بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيدنا نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين اما بعد
قال الإمام ابن القيم الجوزية رحمه الله تعالى
وهذا باب لا يمكن استيعابه لكثرة ما يوجد من كلام أهل السنة في التفسير، وهو بحر لا ساحل له، وإنما نذكر طرفًا منه يسيرًا، يكون منبهًا على ما وراءه، ومن أراد الوقوف عليه فهذه تفاسير السلف وأهل السنة موجودة، فمن طلبها وجدها.
This is a subject that cannot be fully grasped due to the abundance of statements from the people of Sunnah in tafsir; it is an ocean with no shore. We will mention only a small part of it, which serves as a reminder of what lies beyond it. Whoever seeks to understand it will find the interpretations of the Salaf and the people of Sunnah available, and whoever searches for it will find it.
قول إمامهم ترجمان القرآن عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما
The statement of their Imam, the interpreter of the Qur’an, Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him
ذكر البيهقي عنه في قوله تعالى: {الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى} قال: استقر. وقد تقدم قوله في تفسير قوله تعالى عن إبليس: {ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ} [الأعراف/17] قال: لم يستطع أن يقول: من فوقهم، علم أن الله من فوقهم
Al-Bayhaqi narrated from him regarding the verse: {The Most Gracious (Allâh) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).} (Quran 20:5), he said: “He settled.” It has been mentioned previously in his interpretation of the verse about Iblis: {Then I will come to them from before them and behind them and on their right and on their left} [Al-A’raf 17], he said: “He could not say: from above them, because he knew that Allah is above them.”
وتقدم حكاية قوله: أن الله كان على عرشه … وكتب ما هو كائن … وإنما يجري الناس على أمر قد فرغ منه
رواه سفيان الثوري عن أبي هاشم عن مجاهد عنه
It has also been narrated that he said: “Allah was above His Throne … and He wrote what will happen … and people are following a matter that has already been decided.”
Sufyan al-Thawri narrated this from Abu Hashim from Mujahid from him.
وذكر البخاري عنه في صحيحه
أن سائلًا سأله فقال: إني أجد أشياء تختلف عليَّ، أسمع الله يقول … {أَمِ السَّمَاءُ بَنَاهَا} إلى قوله: {وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا} [النازعات/27 ـ 30] فذكر خلق السماء قبل خلق الأرض، ثم قال في آية أخرى: {قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ} إلى أن قال: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ} [فصلت/9 – 11] فذكر هنا خلق الأرض قبل السماء … ؟ فقال ابن عباس: أما قوله: {أَمِ السَّمَاءُ بَنَاهَا} [النازعات/27]، فإنه خلق الأرض قبل السماء، ثم استوى إلى السماء فسواهن سبع سماوات ثم نزل إلى الأرض فدحاها.وهذه الزيادة وهي قوله: «ثم نزل إلى الأرض» ليست عند البخاري وهي صحيحة
Al-Bukhari mentioned from him in his Sahih: A person asked him saying: “I find things contradictory to me. I hear Allah say … {or is the heaven that He constructed?} up to {And after that, He spread the earth} [An-Nazi’at 27-30], mentioning the creation of the heaven before the earth. Then in another verse He said: {Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): “Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two Days?} until He says: {Then He rose over (Istawâ) towards the heaven} [Fussilat 9-11], here He mentions the creation of the earth before the heaven …?” Ibn Abbas said: ” As for the verse {or is the heaven that He constructed?} [An-Nazi’at 27], He created the earth before the heaven, then He rose Himself above the heaven and made it seven heavens, then He descended to the earth and spread it.” This addition, where he said, “Then He descended to the earth,” is not present in al-Bukhari, but it is authentic.
قال محمد بن عثمان في رسالته في «العلو»: وصحَّ عن جويبر عن الضحاك عن ابن عباس قال: قالت امرأة العزيز ليوسف: إني كثيرة الدُّرِّ والياقوت، فأعطيك ذلك حتى تنفق في مرضاة سيدك الذي في السماء
Muhammad ibn Uthman mentioned in his letter on Al-‘Uluw that it is authentic from Juwaybir from Dhahhak from Ibn Abbas, who said: “The wife of the the minister said to Yusuf: I possess much pearl and sapphire, so I will give you that so you may spend in the pleasure of your Lord who is above the heaven.”
وعن ذكوان حاجب عائشة أن ابن عباس دخل على عائشة وهي تموت فقال لها: كنت أحب نساء رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – إليه ولم يكن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يحب إلا طيبًا، وأنزل الله براءتك من فوق سبع سماوات، جاء بها جبرائيل فأصبح ليس مسجد من مساجد الله يذكر فيه الله إلا وهي تتلى آناء الليل وآناء النهار
وأصل القصة في صحيح البخاري
And from Dhakwan, the doorkeeper of Aisha, it was reported that Ibn Abbas entered upon Aisha while she was dying, and he said to her: “You were the most beloved of the wives of the Messenger of Allah – Alayhi Salatu w Salam – and the Messenger of Allah – Alayhi Salatu w Salam – loved nothing except what was pure, and Allah revealed your innocence from above the seven heavens. Gabriel brought it down, and it became that there is no masjid in which Allah is remembered except that it is recited in it, during the night and during the day.”
