Is Allah Above the Throne? Evidence from Qur’an, Sunnah, and Companions

Is Allah Above the Throne? — Detailed Evidence from Qur’an and Sunnah


Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 3 – Issues of Tawheed and Sunnah, p. 64

The Issue of “Istiwāʾ al-Raḥmān ʿala al-ʿArsh”​

Qur’anic Evidence​

① Allah is Established Above the Throne


﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذى خَلَقَ السَّمـٰو‌ٰتِ وَالأَرضَ فى سِتَّةِ أَيّامٍ ثُمَّ استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ﴾
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne.” (al-Aʿrāf: 54)


This is repeated in: Yūnus: 3, al-Raʿd: 2, Ṭāhā: 5, al-Furqān: 59, al-Sajdah: 4, al-Ḥadīd: 4.
“Istawā” means “ascended” or “rose high” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tawḥīd).


② The Throne Was Upon Water — (Hūd: 7)
③ On the Day of Judgement, Eight Angels Will Carry the Throne — (al-Ḥāqqah: 17)
④ Allah Is in the Heaven — (al-Mulk: 16)
⑤ ʿĪsā عليه السلام Raised Up to Allah — (al-Nisāʾ: 158)
⑥ Management of Affairs from Heaven to Earth — (al-Sajdah: 5)
⑦ Good Words and Righteous Deeds Ascend to Him — (Fāṭir: 10)
⑧ Allah Will Come on the Day of Judgement — (al-Fajr: 22)
⑨ Nothing is Like Him — (al-Shūrā: 11)

Evidence from the Sunnah​

① Slave Girl Questioned: “Where is Allah?” She replied, “In the heaven,” and the Prophet ﷺ declared her a believer (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 537).
② Prophet’s ﷺ Duʿāʾ on ʿArafah: “O Allah, bear witness” — pointing upwards (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1218).
③ Hadith of Mercy: “The Most Merciful will have mercy on those who show mercy; have mercy on those on earth and He who is above the heaven will have mercy on you” (Tirmidhī, Ḥākim — Ḥasan chain).
④ Revelation Comes from Above: “I am entrusted by the One who is in the heaven…” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim).

Statements of the Companions​

• Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه: “Allah is alive in the heaven, death will never come to Him.” (al-Radd ʿala al-Jahmiyyah, al-Dārimī — Ḥasan chain)
• Zaynab bint Jaḥsh رضي الله عنها: “Allah married me to the Prophet ﷺ from above the seven heavens” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 7420).
• Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه: Allah sent down her vindication from above the seven heavens (Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd — Ḥasan chain).
• Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه: Mentioned Allah’s Throne and His exaltedness (Kitāb al-Tawḥīd, Ibn Khuzaymah).
• Salman al-Fārisi رضي الله عنه: Allah feels shy to turn a servant back empty-handed (al-Mustadrak — Authentic).
• ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها: “Allah knows from above His Throne that I did not like ʿUthmān’s killing” (al-Radd ʿala al-Jahmiyyah).

Consensus: All Companions and Tābiʿīn agreed Allah is above the seven heavens over the Throne; the how is unknown.

Refutation of Jahmiyyah Doubts​

Regarding ﴿هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا﴾ (al-Mujādilah: 7):

• These verses indicate Allah’s knowledge, not physical presence.
• Context contains words like “He knows” (yaʿlam).
• General meaning is restricted by other texts showing Allah’s exaltedness.
• The term “ḥāḍir” (present everywhere) is not found in Qur’an, Sunnah, or consensus.

Rational Proofs​

• Hands are raised upward in supplication.
• The Prophet ﷺ ascended to Allah on the night of Miʿrāj.
• Angels descend and ascend.
• The Creator is separate from the creation.

ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب