All Praise is due to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, family and Companions. I have recently looked into what was published in Al-Balagh magazine, issue no. 637 where Shaykh Ahmad Mahmud Dahlub provided an answer to the following question: What is the Tafsir (exegesis) of Allah's saying: He rose over (Istawâ) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). The answer to this question contained a mistake wrongly ascribed to the Salaf (righteous predecessors) when he said: 'The Salaf explained the Ayah "rose over the Mighty Throne" that He (Allah) seized the Throne and possessed it, as the poet says, Bishr seized the land of Iraq without using the sword or shedding blood
Falsely attributing such words to the Salaf prompted me to draw people's attention to such a blatant mistake lest the readers of this saying should be deceived into thinking that it was said by esteemed scholars. The correct view is that this explanation is attributed to Jahmiyyah (a deviant Islamic sect denying some Attributes of Allah, claiming they are ascribed to people and cannot be ascribed to Allah) and Mu`tazilah (a deviant Islamic sect claiming that those who commit major sins are in a state between belief and disbelief) and those who followed their suit in relation to denying some of the Perfect Attributes with which Allah (may He be Praised and Exalted) called Himself. The early scholars (may Allah be merciful with them) denied such Ta'wil (allegorical interpretation), saying that the view regarding the Attribute of Istiwa' is the same as other Attributes, i.e. confirming all perfect Attributes to Allah in a way that suits His Sublimity and Majesty without Tahrif (distortion of the meaning), Ta`til (denial of Allah's Attributes), Takyif (questioning Allah's Attributes), or Tamthil (likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation). Imam Malik (may Allah be merciful with him), when asked about Istiwa', said: "Istawa' is known; its manner is unknown; believing in it is obligatory; and asking about it is a Bid`ah (religious innovation).
This was the `Aqidah (creed) adopted by the early scholars from Ahl Al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (may Allah be merciful with them). Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (May Allah be merciful with him) said in his "Al-Risalah Al- Hamawiyyah", "This is the Book of Allah in its entirety and there is also the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him) in its entirety beside the whole bulk of sayings and traditions of Al-Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) and Tabi`un (Followers, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet) then the sayings of the latter Imams, and which are all either clear-cut texts or preponderant opinions that Allah (may He be Praised and Exalted) is the Most High and is above everything including the Throne and the heavens, as He (Exalted be He) says: To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allâh unless and until they are followed by good deeds) and, I will take you and raise you to Myself and, Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allâh), will not cause the earth to sink with you Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allâh), will not send against you a violent whirlwind? and, But Allâh raised him ['Isâ (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ is in the heavens). and, He manages and regulates (every) affair from the heavens to the earth; then it (affair) will go up to Him and, They fear their Lord above them and Allah also said, then He rose over (Istawâ) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). This truth is reiterated in seven positions." Shaykh-ul-Islam added: "...in addition to the many and countless proofs in this regard. Let alone the great and innumerable reports of Sahih (authentic) and Hasan (good) Hadiths, such as the story of the Messenger's ascension to Heaven as well as the decent of angels from Heavens and their ascension to Him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says regarding the angels that take turns among you by day and by night, '...and those (of the angels) who spend the night among you then ascend and their Lord asks them, though He is the best Aware of
them.' Moreover,in a Sahih (authentic) book of Hadith, it is reportedin the Hadith of the Khawarij (separatist group that believes committing a major sin amounts to disbelief): Do you not trust me though I am the trustworthy man of the One in the Heavens, and I receive the news of Heaven (i.e. Divine Revelation) both in the morning and in the evening? until he (Ibn Taymiyyah) said: There are other narrations reported by means of verbal and implicit Tawatur (consistent and recurrent transmission of the same report whether in the same wording or similar wordings conveying the same meaning) in this regard that leads to conclusive knowledge. It is evidently true that the Prophet (peace be upon him) who conveyed the Message of Allah informed his Ummah that Allah (may He be Praised) is High above His Throne and above Heavens. This goes for the Fitrah (natural disposition) upon which Allah created all nations, whether Arabs or non-Arabs, at the times of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period) and after Islam. Whoever thinks otherwise has deviated from the sound Fitrah and hundreds or thousands of sayings reported from the Salaf in this regard, etc." End Quote. In light of this truth, it becomes clear to the readers that what Ahmad Mahmud Dahlub ascribed to the Salaf concerning the interpretation of Istiwa' to mean 'seizure' is a big mistake and a blatant lie, which should not have the least consideration. The view of the righteous Salaf in this regard is known and authentically reported. This has been made clear in the words of Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah be merciful with him) with regard to explaining the Istiwa' with Allah's establishing Himself above the Throne. Belief in it is Wajib (obligatory) and the way it is done is only known to Allah (may He be Praised). This meaning was reported on the authority of Umm Salamah, the Mother of Believers, and on the authority of Rabi`ah ibn Abu `Abdul-Rahman, the shaykh of Malik (may Allah be merciful with him). This is the unquestionable truth that goes in conformity with the `Aqidah of Ahl Al-Sunnah wal-