The original story is found in Sahih al-Bukhari.
وقال ابن جرير في تفسيره: حدثني محمد بن سعد حدثني أبي حدثني عمي حدثني أبي [عن أبيه] عن ابن عباس في قوله تعالى: {تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ} [الشورى/5]، قال: يعني من ثقل الرحمن وعظمته جل جلاله.
Ibn Jarir said in his Tafseer (interpretation): Muhammad ibn Sa’d narrated to me, my father narrated to me, my uncle narrated to me, my father narrated to me from his father, from Ibn Abbas, regarding the verse: {The heavens are almost torn apart from above them} [Ash-Shura 5], he said: “This means due to the weight of the Most Merciful and His greatness, Glory be to Him.”
وهذا التفسير تلقَّاه عن ابن عباس: الضحاك والسدّي وقتادة
This interpretation was transmitted from Ibn Abbas by: Al-Dahhak, Al-Suddi, and Qatadah.
فقال سعيد عن قتادة: {يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ} قال: من عظمة الله وجلاله
Saeed said from Qatadah: {They are almost torn apart from above them}, he said: “Due to the greatness and majesty of Allah.”
وقال السدي: تشقق بالله
Al-Suddi said: “It is torn apart because of Allah.”
وذكر شيخ الإسلام من رواية الضحاك بن مزاحم عنه قال: إن الله خلق العرش أول ما خلق فاستوى عليه
Shaykh al-Islam mentioned from the narration of Al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim that he said: “Allah created the Throne first when He created, then He rose above it.”
قلت: وهذا في تفسير الضحاك وفي تفسير السدّي عن أبي مالك وأبي صالح عن ابن عباس: {الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى} [طه/5] قال: قعد
I say: This is in Tafseer al-Dahhak and in Tafseer al-Suddi from Abu Malik and Abu Saleh from Ibn Abbas: {The Most Gracious (Allâh) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).} [Ta-Ha 5], he said: “He sat.”
قول عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه
The statement of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him
روى أبو الشيخ في كتاب «العظمة» عن ابن مسعود قال: قال رجل: يا رسول الله ما الحاقة؟ قال: «يوم ينزل الرب تبارك وتعالى على عرشه”.
Abu Shaykh narrated in the book Al-‘Azamah from Ibn Mas’ud, who said: A man asked: “O Messenger of Allah, what is Al-Haaqqah?” He replied: “The day when the Lord, Blessed and Exalted, will descend from His Throne.”
وقال البخاري في كتاب «خلق أفعال العباد» قال ابن مسعود في قوله تعالى: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ} [فصلت/11] وقوله تعالى: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ} [الفرقان/59]، قال: العرش على الماء، والله فوق العرش، وهو يعلم ما أنتم عليه
Al-Bukhari narrated in his book Creation of the Actions of the Servants: Ibn Mas’ud said regarding the verse: {Then He rose over (Istawâ) towards the heaven} [Fussilat 11] and the verse: {Then He (Istawâ ) rose over the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).} [Al-Furqan 59], he said: “The Throne is upon water, and Allah is above the Throne, and He knows what you are upon.”
وقال ابن مسعود: من قال سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر= تلقاهن ملك فعرج بهن إلى الله، فلا يمر بملأ من الملائكة إلا استغفروا لقائلهن، حتى يجيء بهن وجه الرحمن
أخرجه العسّال في كتاب «المعرفة» بإسنادٍ كلهم ثقات
Ibn Mas’ud also said: “Whoever says Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar—an angel receives them and ascends with them to Allah. He does not pass by a group of angels except they seek forgiveness for the one saying them, until they reach the face of the Most Merciful.”
It was narrated by Al-‘Assal in his book Al-Ma’rifah with a chain of narrators, all of whom are trustworthy.
وقال الدارمي: حدثنا موسى بن إسماعيل حدثنا حماد ــ هو ابن سلمة ــ عن الزبير أبي عبد السلام عن أيوب بن عبد الله الفهري أن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: إن ربكم ليس عنده ليل ولا نهار، نور السماوات والأرض من نور وجهه، وإن مقدار كل يوم من أيامكم عنده اثنتا عشرة ساعة، فتعرض عليه أعمالكم بالأمس أول النهار اليوم فينظر فيها ثلاث ساعات، فيطلع فيها على ما يكره فيغضبه ذلك، فأول من يعلم بغضبه الذين يحملون العرش، يجدونه يثقل عليهم فيسبحه الذين يحملون العرش وسرادقات العرش والملائكة المقربون وسائر الملائكة».
وهو في معجم الطبراني أطول من هذا
Al-Darimi narrated: Musa ibn Ismail narrated to us, Hamad (the son of Salamah) narrated to us, from Al-Zubair Abu Abd al-Salam, from Ayub ibn Abdullah al-Fahri, that Ibn Mas’ud said: “Your Lord has neither night nor day. The light of the heavens and the earth comes from His face. And the length of each day in your world is twelve hours. Your deeds from yesterday are presented to Him at the start of the day, and He reviews them for three hours. If He sees something He dislikes, it angers Him. The first to know of His anger are those who carry the Throne. They find it heavy, and they glorify Allah, as do those who carry the Throne, the surroundings of the Throne, the closest angels, and all the other angels.”
