From Abu Hurairah (radiyAllahu anhu) from the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam), who said: “Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger, establishes the prayer and fasts the month of Ramadan will rightfully be granted Paradise by Allah, no matter whether he fights in Allah’s cause or remains in the land where he is born.” The people said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Shall we inform the people with this good news?” He said, “Paradise has one-hundred levels which Allah has reserved for the Mujaahideen who fight in His cause, and the distance between each of two levels is like the distance between the Heaven and the Earth. So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-Firdaws which is the middle-most and highest part of Paradise. Above it is the Throne of ar-Rahman, and from it originate the rivers of Paradise.”
Al-Bukhaaree said towards the end of his Saheeh: Chapter: His, the Mighty and Majestic’s saying, “And His Throne was over the water”, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
And Mujaahid said, “Istiwaa, meaning ‘alaa, rose over the Throne.”
The hadeeth of Aa’ishah that Ibn Abbaas came to her whilst she was dying, so he said to her:
You were the most beloved of the women of the Messenger of Allah and he would not love except that which was tayyib (good) and Allah sent down the declaration of your innocence from above the seven heavens. Uthmaan ad-Daarimee brought this in “ar-Radd ‘alaa al-Mareesee” and in “ar-Radd ‘Alaa al-Jahmiyyah” and its isnaad is saheeh upon the conditions of Muslim.
From Masrooq, that whenever he narrated from Aa’ishah, would say:
As-Siddeeqah [Aa’ishah] Bint as-Siddeeq [Abu Bakr] narrated to me, the beloved [Aa’ishah] of the beloved [the Prophet] of Allaah, the one who was declared innocent from above the seven heavens. Its isnaad is saheeh. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” adh-Dhahabi, p. 128)
The hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed [al-Khudree], who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:
Do you not trust me whereas I am the trustworthy one of He who is above the heaven? The khabar (news) [from] the heaven comes to me morning and evening. (Agreed upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
The Hadeeth of Anas that Zaynab bin Jahsh used to boast to the wives of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam), she would say: Your households gave you in marriage, and Allah gave me in marriage from above the seven heavens.
And in a wording, she used to say: Indeed, Allah married me [to the Prophet] from above the heaven. And in a word, that he said to the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam):
Ar-Rahman married me to you from above His Throne. This hadeeth is saheeh, it was related by Al-Bukhari.
Al-Hasan bin Uthmaan informed us, saying: Alee bin Muhammad bin az-Zubayr informed us, saying: Ibraaheem bin Abil-Anbas narrated to us, saying: Ya’laa bin Ubayd narrated to us from Sufyaan from Abu Haashim from Mujaahid, who said: It was said to Ibn Abbaas, “There are some people who speak with [the rejection] of al-Qadr!” So he said:
They reject the Book. If I was to grab the neck of one of them, I would break it. Indeed Allah the Mighty and Majestic was above His Throne before He created anything, then He created the creation. So He wrote whatever would happen until the Day of Judgement and indeed the people proceed upon an affair that has already been concluded. (Sharh Usool il-I’tiqaad Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah of al-Laalikaa’ee p.439)
From Mujaahid who said: It was said to Ibn Abbaas, “There are some people who speak with [the rejection] of al-Qadr!” So he said: They reject the Book. If I was to grab the hair of one of them, I would have taken them by the forelock. Indeed Allah the Mighty and Majestic was above His Throne before He created anything, then He created the creation. So He wrote whatever would happen until the Day of Judgement and indeed the people proceed upon an affair that has already been concluded. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabi, p. 95)
Ka’b al-Ahbaar
From Ka’b al-Ahbaar who said:
Allah, the Mighty and Majestic said in the Torah: I am Allah, above My servants and My Throne is above all of My creation, and I am above My Throne, I regulate the affairs of My servants. Nothing in the heavens or in the earth is hidden from Me.” It is reported by the thiqaat. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabi, p. 128)
Ayyub as-Sakhtiyaani
And Abul-Qasim Sulayman bin Ahmad at-Tabarani brings in “Kitaab us-Sunnah”, as does adh-Dhahabi in “Mukhtasar al-Uluww” (p.132-133) from al-Abbaas bin Fudayl al-Asfaatee from Sulayman bin Harb who said: I heard Hammaad bin Zayd (b. 98H, d. 179H) (saying): I heard Ayyub as-Sakhtiyaani (d. 131H), the Mu’tazilah were mentioned, so he said: “The central axis of the Mu’tazilah is that they want to say there is nothing above the heaven”.
And adh-Dhahabi, in his “Mukhtasar al-Uluww” commented on this saying:
This isnaad is like the sun in its clarity and like a pillar in its affirmation from the head and scholar of the people of Basrah (i.e. Hammaad bin Zayd). (Adh-Dhahabi in “Mukhtasar al-Uluww” p.132-133)
Abee Habeeb
‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Muhammad bin Habeeb bin Abee Habeeb on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather [who] said:
I witnessed Khaalid bin ‘Abdullah al-Qasree – and he addressed them at Waasit – “Oh People, make sacrifice, may Allah accept it from you. Verily I am sacrificing al-Ja’d bin Dirham, for indeed he claims that Allah did not take Ibrahim as a khaleel (close friend), and [that] He did not speak to Moosa. Most Perfect is He and exalted is He from what al-Ja’d says.” Then he descended and slaughtered him.
