Source: "Allah Kahan Hai?" by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
He stated:
السنة عندنا ….. يقول الرجل: الرحمن على العرش استوى، ومن زعم غير هذا فهو معطل جهمي.
“Our creed is that… a person must say: ‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne,’ and whoever claims otherwise is a negator (of Allah’s attributes) and a Jahmi.”
Usul al-Sunnah, p. 547 (appended to his Musnad)
He further said:
الإقرار بالرؤية بعد الموت، وما نطق به القرآن والحديث…
“Affirming the vision (of Allah) after death, and whatever is stated in the Qur'an and Sunnah such as:
﴿وَقَالَتِ ٱلۡيَهُودُ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ مَغۡلُولَةٌ﴾
‘The Jews said: Allah’s hand is tied’ —
...and
﴿وَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ مَطۡوِيَّٰتُۢ بِيَمِينِهِ﴾
‘And the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand’ —
and similar verses and Hadiths; one must neither add to them nor interpret them. He must stop where the Qur’an and Sunnah stop, and say: ‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.’ Whoever believes otherwise is a negator and a Jahmi.”
Usul al-Sunnah: 2/547
He said:
“Whoever claims that You (O Allah) will not speak in the Hereafter, and will not be seen — he is a disbeliever in Your Countenance and ignorant of You. I testify that You are above the Throne, above the seven heavens — unlike what Your enemies, the heretical people, say.”
Tarikh Baghdad: 3/270 | Chain: Authentic
He said:
“I was gathered with this innovator — meaning Ibrahim ibn Abi Salih — in the assembly of Amir ‘Abdullah ibn Tahir. The Amir asked me about the narrations concerning Allah’s descent. I narrated them. Ibrahim said: ‘I disbelieve in a Lord who descends from one heaven to another.’ I responded: ‘I believe in a Lord who does whatever He wills.’”
Al-Asma wa al-Sifat by al-Bayhaqi: 2/197, 2/375-376, Hadith no. 951 | Chain: Authentic
☞ The Hadith in Sahih Muslim (758) affirms that Allah descends to the lowest heaven every night. If Allah were everywhere, then what meaning would remain for descending? Imam Ishaq clearly believed that Allah is not everywhere.
He reported:
‘Abdullah ibn Tahir once said to me:
بلغني أنك لا ترفع رأسك إلى السماء…
“I heard that you do not raise your head towards the sky?”
I replied, “Why wouldn’t I? I only hope for goodness from the One who is above the heavens.”
Al-‘Uluw by al-Dhahabi: 2/1167
They were asked about the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah, and they replied:
أدركنا العلماء في جميع الأمصار…
“We met the scholars of all regions — Hijaz, Iraq, Egypt, Sham, and Yemen. Their belief was that Allah is above His Throne, distinct from His creation, as He described Himself, without (asking) how. He encompasses everything with His knowledge.”
Sharh Usul I‘tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah: p. 165, no. 321
He wrote:
قد اتفقت الكلمة من المسلمين أن الله فوق عرشه، فوق سماواته.
“The unanimous belief of Muslims is that Allah is above His Throne, above His heavens.”
Al-Radd ‘ala Bishr al-Mirisi: p. 408
Commentary by Hafiz al-Dhahabi رحمه الله:
“The clearest statement in this matter is Allah’s saying:
﴿الرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾ (Taha: 5)
‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.’
This verse is passed on as it came, without interpretation, in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf. Avoid delving, disputing, and rationalizing like the Mu‘tazilah.”
Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’: 13/325
Imam al-Darimi further said:
“It is the consensus of Muslims and even disbelievers that Allah is above the heavens. Everyone — even children — instinctively raise their hands to the sky when in need. Only the deviant Jahmiyyah deny this. Every human being is more aware of Allah and His location than the Jahmiyyah.”
Naqd al-Darimi ‘ala al-Mirisi: p. 288
He continued:
“The consensus of the Companions, Tabi‘in, and entire Ummah is that the Qur’an descended from above, not from below or behind. No one says it came from underground. Since Allah is the One who revealed it from above, it shows He is not present in every place as the Jahmiyyah claim.”