This is also mentioned in the Al-Tabarani dictionary in a longer version.
وصحَّ عن السدّي عن مُرَّة عن ابن مسعود، وعن أبي مالك، وأبي صالح عن ابن عباس، وعن مُرَّة عن ناسٍ من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم في قوله: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ} [فصلت/11] إن الله عز وجل كان على عرشه على الماء، ولم يخلق شيئًا قبل الماء … الحديث. وفيه: «فلما فرغ من خلق ما أحب استوى على العرش
It is authentic from Al-Suddi from Murrah from Ibn Mas’ud, and from Abu Malik and Abu Saleh from Ibn Abbas, and from Murrah from a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (Alayhi salatu w salam) regarding the verse: {Then He rose over (Istawâ) towards the heaven} [Fussilat 11], “Indeed, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, was above His Throne above the water, and nothing was created before the water… The narration goes: ‘When He completed the creation of what He willed, He rose above the Throne.’”
ولا يناقض هذا حديث: أول ما خلق الله القلم لوجهين
This does not contradict the hadith: “The first thing Allah created was the pen,” for two reasons:
أحدهما: أن الأولية راجعة إلى كتابته لا إلى خلقه، فإن الحديث: أول ما خلق الله القلم، قال له: اكتب. قال: ما أكتب؟ قال: اكتب ما هو كائن إلى يوم القيامة
The first explanation refers to its writing, not its creation. The hadith says: “The first thing Allah created was the pen, and He said to it: ‘Write.’ It asked: ‘What should I write?’ He replied: ‘Write what will happen until the Day of Judgment.’”
والثاني: أن المراد أول ما خلق الله من هذا العالم بعد خلق العرش، فإن العرش مخلوق قبله في أصح قولي السلف، حكاهما الحافظ عبد القادر الرهاوي
The second explanation is that it was the first creation of this world after the Throne, as the Throne was created before it according to the most authentic opinions of the early scholars, as narrated by Al-Hafiz Abdul Qadir Al-Rahawi.
ويدل على سبق خلق العرش قوله في الحديث الثابت: «قدَّر الله مقادير الخلائق قبل أن يخلق السماوات والأرض بخمسين ألف سنة، وكان عرشه على الماء».
The precedence of the creation of the Throne is supported by the established hadith: “Allah predestined the destinies (Qadr) of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was above the water.”
وقد أخبر أنه حين خلق القلم قدَّر به المقادير كما في اللفظ الآخر: «قال: اكتب. قال: ما أكتب؟ قال: اكتب القدر”. فهذا هو التقدير الموقَّت قبل خلق العالم بخمسين ألف سنة، فثبت أن العرش سابق على القلم، والعرش كان على الماء قبل خلق السماوات والأرض، فأقوال الصحابة لا تناقض ما أخبر به الرسول – صلى الله عليه وسلم
It is also reported that when Allah created the pen, He predestined the fates with it, as stated in another narration: “He said: ‘Write.’ The pen asked: ‘What should I write?’ He said: ‘Write the Qadr.’” This refers to the predestination that occurred fifty thousand years before the creation of the world, thus confirming that the Throne precedes the pen. The Throne was above the water before the creation of the heavens and the earth, so the sayings of the companions do not contradict what the Prophet (alayhi salatu w salam) informed us.
وذكر سُنيد بن داود بإسناد صحيح عنه رضي الله عنه أنه قال: ما بين السماء والأرض مسيرة خمسمائة عام، وما بين كل سماء إلى سماء مسيرة خمسمائة عام، وما بين السماء السابعة إلى الكرسي مسيرة خمسمائة عام، وما بين الكرسي إلى العرش خمسمائة عام، والعرش على الماء والله تعالى على العرش ويعلم أعمالكم
Sunnid ibn Dawood reported with a sound chain of narration that Ibn Mas’ud said: “The distance between the heaven and the earth is a journey of five hundred years, and the distance between each heaven to the next is a journey of five hundred years, and the distance between the seventh heaven and the Kursi is a journey of five hundred years, and the distance between the Kursi and the Throne is five hundred years. The Throne is above the water, and Allah is above the Throne, and He knows your deeds.”
وقال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا أبو معاوية حدثنا الأعمش عن أبي إسحاق عن أبي عبيدة قال: قال عبد الله: ارحم من في الأرض يرحمك من في السماء
Imam Ahmad said: “Abu Muawiya narrated to us, Al-A’mash narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq from Abu Ubaida, that Abdullah said: ‘Have mercy on those on earth, and you will be shown mercy by the One who is above the heavens.’”
وروى أبو القاسم اللالكائي بإسناد صحيح عن خيثمة عن عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: إن العبد ليهم بالأمر من التجارة أو الإمارة حتى إذا تيسر له نظر الله إليه من فوق سبع سماوات فيقول للملائكة: اصرفوه عنه فإنه إن يسرته له أدخلته النار
Abu Al-Qasim Al-Lalaka’i reported with a sound chain of narration from Khaythama from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that a servant will be concerned with something, whether a business or a leadership position. When it becomes easy for him, Allah will look at him from above seven heavens and tell the angels: ‘Divert this from him, for if I ease it for him, I will cast him into the fire.’
