrated to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad informed us, saying: It was said to my father: Our Lord, blessed and exalted, is above the seventh heaven, upon His Throne, separate from His creation, and His power and knowledge are in every place? He said: Yes; nothing is devoid of His knowledge.
Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh, ed. ʿAṭāʾāt, pp. 302–303. Parallels without ʿAbd Allāh in the chain: al-Dhahabī, al-ʿUluww p. 176 no. 474 ('Yūsuf ibn Mūsā al-Qaṭṭān, shaykh of Abū Bakr al-Khallāl: it was said to Abū ʿAbd Allāh…', 6463/163); Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah 7/158; Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah 1/421; Ibn Qudāmah, Ithbāt Ṣifat al-ʿUluww p. 167
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ومراد السلف بقولهم: بلا كيف، هو نفي التأويل (¬٣)، فإنه التكييف الذي يزعمه أهل التأويل، فإنهم هم الذين يثبتون كيفية تخالف الحقيقة فيقعون (¬٤) في ثلاثة محاذير: نفي الحقيقة، وإثبات التكييف بالتأويل، وتعطيل الرب تعالى عن صفته التي أثبتها لنفسه. وأما أهل الإثبات فليس أحد منهم يُكيِّف ما أثبته الله تعالى لنفسه، ويقول: كيفيته كذا وكذا حتى يكون قول السلف بلا كيف ردًّا عليه وإنما ردوا على أهل التأويل الذي يتضمن التحريف والتعطيل: تحريف اللفظ، وتعطيل معناه.
فصل
في ذكر [ظ/ق ٤٨ أ] قول الإمام أحمد وأصحابه رحمه الله تعالى:
قال الخلال في كتاب «السنة»: حدثنا يوسف بن موسى قال: أخبرنا عبد الله بن أحمد قال: قيل لأبي: ربنا ﵎ فوق السماء السابعة على عرشه بائن من خلقه، وقدرته وعلمه بكل مكان؟ قال: نعم، لا
يخلو شيء من علمه (¬١).
قال الخلال: وأخبرني عبد الملك بن عبد الحميد الميموني قال: سألت أبا عبد الله أحمد عمَّن يقول (¬٢): إن الله تعالى ليس على العرش؟ فقال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر (¬٣).
وروى أبو القاسم الطبري (¬٤) الشافعي في كتاب «السنة» له بإسناده: عن حنبل قال: قيل لأبي عبد الله: ما معنى قوله تعالى: ﴿مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ﴾ [المجادلة/٧] وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ﴾ [الحديد/٤]؟ قال: علمه محيط بالكل، وربنا على العرش بلا حدٍّ ولا صفةٍ (¬٥)، وسع كرسيه السماوات والأرض (¬٦).
Imām Aḥmad was asked whether Allah is above the seventh heaven, upon His Throne, distinct from His creation, with His power and knowledge in every place, and he answered yes, adding that nothing is devoid of His knowledge. He judged the speech of those who deny that He is upon the Throne to revolve entirely around unbelief.
And al-Khallāl reported from ʿAbd al-Malik al-Maymūnī:
Al-Khallāl said: And ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd al-Maymūnī informed me, saying: I asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad about one who says: Allah, the Exalted, is not upon the Throne. He said: Their speech all revolves around disbelief.
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh, ed. ʿAṭāʾāt, p. 303, from al-Khallāl's al-Sunnah; ed. al-Muʿtiq 2/200
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قال الخلال: وأخبرني عبد الملك بن عبد الحميد الميموني قال: سألت أبا عبد الله أحمد عمَّن يقول (¬٢): إن الله تعالى ليس على العرش؟ فقال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر (¬٣).
وروى أبو القاسم الطبري (¬٤) الشافعي في كتاب «السنة» له بإسناده: عن حنبل قال: قيل لأبي عبد الله: ما معنى قوله تعالى: ﴿مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ﴾ [المجادلة/٧] وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ﴾ [الحديد/٤]؟ قال: علمه محيط بالكل، وربنا على العرش بلا حدٍّ ولا صفةٍ (¬٥)، وسع كرسيه السماوات والأرض (¬٦).
Al-Dārimī said in his Naqḍ on Bishr al-Marīsī:
Thus Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī narrated from Ibn al-Mubārak that he said: 'The top of the minaret is nearer to Allah than its bottom.' And Ibn al-Mubārak spoke the truth, for whatever is nearer to the heaven is nearer to Allah.
al-Dārimī, al-Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī (ed. al-Almaʿī) 1/504
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فَقَالَ: أَلا ترى أَن مَنْ صَعَدَ الْجَبَلَ لَا يُقَالُ لَهُ:١ إِنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ؟
فَيُقَالُ لِهَذَا الْمُعَارِضِ الْمُدَّعِي مَا لَا عِلْمَ لَهُ٢: مَنْ أَنْبَأَكَ أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ لَيْسَ بِأَقْرَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى٣ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ؟؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ فَوْقَ سَمَوَاتِهِ عَلِمَ يَقِينًا أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ٤ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ، وَأَنَّ السَّمَاءَ السَّابِعَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى عَرْشِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ السَّادِسَةِ، وَالسَّادِسَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْخَامِسَةِ، ثُمَّ كَذَلِكَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ. كَذَلِكَ رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ٥، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ٦ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "رَأْسُ الْمَنَارَةِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ٧ وَصَدَقَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ؛ لِأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا كَانَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَقْرَبُ كَانَ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَقْرَبَ. وَقُرْبُ اللَّهِ إِلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ أَقْصَاهُم وأدناهم وَاحِد لَا
ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak expressed the same truth in the plainest image: the top of a minaret is nearer to Allah than its bottom. Al-Dārimī, who narrates it, confirms it: whatever is nearer to the heaven is nearer to Allah.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr said in al-Tamhīd, on the ḥadīth of the Descent in Mālik's Muwaṭṭaʾ:
And in it is proof that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is in the heaven, upon the Throne, above seven heavens, as the Jamāʿah said; and it is among their proofs against the Muʿtazilah and the Jahmiyyah in their saying that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is in every place and is not upon the Throne.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, al-Tamhīd (Maghribiyyah ed.) 7/129 = ed. Bashshār 5/140, on the ḥadīth of the Descent (Mālik ← al-Zuhrī ← al-Aʿraj and Abū Salama ← Abū Hurayra)
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The Mālikī ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr drew the same conclusion from the ḥadīth of the Descent: descent is from above, so the ḥadīth proves that Allah is in the heaven upon the Throne, above seven heavens — as the Jamāʿah say against the Muʿtazilah and the Jahmiyyah, who claim that He is in every place.
Seventh Issue: The Agreement of the Salaf
The imams of the Najdī daʿwah, answering one who counted al-Sanūsī among the imams of the Sunnah, set out the agreement of the Salaf in a few lines. Allah is above His heavens, upon His Throne, distinct from His creation. Nothing of His Essence is in His creatures, and nothing of His creatures is in His Essence. They support it with the words of Mālik, Ibn al-Mubārak, Aḥmad, al-Shāfiʿī and al-Awzāʿī, who said that this was the saying of the Muslims while the Followers were still many.
The imams of the Najdī daʿwah said, answering one who counted al-Sanūsī among the imams of the Sunnah:
وقد قال مالك بن أنس: إن الله في السماء، وعلمه في كل مكان، وقالوا لعبد الله بن المبارك: "بماذا نعرف ربنا؟ قال: بأنه فوق سماواته، على عرشه، بائن من خلقه". وقال
أحمد بن حنبل كما قال هذا، وهذا ; وقال الشافعي: "خلافة أبي بكر حق، قضاها الله فوق سماواته، وجمع عليها قلوب أوليائه"، وقال الأوزاعي: "كنا والتابعون متوافرون، نقول بأن الله فوق عرشه، ونؤمن بما وردت به السنة من صفاته".
They are agreed that Allah is above His heavens, upon His Throne, distinct from His creation: there is nothing of His Essence in His creatures, and nothing of His creatures in His Essence. Mālik ibn Anas said: Allah is in the heaven, and His knowledge is in every place. They said to ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak: By what do we know our Lord? He said: That He is above His heavens, upon His Throne, distinct from His creation. And Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said as this one and that one said. Al-Shāfiʿī said: The caliphate of Abū Bakr is true; Allah decreed it above His heavens and gathered the hearts of His friends upon it. And al-Awzāʿī said: We used to say, while the Followers were plentiful, that Allah is above His Throne, and we believe in what the Sunnah has brought of His attributes.
An answer of the imams of the Najdī daʿwah preserved in al-Durar al-Saniyyah, Kitāb al-Asmāʾ wa-l-Ṣifāt, 3/24–25
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فالسلف والأئمة يصفون الله بما وصف به نفسه، في كتابه، وعلى لسان رسوله ﷺ من غير تحريف، ولا تعطيل، ومن غير تكييف، ولا تمثيل، بل يثبتون ما أثبت لنفسه من الأسماء الحسنى والصفات العلى، ويعلمون أنه ليس كمثله شيء، لا في ذاته، ولا في صفاته، ولا في أفعاله؛ فإنه كما أن ذاته ليست كالذوات المخلوقات، فصفاته ليست كالصفات المخلوقات، بل هو سبحانه موصوف بصفات الكمال، منَزه عن كل نقص وعيب. فهم متفقون على أن الله فوق سمواته، على عرشه، بائن من خلقه، ليس في مخلوقاته شيء من ذاته، ولا في ذاته شيء من مخلوقاته.
وقد قال مالك بن أنس: إن الله في السماء، وعلمه في كل مكان، وقالوا لعبد الله بن المبارك: "بماذا نعرف ربنا؟ قال: بأنه فوق سماواته، على عرشه، بائن من خلقه". وقال
أحمد بن حنبل كما قال هذا، وهذا ; وقال الشافعي: "خلافة أبي بكر حق، قضاها الله فوق سماواته، وجمع عليها قلوب أوليائه"، وقال الأوزاعي: "كنا والتابعون متوافرون، نقول بأن الله فوق عرشه، ونؤمن بما وردت به السنة من صفاته".
والسنوسي قد خالف أئمة السنة في هذه المسألة ; وعبارته في أم البراهين قال: ومما تستحيل في صفته تعالى عشرون صفة، فذكر منها: وأن يكون في جهة ; قال الشارح لها، وهو محمد بن عمر التلمساني: هذا أيضا من أنواع المماثلة المستحيلة، وهي كونه تعالى في جهة، فلا يقال: إنه تعالى فوق العرش ; فقد تبين لك مخالفته السلف الصالح، ومنها: مسألة الصفات، فإن السنوسي أثبت الصفات السبع فقط.
وأما أهل السنة والجماعة فيصفون الله بجميع ما وصف به نفسه، كما يليق بجلاله وعظمته، فيثبتون النّزول، كما وردت بذلك السنة الصحيحة عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: " ينْزل ربنا كل ليلة إلى سماء الدنيا، حين يبقى ثلث الليل "١ إلخ، ويثبتون صفة اليدين، كما يليق بجلاله وعظمته، وكذلك صفة الوجه الكريم، كما يليق بجلاله وعظمته، وكذلك الضحك الذي وردت به السنة، والتعجب، والغضب، والرضى، والقبضتان، والأصابع، فيصفون الله بما وصف به نفسه، أو وصفه به رسوله، ولا يفهمون من جميع ذلك إلا ما يليق بالله وعظمته، لا ما يليق بالمخلوقات من
Mālik, Ibn al-Mubārak, Aḥmad, al-Shāfiʿī and al-Awzāʿī: the imams of Madīnah, Khurāsān, Baghdād, Egypt and Shām. Al-Awzāʿī said that this was what they said “while the Followers were plentiful” — the creed was the creed of the generation that learned from the Companions.
Part Six
The imams after them
Eighth Issue: The Imams After Them: Ibn Taymiyyah's al-Ḥamawiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah wrote al-Ḥamawiyyah in answer to a question from Ḥamāh about the verses of the attributes. Before giving the proofs, he showed that the Salaf were more knowledgeable than those who came after them, and then he gathered the texts of the Highness.
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah gathered the proofs in al-Fatwā al-Ḥamawiyyah, after showing that the Salaf were the most knowledgeable of the ummah:
مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا﴾ ﴿بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إلَيْهِ﴾ ﴿تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إلَيْهِ﴾ ﴿يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إلَيْهِ﴾ ﴿يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ﴾ ﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ﴾ فِي سِتَّةِ مَوَاضِعَ ﴿الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾ ﴿يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْحًا لَعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَابَ﴾ ﴿أَسْبَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إلَى إلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ كَاذِبًا﴾ ﴿تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ﴾ ﴿مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ﴾ إلَى أَمْثَالِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يَكَادُ يُحْصَى إلَّا بِكُلْفَةِ. وَفِي الْأَحَادِيثِ الصِّحَاحِ وَالْحِسَانِ مَا لَا يُحْصَى إلَّا بِالْكُلْفَةِ مِثْلَ قِصَّةِ مِعْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ إلَى رَبِّهِ وَنُزُولِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَصُعُودِهَا إلَيْهِ؛ وَقَوْلِهِ فِي الْمَلَائِكَةِ الَّذِينَ يَتَعَاقَبُونَ فِيكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ: فَيَخْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ إلَى رَبِّهِمْ فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ. وَفِي الصَّحِيحِ فِي حَدِيثِ الْخَوَارِجِ: ﴿أَلَا تَأْمَنُونِي وَأَنَا أَمِينُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ يَأْتِينِي خَبَرُ السَّمَاءِ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً﴾ وَفِي حَدِيثِ الرُّقْيَةِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَغَيْرُهُ ﴿رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُك أَمْرُك فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ كَمَا رَحْمَتُك فِي السَّمَاءِ اجْعَلْ رَحْمَتَك فِي الْأَرْضِ اغْفِرْ لَنَا حَوْبَنَا وَخَطَايَانَا أَنْتَ رَبُّ الطَّيِّبِينَ أَنْزِلْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَحْمَتِك وَشِفَاءً مِنْ شِفَائِك عَلَى هَذَا الْوَجَعِ﴾ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ﴿إذَا اشْتَكَى أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ اشْتَكَى أَخٌ لَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ: رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ﴾ وَذَكَرَهُ. وَقَوْلُهُ فِي حَدِيثِ الْأَوْعَالِ ﴿وَالْعَرْشُ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ وَاَللَّهُ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ
مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ﴾ رَوَاهُ أَحْمَد وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَغَيْرُهُمَا وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ لِلْجَارِيَةِ ﴿أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ: مَنْ أَنَا؟ قَالَتْ: أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ: أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ﴾ . وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَّا خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابٍ مَوْضُوعٍ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ إنَّ رَحْمَتِي سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِي﴾ وَقَوْلُهُ فِي حَدِيثِ قَبْضِ الرُّوحِ ﴿حَتَّى يَعْرُجَ بِهَا إلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي فِيهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى﴾ . ﴿وَقَوْلُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَوَاحَةَ الَّذِي أَنْشَدَهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَقَرَّهُ عَلَيْهِ:
شَهِدْت بِأَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ … وَأَنَّ النَّارَ مَثْوَى الْكَافِرِينَا
وَأَنَّ الْعَرْشَ فَوْقَ الْمَاءِ طَافَ … وَفَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَا﴾
وَقَوْلُ ﴿أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ الثَّقَفِيِّ الَّذِي أَنْشَدَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ هُوَ وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ شِعْرِهِ فَاسْتَحْسَنَهُ وَقَالَ: آمَنَ شِعْرُهُ وَكَفَرَ قَلْبُهُ حَيْثُ قَالَ:
مَجِّدُوا اللَّهَ فَهُوَ لِلْمَجْدِ أَهْلٌ … رَبُّنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ أَمْسَى كَبِيرًا
بِالْبِنَاءِ الْأَعْلَى الَّذِي سَبَقَ النَّاسَ … وَسَوَّى فَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ سَرِيرًا
شَرْجَعًا مَا يَنَالُهُ بَصَرُ الْعَيْـ … ـنِ تُرَى دُونَهُ الْمَلَائِكُ صُوَرًا﴾
وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي فِي الْمُسْنَدِ: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ عَبْدِهِ إذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا﴾ . وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: ﴿يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إلَى السَّمَاءِ
يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ﴾ إلَى أَمْثَالِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يُحْصِيهِ إلَّا اللَّهُ مِمَّا هُوَ مِنْ أَبْلَغِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَاتِ اللَّفْظِيَّةِ وَالْمَعْنَوِيَّةِ الَّتِي تُورِثُ عِلْمًا يَقِينًا مِنْ أَبْلَغِ الْعُلُومِ الضَّرُورِيَّةِ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ ﷺ الْمُبَلِّغَ عَنْ اللَّهِ أَلْقَى إلَى أُمَّتِهِ الْمَدْعُوِّينَ - أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَأَنَّهُ فَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ كَمَا فَطَرَ اللَّهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ جَمِيعَ الْأُمَمِ عَرِبِهِمْ وَعَجَمِهِمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ؛ إلَّا مَنْ اجْتَالَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ عَنْ فِطْرَتِهِ. ثُمَّ عَنْ السَّلَفِ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْأَقْوَالِ مَا لَوْ جُمِعَ لَبَلَغَ مَائِينَ أَوْ أُلُوفًا.
Then this Book of Allah from its beginning to its end, and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ from its beginning to its end, then the general speech of the Companions and the Followers, then the speech of the rest of the imams, is filled with what is either explicit or apparent in that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the High, the Most High; that He is above everything and over everything; that He is above the Throne and above the heaven. Such as His saying, Exalted is He: {To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it}; {I will take you and raise you to Myself}; {Do you feel secure from the One who is in the heaven, that He would cause the earth to swallow you}; {Or do you feel secure from the One who is in the heaven, that He would send against you a storm of stones}; {Rather, Allah raised him to Himself}; {The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him}; {He arranges the affair from the heaven to the earth, then it ascends to Him}; {They fear their Lord above them}; {then He rose over the Throne}, in six places; {Al-Raḥmān rose over the Throne}; {O Hāmān, build for me a tower, that I may reach the ways — the ways of the heavens — and look upon the God of Mūsā; and indeed I think him a liar}; {A revelation from One Wise, Praiseworthy}; {sent down from your Lord in truth} — and the like of that, which can hardly be counted except with effort. And in the authentic and good ḥadīths there is what cannot be counted except with effort: such as the story of the Ascension of the Messenger ﷺ to his Lord; the descent of the angels from Allah and their ascent to Him; and his saying about the angels who take turns among you by night and by day: those who spent the night among you go up to their Lord, and He asks them, while He knows best about them. And in the Ṣaḥīḥ, in the ḥadīth of the Khawārij: “Do you not trust me, when I am the trusted one of Him who is in the heaven? The news of the heaven comes to me morning and evening.” And in the ḥadīth of the ruqyah, which Abū Dāwūd and others reported: “Our Lord, Allah, who is in the heaven, hallowed be Your name; Your command is in the heaven and the earth; as Your mercy is in the heaven, place Your mercy on the earth; forgive us our sins and our faults; You are the Lord of the good; send down a mercy from Your mercy and a cure from Your cure upon this pain” — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of you is in pain, or his brother is in pain, let him say: Our Lord, Allah, who is in the heaven…”, and he mentioned it. And his saying in the ḥadīth of the mountain goats: “And the Throne is above that, and Allah is above His Throne, and He knows what you are upon” — reported by Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd and others. And his saying in the authentic ḥadīth to the slave girl: “Where is Allah?” She said: “In the heaven.” He said: “Who am I?” She said: “You are the Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Free her, for she is a believer.” And his saying in the authentic ḥadīth: “When Allah created the creation, He wrote in a Book placed with Him above the Throne: My mercy has preceded My anger.” And his saying in the ḥadīth of the taking of the soul: “until it is taken up with it to the heaven in which Allah, Exalted is He, is.” And the saying of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rawāḥah, which he recited to the Prophet ﷺ and which he approved: “I bore witness that the promise of Allah is true, and that the Fire is the abode of the disbelievers; and that the Throne floats above the water, and above the Throne is the Lord of the worlds.” And the saying of Umayyah ibn Abī al-Ṣalt al-Thaqafī, some of whose poetry was recited to the Prophet ﷺ, and he approved it and said, “His poetry believed and his heart disbelieved”, where he said: “Glorify Allah, for He is worthy of glory; our Lord in the heaven became great — by the highest building that preceded the people, and He set above the heaven a throne, lofty, which the sight of the eye does not reach, beneath which the angels are seen inclining.” And his saying in the ḥadīth in the Musnad: “Allah is modest and generous; He is ashamed, when His servant raises his hands to Him, to return them empty.” And his saying in the ḥadīth: “He stretches out his hands to the heaven: O Lord, O Lord” — and the like of that, which none but Allah can count; which is among the most far-reaching of what is transmitted by multitudes in wording and in meaning, and which gives certain knowledge — among the most far-reaching of necessary knowledge — that the Messenger ﷺ, who conveyed from Allah, delivered to his nation that Allah, Glorified is He, is upon the Throne, and that He is above the heaven; just as Allah created all the nations upon that in their natural disposition, their Arabs and non-Arabs, in the Jāhiliyyah and in Islam, except those whom the devils led away from their fiṭrah. Then from the Salaf there are statements on that which, if gathered, would reach hundreds or thousands.
Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Fatwā al-Ḥamawiyyah al-Kubrā, in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 5/12–15
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The whole page in Arabic
مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا﴾ ﴿بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إلَيْهِ﴾ ﴿تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إلَيْهِ﴾ ﴿يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إلَيْهِ﴾ ﴿يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ﴾ ﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ﴾ فِي سِتَّةِ مَوَاضِعَ ﴿الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾ ﴿يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْحًا لَعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَابَ﴾ ﴿أَسْبَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إلَى إلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ كَاذِبًا﴾ ﴿تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ﴾ ﴿مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ﴾ إلَى أَمْثَالِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يَكَادُ يُحْصَى إلَّا بِكُلْفَةِ. وَفِي الْأَحَادِيثِ الصِّحَاحِ وَالْحِسَانِ مَا لَا يُحْصَى إلَّا بِالْكُلْفَةِ مِثْلَ قِصَّةِ مِعْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ إلَى رَبِّهِ وَنُزُولِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَصُعُودِهَا إلَيْهِ؛ وَقَوْلِهِ فِي الْمَلَائِكَةِ الَّذِينَ يَتَعَاقَبُونَ فِيكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ: فَيَخْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ إلَى رَبِّهِمْ فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ. وَفِي الصَّحِيحِ فِي حَدِيثِ الْخَوَارِجِ: ﴿أَلَا تَأْمَنُونِي وَأَنَا أَمِينُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ يَأْتِينِي خَبَرُ السَّمَاءِ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً﴾ وَفِي حَدِيثِ الرُّقْيَةِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَغَيْرُهُ ﴿رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُك أَمْرُك فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ كَمَا رَحْمَتُك فِي السَّمَاءِ اجْعَلْ رَحْمَتَك فِي الْأَرْضِ اغْفِرْ لَنَا حَوْبَنَا وَخَطَايَانَا أَنْتَ رَبُّ الطَّيِّبِينَ أَنْزِلْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَحْمَتِك وَشِفَاءً مِنْ شِفَائِك عَلَى هَذَا الْوَجَعِ﴾ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ﴿إذَا اشْتَكَى أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ اشْتَكَى أَخٌ لَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ: رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ﴾ وَذَكَرَهُ. وَقَوْلُهُ فِي حَدِيثِ الْأَوْعَالِ ﴿وَالْعَرْشُ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ وَاَللَّهُ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ
مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ﴾ رَوَاهُ أَحْمَد وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَغَيْرُهُمَا وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ لِلْجَارِيَةِ ﴿أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ: مَنْ أَنَا؟ قَالَتْ: أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ: أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ﴾ . وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَّا خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابٍ مَوْضُوعٍ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ إنَّ رَحْمَتِي سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِي﴾ وَقَوْلُهُ فِي حَدِيثِ قَبْضِ الرُّوحِ ﴿حَتَّى يَعْرُجَ بِهَا إلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي فِيهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى﴾ . ﴿وَقَوْلُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَوَاحَةَ الَّذِي أَنْشَدَهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَقَرَّهُ عَلَيْهِ:
شَهِدْت بِأَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ … وَأَنَّ النَّارَ مَثْوَى الْكَافِرِينَا
وَأَنَّ الْعَرْشَ فَوْقَ الْمَاءِ طَافَ … وَفَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَا﴾
وَقَوْلُ ﴿أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ الثَّقَفِيِّ الَّذِي أَنْشَدَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ هُوَ وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ شِعْرِهِ فَاسْتَحْسَنَهُ وَقَالَ: آمَنَ شِعْرُهُ وَكَفَرَ قَلْبُهُ حَيْثُ قَالَ:
مَجِّدُوا اللَّهَ فَهُوَ لِلْمَجْدِ أَهْلٌ … رَبُّنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ أَمْسَى كَبِيرًا
بِالْبِنَاءِ الْأَعْلَى الَّذِي سَبَقَ النَّاسَ … وَسَوَّى فَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ سَرِيرًا
شَرْجَعًا مَا يَنَالُهُ بَصَرُ الْعَيْـ … ـنِ تُرَى دُونَهُ الْمَلَائِكُ صُوَرًا﴾
وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي فِي الْمُسْنَدِ: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ عَبْدِهِ إذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا﴾ . وَقَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: ﴿يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إلَى السَّمَاءِ
يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ﴾ إلَى أَمْثَالِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يُحْصِيهِ إلَّا اللَّهُ مِمَّا هُوَ مِنْ أَبْلَغِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَاتِ اللَّفْظِيَّةِ وَالْمَعْنَوِيَّةِ الَّتِي تُورِثُ عِلْمًا يَقِينًا مِنْ أَبْلَغِ الْعُلُومِ الضَّرُورِيَّةِ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ ﷺ الْمُبَلِّغَ عَنْ اللَّهِ أَلْقَى إلَى أُمَّتِهِ الْمَدْعُوِّينَ - أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَأَنَّهُ فَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ كَمَا فَطَرَ اللَّهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ جَمِيعَ الْأُمَمِ عَرِبِهِمْ وَعَجَمِهِمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ؛ إلَّا مَنْ اجْتَالَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ عَنْ فِطْرَتِهِ. ثُمَّ عَنْ السَّلَفِ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْأَقْوَالِ مَا لَوْ جُمِعَ لَبَلَغَ مَائِينَ أَوْ أُلُوفًا.
ثُمَّ لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَا فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَلَا عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ - لَا مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ وَلَا مِنْ التَّابِعِينَ لَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانِ وَلَا عَنْ الْأَئِمَّةِ الَّذِينَ أَدْرَكُوا زَمَنَ الْأَهْوَاءِ وَالِاخْتِلَافِ - حَرْفٌ وَاحِدٌ يُخَالِفُ ذَلِكَ لَا نَصًّا وَلَا ظَاهِرًا. وَلَمْ يَقُلْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ قَطُّ إنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَلَا إنَّهُ بِذَاتِهِ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَلَا إنَّ جَمِيعَ الْأَمْكِنَةِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إلَيْهِ سَوَاءٌ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَا دَاخِلَ الْعَالَمِ وَلَا خَارِجَهُ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَا مُتَّصِلٌ وَلَا مُنْفَصِلٌ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَا تَجُوزُ الْإِشَارَةُ الْحِسِّيَّةُ إلَيْهِ بِالْأَصَابِعِ وَنَحْوِهَا؛ بَلْ قَدْ ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ ﴿النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمَّا خَطَبَ خُطْبَتَهُ الْعَظِيمَةَ يَوْمَ عَرَفَاتٍ فِي أَعْظَمِ مَجْمَعٍ حَضَرَهُ الرَّسُولُ ﷺ جَعَلَ يَقُولُ: أَلَا هَلْ بَلَّغْت؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: نَعَمْ. فَيَرْفَعُ إصْبَعَهُ إلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ يَنْكُبُهَا إلَيْهِمْ وَيَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ غَيْرَ مَرَّةٍ﴾ وَأَمْثَالُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ. فَلَئِنْ كَانَ الْحَقُّ مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ السَّالِبُونَ النَّافُونَ لِلصِّفَاتِ الثَّابِتَةِ فِي
He called these texts among the most far-reaching of what is transmitted by multitudes, in wording and in meaning: the Prophet ﷺ delivered to his nation that Allah is above the Throne, in so many ways that the knowledge of it is necessary, like the knowledge that he called to the prayer. And he joined to them the fiṭrah upon which all nations were created, Arab and non-Arab, before Islam and after it, except those whom the devils led away. The Highness is the one doctrine on which revelation, reason and the natural disposition testify together.
Ninth Issue: The Necessity in the Heart: Al-Hamadhānī and al-Juwaynī
Ibn Taymiyyah recorded two accounts that show where kalām ends. Al-Rāzī and a Muʿtazilī debated from morning to afternoon and neither could establish a proof against the other. The Muʿtazilī left kalām for remembrance and worship, and came out saying: by Allah, the truth is only with these “mushabbihah” — the name his school gave to those who affirm the attributes. He had come to know, with a knowledge he could not push from his heart, that the Lord of the world is distinct from the world, and that the lord of the Jahmiyyah is pure non-existence.