Al-Radd ‘ala al-Jahmiyyah: p. 66
He titled a chapter in his book Al-Sunnah (1/215):
باب ما ذكر أن الله تعالى في سمائه دون أرضه
“Chapter: Affirmation that Allah is above the heavens, not on the earth.”
When asked how Allah’s descent does not contradict His loftiness, he replied:
النزول معقول، والكيف مجهول، والإيمان به واجب، والسوال عنه بدعة.
“The descent is known (affirmed), its manner is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking how is an innovation.”
Tarikh Baghdad: 1/382 | Chain: Authentic
He said:
“The Jahmiyyah say: There is no barrier between Allah and His creation. They deny that Allah is above the Throne and above the heavens. They claim: Allah is everywhere.”
Kitab al-‘Arsh: p. 2
He added:
“There is mutawatir evidence that Allah created the Throne and rose over it by His Self. He is above the heavens, above the Throne, distinct from His creation. His knowledge is with His creation, but His essence is separate.”
Kitab al-‘Arsh: pp. 2, 276, 278, 292
He cited:
﴿الرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾
“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne”
“Allah is above the Throne, sees and hears all, and nothing veils Him from anything in the lowest earth. He created the veils, the Throne, and the entire creation as He willed.”
Al-‘Arsh by Ibn Abi Shaybah: p. 2
He also stated:
“All of creation agrees that when they supplicate, they raise their hands to the sky. If Allah were on earth, people would not raise their hands upward.”
Kitab al-‘Arsh: p. 51 (also p. 128)
He stated:
المستوي على عرشه بعظمة جلاله، دون كل مكان.
“Allah is above His Throne in the majesty of His greatness, not in every place.”
Al-‘Arsh by al-Dhahabi: 2/348
He said:
“It suffices for a man to know that his Lord is the One who is above the Throne. Whoever surpasses this understanding has failed and is doomed.”
Sarih al-Sunnah: p. 27
And on the verse:
﴿إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ﴾ (Fatir: 10)
“To Him ascends good speech…”
He commented:
“The remembrance and praise of the slave rise up to Allah.”
Tafsir al-Tabari: 19/338
He stated:
“Allah is in the heavens, as He told us in His revelation and through the words of His Messenger ﷺ. This is also known naturally to all Muslims — scholars and laypeople, free and enslaved, male and female, adults and children — when they raise their hands in supplication, they raise them upwards, not downwards.”
Kitab al-Tawhid: 1/254
He further stated:
“The Qur’an clearly affirms that Allah is above the heavens — not as the Jahmiyyah claim, that He is in the lowest earth.”
Kitab al-Tawhid: 1/255
He titled a chapter:
باب ذكر الدليل على أن الإقرار بأن الله عز وجل في السماء من الإيمان
“Chapter: The evidence that acknowledging Allah is above the heavens is part of faith.”
Kitab al-Tawhid: 1/278
Conclusion from Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله:
من لم يقر بأن الله تعالى على عرشه، قد استوى فوق سبع سماواته، فهو كافر بربه.
“Whoever does not affirm that Allah is above His Throne, above the seven heavens, has disbelieved in his Lord.”
Ma‘rifah ‘Ulum al-Hadith by al-Hakim: p. 84 | Chain: Authentic
In Al-‘Azamah (2/543), he dedicated a chapter:
ذكر عرش الرب تبارك وتعالى وكرسيه… وعلو الرب فوق عرشه
“Mention of the Lord’s Throne and His Kursi, and the loftiness of the Lord above His Throne.”
He titled a chapter in Al-Sunnah:
باب ما جاء في استواء الله تعالى على عرشه، وأنه بائن من خلقه
“Chapter: The narration regarding Allah’s rising over His Throne and His being distinct from creation.”
Al-‘Arsh by al-Dhahabi: 2/404
◈ Imam Humaydi رحمه الله (d. 219 AH)
He stated:
السنة عندنا ….. يقول الرجل: الرحمن على العرش استوى، ومن زعم غير هذا فهو معطل جهمي.
“Our creed is that… a person must say: ‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne,’ and whoever claims otherwise is a negator (of Allah’s attributes) and a Jahmi.”