وقد سبق نحوه عن ابن عباس مرفوعًا وموقوفًا
A similar narration has been reported from Ibn Abbas, both as a marfu’ and mawquf narration.
وقال حماد بن سلمة عن عطاء بن السائب عن الشعبي عن ابن مسعود قال: إن الله ملأ العرش حتى إن له أطيطًا كأطيط الرحل
رواه حرب عن إسحاق عن آدم بن أبي أياس عن حماد
Hammad ibn Salamah narrated from Ata’ ibn Sa’ib from Ash-Sha’bi from Ibn Mas’ud: “Allah filled the Throne until it creaked like the creaking of a saddle.”
It was narrated by Harb from Ishaq from Adam ibn Abi Iyas from Hammad.
قول مجاهد وأبي العالية
The statement of Mujahid and Abu Al-‘Aliyah
روى البيهقي من طريق شبل عن ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد في قوله عز وجل: {وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيًّا} [مريم/52] قال: بين السماء السابعة وبين العرش سبعون ألف حجاب … فما زال يقرب موسى حتى كان بينه وبينه حجاب [واحد]، فلما رأى مكانه وسمع صريف القلم قال: رب أرني أنظر إليك
Al-Bayhaqi narrated from Shibl from Ibn Abi Najih from Mujahid, regarding the verse {and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him [Mûsâ (Moses)].} [Maryam 52], he said: “Between the seventh heaven and the Throne are seventy thousand veils… And Allah continued to bring Moses closer until there was only one veil between them. When Moses saw his place and heard the sound of the pen, he said: ‘My Lord, show Yourself to me, so that I may look at You.’”
وقال البخاري في «صحيحه» قال أبو العالية: «استوى إلى السماء: ارتفع
Bukhari, in his Sahih, also narrated that Abu Al-‘Aliyah said: “Rising above the heaven means ascending.”
وقال مجاهد: «استوى: علا على العرش
Mujahid said: “Istawa means rising above the Throne.”
وقال مجاهد في قوله تعالى: {فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ … } [مريم/59] قال: هم في هذه الأمة، يتراكبون كما تتراكب الحمر والأنعام في الطرق، ولا يستحيون الناس في الأرض، ولا يخافون الله في السماء
رواه الهيثم بن خلف الدوري في كتاب تحريم اللواط
Mujahid also said regarding the verse {Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salât (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salât (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts.} [Maryam 59]: “These are from this nation, who pile up like donkeys and cattle in the roads, without shame before the people on earth and without fear of Allah [who is] above the heavens.”
This was narrated by Al-Haytham ibn Khalaf Al-Duri in the book Prohibition of Sodomy.
قول قتادة
The statement of Qatadah
قد تقدم ما رواه عثمان الدارمي عنه في كتاب «النقض» قال: «قالت بنو إسرائيل: يا رب أنت في السماء ونحن في الأرض؛ فكيف لنا أن نعرف رضاك من غضبك؟ قال: إذا رضيت عليكم استعملت عليكم خياركم، وإذا غضبت عليكم استعملت عليكم شراركم
It has already been mentioned what was narrated by Uthman Al-Darmi in the book Al-Naqd where he said: “The children of Israel said: ‘O Lord, You are above the heaven and we are on the earth, so how can we know Your pleasure or Your anger?’ Allah said: ‘When I am pleased with you, I will appoint the best among you as your leaders. And when I am angry with you, I will appoint the worst of you as your leaders.’”
وفي «تفسير ابن أبي حاتم» عن قتادة قال: ثم استوى على العرش في يوم الجمعة
In Tafseer Ibn Abi Hatim, Qatadah said: “Then He rose above the Throne on yawm al-jummah (Friday).”
قول عكرمة
The statement of Ikrimah
صحَّ عن إبراهيم بن الحكم عن أبيه عن عكرمة قال: بينما رجل في الجنة فقال في نفسه: لو أن الله يأذن لي لزرعت، فلا يعلم إلا والملائكة على أبوابه فيقولون: سلام عليك، يقول لك ربك: تمنَّيْت شيئًا فقد علمته، وقد بعث معنا البذر، فيقول لك: ابذر. فيخرج أمثال الجبال، فيقول له الرب من فوق عرشه: كل يا ابن آدم؛ فإن ابن آدم لا يشبع وله شاهد مرفوع في صحيح البخاري
It has been authentically narrated from Ibrahim ibn Al-Hakim from his father from Ikrimah that a man in Paradise said to himself: “If Allah allows me, I would plant.” Just then, the angels arrived at his door and said: “Peace be upon you. Your Lord says: ‘You wished for something, and I have known it. We have sent with us the seed.’ He says: ‘Plant.’ And mountains like mountains will grow. Then the Lord from above His Throne says: ‘Eat, O son of Adam, for the son of Adam will never be satisfied.’” This has a supporting narration in Sahih Bukhari.