Ibn Taymiyyah said, describing the necessary knowledge with which the hearts are created:
يَلْزَمُ نَفْسَ الْمَخْلُوقِ لُزُومًا لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الِانْفِكَاكُ عَنْهُ فَالْمَرْجِعُ فِي كَوْنِهِ ضَرُورِيًّا إلَى أَنَّهُ يَعْجِزُ عَنْ دَفْعِهِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ. فَأَخْبَرَ الشَّيْخُ: أَنَّ عُلُومَهُمْ ضَرُورِيَّةٌ وَأَنَّهَا تَرِدُ عَلَى النُّفُوسِ عَلَى وَجْهٍ تَعْجِزُ عَنْ دَفْعِهِ فَقَالَا لَهُ: مَا الطَّرِيقُ إلَى ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: تَتْرُكَانِ مَا أَنْتُمَا فِيهِ وَتَسْلُكَانِ مَا أَمَرَكُمَا اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنْ الذِّكْرِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ. فَقَالَ الرَّازِي: أَنَا مَشْغُولٌ عَنْ هَذَا. وَقَالَ الْمُعْتَزِلِيُّ: أَنَا قَدْ احْتَرَقَ قَلْبِي بِالشُّبُهَاتِ وَأُحِبُّ هَذِهِ الْوَارِدَاتِ فَلَزِمَ الشَّيْخَ مُدَّةً ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مِنْ مَحَلِّ عِبَادَتِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُهُ: وَاَللَّهِ يَا سَيِّدِي مَا الْحَقُّ إلَّا فِيمَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُشَبِّهَةُ - يَعْنِي: الْمُثْبِتِينَ لِلصِّفَاتِ؛ فَإِنَّ الْمُعْتَزِلَةَ يُسَمُّونَ الصفاتية مُشَبِّهَةً - وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ عَلِمَ عِلْمًا ضَرُورِيًّا لَا يُمْكِنُهُ دَفْعُهُ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ أَنَّ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَتَمَيَّزَ عَنْ الْعَالَمِ وَأَنَّ يَكُونَ بَائِنًا مِنْهُ لَهُ صِفَاتٌ تَخْتَصُّ بِهِ وَأَنَّ هَذَا الرَّبَّ الَّذِي تَصِفُهُ الْجَهْمِيَّة إنَّمَا هُوَ عَدَمٌ مَحْضٌ. وَهَذَا مَوْضِعُ الْحِكَايَةِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ عَنْ الشَّيْخِ الْعَارِفِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الهمداني لِأَبِي الْمَعَالِي الجُوَيْنِي لَمَّا أَخَذَ يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ: كَانَ اللَّهُ وَلَا عَرْشَ فَقَالَ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ دَعْنَا مِنْ ذِكْرِ الْعَرْشِ - يَعْنِي: لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ إنَّمَا جَاءَ فِي السَّمْعِ - أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ هَذِهِ الضَّرُورَةِ الَّتِي نَجِدُهَا فِي قُلُوبِنَا فَإِنَّهُ مَا قَالَ عَارِفٌ قَطُّ " يَا اللَّهُ " إلَّا وَجَدَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ ضَرُورَةً تَطْلُبُ الْعُلُوَّ لَا تَلْتَفِتُ يَمْنَةً وَلَا يَسْرَةً فَكَيْفَ نَدْفَعُ هَذِهِ الضَّرُورَةَ عَنْ قُلُوبِنَا؟ قَالَ: فَلَطَمَ أَبُو الْمَعَالِي عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَقَالَ: حَيَّرَنِي الهمداني حَيَّرَنِي الهمداني وَنَزَلَ.
… as in the well-preserved account of Najm al-Dīn al-Kubrā, when two mutakallimūn came in to him, one of them Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī and the other a mutakallim of the Muʿtazilah. They said: O Shaykh, it has reached us that you know with the knowledge of certainty. He said: Yes, I know with the knowledge of certainty. They said: How can that be, when we have been debating from the start of the day until this hour, and neither of us has been able to establish a proof against the other? — and I think the account is in Tathbīt al-Islām — He said: I do not know what you two are saying; but I know with the knowledge of certainty. They said: Describe to us the knowledge of certainty. He said: The knowledge of certainty, with us, is things that come upon the souls which the souls are unable to repel. And the two began to repeat: things that come upon the souls which the souls are unable to repel, and to admire this answer. That is because the way of the people of kalām is to divide knowledge into the necessary and the acquired, or the immediate and the reasoned; the reasoned and acquired must be traced back to necessary or immediate premises, which need no proof, otherwise there is circularity or infinite regress. And necessary knowledge is what clings to the soul of the creature so that it cannot free itself from it; what makes it necessary is that he is unable to repel it from himself. So the Shaykh told them that their knowledge is necessary and that it comes upon the souls in a way they cannot repel. They said to him: What is the way to that? He said: That you leave what you are in and follow what Allah commanded you of remembrance and worship. Al-Rāzī said: I am too busy for this. And the Muʿtazilī said: My heart has been burnt by doubts, and I love these things that come upon the soul. So he kept company with the Shaykh for a while, then came out from his place of worship saying: By Allah, my master, the truth is only in what these mushabbihah say — meaning those who affirm the attributes, for the Muʿtazilah call the Ṣifātiyyah mushabbihah. That is because he came to know with a necessary knowledge, which he could not repel from his heart, that the Lord of the world must be distinct from the world and separate from it, with attributes particular to Him, and that this lord whom the Jahmiyyah describe is pure non-existence. And this is the place of the famous account of the Shaykh, the knower, Abū Jaʿfar al-Hamadhānī with Abū al-Maʿālī al-Juwaynī, when he began to say on the pulpit: Allah was, and there was no Throne. He said: O teacher, leave aside the mention of the Throne — meaning, because that came only through revelation — and tell us about this necessity that we find in our hearts: no knower ever said “O Allah” except that he found in his heart a necessity seeking the height, not turning right or left. So how do we repel this necessity from our hearts? He said: So Abū al-Maʿālī struck his head and said: al-Hamadhānī has bewildered me, al-Hamadhānī has bewildered me; and he came down.
Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 4/43–44
Source, chain and authenticity
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The whole page in Arabic
يَلْزَمُ نَفْسَ الْمَخْلُوقِ لُزُومًا لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الِانْفِكَاكُ عَنْهُ فَالْمَرْجِعُ فِي كَوْنِهِ ضَرُورِيًّا إلَى أَنَّهُ يَعْجِزُ عَنْ دَفْعِهِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ. فَأَخْبَرَ الشَّيْخُ: أَنَّ عُلُومَهُمْ ضَرُورِيَّةٌ وَأَنَّهَا تَرِدُ عَلَى النُّفُوسِ عَلَى وَجْهٍ تَعْجِزُ عَنْ دَفْعِهِ فَقَالَا لَهُ: مَا الطَّرِيقُ إلَى ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: تَتْرُكَانِ مَا أَنْتُمَا فِيهِ وَتَسْلُكَانِ مَا أَمَرَكُمَا اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنْ الذِّكْرِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ. فَقَالَ الرَّازِي: أَنَا مَشْغُولٌ عَنْ هَذَا. وَقَالَ الْمُعْتَزِلِيُّ: أَنَا قَدْ احْتَرَقَ قَلْبِي بِالشُّبُهَاتِ وَأُحِبُّ هَذِهِ الْوَارِدَاتِ فَلَزِمَ الشَّيْخَ مُدَّةً ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مِنْ مَحَلِّ عِبَادَتِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُهُ: وَاَللَّهِ يَا سَيِّدِي مَا الْحَقُّ إلَّا فِيمَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُشَبِّهَةُ - يَعْنِي: الْمُثْبِتِينَ لِلصِّفَاتِ؛ فَإِنَّ الْمُعْتَزِلَةَ يُسَمُّونَ الصفاتية مُشَبِّهَةً - وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ عَلِمَ عِلْمًا ضَرُورِيًّا لَا يُمْكِنُهُ دَفْعُهُ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ أَنَّ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَتَمَيَّزَ عَنْ الْعَالَمِ وَأَنَّ يَكُونَ بَائِنًا مِنْهُ لَهُ صِفَاتٌ تَخْتَصُّ بِهِ وَأَنَّ هَذَا الرَّبَّ الَّذِي تَصِفُهُ الْجَهْمِيَّة إنَّمَا هُوَ عَدَمٌ مَحْضٌ. وَهَذَا مَوْضِعُ الْحِكَايَةِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ عَنْ الشَّيْخِ الْعَارِفِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الهمداني لِأَبِي الْمَعَالِي الجُوَيْنِي لَمَّا أَخَذَ يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ: كَانَ اللَّهُ وَلَا عَرْشَ فَقَالَ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ دَعْنَا مِنْ ذِكْرِ الْعَرْشِ - يَعْنِي: لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ إنَّمَا جَاءَ فِي السَّمْعِ - أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ هَذِهِ الضَّرُورَةِ الَّتِي نَجِدُهَا فِي قُلُوبِنَا فَإِنَّهُ مَا قَالَ عَارِفٌ قَطُّ " يَا اللَّهُ " إلَّا وَجَدَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ ضَرُورَةً تَطْلُبُ الْعُلُوَّ لَا تَلْتَفِتُ يَمْنَةً وَلَا يَسْرَةً فَكَيْفَ نَدْفَعُ هَذِهِ الضَّرُورَةَ عَنْ قُلُوبِنَا؟ قَالَ: فَلَطَمَ أَبُو الْمَعَالِي عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَقَالَ: حَيَّرَنِي الهمداني حَيَّرَنِي الهمداني وَنَزَلَ.
And al-Juwaynī, the greatest master of the later Ashʿarīs, was saying on the pulpit: Allah was, and there was no Throne — preparing to deny that Allah is above it now. Abū Jaʿfar al-Hamadhānī stood and said: leave the Throne aside, and tell us about this necessity we find in our hearts: no one who knows his Lord ever said “O Allah” without finding in his heart a necessity seeking the height, not turning right or left. How do we push it away from our hearts? Al-Juwaynī struck his head and said: al-Hamadhānī has bewildered me, al-Hamadhānī has bewildered me; and he came down from the pulpit.
The Highness is not a conclusion that the believer reaches after study. It is a necessity placed in the heart before any argument, and confirmed by every text of revelation. The mutakallim spends his life building premises to remove it, and in the end cannot remove it from his own heart.
Part Seven
Principles drawn from the evidence
Tenth Issue: The Rules That Follow from the Highness
The first rule: the Highness of Allah is known by the revealed texts, by reason and by the natural disposition (fiṭrah). Every person who calls on his Lord in distress finds his heart turning upwards before his tongue has spoken. No one turns to the right or the left, or inward to himself, when he cries out to his Lord. This necessity in the heart is not learned from a teacher, and no argument of the mutakallimūn has ever removed it from the hearts of the common people.
The second rule: His Highness does not contradict His nearness. He is high in His nearness and near in His Highness. His nearness to those who call on Him and to those who worship Him is a nearness that befits Him, and it does not require Him to mix with His creation, just as His being with them by His knowledge, hearing, sight and dominion does not require that.
The third rule: whoever denies the Highness of the Essence has denied what the Qurʾān states in hundreds of places, and the Salaf did not differ in declaring such a person outside the Sunnah. They used the word Jahmī for him, because Jahm ibn Ṣafwān was the first in Islam to say openly that Allah is not above the Throne.
Part Eight
The claims of the opponents and their refutation
The Jahmiyyah: “He is in every place” and “He is with us”
The claim
Said by the Jahmiyyah, and after them by the Sufis of indwelling and union
“Allah is in every place, and not in one place to the exclusion of another.” And from the verses of withness: “He is with us wherever we are, so He is not above the Throne.”
Its origin Jahm ibn Ṣafwān. Imām Aḥmad wrote al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah against it in the days of the trial, and Ḥarb al-Kirmānī recorded among their doctrines that “no place is known for Allah”, and judged them disbelievers, zanādiqah, enemies of Allah.
The response
Imām Aḥmad said in al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, which he wrote in the days of the trial:
We said: Why have you denied that Allah is upon the Throne, when He, the Exalted, has said: 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne' [Ṭāhā 5], and said: 'He created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne' [al-Ḥadīd 4]?
Aḥmad, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī Shāhīn, p. 142. Quoted with al-Khallāl's attribution in Bayān Talbīs 1/36 and al-ʿArsh 2/321
Source, chain and authenticity
Imām Aḥmad began with the texts: Allah said that al-Raḥmān rose over the Throne, and that He created the heavens and the earth and then rose over the Throne. The Jahmī answered that Allah is under the seventh earth as He is above the Throne, in the heavens and the earth and everywhere. Aḥmad's reply was to name the places that the Muslims know: your bodies, your bellies, the places of filth — if He is in every place, He is in these. The Jahmī's creed does not survive being said aloud.
And he said, giving the Jahmī a test from which reason cannot escape:
فيقول: نعم.
فقل له: حين خلق الشيء خلقه في نفسه أو خارجًا من نفسه؟ فإنه يصير إلى ثلاثة أقوال، لابد له من واحد منها.
إن زعم أن الله خلق الخلق في نفسه كفر، حين زعم أن الجن والإنس والشياطين في نفسه
If you wish to know that the Jahmī lies against Allah when he claims that Allah is in every place and is not in one place to the exclusion of another, then say: “Was Allah not [existent] when there was nothing?” He will say: “Yes.” Then say to him: “When He created a thing, did He create it within Himself or outside Himself?” He must arrive at one of three positions; he cannot avoid one of them. If he claims that Allah created creation within Himself, he has disbelieved, since he has claimed that jinn, men and devils are within Him…
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī, p. 155
Source, chain and authenticity
Then Aḥmad gave the test that reason cannot escape. Allah was, and there was nothing with Him. When He created the creation, either He created it within Himself, or outside Himself and then entered it, or outside Himself and did not enter it. The first is disbelief, because it makes the creatures, with their filth, inside Allah. The second is disbelief, because it makes Allah inside every filthy place. The third is the saying of Ahl al-Sunnah: He created the creation distinct from Himself, and He is above it. There is no fourth.
Allah, the Exalted, said to Mūsā and Hārūn:
He said: 'Do not fear; indeed, I am with you both — I hear and I see.'
Qurʾān 20:46 Read the verse (opens in a new tab)
As for the withness, the verse that states it names its manner: I am with you both; I hear and I see. And the verse of al-Ḥadīd puts the withness between “then He rose over the Throne” and “Allah sees what you do”. The Arabs say: we kept travelling and the moon was with us, though the moon is in the sky. Withness in the language is accompaniment, and it does not require mixing or place; with Allah it is His knowledge, hearing, sight and dominion, and with His friends His support besides.
Yūsuf ibn Mūsā al-Qaṭṭān reported that Imām Aḥmad was asked:
Yūsuf ibn Mūsā al-Qaṭṭān said: It was said to Abū ʿAbd Allāh: “And Allah, Exalted is He, is above the seventh heaven, upon His Throne, separate from His creation, and His power and knowledge are in every place?” He said: “Yes, upon His Throne; nothing is devoid of His knowledge.”
al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/310, from Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah 3/156–159 nos. 113–115; 302
Source, chain and authenticity
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قال الإمام أحمد: هكذا هو عندنا (١).
وقال أبو بكر المروذي، سمعت أبا عبد اللَّه وقيل له: روى علي ابن الحسن بن شقيق عن ابن المبارك؛ أنه قيل له: كيف نعرف اللَّه قال: على العرلش بحد، فقال بلغني ذلك عنه وأعجبه، ثم قال أبو عبد اللَّه: ﴿هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ﴾ [البقرة: ٢١٠] ثم قال ﴿وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا﴾ (٢) [الفجر: ٢٢].
وقال يوسف بن موسى القطان: قيل لأبي عبد اللَّه: واللَّه تعالى فوق السماء السابعة على عرشه بائن من خلقه، وقدرته وعلمه بكل مكان، قال: نعم، على عرشه، لا يخلو شيء من علمه (٣).
"الإبانة" كتاب الرد على الجهمية ٣/ ١٥٦ - ١٥٩ (١١٣ - ١١٥)
Imām Aḥmad was asked whether Allah is above the seventh heaven, upon His Throne, distinct from His creation, with His power and knowledge in every place, and he answered: yes. He gave in one word the creed that the Jahmī splits: the Essence above, the knowledge everywhere. And the Salaf's judgement on those who say He is in every place by His Essence is recorded in this study's chapters on the Salaf and on place: they called it the doctrine of the Jahmiyyah, and named its people enemies of Allah.
The later Ashʿarīs and Māturīdīs: “neither inside the world nor outside it”
The claim
Said by the later Ashʿarīs and Māturīdīs, and before them by Hishām al-Fuwaṭī, ʿAbbād ibn Sulaymān and their companions of the Muʿtazilah
“Allah is not above the Throne. He is neither inside the world nor outside it, neither joined to it nor separate from it, and it is not permitted to point to Him. He is greater than the Throne; were He upon it, He would be confined by it and places would be empty of Him. Allah was, and there was no Throne, and He is now as He was.”
Its origin The Muʿtazilah, as al-Ashʿarī himself recorded in Maqālāt al-Islāmiyyīn: “the Creator is not in a place; He is as He always was.” The argument from what was before creation is the argument of Jahm.