Usul al-Sunnah, p. 547 (appended to his Musnad)He further said:
الإقرار بالرؤية بعد الموت، وما نطق به القرآن والحديث…
“Affirming the vision (of Allah) after death, and whatever is stated in the Qur'an and Sunnah such as:
﴿وَقَالَتِ ٱلۡيَهُودُ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ مَغۡلُولَةٌ﴾
‘The Jews said: Allah’s hand is tied’ —
...and
﴿وَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ مَطۡوِيَّٰتُۢ بِيَمِينِهِ﴾
‘And the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand’ —
and similar verses and Hadiths; one must neither add to them nor interpret them. He must stop where the Qur’an and Sunnah stop, and say: ‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.’ Whoever believes otherwise is a negator and a Jahmi.”
Usul al-Sunnah: 2/547◈ Imam Muhammad ibn Mus'ab al-‘Abid رحمه الله (d. 228 AH)
He said:
“Whoever claims that You (O Allah) will not speak in the Hereafter, and will not be seen — he is a disbeliever in Your Countenance and ignorant of You. I testify that You are above the Throne, above the seven heavens — unlike what Your enemies, the heretical people, say.”
Tarikh Baghdad: 3/270 | Chain: Authentic◈ Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh رحمه الله (d. 238 AH)
He said:
“I was gathered with this innovator — meaning Ibrahim ibn Abi Salih — in the assembly of Amir ‘Abdullah ibn Tahir. The Amir asked me about the narrations concerning Allah’s descent. I narrated them. Ibrahim said: ‘I disbelieve in a Lord who descends from one heaven to another.’ I responded: ‘I believe in a Lord who does whatever He wills.’”
Al-Asma wa al-Sifat by al-Bayhaqi: 2/197, 2/375-376, Hadith no. 951 | Chain: Authentic☞ The Hadith in Sahih Muslim (758) affirms that Allah descends to the lowest heaven every night. If Allah were everywhere, then what meaning would remain for descending? Imam Ishaq clearly believed that Allah is not everywhere.
◈ Imam Muhammad ibn Aslam al-Tusi رحمه الله (d. 242 AH)
He reported:
‘Abdullah ibn Tahir once said to me:
بلغني أنك لا ترفع رأسك إلى السماء…
“I heard that you do not raise your head towards the sky?”
I replied, “Why wouldn’t I? I only hope for goodness from the One who is above the heavens.”
Al-‘Uluw by al-Dhahabi: 2/1167◈ Imam Abu Zur‘ah al-Razi رحمه الله (d. 264 AH) and Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi رحمه الله (d. 277 AH)
They were asked about the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah, and they replied:
أدركنا العلماء في جميع الأمصار…
“We met the scholars of all regions — Hijaz, Iraq, Egypt, Sham, and Yemen. Their belief was that Allah is above His Throne, distinct from His creation, as He described Himself, without (asking) how. He encompasses everything with His knowledge.”
Sharh Usul I‘tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah: p. 165, no. 321◈ Imam ‘Uthman ibn Sa‘id al-Darimi رحمه الله (d. 280 AH)
He wrote:
قد اتفقت الكلمة من المسلمين أن الله فوق عرشه، فوق سماواته.
“The unanimous belief of Muslims is that Allah is above His Throne, above His heavens.”
Al-Radd ‘ala Bishr al-Mirisi: p. 408Commentary by Hafiz al-Dhahabi رحمه الله:
“The clearest statement in this matter is Allah’s saying:
﴿الرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾ (Taha: 5)
‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.’
This verse is passed on as it came, without interpretation, in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf. Avoid delving, disputing, and rationalizing like the Mu‘tazilah.”
Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’: 13/325Imam al-Darimi further said:
“It is the consensus of Muslims and even disbelievers that Allah is above the heavens. Everyone — even children — instinctively raise their hands to the sky when in need. Only the deviant Jahmiyyah deny this. Every human being is more aware of Allah and His location than the Jahmiyyah.”
Naqd al-Darimi ‘ala al-Mirisi: p. 288He continued:
“The consensus of the Companions, Tabi‘in, and entire Ummah is that the Qur’an descended from above, not from below or behind. No one says it came from underground. Since Allah is the One who revealed it from above, it shows He is not present in every place as the Jahmiyyah claim.”