قول سعيد بن جبير
The statement of Sa’id ibn Jubayr
روي عنه من طرق قال: قحط الناس في زمن ملك من ملوك بني إسرائيل … فقال الملك: ليرسلن الله علينا السماء أو لنؤذينه، فقال جلساؤه: فكيف تقدر وهو في السماء؟ فقال: أقتل أولياءه، فأرسل الله عليهم السماء
It is narrated from him through various chains that there was a drought during the time of a king from the kings of Banu Israel. The king said: “Surely, Allah will send rain upon us, or we will harm Him.” His courtiers replied: “How can you harm Him when He is above?” The king then said: “I will kill His allies (awliya),” and so Allah sent rain upon them.
قول الضحاك
The statement of Al-Dahhak
قد تقدم عنه في قوله تعالى: {مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ} قال: هو على عرشه، وعلمه معهم
It was previously mentioned by Al-Dahhak regarding the verse {There is no Najwâ (secret counsel) of three but He is their fourth (with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven)} [Quran, 58:7], he said: “He is above his Throne, and His knowledge is with them wherever they may be.”
ذكره ابن بطة وابن عبد البر، والعسال في كتاب المعرفة، ولفظه: قال: هو فوق عرشه، وعلمه معهم أينما كانوا
This is narrated by Ibn Batta, Ibn Abd al-Barr, and Al-Asal in the book Al-Ma’rifah, and its wording is: “He is above his Throne, and His knowledge is with them wherever they may be.”
ورواه أحمد: عن نوح بن ميمون عن بُكير بن معروف عن مقاتل عنه ولفظه: هو على العرش، وعلمه معهم أينما كانوا
It was also narrated by Ahmad: from Nuh ibn Maymun, from Bukayr ibn Ma’ruf, from Muqatil, who said: “He is above the Throne, and His knowledge is with them wherever they may be.”
ونقل ابن عبد البر إجماع الصحابة والتابعين على ذلك
Ibn Abd al-Barr narrated that the consensus of the companions and the Tabieen (generation after the sahaba) is on this.
قول محمد بن كعب القُرَظي
The statement of Muhammad ibn Ka’b al-Qurazi
قال عثمان بن سعيد الدارمي: حدثنا عبد الله بن صالح حدثني حرملة بن عمران عن سليمان بن حميد قال: سمعت محمد بن كعب القرظي يحدث عن عمر بن عبد العزيز قال: إذا فرغ الله من أهل الجنة والنار أقبل الله في ظُلَل من الغمام والملائكة، فسلَّم على أهل الجنة في أول درجة، فيردون عليه السلام ــ قال القرظي: وهذا في القرآن: {سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِنْ رَبٍّ رَحِيمٍ} [يس/58] ــ فيقول: سلوني؟ يفعل ذلك بهم في دَرجِهم حتى يستوي على عرشه، ثم تأتيهم التحف من الله تحملها الملائكة إليهم
Uthman ibn Said al-Darimi narrated: Abdullah ibn Salih narrated to us, Harmula ibn Imran narrated to us, from Sulayman ibn Hamid, who said: “I heard Muhammad ibn Ka’b al-Qurazi narrating from Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who said: ‘When Allah has completed the people of Paradise and the people of Hell, Allah will come in a shade of clouds with the angels, and He will greet the people of Paradise in the first level, and they will respond to Him. Al-Qurazi said: ‘This is in the Quran: {(It will be said to them): Salâm (peace be on you) – a Word from the Lord (Allâh), Most Merciful.} [Ya-Sin 58] He will say to them: ‘Ask Me.’ He will continue this with them until He rises above His Throne, and then gifts from Allah will be brought to them by the angels.’”
قول الحسن البصري
The statement of Al-Hasan al-Basri
ذكر الشيخ موفق الدين بن قدامة المقدسي في كتابه «إثبات صفة العلو» عنه بإسناد صحيح قال: سمع يونس عليه السلام تسبيح الحصا والحيتان فجعل يسبح، وكان يقول في دعائه: سيدي، في السماء مسكنك، وفي الأرض قدرتك وعجائبك … إلهي، في الظلمات الثلاث حبستني … فلما كان تمام الأربعين وأصابه الغمّ {فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ} [الأنبياء/87].
Shaykh Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi mentioned in his book Ithbat Sifat al-‘Ala with a authentic chain of narration that Prophet Yunus (alayhi salam) heard the tasbih of the pebbles and the fish, so he also began to glorify Allah. In his supplication, he said: “My Lord, Your dwelling is above the heaven, and Your power and wonders are on the earth… My Lord, in the three layers of darkness, You have confined me…” And when the forty days were completed, and the distress befell him, he said: {But he cried through the darkness (saying): Lâ ilâha illâ Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O, Allâh)], Glorified (and Exalted) be You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]! Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers} [Quran, 21:87].
وقال الحسن: ليس عند ربك شيء أقرب إليه من إسرافيل.
Al-Hasan said: “There is nothing closer to your Lord than Israfil.”
وذكر ابن منده: أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن عمر الوراق حدثنا إسماعيل بن أبي كثير حدثنا مكي بن إبراهيم حدثنا هشام عن الحسن قال: قال الله عز وجل: لما خلقت خلقي واستويت على عرشي كتبت: إن رحمتي سبقت غضبي، ولولا ذلك لهلكوا
Ibn Mundah narrated: “Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Umar al-Warraq informed us, Ismail ibn Abi Kathir narrated to us, Makki ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, and Hisham narrated from Al-Hasan: ‘Allah said: “When I created My creation and rose above My Throne, I wrote: ‘My mercy precedes My anger.’ Were it not for this, they would have perished.’”