The response
The later schools did not say that Allah is in every place, as the Jahmiyyah did. They said something stranger: that He is neither inside the world nor outside it. Ibn Taymiyyah answered them with a fact that no one can deny, and then with an argument that leaves them no exit.
Ibn Taymiyyah answered all of them together in al-Ḥamawiyyah:
الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ؛ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ وَنَحْوِهَا؛ دُونَ مَا يُفْهَمُ مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ إمَّا نَصًّا وَإِمَّا ظَاهِرًا فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ عَلَى خَيْرِ الْأُمَّةِ: أَنَّهُمْ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ دَائِمًا بِمَا هُوَ إمَّا نَصٌّ وَإِمَّا ظَاهِرٌ فِي خِلَافِ الْحَقِّ ثُمَّ الْحَقُّ الَّذِي يَجِبُ اعْتِقَادُهُ لَا يَبُوحُونَ بِهِ قَطُّ وَلَا يَدُلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ لَا نَصًّا وَلَا ظَاهِرًا؛ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ أَنْبَاطُ الْفُرْسِ وَالرُّومِ وَفُرُوخُ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالْفَلَاسِفَةُ يُبَيِّنُونَ لِلْأُمَّةِ الْعَقِيدَةَ الصَّحِيحَةَ الَّتِي يَجِبُ عَلَى كُلِّ مُكَلَّفٍ أَوْ كُلِّ فَاضِلٍ أَنْ يَعْتَقِدَهَا. لَئِنْ كَانَ مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُونَ الْمُتَكَلِّفُونَ هُوَ الِاعْتِقَادُ الْوَاجِبُ وَهُمْ مَعَ ذَلِكَ أُحِيلُوا فِي مَعْرِفَتِهِ عَلَى مُجَرَّدِ عُقُولِهِمْ وَأَنْ يَدْفَعُوا بِمَا اقْتَضَى قِيَاسَ عُقُولِهِمْ مَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ نَصًّا أَوْ ظَاهِرًا؛ لَقَدْ كَانَ تَرْكُ النَّاسِ بِلَا كِتَابٍ وَلَا سُنَّةٍ: أَهْدَى لَهُمْ وَأَنْفَعَ عَلَى هَذَا التَّقْدِيرِ؛ بَلْ كَانَ وُجُودُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ ضَرَرًا مَحْضًا فِي أَصْلِ الدِّينِ. فَإِنَّ حَقِيقَةَ الْأَمْرِ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ: إنَّكُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْعِبَادِ لَا تَطْلُبُوا مَعْرِفَةَ اللَّهِ ﷿ وَمَا يَسْتَحِقُّهُ مِنْ الصِّفَاتِ نَفْيًا وَإِثْبَاتًا لَا مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا مِنْ السُّنَّةِ وَلَا مِنْ طَرِيقِ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ. وَلَكِنْ اُنْظُرُوا أَنْتُمْ فَمَا وَجَدْتُمُوهُ مُسْتَحِقًّا لَهُ مِنْ الصِّفَاتِ فَصِفُوهُ بِهِ - سَوَاءٌ كَانَ مَوْجُودًا فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ - وَمَا لَمْ تَجِدُوهُ مُسْتَحِقًّا لَهُ فِي عُقُولِكُمْ فَلَا تَصِفُوهُ بِهِ.
ثُمَّ هُمْ هَهُنَا فَرِيقَانِ: أَكْثَرُهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: مَا لَمْ تُثْبِتْهُ عُقُولُكُمْ فَانْفُوهُ - وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: بَلْ تَوَقَّفُوا فِيهِ - وَمَا نَفَاهُ قِيَاسُ عُقُولِكُمْ - الَّذِي أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ وَمُضْطَرِبُونَ اخْتِلَافًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَنْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ - فَانْفُوهُ وَإِلَيْهِ عِنْدَ التَّنَازُعِ فَارْجِعُوا. فَإِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ الَّذِي تَعَبَّدْتُكُمْ بِهِ؛ وَمَا كَانَ مَذْكُورًا فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ مِمَّا يُخَالِفُ قِيَاسَكُمْ هَذَا أَوْ يُثْبِتُ مَا لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ عُقُولُكُمْ - عَلَى طَرِيقَةِ أَكْثَرِهِمْ - فَاعْلَمُوا أَنِّي أَمْتَحِنُكُمْ بِتَنْزِيلِهِ لَا لِتَأْخُذُوا الْهُدَى مِنْهُ؛ لَكِنْ لِتَجْتَهِدُوا فِي تَخْرِيجِهِ عَلَى شَوَاذِّ اللُّغَةِ وَوَحْشِيِّ الْأَلْفَاظِ وَغَرَائِبِ الْكَلَامِ. أَوْ أَنْ تَسْكُتُوا عَنْهُ مُفَوِّضِينَ عِلْمَهُ إلَى اللَّهِ مَعَ نَفْيِ دَلَالَتِهِ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ الصِّفَاتِ؛ هَذَا حَقِيقَةُ الْأَمْرِ عَلَى رَأْيِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ. وَهَذَا الْكَلَامُ قَدْ رَأَيْته صَرَّحَ بِمَعْنَاهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُوَ لَازِمٌ لِجَمَاعَتِهِمْ لُزُومًا لَا مَحِيدَ عَنْهُ وَمَضْمُونُهُ: أَنَّ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ لَا يَهْتَدِي بِهِ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ الرَّسُولَ مَعْزُولٌ عَنْ التَّعْلِيمِ وَالْإِخْبَارِ بِصِفَاتِ مَنْ أَرْسَلَهُ وَأَنَّ النَّاسَ عِنْدَ التَّنَازُعِ لَا يَرُدُّونَ مَا تَنَازَعُوا فِيهِ إلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ؛ بَلْ إلَى مِثْلِ مَا كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَإِلَى مِثْلِ مَا يَتَحَاكَمُ إلَيْهِ مَنْ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِالْأَنْبِيَاءِ كالبراهمة وَالْفَلَاسِفَةِ - وَهُمْ الْمُشْرِكُونَ - وَالْمَجُوسُ وَبَعْضُ الصَّابِئِينَ. وَإِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الرَّدُّ لَا يَزِيدُ الْأَمْرَ إلَّا شِدَّةً؛ وَلَا يَرْتَفِعُ الْخِلَافُ بِهِ؛ إذْ لِكُلِّ فَرِيقٍ طَوَاغِيتُ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَحَاكَمُوا إلَيْهِمْ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِهِمْ.
Then there is not in the Book of Allah, nor in the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, nor from any one of the Salaf of the ummah — not from the Companions, nor from the Followers in excellence, nor from the imams who reached the time of desires and division — a single letter that contradicts that, neither explicitly nor apparently. Not one of them ever said that Allah is not in the heaven, or that He is not upon the Throne, or that He is in every place by His Essence, or that all places are equal in relation to Him, or that He is neither inside the world nor outside it, or that He is neither joined nor separate, or that it is not permitted to point to Him with the fingers and the like. Rather, it is established in the Ṣaḥīḥ from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh that when the Prophet ﷺ gave his great sermon on the day of ʿArafah — at the greatest gathering the Messenger ﷺ attended — he began to say: “Have I not conveyed?” and they said: “Yes”; and he would raise his finger to the heaven and then point it down towards them, saying: “O Allah, bear witness” — more than once. And the like of this is much. So if the truth were what these strippers say, who deny the attributes established in the Book and the Sunnah, with these expressions and their like — and not what is understood from the Book and the Sunnah either explicitly or apparently — then how could it be permissible for Allah, Exalted is He, and then for His Messenger ﷺ, and then for the best of the ummah, that they always speak with what is either explicit or apparent in contradicting the truth, and that the truth which must be believed they never disclose and never indicate, neither explicitly nor apparently — until the Nabataeans of the Persians and the Romans, and the offspring of the Jews, the Christians and the philosophers come and explain to the ummah the correct creed that every accountable person, or every person of merit, must believe? If what these laboured mutakallimūn say is the obligatory belief, and with that they were referred for knowing it to their bare minds, and to push away, with what the analogy of their minds required, what the Book and the Sunnah indicate explicitly or apparently — then leaving the people without a Book and without a Sunnah would have been more guiding for them and more beneficial on this supposition; rather, the existence of the Book and the Sunnah would have been pure harm in the foundation of the religion. For the reality of the matter, according to what these say, is: O servants, do not seek knowledge of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and of the attributes He deserves, in denial or affirmation, from the Book, nor from the Sunnah, nor from the way of the Salaf of the ummah; but look for yourselves, and whatever you find that He deserves of the attributes, describe Him with it — whether it is found in the Book and the Sunnah or not — and whatever you do not find that He deserves in your minds, do not describe Him with it. Then they are two parties here: most of them say, whatever your minds do not affirm, deny it; and some of them say, rather, suspend judgement on it. And whatever the analogy of your minds denies — the analogy over which you differ and are confused more than everyone on the face of the earth — deny it, and to it return when you dispute, for it is the truth by which I have made you worship; and whatever is mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah that contradicts this analogy of yours, or affirms what your minds did not grasp — on the way of most of them — know that I am testing you with its revelation, not so that you take guidance from it, but so that you exert yourselves in explaining it upon the odd usages of the language, the wild words and the strange expressions; or that you keep silent about it, consigning its knowledge to Allah while denying that it indicates any of the attributes. This is the reality of the matter in the view of these mutakallimūn. And I have seen a group of them state its meaning openly, and it is binding upon all of them with a binding from which there is no escape. Its content is that the Book of Allah is not used for guidance in knowing Allah; that the Messenger is dismissed from teaching and informing about the attributes of the One who sent him; and that people, when they dispute, do not refer what they dispute over to Allah and the Messenger, but to the like of what they were upon in the Jāhiliyyah, and the like of what those who do not believe in the Prophets refer to — the Brahmins and the philosophers, who are the mushrikūn, and the Magians and some of the Sabians. And yet this referral only increases the matter in severity, and the disagreement is not lifted by it; for every party has ṭawāghīt to whom they want to refer for judgement, while they have been commanded to disbelieve in them.
Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Fatwā al-Ḥamawiyyah al-Kubrā, in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 5/15–17
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ثُمَّ لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَا فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَلَا عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ - لَا مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ وَلَا مِنْ التَّابِعِينَ لَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانِ وَلَا عَنْ الْأَئِمَّةِ الَّذِينَ أَدْرَكُوا زَمَنَ الْأَهْوَاءِ وَالِاخْتِلَافِ - حَرْفٌ وَاحِدٌ يُخَالِفُ ذَلِكَ لَا نَصًّا وَلَا ظَاهِرًا. وَلَمْ يَقُلْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ قَطُّ إنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَلَا إنَّهُ بِذَاتِهِ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَلَا إنَّ جَمِيعَ الْأَمْكِنَةِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إلَيْهِ سَوَاءٌ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَا دَاخِلَ الْعَالَمِ وَلَا خَارِجَهُ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَا مُتَّصِلٌ وَلَا مُنْفَصِلٌ وَلَا إنَّهُ لَا تَجُوزُ الْإِشَارَةُ الْحِسِّيَّةُ إلَيْهِ بِالْأَصَابِعِ وَنَحْوِهَا؛ بَلْ قَدْ ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ ﴿النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمَّا خَطَبَ خُطْبَتَهُ الْعَظِيمَةَ يَوْمَ عَرَفَاتٍ فِي أَعْظَمِ مَجْمَعٍ حَضَرَهُ الرَّسُولُ ﷺ جَعَلَ يَقُولُ: أَلَا هَلْ بَلَّغْت؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: نَعَمْ. فَيَرْفَعُ إصْبَعَهُ إلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ يَنْكُبُهَا إلَيْهِمْ وَيَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ غَيْرَ مَرَّةٍ﴾ وَأَمْثَالُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ. فَلَئِنْ كَانَ الْحَقُّ مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ السَّالِبُونَ النَّافُونَ لِلصِّفَاتِ الثَّابِتَةِ فِي
الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ؛ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ وَنَحْوِهَا؛ دُونَ مَا يُفْهَمُ مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ إمَّا نَصًّا وَإِمَّا ظَاهِرًا فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ عَلَى خَيْرِ الْأُمَّةِ: أَنَّهُمْ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ دَائِمًا بِمَا هُوَ إمَّا نَصٌّ وَإِمَّا ظَاهِرٌ فِي خِلَافِ الْحَقِّ ثُمَّ الْحَقُّ الَّذِي يَجِبُ اعْتِقَادُهُ لَا يَبُوحُونَ بِهِ قَطُّ وَلَا يَدُلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ لَا نَصًّا وَلَا ظَاهِرًا؛ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ أَنْبَاطُ الْفُرْسِ وَالرُّومِ وَفُرُوخُ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالْفَلَاسِفَةُ يُبَيِّنُونَ لِلْأُمَّةِ الْعَقِيدَةَ الصَّحِيحَةَ الَّتِي يَجِبُ عَلَى كُلِّ مُكَلَّفٍ أَوْ كُلِّ فَاضِلٍ أَنْ يَعْتَقِدَهَا. لَئِنْ كَانَ مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُونَ الْمُتَكَلِّفُونَ هُوَ الِاعْتِقَادُ الْوَاجِبُ وَهُمْ مَعَ ذَلِكَ أُحِيلُوا فِي مَعْرِفَتِهِ عَلَى مُجَرَّدِ عُقُولِهِمْ وَأَنْ يَدْفَعُوا بِمَا اقْتَضَى قِيَاسَ عُقُولِهِمْ مَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ نَصًّا أَوْ ظَاهِرًا؛ لَقَدْ كَانَ تَرْكُ النَّاسِ بِلَا كِتَابٍ وَلَا سُنَّةٍ: أَهْدَى لَهُمْ وَأَنْفَعَ عَلَى هَذَا التَّقْدِيرِ؛ بَلْ كَانَ وُجُودُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ ضَرَرًا مَحْضًا فِي أَصْلِ الدِّينِ. فَإِنَّ حَقِيقَةَ الْأَمْرِ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ: إنَّكُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْعِبَادِ لَا تَطْلُبُوا مَعْرِفَةَ اللَّهِ ﷿ وَمَا يَسْتَحِقُّهُ مِنْ الصِّفَاتِ نَفْيًا وَإِثْبَاتًا لَا مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا مِنْ السُّنَّةِ وَلَا مِنْ طَرِيقِ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ. وَلَكِنْ اُنْظُرُوا أَنْتُمْ فَمَا وَجَدْتُمُوهُ مُسْتَحِقًّا لَهُ مِنْ الصِّفَاتِ فَصِفُوهُ بِهِ - سَوَاءٌ كَانَ مَوْجُودًا فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ - وَمَا لَمْ تَجِدُوهُ مُسْتَحِقًّا لَهُ فِي عُقُولِكُمْ فَلَا تَصِفُوهُ بِهِ.