Al-Radd ‘ala al-Jahmiyyah: p. 66◈ Imam Ibn Abi ‘Asim رحمه الله (d. 287 AH)
He titled a chapter in his book Al-Sunnah (1/215):
باب ما ذكر أن الله تعالى في سمائه دون أرضه
“Chapter: Affirmation that Allah is above the heavens, not on the earth.”
◈ Imam Abu Ja‘far al-Tirmidhi رحمه الله (d. 295 AH)
When asked how Allah’s descent does not contradict His loftiness, he replied:
النزول معقول، والكيف مجهول، والإيمان به واجب، والسوال عنه بدعة.
“The descent is known (affirmed), its manner is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking how is an innovation.”
Tarikh Baghdad: 1/382 | Chain: Authentic◈ Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah رحمه الله (d. 297 AH)
He said:
“The Jahmiyyah say: There is no barrier between Allah and His creation. They deny that Allah is above the Throne and above the heavens. They claim: Allah is everywhere.”
Kitab al-‘Arsh: p. 2He added:
“There is mutawatir evidence that Allah created the Throne and rose over it by His Self. He is above the heavens, above the Throne, distinct from His creation. His knowledge is with His creation, but His essence is separate.”
Kitab al-‘Arsh: pp. 2, 276, 278, 292He cited:
﴿الرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾
“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne”
“Allah is above the Throne, sees and hears all, and nothing veils Him from anything in the lowest earth. He created the veils, the Throne, and the entire creation as He willed.”
Al-‘Arsh by Ibn Abi Shaybah: p. 2He also stated:
“All of creation agrees that when they supplicate, they raise their hands to the sky. If Allah were on earth, people would not raise their hands upward.”
Kitab al-‘Arsh: p. 51 (also p. 128)◈ Imam Abu ‘Abdillah ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman al-Makki رحمه الله (d. 297 AH)
He stated:
المستوي على عرشه بعظمة جلاله، دون كل مكان.
“Allah is above His Throne in the majesty of His greatness, not in every place.”
Al-‘Arsh by al-Dhahabi: 2/348◈ Imam al-Tabari رحمه الله (224–310 AH)
He said:
“It suffices for a man to know that his Lord is the One who is above the Throne. Whoever surpasses this understanding has failed and is doomed.”
Sarih al-Sunnah: p. 27And on the verse:
﴿إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ﴾ (Fatir: 10)
“To Him ascends good speech…”
He commented:
“The remembrance and praise of the slave rise up to Allah.”
Tafsir al-Tabari: 19/338◈ Imam Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله (223–311 AH)
He stated:
“Allah is in the heavens, as He told us in His revelation and through the words of His Messenger ﷺ. This is also known naturally to all Muslims — scholars and laypeople, free and enslaved, male and female, adults and children — when they raise their hands in supplication, they raise them upwards, not downwards.”
Kitab al-Tawhid: 1/254He further stated:
“The Qur’an clearly affirms that Allah is above the heavens — not as the Jahmiyyah claim, that He is in the lowest earth.”
Kitab al-Tawhid: 1/255He titled a chapter:
باب ذكر الدليل على أن الإقرار بأن الله عز وجل في السماء من الإيمان
“Chapter: The evidence that acknowledging Allah is above the heavens is part of faith.”
Kitab al-Tawhid: 1/278Conclusion from Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله:
من لم يقر بأن الله تعالى على عرشه، قد استوى فوق سبع سماواته، فهو كافر بربه.
“Whoever does not affirm that Allah is above His Throne, above the seven heavens, has disbelieved in his Lord.”
Ma‘rifah ‘Ulum al-Hadith by al-Hakim: p. 84 | Chain: Authentic◈ Imam Abu al-Shaykh Ibn Hibban al-Asbahani رحمه الله (d. 329 AH)
In Al-‘Azamah (2/543), he dedicated a chapter:
ذكر عرش الرب تبارك وتعالى وكرسيه… وعلو الرب فوق عرشه
“Mention of the Lord’s Throne and His Kursi, and the loftiness of the Lord above His Throne.”
◈ Imam al-Tabarani رحمه الله (260–360 AH)
He titled a chapter in Al-Sunnah:
باب ما جاء في استواء الله تعالى على عرشه، وأنه بائن من خلقه
“Chapter: The narration regarding Allah’s rising over His Throne and His being distinct from creation.”
Al-‘Arsh by al-Dhahabi: 2/404