قول مسروق
The statement of Masruq
صح عنه أنه كان إذا حدث عن عائشة قال: حدثتني الصديقة بنت الصديق حبيبة حبيب الله المبرأة من فوق سبع سماوات
It is authentically reported from him that when he would narrate from Aisha, he would say: “The truthful one, the daughter of the truthful one, the beloved of the beloved of Allah, the one declared innocent from above the seven heavens.”
قول مقاتل
The statement of Muqatil
قد تقدم قوله في تفسير قوله تعالى: {وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ} [الحديد/4] قال: هو على العرش وهو معهم بعلمه.
ذكره ابن أبي حاتم في «تفسيره».
It has been previously mentioned from him in the interpretation of the verse {And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be.} [Quran, 57:4], he said: “He is above the Throne, and He is with them by His knowledge.”
This was mentioned by Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir.
قول عبيد بن عمير
The statement of Ubayd ibn Umayr
ذكر عبد الله بن أحمد في كتاب «السنة» من رواية حجاج عن ابن جريج عن عطاء عن عبيد بن عمير قال: ينزل الرب عز وجل شطر الليل إلى السماء، فيقول: من يسألني فأعطيه؟ من يستغفرني فأغفر له؟ حتى إذا كان الفجر صعد الرب عز وجل
Abdullah ibn Ahmad narrated in his book Al-Sunnah from Hajjaj from Ibn Jurayj from Ata’ from Ubayd ibn Umayr, who said: “Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the middle of the night and says: ‘Who is asking Me so that I may grant it to him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?’ This continues until dawn, then the Lord (Allah) mighty and exalted ascends.”
قول كعب الأحبار
The statement of Ka’b al-Ahbar
روى أبو الشيخ الأصبهاني في كتاب «العظمة» عنه بإسناد صحيح: أنه أتاه رجل فقال: يا أبا إسحاق حدثني عن الجبار جل جلاله. فأعظم القوم ذلك، فقال كعب: دعوا الرجل، فإنه إن كان جاهلًا تعلم، وإن كان عالمًا ازداد علمًا، ثم قال كعب: أخبرك أن الله خلق سبع سماوات ومن الأرض مثلهن، ثم جعل ما بين كل سماءين كما بين سماء الدنيا والأرض وجعل كثفها مثل ذلك، ثم رفع العرش فاستوى عليه، فما في السماوات سماء إلا لها أطيط كأطيط الرحل في أول ما يرتحل من ثقل الجبار فوقهن
Abu Shaykh al-Asbahani narrated in his book Al-‘Azama with an authentic chain of narration that a man came to Ka’b and said: “O Abu Ishaq, tell me about the Mighty One, Blessed and Exalted.” The people were greatly impressed by this, and Ka’b said: “Leave the man alone, for if he is ignorant, he will learn, and if he is knowledgeable, he will increase his knowledge.” Then Ka’b said: “I inform you that Allah created seven heavens and seven earths like them, then He made the space between each heaven as the distance between the heaven of this world and the earth, and He made their thickness similar. Then He raised the Throne and ascended above it. There is not a single heaven without a creaking, like the creaking of the saddle when it first departs, due to the weight of the Mighty One above them.”
وروى أبو نعيم في كتابه «حلية الأولياء» بإسناده عن كعب الأحبار قال: للذكْر دويٌّ حول العرش كدوي النحل بذكر صاحبه
Abu Nu’aym narrated in his book Hilyat al-Awliya with a sound chain from Ka’b al-Ahbar, who said: “The mention of Allah has a buzzing sound around the Throne, like the buzzing of bees when their companion remembers them.”
وذكر عثمان بن سعيد الدارمي: حدثنا أبو الربيع ثنا جرير بن عبد الحميد عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن عبد الله بن الحارث عن كعب قال: ما نظر الله إلى الجنة إلا قال: طِيبي لأهلك، فزادت طيبًا على ما كانت، وما من يوم كان عيدًا في الدنيا إلا يخرجون في مقداره إلى رياض الجنة … تسفي عليهم الريح بالطيب والمسك، فلا يسألون ربهم شيئًا إلا أعطاهم، فيرجعون إلى أهليهم وقد ازدادوا عما كانوا عليه من الحسن والجمال سبعين ضعفًا
Uthman ibn Said al-Darimi narrated: “Abu al-Rabi’ narrated to us, Jareer ibn Abdul-Hamid narrated to us from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad from Abdullah ibn al-Harith from Ka’b, who said: ‘Whenever Allah looks at Paradise, He says: “Be fragrant for your people,” and it increases in fragrance. There is no day in this world that is a festival except that the people go out to its measure in the gardens of Paradise. The wind blows over them with fragrance and musk, and they do not ask Allah for anything except that He grants it to them. When they return to their families, they will have increased in beauty and elegance seventy times more than they were before.’”