ثُمَّ هُمْ هَهُنَا فَرِيقَانِ: أَكْثَرُهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: مَا لَمْ تُثْبِتْهُ عُقُولُكُمْ فَانْفُوهُ - وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: بَلْ تَوَقَّفُوا فِيهِ - وَمَا نَفَاهُ قِيَاسُ عُقُولِكُمْ - الَّذِي أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ وَمُضْطَرِبُونَ اخْتِلَافًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَنْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ - فَانْفُوهُ وَإِلَيْهِ عِنْدَ التَّنَازُعِ فَارْجِعُوا. فَإِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ الَّذِي تَعَبَّدْتُكُمْ بِهِ؛ وَمَا كَانَ مَذْكُورًا فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ مِمَّا يُخَالِفُ قِيَاسَكُمْ هَذَا أَوْ يُثْبِتُ مَا لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ عُقُولُكُمْ - عَلَى طَرِيقَةِ أَكْثَرِهِمْ - فَاعْلَمُوا أَنِّي أَمْتَحِنُكُمْ بِتَنْزِيلِهِ لَا لِتَأْخُذُوا الْهُدَى مِنْهُ؛ لَكِنْ لِتَجْتَهِدُوا فِي تَخْرِيجِهِ عَلَى شَوَاذِّ اللُّغَةِ وَوَحْشِيِّ الْأَلْفَاظِ وَغَرَائِبِ الْكَلَامِ. أَوْ أَنْ تَسْكُتُوا عَنْهُ مُفَوِّضِينَ عِلْمَهُ إلَى اللَّهِ مَعَ نَفْيِ دَلَالَتِهِ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ الصِّفَاتِ؛ هَذَا حَقِيقَةُ الْأَمْرِ عَلَى رَأْيِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ. وَهَذَا الْكَلَامُ قَدْ رَأَيْته صَرَّحَ بِمَعْنَاهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُوَ لَازِمٌ لِجَمَاعَتِهِمْ لُزُومًا لَا مَحِيدَ عَنْهُ وَمَضْمُونُهُ: أَنَّ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ لَا يَهْتَدِي بِهِ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ الرَّسُولَ مَعْزُولٌ عَنْ التَّعْلِيمِ وَالْإِخْبَارِ بِصِفَاتِ مَنْ أَرْسَلَهُ وَأَنَّ النَّاسَ عِنْدَ التَّنَازُعِ لَا يَرُدُّونَ مَا تَنَازَعُوا فِيهِ إلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ؛ بَلْ إلَى مِثْلِ مَا كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَإِلَى مِثْلِ مَا يَتَحَاكَمُ إلَيْهِ مَنْ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِالْأَنْبِيَاءِ كالبراهمة وَالْفَلَاسِفَةِ - وَهُمْ الْمُشْرِكُونَ - وَالْمَجُوسُ وَبَعْضُ الصَّابِئِينَ. وَإِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الرَّدُّ لَا يَزِيدُ الْأَمْرَ إلَّا شِدَّةً؛ وَلَا يَرْتَفِعُ الْخِلَافُ بِهِ؛ إذْ لِكُلِّ فَرِيقٍ طَوَاغِيتُ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَحَاكَمُوا إلَيْهِمْ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِهِمْ. وَمَا أَشْبَهَ حَالُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ بِقَوْلِهِ ﷾: ﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ
The fact first: there is not one letter in the Book, the Sunnah or the words of any of the Salaf that says what these people say — not that Allah is not in the heaven, not that He is neither inside nor outside the world, not that it is forbidden to point to Him. The Prophet ﷺ pointed to the heaven at ʿArafah before the greatest gathering of his Companions.
Then the argument: if their creed were the truth, then Allah, His Messenger and the best generation spoke constantly with words that state the opposite of the truth, and never once stated the truth itself — until the heirs of the Greek philosophers came to teach the ummah its creed. On that supposition the Qurʾān and the Sunnah would have been a harm to the religion, not a guidance. The one who holds their creed has made the Book of Allah useless for knowing Allah and the Messenger dismissed from teaching about the One who sent him.
Ibn Baṭṭah recorded their argument in al-Ibānah al-Kubrā, and answered it:
They said: We do not say He is upon the Throne, because He is greater than the Throne, and because if He were upon the Throne many places would be empty of Him, and we would have likened Him to His creation — when one of them is in his house he is only in the spot where he is, and the rest of his house is empty of him; rather we say He is beneath the seventh earth as He is above the seventh heaven, and He is in every place, no place is empty of Him, and He is not in one place to the exclusion of another. We said: As for your saying 'He is not upon the Throne because He is greater than the Throne': Allah willed to be upon the Throne while He is greater than it; Allah said: 'Then He directed Himself to the heaven' [2:29], and said: 'And He is Allah in the heavens', then said: 'and in the earth He knows' [6:3] — so He informed that He is in the heaven and that by His knowledge He is in the earth; and He said: 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne' [20:5] … and 'To Him ascends the good word' [35:10] — and is ascending to anything but what is above?
Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah al-Kubrā 7/137; the same text in the editor's footnote to Aḥmad's al-Radd
Source, chain and authenticity
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Their argument that being upon the Throne would confine Him rests on imagining Allah's Highness as the highness of a body in a room. Allah is greater than everything; the Throne is a created thing beneath Him, not a container around Him. He is above it without being enclosed by it, and nothing is “empty of Him”, because His knowledge and power encompass everything while His Essence is above it.
And their saying “Allah was, and there was no Throne, and He is now as He was” proves nothing. Before creation there was nothing besides Allah; then He created the Throne, and then He rose over it, as the Qurʾān says with thumma. That He was before the Throne does not mean He did not rise over it after creating it. Al-Juwaynī said this on the pulpit, and al-Hamadhānī answered him with the necessity in every heart that calls on its Lord; al-Juwaynī struck his head and came down.
Their creed is the creed of the Jahmiyyah in a new dress. The Jahmiyyah said He is everywhere; these say He is nowhere; and Ibn Taymiyyah said of the two: their deniers worship nothing, and their affirmers worship everything. What is neither inside the world nor outside it does not exist. Ibn Khuzaymah said it before them: what has no attribute is non-existent. And the judgement of Ḥarb al-Kirmānī on those who say “no place is known for Allah” applies to the doctrine, whatever the school that carries it.
Part Nine
The reports in full, with their sources
Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh on ʿUluww: Three Reports
Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah reported in Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah:
المروزي، حدثنا محمد بن الصباح النيسابوري حدثنا سليمان بن داود، أبوداود الخفاف، قال: قال إسحاق بن إبراهيم بن راهويه: قال الله ﵎: ﴿الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى (٥) ﴾ [طه: ٥] إجماع أهل العلم أنه فوق العرش استوى، ويعلم كل شيء في أسفل الأرض السابعة، وفي قعور البحار، ورؤوس الآكام وبطون الأودية، وفي كل موضع، كما يعلم علم ما في السموات السبع، وما دون العرش، أحاط بكل شيء علمًا، فلا تسقط من ورقة إلا يعلمها، ولا حبة في ظلمات البر والبحر، إلا قد عرف ذلك كله وأحصاه، ولا يعجزه معرفة شيء عن معرفة غيره»
And Abū Bakr al-Khallāl said in Kitāb al-Sunnah: Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī informed us: Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Naysābūrī narrated to us: Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd Abū Dāwūd al-Khaffāf narrated to us, saying: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Rāhawayh said: Allah, blessed and exalted, said: 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne' [Ṭāhā 5]. [It is] the consensus of the people of knowledge that He rose above the Throne, and that He knows everything in the lowest part of the seventh earth, in the depths of the seas, on the tops of the hills, in the beds of the valleys and in every place, just as He knows what is in the seven heavens and what is below the Throne. He encompasses everything in knowledge: not a leaf falls but He knows it, nor a grain in the darknesses of land and sea, but He has known all of that and counted it; and knowing one thing does not keep Him from knowing another.
Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah 1/186–187, from al-Khallāl's al-Sunnah. Parallels: Darʾ Taʿāruḍ 2/35 (21506/438); al-Dhahabī, al-ʿUluww p. 179 (6463/166) and Mukhtaṣar al-ʿUluww p. 194 (7318/191); Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh p. 341 (18632/400); al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad 3/313
Source, chain and authenticity
Chain as given: al-Khallāl ← al-Marrūdhī ← Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Naysābūrī ← Abū Dāwūd al-Khaffāf ← Isḥāq.
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وقال مثله الإمام «أبو عمر الطلمنكي» في كتابه الذي سماه «الوصول إلى معرفة الأصول» وكان في حدود المائة الرابعة وله التصانيف الكثيرة، والمناقب المأثورة، قال: «وأجمع المسلمون من أهل السنة، على أن معنى: ﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ﴾ [الحديد: ٤] ونحو ذلك من القرآن، أن ذلك علمه، وأن الله فوق السموات بذاته، مستويًا على عرشه كيف شاء» .
وقال أيضًا: «قال أهل السنة في قول الله ﴿الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى (٥) ﴾ [طه: ٥] أن الاستواء من الله على عرشه المجيد، على الحقيقة لا على المجاز» .
وقال «أبو بكر الخلال» في «كتاب السنة» أخبرنا أبو بكر
المروزي، حدثنا محمد بن الصباح النيسابوري حدثنا سليمان بن داود، أبوداود الخفاف، قال: قال إسحاق بن إبراهيم بن راهويه: قال الله ﵎: ﴿الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى (٥) ﴾ [طه: ٥] إجماع أهل العلم أنه فوق العرش استوى، ويعلم كل شيء في أسفل الأرض السابعة، وفي قعور البحار، ورؤوس الآكام وبطون الأودية، وفي كل موضع، كما يعلم علم ما في السموات السبع، وما دون العرش، أحاط بكل شيء علمًا، فلا تسقط من ورقة إلا يعلمها، ولا حبة في ظلمات البر والبحر، إلا قد عرف ذلك كله وأحصاه، ولا يعجزه معرفة شيء عن معرفة غيره» .
Al-Samʿānī, al-Ansāb
Al-Samʿānī said in al-Ansāb:
حدث عنه أبو بكر بن علي الحافظ وعلي بن عيسى، توفي سنة سبع وتسعين ومائتين، وكان ثقة.
And Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Ṣabbāḥ al-Khayyāṭ, of the people of Naysābūr: he heard Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī [= Ibn Rāhawayh], Bishr ibn al-Ḥakam and others; Abū Bakr ibn ʿAlī al-Ḥāfiẓ and ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā narrated from him; he died in the year 297, and he was trustworthy (thiqa).
al-Samʿānī, al-Ansāb 5/223–224, s.v. al-Khayyāṭ (ed. Amīn Damaj); also ed. al-Jinān 2/426 (1660/934) and the Hyderabad ed. 5/247 (12317/1910)
Source, chain and authenticity
Al-Samʿānī names him 'ibn Ṣabbāḥ' without the article, as al-Khayyāṭ; the chain names him 'ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Naysābūrī'. State it as an identification, not a quotation.
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حدث عنه أبو بكر بن علي الحافظ وعلي بن عيسى، توفي سنة سبع وتسعين ومائتين، وكان ثقة. وأبو عبد الله محمد بن علي القاضي الزاهد الخياط، أحد العباد المجتهدين، سمع علي بن خشرم ومحمود بن آدم، لم يحدث إلا في المذاكرة، روى عنه أبو أحمد محمد بن أحمد بن شعيب العدل. وأبو عبد الله محمد بن موسى الخياط البخاري الواعظ، حدث عن سهل بن المتوكل وأبي سهيل سهل بن بشر. وأبو سعيد إسماعيل بن سعيد بن عبد الواسع الجرجاني الخياط، روى عن أبي إسحاق عمران بن موسى السختياني وجماعة سواه، وكان شيخاً صالحاً، توفي في جمادى الأولى سنة ست وستين وثلاثمائة. وأبو القاسم عبد العزيز بن علي بن أحمد بن الفضل القرميسيني الخياط الأزجي، نزل أبوه بغداد وسمع ابنه الحديث بعد كبره، وكتب أبو القاسم هذا عن أبي بكر المفيد ومن بعده، وكان من خيار عباد الله تعالى ثقة وزهداً وتواضعاً وتحريا، روى عنه أبو بكر الخطيب وأبو نصر بن ماكولا وجماعة. وأبو بكر محمد بن علي بن موسى الخياط المقرئ أحد الثقات المشهورين بعلم القرآن، يروي عن أبي الحسين بن بشران، روى لي عنه ابن البدن وابن زريق وغيرهما ببغداد، وفاته سنة نيف وستين وأربعمائة.
Al-Dhahabī said in al-ʿUluww:
فَقَالَ وَمن يَجِيء يَوْم الْقِيَامَة من يمنعهُ الْيَوْم
486. Ibrāhīm ibn Abī Ṭālib said: I heard Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd al-Ribāṭī say: I attended the gathering of Ibn Ṭāhir, and Isḥāq attended. He was asked about the ḥadīth of the descent: is it authentic? He said: Yes. One of the commanders said to him: How does He descend? He said: Affirm Him above, so that I may describe the descent to you. The man said: I affirm Him above. Isḥāq said: Allah said: 'And your Lord comes, and the angels, rank upon rank' [al-Fajr 22]. Ibn Ṭāhir said: This, O Abū Yaʿqūb, is the Day of Resurrection. He said: And He who comes on the Day of Resurrection, who prevents Him today?
al-Dhahabī, al-ʿUluww p. 179 no. 486. Parallels: Ibn Taymiyyah, Darʾ 2/27 (21506/430), Sharḥ Ḥadīth al-Nuzūl p. 40 (11258/37), Majmūʿ 5/375; al-Aṣbahānī, al-Ḥujjah 2/129 (6446/580); al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm Aḥmad 3/317
Source, chain and authenticity
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٤٨٦ - وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيم بن أبي طَالب سَمِعت أَحْمد بن سعيد الرباطي يَقُول حضرت مجْلِس ابْن طَاهِر وَحضر إِسْحَاق فَسئلَ عَن حَدِيث النُّزُول أصحيح هُوَ قَالَ نعم فَقَالَ لَهُ بعض القواد كَيفَ ينزل قَالَ أثْبته فَوق حَتَّى أصف لَك النُّزُول فَقَالَ الرجل أثْبته فَوق فَقَالَ إِسْحَاق قَالَ الله ﴿وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا﴾ فَقَالَ ابْن طَاهِر هَذَا يَا أَبَا يَعْقُوب يَوْم الْقِيَامَة
فَقَالَ وَمن يَجِيء يَوْم الْقِيَامَة من يمنعهُ الْيَوْم
٤٨٧ - قَالَ أَبُو بكر الْخلال أَنبأَنَا الْمَرْوذِيّ حَدثنَا مُحَمَّد بن الصَّباح النَّيْسَابُورِي حَدثنَا أَبُو دَاوُد الْخفاف سُلَيْمَان بن دَاوُد قَالَ قَالَ إِسْحَاق بن رَاهَوَيْه قَالَ الله تَعَالَى ﴿الرَّحْمَنُ على الْعَرْش اسْتَوَى﴾ إِجْمَاع أهل الْعلم أَنه فَوق الْعَرْش اسْتَوَى وَيعلم كل شَيْء فِي أَسْفَل الأَرْض السَّابِعَة // اسْمَع وَيحك إِلَى هَذَا الإِمَام كَيفَ نقل الْإِجْمَاع على هَذِه الْمَسْأَلَة كَمَا نَقله فِي زَمَانه قُتَيْبَة الْمَذْكُور //
٤٨٨ - وَقَالَ ابْن أبي حَاتِم حَدثنَا أَحْمد بن سَلمَة النَّيْسَابُورِي سَمِعت إِسْحَاق بن إِبْرَاهِيم الْحَنْظَلِي ﵁ يَقُول لَيْسَ بَين أهل الْعلم اخْتِلَاف أَن الْقُرْآن كَلَام الله لَيْسَ بمخلوق فَكيف يكون شَيْء خرج من
Ḥarb al-Kirmānī said in Masāʾil Ḥarb:
قلت لإسحاق: العرش بحد؟ قال: نعم بحد، وذكر عن ابن المبارك قال: هو على عرشه بئن من خلقه بحد.
[Isḥāq:] Wherever you are, He is nearer to you than the jugular vein, while He is separate from His creation. I said to Isḥāq: [Is He upon] the Throne with a ḥadd? He said: Yes, with a ḥadd. And he mentioned from Ibn al-Mubārak that he said: He is upon His Throne, separate from His creation, with a ḥadd.
