Whoever Says Allah (s.w.t.) is on the 'Arsh is a Disbeliever

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Wahhabi sect says “al-istawa’”, “establishment”, means “al-istiqrar”, “literal settlement” upon the ‘Arsh.  ibn al-‘Utsaymin said, regarding istawa’, “We know the meaning of istawa’ and we believe it and accept it, and He is upon is His Throne, and His Establishment thereupon is of aboveness and settledness.  We do not know the modality of this al-istawa’.” 

“Istiwa’” is a Divine Act in the translation of Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi’s (r.a.) al-Asma’ wa asw-Swifat.  The Wahhabi sect deny the position of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah.  The Wahhabi sect took from the earlier, heretical position of Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.), and assert that “settledness” takes place over the Throne.  Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.) asserted that Allah (s.w.t.) descends, and can be above, fawq, and below, taht; “without how”.  He claimed, falsely, that the school of the Salaf is the affirmation of everything that the Qur’an stated concerning aboveness, fawqiyyah; belowness, tahtiyyah, and Establishment over the Throne.”  This is found in Imam Abu Zahrah Muhammad ibn Ahmad’s (r.a.) al-Madzahib al-Islamiyyah, in his criticism of the Wahhabi sect. 

In contrast, Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit (r.a.), in Kitab Waswiyyat al-Imam al-A‘azham ila Abi ‘Amr ‘Utsman al-Batti, said, “We assert that Allah (s.w.t.) Established Himself over the Throne without His need nor settlement upon it, for He it is Who Preserves the Throne and other than it without needing any of them.”  He said, in his al-Fiqh al-Akbar, “Allah has no limits, nor any rivals.”  He continued, “He who says, ‘I do not know if my Lord is in the Heavens or on the Earth,’ is a disbeliever, and he who says, ‘He is on the Throne, and I do not know whether the Throne is in the Heaven or on the Earth,’ he is also a disbeliever.” 

Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi (r.a.) explained this to mean, “The reason is that by such words, he suggests a place for Allah and this is idolatry.”