وروى الزهري عن سعيد بن المسيب عن كعب قال: في التوراة: أنا الله فوق عبادي، وعرشي فوق جميع خلقي، وأنا على عرشي أدبِّر أمور عبادي، ولا يخفى عليَّ شيء في السماء ولا في الأرض
رواه أبو الشيخ وابن بطة وغيرهما بإسناد صحيح عنه
Al-Zuhri narrated from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib from Ka’b, who said: “In the Torah: ‘I am Allah, above My servants, and My Throne is above all of My creation. I am above My Throne managing the affairs of My servants, and nothing in the heavens or on the earth is hidden from Me.’”
This was narrated by Abu Shaykh, Ibn Batta, and others with an authentic chain of narration.
وروى أبو نعيم بإسناد صحيح عن كعب قال: قال الله تعالى: أنا فوق عبادي، وعرشي فوق جميع خلقي، وأنا على عرشي أدبر أمر عبادي، لا يخفى عليّ شيء من أمر عبادي في سمائي ولا أرضي، وإن حجبوا عني فلا يغيب عنهم علمي، وإليّ مرجع كل خلقي فأثيبهم بما خفي عليهم من علمي، أغفر لمن شئت منهم بمغفرتي، وأعذب من شئت بعقابي
Abu Nu’aym narrated with an authentic chain of narration from Ka’b, who said: “Allah says: ‘I am above My servants, and My Throne is above all of My creation. I am above My Throne managing the affairs of My servants. Nothing of the affairs of My servants in the heavens or on the earth is hidden from Me. Even if they are veiled from Me, they are not hidden from My knowledge. To Me, all of creation returns, and I reward them for what is hidden from them of My knowledge. I forgive whom I will from among them through My forgiveness, and I punish whom I will through My punishment.’”
قول بشر بن عمر شيخ إسحاق عن جماعة ممن لقيهم من المفسرين
The statement of Bishr ibn ‘Umar, the Sheikh of Ishaq
قال إسحاق بن راهويه: أخبرنا بشر بن عمر قال: سمعت غير واحد من المفسرين يقولون: {الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى} أي: ارتفع.
Ishaq ibn Rahwayh said: “Bishr ibn ‘Umar narrated to us, and I heard many of the interpreters say: {The Most Gracious (Allâh) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).} [Quran, 20:5] meaning that He rose above.”
قول نوف البكالي
The statement of Nuf al-Bakali
روى عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص أنه قال: ذكر لنا أن الله قال للملائكة: ادعوا إليَّ عبادي، فقالوا: يا رب فكيف والسماوات السبع دونهم والعرش فوق ذلك، قال: إنهم إذا قالوا: لا إله إلا الله، فقد استجابوا»، رواه الدارمي عنه
It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As that he said: “It was mentioned to us that Allah said to the angels: ‘Call My servants to Me.’ They said: ‘O Lord, how is that, and the seven heavens are above them and the Throne is above that?’ He said: ‘When they say: ‘There is no god but Allah,’ they have responded.’” Narrated by al-Darimi from him.
قول يحيى بن رافع
The statement of Yahya ibn Raf’ah
قال أبو الشيخ في كتاب العظمة حدثنا الوليد بن أبان حدثنا أبو حاتم حدثنا نعيم بن حماد حدثنا ابن المبارك حدثنا سفيان عن إسماعيل بن أبي خالد عن أبي عيسى: أن ملكًا لما استوى الرب على عرشه سجد فلم يرفع رأسه، ولا يرفعه حتى تقوم الساعة، فيقول: لم أعبدك حق عبادتك
وهذا الإسناد كلهم أئمة ثقات. ورواه أبو أحمد العسال في كتاب المعرفة
وأبو عيسى هو يحيى بن رافع من قدماء التابعين، ذكرناه هنا وإن لم يكن مشهورًا بالتفسير.
Abu Shaykh narrated in Kitab al-‘Azama: “Waleed ibn Aban narrated to us, Abu Hatim narrated to us, Naim ibn Hamad narrated to us, Ibn Mubarak narrated to us, and Sufyan narrated from Ismail ibn Abi Khalid from Abu Isa, who said: ‘An angel, when Allah rose above His Throne, prostrated and did not raise his head, nor will he raise it until the Day of Judgment. He will say: ‘I did not worship You as You deserved to be worshipped.’”
This chain of narrators is composed of trustworthy Imams. It was also narrated by Abu Ahmad al-Asal in his book Al-Ma’rifah.
Abu Isa is Yahya ibn Raf’ah, an early Tabi’i, mentioned here although he is not well known for tafseer.
قول عباس القُمِّي
The statement of Abbas al-Qummi
روى ابن أبي شيبة في كتاب «العرش» بإسناد صحيح عنه قال: بلغني أن داوُد كان يقول في دعائه: [سبحانك] اللهم أنت ربي تعاليت فوق عرشك، وجعلت خشيتك على من في السماوات والأرض
It is narrated by Ibn Abi Shayba in his book Al-‘Arsh with an authentic chain of narration that he said: “I have heard that Dawud (David) used to say in his supplication: ‘Glory is to You, O Allah, You are my Lord, You have rose above Your Throne, and You have made awe of You upon those in the heavens and the earth.’”