Ḥarb al-Kirmānī, Masāʾil Ḥarb 3/1111 — Ḥarb's own book (; also via al-Khallāl in Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs 2/616 and Darʾ 2/34
Source, chain and authenticity
The bracketed '[ʿalā]' is the editor's restoration . Shamela's 'bi'n' is a typo for 'bāʾin'.
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سألتُ إسحاق بن إبراهيم قلت: قول الله ﵎: ﴿مِن نَّجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ﴾ كيف تقول فيه؟ قال: حيث ما كنت هو أقرب إليك من حبل الوريد، وهو بائن من خلقه.
قلت لإسحاق: العرش بحد؟ قال: نعم بحد، وذكر عن ابن المبارك قال: هو على عرشه بئن من خلقه بحد.
حدثنا سعيد بن نوح قال: ثنا أبي نوح بن مضروب، قال: ثنا بكير بن معروف، عن مقاتل بن حيان، عن الضحاك بن مزاحم في قول الله:
Isḥāq's reply 'who comes on the Day of Resurrection, who prevents Him today?' treats coming and descending as real acts of the One who is above, and refuses to make the descent figurative. Quote the exchange to its end.
Qiwām al-Sunnah al-Aṣbahānī, al-Ḥujjah fī Bayān al-Maḥajjah
Qiwām al-Sunnah al-Aṣbahānī said in al-Ḥujjah fī Bayān al-Maḥajjah:
And for this reason Mālik ibn Anas, may Allah's mercy be upon him, said when he was asked about His word 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne': The istiwāʾ is known, the how is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation.
Qiwām al-Sunnah al-Aṣbahānī, al-Ḥujjah fī Bayān al-Maḥajjah 2/274. the attribution to Mālik is from this and the other sources listed in the note
Source, chain and authenticity
al-Aṣbahānī cites the saying without a chain. The chained reports (al-Lālakāʾī, al-Bayhaqī, al-Dārimī's al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah through Jaʿfar ibn ʿAbd Allāh) mostly read 'al-istiwāʾ ghayr majhūl wa-l-kayf ghayr maʿqūl'; the 'maʿlūm … majhūl' wording is a later paraphrase common in Ibn Taymiyyah and others. A full study: ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Badr, al-Athar al-Mashhūr ʿan al-Imām Mālik fī Ṣifat al-Istiwāʾ .
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تَقول الْعَرَب: اسْتَوَى الشَّيْء إِذا كَانَ معوجا فَذهب عوجه، تَقول: سويته أَي: قومته فاستقام، وَهَذَا الْمَعْنى لَا يجوز عَلَى الله تَعَالَى.
وَمِنْه الاسْتوَاء بِمَعْنى الْمُمَاثلَة والمشابهة. يُقَال اسْتَوَى فلَان وَفُلَان فِي هَذَا الْأَمر أَي: تماثلا وتساويا قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿لَا يَسْتَوِي أَصْحَاب النَّار وَأَصْحَاب الْجنَّة﴾ أَي لَا يتساوى هَذَانِ الْفَرِيقَانِ، وَهَذَا أَيْضا لَا يجوز فِي حق الله تَعَالَى.
وَمِنْه الاسْتوَاء بِمَعْنى الْقَصْد، وَيسْتَعْمل مَعَ إِلَى، يُقَال: استويت إِلَى هَذَا الْأَمر، أَي قصدته. قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخان﴾ أَي قَصدهَا، وَلَا يُقَال: اسْتَوَى عَلَيْهِ بِمَعْنى قَصده، فَمن خَالف
That is the opposite of tafwīḍ al-maʿnā, and it should be the explicit conclusion.
Al-Ḥākim, Maʿrifat ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth
Al-Ḥākim said in Maʿrifat ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth:
[al-Ḥākim:] I heard Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ ibn Hāniʾ say: I heard Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Khuzaymah say: Whoever does not affirm that Allah, the Exalted, has risen over His Throne above His seven heavens is a disbeliever in his Lord. He is to be asked to repent; if he repents [well and good], and if not, his neck is to be struck and he is to be thrown on one of the refuse heaps, where the Muslims and those under covenant will not be harmed by the stench of his corpse; and his wealth becomes fayʾ, none of the Muslims inheriting from him, since the Muslim does not inherit from the disbeliever, as he ﷺ said.
al-Ḥākim, Maʿrifat ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth p. 84. Also: Ibn Qudāmah, Ithbāt Ṣifat al-ʿUluww p. 185; Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh p. 276; al-Dhahabī, Siyar 14/373 (cited via the ḥadīth edition 11/230); Ibn al-Qayyim, Tahdhīb al-Sunan 3/260
Source, chain and authenticity
Chain: al-Ḥākim ← Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ ibn Hāniʾ ← Ibn Khuzaymah: al-Ḥākim heard it from a direct student of Ibn Khuzaymah.
Note that this is Ibn Khuzaymah's personal ruling (takfīr of the specific denial), stated as a jurist. It should not be presented as a general verdict on any individual or group today without the conditions the scholars set for takfīr of a specific person.
The Creed of the Prophet ﷺ, Part 2: Allah Is Above, and He Descends
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Muslim reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī:
I had a slave-girl who used to tend my sheep towards Uḥud and al-Jawwāniyyah. One day I looked in and found that a wolf had taken one of her sheep. I am a man from the children of Ādam; I grow angry as they grow angry, so I struck her. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he made it seem grave to me. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I not free her?' He said: 'Bring her to me.' So I brought her to him, and he said to her: 'Where is Allah?' She said: 'In the heaven.' He said: 'Who am I?' She said: 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Free her, for she is a believer.'
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 537 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 1/381–382), from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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٣٣ - (٥٣٧) حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ (وَتَقَارَبَا فِي لَفْظِ الْحَدِيثِ) قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيل بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ الصَّوَّافِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ؛ قَالَ:
بَيْنَا أَنَا أُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ. فَقُلْتُ: يرحمك الله! فرماني القوم بأبصارهم. فقلت: واثكل أُمِّيَاهْ! مَا شَأْنُكُمْ؟ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيَّ. فَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُصَمِّتُونَنِي. لَكِنِّي سَكَتُّ. فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَبِأَبِي هُوَ وَأُمِّي! مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلَا بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ. فَوَاللَّهِ! مَا كَهَرَنِي وَلَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلَا شَتَمَنِي. قَالَ "إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ لَا يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ
⦗٣٨٢⦘
مِنْ كَلَامِ النَّاسِ. إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ".
أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! إِنِّي حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ. وَقَدْ جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالإِسْلَامِ. وَإِنَّ مِنَّا رِجَالًا يَأْتُونَ الْكُهَّانَ. قَالَ "فَلَا تَأْتِهِمْ" قَالَ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ. قَالَ "ذَاكَ شَيْءٌ يَجِدُونَهُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ. فلا يصدنهم (قال ابن المصباح: فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمْ) قَالَ قُلْتُ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَخُطُّونَ. قَالَ "كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ. فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطَّهُ فَذَاكَ" قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ لِي جَارِيَةٌ تَرْعَى غَنَمًا لِي قِبَلَ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ. فَاطَّلَعْتُ ذات يوم فإذا الذيب [الذئب؟؟] قَدْ ذَهَبَ بِشَاةٍ مِنْ غَنَمِهَا. وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ. آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ. لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً. فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ. قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَفَلَا أُعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ "ائْتِنِي بِهَا" فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا. فَقَالَ لَهَا "أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ " قَالَتْ: فِي السَّمَاءِ. قَالَ "مَنْ أَنَا؟ " قَالَتْ: أَنْتَ رسول الله. قال "أعتقها. فإنها مؤمنة".
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Kitāb al-Masājid
Muslim reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī:
[The Prophet ﷺ said to her:] 'Where is Allah?' She said: 'In the heaven.' He said: 'Who am I?' She said: 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Free her, for she is a believer.'
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Kitāb al-Masājid, no. 537 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 1/381), ḥadīth of Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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The whole page in Arabic
٣٣ - (٥٣٧) حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ (وَتَقَارَبَا فِي لَفْظِ الْحَدِيثِ) قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيل بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ الصَّوَّافِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ؛ قَالَ:
بَيْنَا أَنَا أُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ. فَقُلْتُ: يرحمك الله! فرماني القوم بأبصارهم. فقلت: واثكل أُمِّيَاهْ! مَا شَأْنُكُمْ؟ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيَّ. فَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُصَمِّتُونَنِي. لَكِنِّي سَكَتُّ. فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَبِأَبِي هُوَ وَأُمِّي! مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلَا بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ. فَوَاللَّهِ! مَا كَهَرَنِي وَلَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلَا شَتَمَنِي. قَالَ "إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ لَا يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ
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مِنْ كَلَامِ النَّاسِ. إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ".
أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! إِنِّي حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ. وَقَدْ جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالإِسْلَامِ. وَإِنَّ مِنَّا رِجَالًا يَأْتُونَ الْكُهَّانَ. قَالَ "فَلَا تَأْتِهِمْ" قَالَ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ. قَالَ "ذَاكَ شَيْءٌ يَجِدُونَهُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ. فلا يصدنهم (قال ابن المصباح: فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمْ) قَالَ قُلْتُ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَخُطُّونَ. قَالَ "كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ. فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطَّهُ فَذَاكَ" قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ لِي جَارِيَةٌ تَرْعَى غَنَمًا لِي قِبَلَ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ. فَاطَّلَعْتُ ذات يوم فإذا الذيب [الذئب؟؟] قَدْ ذَهَبَ بِشَاةٍ مِنْ غَنَمِهَا. وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ. آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ. لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً. فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ. قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَفَلَا أُعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ "ائْتِنِي بِهَا" فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا. فَقَالَ لَهَا "أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ " قَالَتْ: فِي السَّمَاءِ. قَالَ "مَنْ أَنَا؟ " قَالَتْ: أَنْتَ رسول الله. قال "أعتقها. فإنها مؤمنة".
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
When Allah decreed the creation, He wrote in His Book, which is with Him above the Throne: 'My mercy has prevailed over My wrath.'
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 3194 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 4/106); also 7404, 7422, 7553; Muslim 2751
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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The whole page in Arabic
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
Then he ascended with me to the lowest heaven. When I came to the lowest heaven, Jibrīl said to the keeper of the heaven: Open…
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 349 (ed. al-Bughā no. 342, 1/135), ḥadīth of Abū Dharr; the fuller narrations of the ascent through the seven heavens: al-Bukhārī 3207, 7517; Muslim 162
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
Read the page in the source edition (opens in a new tab)
The whole page in Arabic
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: (فُرِجَ عَنْ سَقْفِ بَيْتِي وَأَنَا بِمَكَّةَ، فَنَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ، فَفَرَجَ صَدْرِي، ثُمَّ غَسَلَهُ بِمَاءِ زَمْزَمَ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِطَسْتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، مُمْتَلِئٍ حِكْمَةً وَإِيمَانًا، فَأَفْرَغَهُ فِي صَدْرِي، ثُمَّ أَطْبَقَهُ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَعَرَجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، فَلَمَّا جِئْتُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ لِخَازِنِ السَّمَاءِ: افْتَحْ، قَالَ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ، قَالَ: هَلْ مَعَكَ أَحَدٌ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، مَعِي مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ عَلَوْنَا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا، فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ قَاعِدٌ، عَلَى يَمِينِهِ أَسْوِدَةٌ، وَعَلَى يَسَارِهِ أَسْوِدَةٌ، إِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ يَمِينِهِ ضَحِكَ، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ يَسَارِهِ بَكَى، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالِابْنِ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ لِجِبْرِيلَ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَال: هَذَا آدَمُ، وَهَذِهِ الْأَسْوِدَةُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَشِمَالِهِ نَسَمُ بَنِيهِ، فَأَهْلُ الْيَمِينِ مِنْهُمْ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْأَسْوِدَةُ الَّتِي عَنْ شِمَالِهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ، فَإِذَا نَظَرَ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ ضَحِكَ، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ شِمَالِهِ بَكَى، حَتَّى عَرَجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الثَّانِيَةِ، فَقَالَ لِخَازِنِهَا: افْتَحْ، (فَقَالَ لَهُ خَازِنِهَا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُ، فَفَتَحَ). قَالَ أَنَسٌ: فَذَكَرَ: أَنَّهُ وَجَدَ فِي السماوات آدَمَ، وَإِدْرِيسَ، وَمُوسَى، وَعِيسَى، وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ، صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَلَمْ يُثْبِتْ كَيْفَ مَنَازِلُهُمْ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ: أَنَّهُ وَجَدَ آدَمَ فِي السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ: فَلَمَّا مَرَّ جِبْرِيلُ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِإِدْرِيسَ، قَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ. (فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ:
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هَذَا إِدْرِيسُ، ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِمُوسَى، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا مُوسَى، ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِعِيسَى، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالْأَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا عِيسَى، ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَقَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالِابْنِ الصَّالِحِ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هَذَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ﷺ.
قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَأَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ حَزْمٍ: أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبَا حَبَّةَ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ: كَانَا يَقُولَانِ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: (ثُمَّ عُرِجَ بِي حَتَّى ظَهَرْتُ لِمُسْتَوًى أَسْمَعُ فِيهِ صَرِيفَ الْأَقْلَامِ). قَالَ ابْنُ حَزْمٍ وَأَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: (فَفَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي خَمْسِينَ صَلَاةً، فَرَجَعْتُ بِذَلِكَ، حَتَّى مَرَرْتُ عَلَى مُوسَى، فَقَالَ: مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لَكَ عَلَى أُمَّتِكَ؟ قُلْتُ: فَرَضَ خَمْسِينَ صَلَاةً، قَالَ: فَارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ، فراجعني فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى، قُلْتُ: وَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَقَالَ: رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ، فَرَاجَعْتُ فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ، فَرَاجَعْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: هِيَ خَمْسٌ، وَهِيَ خَمْسُونَ، لَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَيَّ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى، فَقَالَ: رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، فَقُلْتُ: اسْتَحْيَيْتُ مِنْ رَبِّي، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ بِي، حَتَّى انْتَهَى بِي إِلَى سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى، وَغَشِيَهَا أَلْوَانٌ لَا أَدْرِي مَا هِيَ، ثُمَّ أُدْخِلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا حَبَايِلُ اللُّؤْلُؤِ، وَإِذَا تُرَابُهَا الْمِسْكُ).
[١٥٥٥، ٣١٦٤، وانظر: ٣٠٣٥].
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
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ﷺ تَقُولُ: زَوَّجَكُنَّ أَهَالِيكُنَّ، وَزَوَّجَنِي اللهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ فَوْقِ سَبْعِ سَمَاوَاتٍ»
Zaynab used to boast to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, saying: 'Your families married you off, while Allah, the Exalted, married me off from above seven heavens.'
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 7420 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 9/124)
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
Read the page in the source edition (opens in a new tab)
The whole page in Arabic
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ﷺ تَقُولُ: زَوَّجَكُنَّ أَهَالِيكُنَّ، وَزَوَّجَنِي اللهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ فَوْقِ سَبْعِ سَمَاوَاتٍ» وَعَنْ ثَابِتٍ: ﴿وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي شَأْنِ زَيْنَبَ وَزَيْدِ بْنِ حَارِثَةَ.
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
Do you not trust me, when I am the trusted one of Him who is in the heaven? The news of the heaven comes to me morning and evening.
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 4351 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 5/163); Muslim 1064
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
Read the page in the source edition (opens in a new tab)
The whole page in Arabic
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مِنَ الْيَمَنِ بِذُهَيْبَةٍ فِي أَدِيمٍ مَقْرُوظٍ، لَمْ تُحَصَّلْ مِنْ تُرَابِهَا، قَالَ: فَقَسَمَهَا بَيْنَ أَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ: بَيْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ بْنِ بَدْرٍ، وَأَقْرَعَ بْنِ حَابِسٍ، وَزَيْدِ الْخَيْلِ، وَالرَّابِعُ: إِمَّا عَلْقَمَةُ، وَإِمَّا عَامِرُ بْنُ الطُّفَيْلِ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ: كُنَّا نَحْنُ أَحَقَّ بِهَذَا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ، قَالَ: فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: أَلَا تَأْمَنُونِي وَأَنَا أَمِينُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ، يَأْتِينِي خَبَرُ السَّمَاءِ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً، قَالَ: فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ غَائِرُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ، مُشْرِفُ الْوَجْنَتَيْنِ، نَاشِزُ الْجَبْهَةِ، كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ، مَحْلُوقُ الرَّأْسِ، مُشَمَّرُ الْإِزَارِ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، اتَّقِ اللهَ، قَالَ: وَيْلَكَ، أَوَلَسْتُ أَحَقَّ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَنْ يَتَّقِيَ اللهَ، قَالَ: ثُمَّ وَلَّى الرَّجُلُ، قَالَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَلَا أَضْرِبُ عُنُقَهُ؟ قَالَ: لَا، لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ يُصَلِّي، فَقَالَ خَالِدٌ: وَكَمْ مِنْ مُصَلٍّ يَقُولُ بِلِسَانِهِ مَا لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِهِ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: إِنِّي لَمْ أُومَرْ أَنْ أَنْقُبَ قُلُوبَ النَّاسِ وَلَا أَشُقَّ بُطُونَهُمْ، قَالَ: ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مُقَفٍّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ ضِئْضِئِ هَذَا قَوْمٌ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللهِ رَطْبًا، لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ وَأَظُنُّهُ قَالَ لَئِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ لَأَقْتُلَنَّهُمْ قَتْلَ ثَمُودَ.»
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Muslim reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Abū Mūsā:
…The deeds of the night are raised up to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night…
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 179 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 1/161), ḥadīth of Abū Mūsā
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
Correct the translation.
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٢٩٣ - (١٧٩) حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ. قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ. حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ:
قَامَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِخَمْسِ كَلِمَاتٍ.
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فَقَالَ: "إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷿ لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ. يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ. يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ. وَعَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ. حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ. (وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ: النَّارُ) لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ". (وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ حدثنا).
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
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فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ، فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ: كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي
Angels take turns among you by night and angels by day, and they gather at the Fajr prayer and the ʿAṣr prayer. Then those who spent the night among you ascend (yaʿruju), and He asks them, though He knows them better: How did you leave My servants?
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 555 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 1/115); also 3223, 7429, 7486; Muslim 632
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ، فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ: كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: تَرَكْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ، وَأَتَيْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ».
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
Our Lord, blessed and exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, saying: Who is calling upon Me, that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me, that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 1145 (al-Sulṭāniyyah 2/53); also 6321, 7494; Muslim 758
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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Ibn Mājah, al-Sunan
Ibn Mājah said in al-Sunan:
Among what you mention of the majesty of Allah, glorification (tasbīḥ), declaring His oneness (tahlīl) and praise (taḥmīd) turn around the Throne, with a hum like the hum of bees, mentioning the one who said them. Would not one of you love to have, or to keep having, something that mentions him [there]?
Ibn Mājah, al-Sunan no. 3809 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 2/1252), ḥadīth of al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr
Source, chain and authenticity
The words 'around the Throne' are the evidence for the heading. Grading: to be recorded with a named grader (e.g. al-Būṣīrī, Miṣbāḥ al-Zujājah; al-Albānī); the ḥadīth also appears in Aḥmad's Musnad. The verse cited, Fāṭir 10 ('To Him ascends the good word'), is the explicit Qurʾānic evidence.
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Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Muslim reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ:
O Allah, You are the First, so there is nothing before You; You are the Last, so there is nothing after You; You are the Manifest (al-Ẓāhir), so there is nothing above You; and You are the Hidden (al-Bāṭin), so there is nothing beneath [or: nearer than] You.
Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 2713 (ed. ʿAbd al-Bāqī 4/2084), ḥadīth of Abū Hurayra; also Ibn Mājah 3831, 3873
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
Note the range. Cite Muslim 2713 as the primary source.
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كان أبو صالح يأمرنا، إذا أراد أحدنا أن ينام، أن يضطجع على شقه الأيمن. ثم يقول "اللهم! رب السماوات ورب الأرض ورب العرش العظيم. ربنا ورب كل شئ. فالق الحب والنوى. ومنزل التوراة والإنجيل والفرقان. أعوذ بك من شر كل شيء أنت آخذ بناصيته. اللهم! أنت الأول فليس قبلك شئ. وأنت الآخر فليس بعدك شئ. وأنت الظاهر فليس فوقك شئ. وأنت الباطن فليس دونك شئ. اقض عنا الدين وأغننا من الفقر". وكان يروى ذلك عن أبي هريرة، عن النبي ﷺ.
Al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ
Al-Bukhārī reported in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Abū Hurayra:
When Allah completed the creation, He wrote a writing that is with Him: 'My mercy has prevailed over' — or he said: 'has preceded' — 'My anger'; and it is with Him above the Throne.
al-Bukhārī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ no. 7553 (Sulṭāniyyah 9/160), from Abū Hurayra
Source, chain and authenticity
Authentic. It is in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, and the ummah received the two Ṣaḥīḥs with acceptance; its full chain is given in the Arabic above.
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Collected, the ḥadīths fall into four kinds of evidence: (1) explicit statements of Allah's being 'in the heaven' or 'above': the jāriyah (Muslim 537), 'amīn man fī al-samāʾ' (al-Bukhārī 4351), 'fa-huwa ʿindahu fawqa al-ʿarsh' (al-Bukhārī 3194), Zaynab's 'from above seven heavens' (al-Bukhārī 7420), 'fa-laysa fawqaka shayʾ' (Muslim 2713); (2) things ascending to Him: the angels (al-Bukhārī 555), deeds 'raised to Him' (Muslim 179), words 'around the Throne' (Ibn Mājah 3809); (3) the Prophet's ascent through the heavens; (4) His descent (al-Bukhārī 1145), which presupposes being above.
Al-Ashyab's Report in al-Bukhārī's Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād
Al-Bukhārī, Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād
Al-Bukhārī reported in Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād:
And Abū Jaʿfar narrated to me, saying: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn Mūsā al-Ashyab mention the Jahmiyyah and speak against them; then he said: “One of the heads of the heretics (zanādiqah), called Shamghala, was brought before al-Mahdī. He said: Point me to your companions. He said: My companions are more than that. He said: Point me to them. He said: Two kinds among those who profess the qiblah, [the Jahmiyyah] and the Qadariyyah. The Jahmī, when he goes to extremes, says: There is nothing there” — and al-Ashyab pointed to the heaven — “and the Qadarī, when he goes to extremes, says: They are two, a creator of good and a creator of evil. So he struck his neck and crucified him.”
al-Bukhārī, Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād pp. 37–38; quoted by Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah 3/530 and Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Mursalah
Source, chain and authenticity
The pointing is al-Ashyab's own gesture while narrating, i.e. 'nothing there [above]'. VARIANT: this print of Khalq Afʿāl reads 'ṣinfān mimman yantaḥilu al-qiblah, wa-l-Qadariyyah' (the word al-Jahmiyyah is missing before wa-l-Qadariyyah); Ibn Taymiyyah's citation (Bayān 3/530) has 'al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Qadariyyah'. [al-Jahmiyyah] in the translation is restored from Bayān.
Al-Dārimī and Ibn al-Mubārak: The Top of the Minaret Is Nearer to Allah
Ḥarb al-Kirmānī, Masāʾil Ḥarb
Ḥarb al-Kirmānī said in Masāʾil Ḥarb:
قلت لإسحاق: العرش بحد؟ قال: نعم بحد، وذكر عن ابن المبارك قال: هو على عرشه بئن من خلقه بحد.
[Isḥāq:] Wherever you are, He is nearer to you than the jugular vein, while He is separate from His creation. I said to Isḥāq: [Is He upon] the Throne with a ḥadd? He said: Yes, with a ḥadd. And he mentioned from Ibn al-Mubārak that he said: He is upon His Throne, separate from His creation, with a ḥadd.
Ḥarb al-Kirmānī, Masāʾil Ḥarb 3/1111 — Ḥarb's own book (; also via al-Khallāl in Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs 2/616 and Darʾ 2/34
Source, chain and authenticity
The bracketed '[ʿalā]' is the editor's restoration . Shamela's 'bi'n' is a typo for 'bāʾin'.
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سألتُ إسحاق بن إبراهيم قلت: قول الله ﵎: ﴿مِن نَّجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ﴾ كيف تقول فيه؟ قال: حيث ما كنت هو أقرب إليك من حبل الوريد، وهو بائن من خلقه.
قلت لإسحاق: العرش بحد؟ قال: نعم بحد، وذكر عن ابن المبارك قال: هو على عرشه بئن من خلقه بحد.
حدثنا سعيد بن نوح قال: ثنا أبي نوح بن مضروب، قال: ثنا بكير بن معروف، عن مقاتل بن حيان، عن الضحاك بن مزاحم في قول الله:
Al-Dārimī, Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī, Ed. al-Almaʿī
Al-Dārimī said in Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī, ed. al-Almaʿī:
فَقَالَ: أَلا ترى أَن مَنْ صَعَدَ الْجَبَلَ لَا يُقَالُ لَهُ:١ إِنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ؟
فَيُقَالُ لِهَذَا الْمُعَارِضِ الْمُدَّعِي مَا لَا عِلْمَ لَهُ٢: مَنْ أَنْبَأَكَ أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ لَيْسَ بِأَقْرَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى٣ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ؟؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ فَوْقَ سَمَوَاتِهِ عَلِمَ يَقِينًا أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ٤ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ، وَأَنَّ السَّمَاءَ السَّابِعَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى عَرْشِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ السَّادِسَةِ، وَالسَّادِسَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْخَامِسَةِ، ثُمَّ كَذَلِكَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ. كَذَلِكَ رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ٥، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ٦ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "رَأْسُ الْمَنَارَةِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ٧ وَصَدَقَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ
Then the opponent reinforced his claim that Allah is in every place with an analogy by which he strayed from the right path. He said: Do you not see that one who climbs a mountain is not said to be nearer to Allah? So it is said to this opponent, who claims what he has no knowledge of: Who told you that the top of the mountain is not nearer to Allah, Exalted is He, than its base? For whoever believes that Allah is above His Throne, above His heavens, knows with certainty that the top of the mountain is nearer to Allah than its base, that the seventh heaven is nearer to the Throne of Allah, Exalted is He, than the sixth, the sixth nearer to Him than the fifth, and so on down to the earth. Thus Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī narrated from Ibn al-Mubārak that he said: 'The top of the minaret is nearer to Allah than its base.' And Ibn al-Mubārak spoke the truth…
al-Dārimī, Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī, ed. al-Almaʿī, 1/504; = ed. al-Shawāmī p. 193
Source, chain and authenticity
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فَقَالَ: أَلا ترى أَن مَنْ صَعَدَ الْجَبَلَ لَا يُقَالُ لَهُ:١ إِنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ؟
فَيُقَالُ لِهَذَا الْمُعَارِضِ الْمُدَّعِي مَا لَا عِلْمَ لَهُ٢: مَنْ أَنْبَأَكَ أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ لَيْسَ بِأَقْرَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى٣ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ؟؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ فَوْقَ سَمَوَاتِهِ عَلِمَ يَقِينًا أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ٤ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ، وَأَنَّ السَّمَاءَ السَّابِعَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى عَرْشِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ السَّادِسَةِ، وَالسَّادِسَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْخَامِسَةِ، ثُمَّ كَذَلِكَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ. كَذَلِكَ رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ٥، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ٦ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "رَأْسُ الْمَنَارَةِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ٧ وَصَدَقَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ؛ لِأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا كَانَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَقْرَبُ كَانَ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَقْرَبَ. وَقُرْبُ اللَّهِ إِلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ أَقْصَاهُم وأدناهم وَاحِد لَا
Al-Dārimī, al-Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī (Ed. al-Almaʿī)
Al-Dārimī said in al-Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī:
Thus Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī narrated from Ibn al-Mubārak that he said: 'The top of the minaret is nearer to Allah than its bottom.' And Ibn al-Mubārak spoke the truth, for whatever is nearer to the heaven is nearer to Allah.
al-Dārimī, al-Naqḍ ʿalā al-Marīsī (ed. al-Almaʿī) 1/504
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فَقَالَ: أَلا ترى أَن مَنْ صَعَدَ الْجَبَلَ لَا يُقَالُ لَهُ:١ إِنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ؟
فَيُقَالُ لِهَذَا الْمُعَارِضِ الْمُدَّعِي مَا لَا عِلْمَ لَهُ٢: مَنْ أَنْبَأَكَ أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ لَيْسَ بِأَقْرَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى٣ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ؟؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ فَوْقَ سَمَوَاتِهِ عَلِمَ يَقِينًا أَنَّ رَأْسَ الْجَبَلِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ٤ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ، وَأَنَّ السَّمَاءَ السَّابِعَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى عَرْشِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ السَّادِسَةِ، وَالسَّادِسَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْخَامِسَةِ، ثُمَّ كَذَلِكَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ. كَذَلِكَ رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ٥، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ٦ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "رَأْسُ الْمَنَارَةِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِ٧ وَصَدَقَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ؛ لِأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا كَانَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَقْرَبُ كَانَ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَقْرَبَ. وَقُرْبُ اللَّهِ إِلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ أَقْصَاهُم وأدناهم وَاحِد لَا
'Authentic chain: al-Dārimī > Isḥāq > ʿAbd Allāh [ibn al-Mubārak]; they all heard from each other and were reliable; his wording ʿan does not cause disconnection': al-Dārimī is a known student of Isḥāq and Isḥāq of Ibn al-Mubārak .
Imām Aḥmad on Those Who Say "He Is Not upon the Throne", with al-Shīrāzī and Abū Dāwūd
Ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bārī
Ibn Rajab said in Fatḥ al-Bārī:
وهذا هو الصحيح عن أحمد، ومن قبله من السلف، وهو قول إسحاق وغيره من الأئمة.
وكان السلف ينسبون تأويل هذه الآيات والأحاديث الصحيحة إلى الجهمية؛ لأن جهماً وأصحابه أول من أشتهر عنهم أن الله تعالى منزه عما دلت عليه هذه النصوص بأدلة العقول التي سموها أدلة قطعية هي المحكمات، وجعلوا ألفاظ الكتاب والسنة هي المتشابهات فعرضوا ما فيها على تلك الخيالات، فقبلوا ما دلت على ثبوته بزعمهم، وردوا مادلت على نفيه بزعمهم، ووافقهم على ذلك سائر طوائف أهل الكلام من المعتزلة وغيرهم.
وزعموا أن ظاهر ما يدل عليه الكتاب والسنة تشبيه وتجسيم وضلال، واشتقوا من ذلك لمن آمن بما أنزل الله على رسوله اسماء ما أنزل الله بها من سلطان، بل هي افتراء على الله، ينفرون بها عن الإيمان بالله ورسوله.