قول محمد بن إسحاق الإمام في الحديث والتفسير والمغازي
The statement of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, the Imam in Hadith, Tafsir, and Military Expeditions
قال: بعث الله ملكًا من الملائكة إلى بختنصر قال: هل تعلم يا عدو الله كم بين السماء والأرض؟ قال: لا. قال: بين السماء إلى الأرض مسيرة خمسمائة سنة، وغلظها مثل ذلك ـ وذكر الحديث إلى أن ذكر حملة العرش قال: «وفوقهم العرش عليه ملك الملوك تبارك وتعالى، أي عدو الله فأنت تطلع إلى ذلك، ثم بعث الله عليه البعوضة فقتلته
رواه أبو الشيخ في كتاب «العظمة» بإسناد جيد إلى ابن إسحاق.
He said: “Allah sent an angel to Bakhthanasr. The angel asked: ‘Do you know how far it is between the heaven and the earth?’ He replied: ‘No.’ The angel said: ‘It is a journey of five hundred years from the heaven to the earth, and its thickness is likewise.’ Then he mentioned the bearers of the Throne and said: ‘Above them is the Throne, above which is the King of Kings, Blessed and Exalted.’ The angel said: ‘O enemy of Allah, do you look towards that?’ Then Allah sent a mosquito upon him, which killed him…”
This was narrated by Abu Shaykh in Al-‘Azama with a good chain to Ibn Ishaq.
قول الإمام محمد بن جرير الطبري
The statement of Imam Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
قد تقدم من قوله ما فيه كفاية، وقد قال في «تفسيره» في قوله عز وجل: {ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ الرَّحْمَنُ} [الفرقان/59] أي علا وارتفع
As already mentioned, in his Tafsir on the verse {Then He (Istawâ ) rose over the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). The Most Gracious (Allâh)!} [Quran, 25:59], he said meaning He rose above and ascended.
قول الحسين بن مسعود البغوي محيي السنة الذي أجمعت الأُمة على تلقي تفسيره بالقبول، وقراءته على رؤوس الأشهاد من غير نكير
The statement of Al-Husayn ibn Mas‘ud Al-Baghawi, the Reviver of the Sunnah, whose Tafsir the Ummah has unanimously accepted with approval and has been read publicly before witnesses without objection.
قد أسلفنا قوله عند ذكر أصحاب الشافعي، وإنكاره على من يقول: {الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى} [طه/5] بمعنى استولى، وأن هذا مذهب الجهمية والمعتزلة.
We previously spoke about the view of the people of Ash-Shafi‘i, and his rejection of he who says {The Most Gracious (Allâh) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).} [Quran 20:5] to mean that He took control, which is the view of the Jahmiyyah and Mu’tazilites.
قول أبي عبد الله القرطبي المالكي صاحب التفسير المشهور
Saying of Abu Abdullah al-Qurtubi, the Maliki Scholar and Famous Interpreter of the Quran
قال في قوله تعالى: {الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى} [طه/5]: هذه مسألة الاستواء، وللعلماء فيها كلام. وذكر قول المتكلمين الذين يقولون: إذا وجب تنزيه الباري عن الحيز فمن ضرورة ذلك تنزيهه عن الجهة، فليس بجهة فوق عندهم .. لما يلزم عن المكان والحيِّز من الحركة والسكون، والتغيير والحدوث، قال: هذا قول المتكلمين، ثم قال: وقد كان السلف الأُول رضي الله عنهم لا يقولون بنفي الجهة ولا ينطقون بذلك، بل نطقوا هم والكافة بإثباتها لله، كما نطق كتابه، وأخبرت به رسله، ولم ينكر أحد من السلف الصالح أنه استوى على عرشه حقيقة، وإنما جهلوا كيفية الاستواء، فإنه لا تعلم حقيقته، كما قال مالك: الاستواء معلوم ـ يعني في اللغة ـ والكيف مجهول، والسؤال عن هذا بدعة.
هذا لفظه في «تفسيره» وهو من فقهاء المالكية وعلمائهم
In his commentary on the verse {The Most Gracious (Allâh) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).} [Quran, 20:5], he says: “This is the matter of Istawa (rising over the Throne), and the scholars have discussed it. He mentioned the views of the philosophers who claim that since Allah must be transcendent from being confined to a place, this necessitates His transcendence from direction, so they do not attribute to Him a direction above. This is due to the movement, stillness, change, and becoming that are implied by space and location, they said. This is the view of the philosophers (mutakallimin). Then he said: ‘The early generations of Muslims (salaf), may Allah be pleased with them, did not speak of negating direction, nor did they utter such words. Rather, they, along with all others, affirmed that Allah has a direction above, as His Book states and His messengers conveyed. No one from the pious predecessors denied that He rose over His Throne in reality. What they were unaware of was the exact nature of the rising, for its true essence is unknowable, as Malik said: ‘The rising is known — meaning linguistically — and its howness is unknown, and asking about it is an innovation.’
This is his statement in his Tafsir. He was from the fuqaha (scholars) of the Maliki school and one of its notable figures.”
اجتماع الجيوش الإسلامية (ص379 – 407 ط عطاءات العلم)
This is from the work Ijtima’ al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah (pp. 379-407, published by Atat al-‘Ilm)
Athari Dawah of Oklahoma 
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