وزعموا أن ما ورد في الكتاب والسنة من ذلك – مع كثرته وأنتشاره – من باب التوسع والتجوز، وأنه يحمل على مجازات اللغة المستبعدة، وهذا من أعظم أبواب القدح في الشريعة المحكمة المطهرة، وهو من جنس حمل الباطنية نصوص الإخبار عن الغيوب كالمعاد والجنةوالنار على التوسع والمجاز دون الحقيقة، وحملهم نصوص الامروالنهي على مثل ذلك
And among them are those who affirm it and pass it on as it came, without explaining it (lā yufassiruhu), and say: it is a coming and an arrival befitting the majesty and greatness of Allah, Glorified is He. This is what is authentic from Aḥmad and those before him of the Salaf, and it is the position of Isḥāq and other imams. The Salaf used to attribute the interpretation (taʾwīl) of these authentic verses and hadiths to the Jahmiyyah, because Jahm and his followers were the first from whom it became widely known that Allah, Exalted is He, is exalted above what these texts indicate, by rational proofs which they called decisive proofs, which [they claimed] are the clear (muḥkam) [proofs], and they made the words of the Book and Sunnah the ambiguous (mutashābih); they presented what is in them to those fancies, accepting what [the texts] indicated in affirmation according to their claim, and rejecting what [the texts] indicated in negation according to their claim; and all the factions of the people of kalām, the Muʿtazilah and others, agreed with them in that. They claimed that the apparent sense of what the Book and Sunnah indicate is tashbīh, tajsīm and misguidance, and from that they derived, for whoever believes in what Allah revealed to His Messenger, names for which Allah sent down no authority — rather they are a fabrication against Allah — by which they drive people away from faith in Allah and His Messenger. And they claimed that what has come in the Book and Sunnah of that — despite its abundance and spread — is by way of extension and figurative usage, and is to be taken according to far-fetched metaphors of the language. This is among the greatest doors of attack upon the perfect, pure Sharīʿah, and it is of the same kind as the Bāṭiniyyah taking the texts that inform about the unseen — such as the Return, Paradise and the Fire — as extension and metaphor rather than reality, and their taking the texts of command and prohibition likewise.
Ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bārī 7/230
Source, chain and authenticity
Ibn Rajab said in Fatḥ al-Bārī:
ولم ينه علماء السلف الصالح وأئمة الإسلام كالشافعي وأحمد وغيرهما عن الكلام وحذروا عنه، إلا خوفاً من الوقوع في مثل ذلك، ولو علم هؤلاء الأئمة أن حمل النصوص على ظاهرها كفر لوجب عليهم تبيين ذلك وتحذير الأمة منه؛ فإن ذلك من تمام نصيحة المسلمين، فكيف كان ينصحون الأمة فيما يتعلق بالاحكام العملية ويدعون نصيحتمهم فيما يتعلق بأصول الاعتقادات، هذا من أبطل الباطل.
All of this is a departure from the religion of Islam. The scholars of the righteous Salaf and the imams of Islam, such as al-Shāfiʿī, Aḥmad and others, did not forbid kalām and warn against it except out of fear of falling into the like of this. Had these imams known that taking the texts upon their apparent sense was disbelief, it would have been obligatory upon them to make that clear and warn the Ummah of it, for that is part of complete sincere counsel to the Muslims. How could they counsel the Ummah in what pertains to practical rulings and abandon their counsel in what pertains to the foundations of belief? This is among the most false of falsehoods.
Ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bārī 7/231
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ولم ينه علماء السلف الصالح وأئمة الإسلام كالشافعي وأحمد وغيرهما عن الكلام وحذروا عنه، إلا خوفاً من الوقوع في مثل ذلك، ولو علم هؤلاء الأئمة أن حمل النصوص على ظاهرها كفر لوجب عليهم تبيين ذلك وتحذير الأمة منه؛ فإن ذلك من تمام نصيحة المسلمين، فكيف كان ينصحون الأمة فيما يتعلق بالاحكام العملية ويدعون نصيحتمهم فيما يتعلق بأصول الاعتقادات، هذا من أبطل الباطل.
قال أبو عبد الرحمن السلمي الصوفي: سمعت عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن جابر السلمي يقول: سمعت محمد بن عقيل بن الأزهر الفقيه يقول: جاء رجل إلى المزني يسأله عن شيء من الكلام، فقال: أني أكره هذا، بل أنهي عنه، كما نهى عنه الشافعي؛ فإني سمعت الشافعي يقول: سئل مالك عن الكلام والتوحيد، فقالَ مالك: محال أن يظن بالنبي ﷺ أنه علم أمته الإستنجاء ولم يعلمهم التوحيد، فالتوحيد ما قاله النَّبيّ ﷺ:
((أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يقولوا:
Al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — Al-ʿAqīdah
Al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/312 reported in citing Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah:
قال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر
Al-Khallāl said: ʿAbd al-Malik al-Maymūnī informed me that he asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh: What do you say about one who says that Allah is not upon the Throne? He said: All their speech revolves around disbelief.
al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/312, citing Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah 3/705–706
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فقلنا له: ما معنى قول ابن المبارك: بحد؟
قال: لا أعرفه، ولكن لهذا شواهد من القرآن في خمسة مواضع: ﴿إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ﴾ [فاطر: ١٠]، ﴿أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ﴾ [الملك: ١٦]، ﴿تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ﴾ [المعارج: ٤] وهو على العرش، وعلمه مع كل شيء.
"بيان تلبيس الجهمية" ٢/ ٦١٣ - ٦١٤
قال حنبل: قال الإمام أحمد: نحن نؤمن أن اللَّه تعالى على العرش كيف شاء، وكما شاء بلا حد ولا صفة يبلغها واصف، أو يحده أحد (١).
"بيان تلبيس الجهمية" ٣/ ٤ - ٥
قال الخلال: أخبرني عبد الملك الميموني أنه سأل أبا عبد اللَّه: ما تقول فيمن يقول: إن اللَّه ليس على العرش؟
قال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر (٢).
"بيان تلبيس الجهمية" ٣/ ٧٠٥ - ٧٠٦.
قال الأثرم: قلت لأحمد: يحكى عن ابن المبارك: نعرف ربنا في السماء السابعة، على عرشه، بحد. فقال الإمام أحمد: هكذا هو عندنا.
قال أبو بكر بن أبي داود: سمعت أبي يقول: جاء رجل إلى أحمد بن
Al-Khallāl, al-Sunnah
Al-Khallāl reported in al-Sunnah:
244 — And Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī informed us: Ibrāhīm ibn Mūsā al-Rāzī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl narrated to us, from Layth, from Mujāhid, on His saying 'It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised station' [17:79]: he said: 'He will seat him upon His Throne.' And I heard Abū Dāwūd say: Whoever denies this is, in our view, suspect. And he said: People have continued to narrate this, intending thereby to vex the Jahmiyyah, because the Jahmiyyah deny that there is anything upon the Throne.
al-Khallāl, al-Sunnah 1/214 no. 244
Source, chain and authenticity
Precision: Abū Dāwūd's point is about the Jahmiyyah's denial that anything is upon the Throne; the report he comments on (Mujāhid via Layth) is the contested iqʿād report .
Imām Aḥmad's al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah: The Throne, "in Every Place", Speech and Movement
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, Ed. Ṣabrī
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said in al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī:
We said: “You have made a grave fabrication against Allah when you claimed that He does not speak, for you have likened Him to the idols that are worshipped besides Allah: for idols do not speak, do not move, and do not pass from place to place.”
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī, p. 138
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أليس الله هو القائل؟
قالوا: فَيُكوِّن الله شيئًا فيُعَبِّر عن الله، كما كَوَّن شيئًا فعَبَّر لموسى.
قلنا: فمن القائل: ﴿فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِعِلْمٍ﴾ [الأعراف: ٦، ٧] .
أليس الله هو الذي يسأل؟
قالوا: هذا كله إنما يكون شيئًا، فيعبر عن الله.
قلنا: قد أعظمتم على الله الفرية، حين زعمتم أنه لا يتكلم فشبهتموه بالأصنام التي تعبد من دون الله؛ لأن الأصنام لا تتكلم، ولا تتحرك ولا تزول من مكان إلى مكان.
فلما ظهرت عليه الحجة قال: إن الله قد يتكلم، ولكن كلامه مخلوق,
Aḥmad, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, Ed. Ṣabrī
Aḥmad said in al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī:
We said: Why do you deny that Allah is upon the Throne, when He, Exalted is He, said: 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne' [20:5], and said: 'He created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne' [al-Ḥadīd 57:4]?
Aḥmad, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī, p. 142
Source, chain and authenticity
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, Ed. Ṣabrī
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said in al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī:
فيقول: نعم.
فقل له: حين خلق الشيء خلقه في نفسه أو خارجًا من نفسه؟ فإنه يصير إلى ثلاثة أقوال، لابد له من واحد منها.
إن زعم أن الله خلق الخلق في نفسه كفر، حين زعم أن الجن والإنس والشياطين في نفسه
If you wish to know that the Jahmī lies against Allah when he claims that Allah is in every place and is not in one place to the exclusion of another, then say: “Was Allah not [existent] when there was nothing?” He will say: “Yes.” Then say to him: “When He created a thing, did He create it within Himself or outside Himself?” He must arrive at one of three positions; he cannot avoid one of them. If he claims that Allah created creation within Himself, he has disbelieved, since he has claimed that jinn, men and devils are within Him…
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah wa-l-Zanādiqah, ed. Ṣabrī, p. 155
Source, chain and authenticity
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh
Ibn al-Qayyim reported in Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh:
Al-Khallāl said in Kitāb al-Sunnah: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal informed us: Yūsuf ibn Mūsā narrated to us, saying: It was said to my father [sic, i.e. to Aḥmad]: 'Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, is above the seventh heaven upon His Throne, separate from His creation, and His power and knowledge are in every place?' He said: 'Yes …'
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh p. 302
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ومراد السلف بقولهم: بلا كيف، هو نفي التأويل (¬٣)، فإنه التكييف الذي يزعمه أهل التأويل، فإنهم هم الذين يثبتون كيفية تخالف الحقيقة فيقعون (¬٤) في ثلاثة محاذير: نفي الحقيقة، وإثبات التكييف بالتأويل، وتعطيل الرب تعالى عن صفته التي أثبتها لنفسه. وأما أهل الإثبات فليس أحد منهم يُكيِّف ما أثبته الله تعالى لنفسه، ويقول: كيفيته كذا وكذا حتى يكون قول السلف بلا كيف ردًّا عليه وإنما ردوا على أهل التأويل الذي يتضمن التحريف والتعطيل: تحريف اللفظ، وتعطيل معناه.
فصل
في ذكر [ظ/ق ٤٨ أ] قول الإمام أحمد وأصحابه رحمه الله تعالى:
قال الخلال في كتاب «السنة»: حدثنا يوسف بن موسى قال: أخبرنا عبد الله بن أحمد قال: قيل لأبي: ربنا ﵎ فوق السماء السابعة على عرشه بائن من خلقه، وقدرته وعلمه بكل مكان؟ قال: نعم، لا
Al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — Al-ʿAqīdah
Al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/312 reported in citing Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah:
قال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر
Al-Khallāl said: ʿAbd al-Malik al-Maymūnī informed me that he asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh: What do you say about one who says that Allah is not upon the Throne? He said: All their speech revolves around disbelief.
al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/312, citing Ibn Taymiyyah, Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyyah 3/705–706
Source, chain and authenticity
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فقلنا له: ما معنى قول ابن المبارك: بحد؟
قال: لا أعرفه، ولكن لهذا شواهد من القرآن في خمسة مواضع: ﴿إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ﴾ [فاطر: ١٠]، ﴿أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ﴾ [الملك: ١٦]، ﴿تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ﴾ [المعارج: ٤] وهو على العرش، وعلمه مع كل شيء.
"بيان تلبيس الجهمية" ٢/ ٦١٣ - ٦١٤
قال حنبل: قال الإمام أحمد: نحن نؤمن أن اللَّه تعالى على العرش كيف شاء، وكما شاء بلا حد ولا صفة يبلغها واصف، أو يحده أحد (١).
"بيان تلبيس الجهمية" ٣/ ٤ - ٥
قال الخلال: أخبرني عبد الملك الميموني أنه سأل أبا عبد اللَّه: ما تقول فيمن يقول: إن اللَّه ليس على العرش؟
قال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر (٢).
"بيان تلبيس الجهمية" ٣/ ٧٠٥ - ٧٠٦.
قال الأثرم: قلت لأحمد: يحكى عن ابن المبارك: نعرف ربنا في السماء السابعة، على عرشه، بحد. فقال الإمام أحمد: هكذا هو عندنا.
قال أبو بكر بن أبي داود: سمعت أبي يقول: جاء رجل إلى أحمد بن
Al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — Al-ʿAqīdah
Al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/310 said in from Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah:
Yūsuf ibn Mūsā al-Qaṭṭān said: It was said to Abū ʿAbd Allāh: “And Allah, Exalted is He, is above the seventh heaven, upon His Throne, separate from His creation, and His power and knowledge are in every place?” He said: “Yes, upon His Throne; nothing is devoid of His knowledge.”
al-Jāmiʿ li-ʿUlūm al-Imām Aḥmad — al-ʿAqīdah 3/310, from Ibn Baṭṭah, al-Ibānah 3/156–159 nos. 113–115; 302
Source, chain and authenticity
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قال الإمام أحمد: هكذا هو عندنا (١).
وقال أبو بكر المروذي، سمعت أبا عبد اللَّه وقيل له: روى علي ابن الحسن بن شقيق عن ابن المبارك؛ أنه قيل له: كيف نعرف اللَّه قال: على العرلش بحد، فقال بلغني ذلك عنه وأعجبه، ثم قال أبو عبد اللَّه: ﴿هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ﴾ [البقرة: ٢١٠] ثم قال ﴿وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا﴾ (٢) [الفجر: ٢٢].
وقال يوسف بن موسى القطان: قيل لأبي عبد اللَّه: واللَّه تعالى فوق السماء السابعة على عرشه بائن من خلقه، وقدرته وعلمه بكل مكان، قال: نعم، على عرشه، لا يخلو شيء من علمه (٣).
"الإبانة" كتاب الرد على الجهمية ٣/ ١٥٦ - ١٥٩ (١١٣ - ١١٥)
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh, Ed. ʿAṭāʾāt
Ibn al-Qayyim reported in Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh, ed. ʿAṭāʾāt:
Al-Khallāl said: And ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd al-Maymūnī informed me, saying: I asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad about one who says: Allah, the Exalted, is not upon the Throne. He said: Their speech all revolves around disbelief.
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ijtimāʿ al-Juyūsh, ed. ʿAṭāʾāt, p. 303, from al-Khallāl's al-Sunnah; ed. al-Muʿtiq 2/200
Source, chain and authenticity
The surviving al-Sunnah of al-Khallāl does not contain it in the Shamela-accessible witnesses.
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قال الخلال: وأخبرني عبد الملك بن عبد الحميد الميموني قال: سألت أبا عبد الله أحمد عمَّن يقول (¬٢): إن الله تعالى ليس على العرش؟ فقال: كلامهم كله يدور على الكفر (¬٣).
وروى أبو القاسم الطبري (¬٤) الشافعي في كتاب «السنة» له بإسناده: عن حنبل قال: قيل لأبي عبد الله: ما معنى قوله تعالى: ﴿مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ﴾ [المجادلة/٧] وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ﴾ [الحديد/٤]؟ قال: علمه محيط بالكل، وربنا على العرش بلا حدٍّ ولا صفةٍ (¬٥)، وسع كرسيه السماوات والأرض (¬٦).
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