I say: And the Jahmiyyah and Mu’tazilah speak with this, and they distort the text of the revelation regarding that, and they claim that the Lord is purified from that [i.e.from having spoken to Moses and taken Ibrahim as a khalil]. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabi, p. 133)
Al-Asma’ee
It has reached us that he [Al-Asma’ee, the Sunni orthodox linguist] said:
The wife of Jahm [bin Safwaan] came and a man said in her presence, “Allah is above His Throne”, so she said, “One mahdood (confined, limited, bounded thing) upon another mahdood.” Al-Asma’ee said, “She is a disbeliever by this statement (of hers)”. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee p. 170)
Ibn Jurayj
Abu Haatim ar-Raazee reported from al-Ansaaree from Ibn Jurayj (Shaykh of al-Haram, and the Muftee of the Hijaaz, d. 150H, rahimahullah) [that he] said:
His Throne was above the water before He created the creation. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee, p. 137)
Muqaatil bin Hayyaan
Al-Bayhaqee narrates with his isnaad from Muqaatil bin Hayyaan (the Scholar of Khurasaan, d. before 150H), [that] he said: It has reached us – and Allah knows best – regarding His, the Most High’s saying, “He is al-Awwal and al-Aakhir …”, that He is the first, before every thing and He is the Last, after everything, and adh-Dhaahir, above everything, and al-Baatin, closest to everything, and his closeness (qurb) is with His knowledge and He (Himself) is above the Throne.
This Muqaatil is “thiqah (trustworthy)”, and an Imaam, a contemporary of al-Awzaa’ee, and he is not “Ibn Sulaymaan” for that one is a “mubdati’ (innovator)” and he is not trustworthy. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee p. 139)
Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal narrated in the book of his “as-Sunnah” from his father, from Nuh bin Maymoon from Bukayr bin Ma’roof from Muqaatil bin Hayyaan, regarding His, the Most High’s, saying, “There is no secret gathering of three except that He is the fourth…”, that he said:
He is above His Throne and His knowledge is with them.
Also reported by Abu Daawud in His “Masaa’il” from Imaam Ahmad, and also by al-Laalikaa’ee and al-Aajurree.
al-Awzaa’ee
Abu Amr Abdur-Rahmaan bin Amr al-Awzaa’ee, the Scholar of ash-Shaam in his time (d. 157H)
Abu Abdullaah al-Haakim reported from al-Awzaa’ee: We – whilst the Taabi’oon (Successors) were widespread – used to say, “Indeed, Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, is above His Throne, and we believe in whatever has been mentioned in the Sunnah of His Attributes. (Al-Bayhaqi related it in his book, “al-Asmaa was-Sifaat” p. 408)
And Abu Ishaaq ath-Tha’labee, the Mufassir said:
Al-Awzaa’ee was asked regarding His, the Most High’s saying: “Then He ascended over the Throne”, so he said: “He is over His Throne, just as He described Himself.” And al-Waleed bin Muslim asked the Imaam, Abu Amr al-Awzaa’ee about the ahaadeeth of the Attributes and he said:
“Pass them on just as they have come”.
And also from the speech of this Imaam [is]: Upon you is [to follow] the tracks of those (Salaf) who have preceded, even if the people reject you, and beware of the opinions of men even if they beautify it for you with speech. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee, p. 127)
Malik bin Anas
Malik bin Anas said: “Allāh is above the heavens and His knowledge is everywhere.” (al-’Arsh 2/180)
Ibn Abi Shaybah
Muhammad Ibn Uthman Ibn Abi Shaybah Jareer ad-Dabbee, the Muhaddith of ar-Rayy (d. 188H)
Yahyaa bin al-Mugheerah said: I heard Jareer bin Abdul-Hameed saying:
The speech of the Jahmiyyah, its beginning is honey and its end is poison. They are attempting to say, “There is no deity above the heaven.”
The likes of this has preceded from Hammaad bin Zayd. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee p. 151)
Abbaad bin al-Awwaam:
I spoke to Bishr al-Mareesee and his associates, and I saw that the final (part) of their speech ends up with them saying there is nothing above the heaven, and I hold that they are not to be married into, and nor should inheritance (be given to them or taken from them). (adh-Dhahabee in “Mukhtasar al-Uluww” p.154)
Muhammad bin Hammaad:
I heard Wahb bin Jareer saying: “Beware of the opinion of Jahm, for they are trying (to say) that there is nothing above the Heaven, and this is nothing but the inspiration of Iblees, it is nothing but kufr”. (Adh-Dhahabi in “Mukhtasar al-Uluww” p. 170)
Ibn Mahdee
More than one (person) has narrated, with a saheeh isnaad from Abdur-Rahmaan – about whom Alee bin al-Madeenee says, “Haafidh of the Ummah, if I was to take oath between the corner (of the ka’bah) and the maqam (of Ibraaheem), I would have taken oath that I have not seen (anyone) more knowledgeable than Ibn Mahdee – [that he, Ibn Mahdee] said:
The companions of Jahm are desiring to say: “Allah did not speak to Moses” and they are desiring to say, “There is nothing above the heaven”, and that “Allah is not above His Throne”. I consider that their repentance be sought, so either they repent or they are to be killed (their necks are to be struck).” (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee, p. 169)
al-Muzanee
‘Amr bin Tamim al-Makki said: I heard Muhammad bin Isma’il al-Tirmidhi [who] said:
I heard al-Muzanee (who was the student of ash Shafiy) saying, “The Tawhid of any [person] is not valid, sound until he knows that Allah the Exalted is over His Throne, with His attributes.” I said to him, “Like what?” He said, “Hearing, seeing, knowing.” (Narrated by dhahabi in siyar and before by Ibn Mindah in tarikh)
Muhammad bin Mus’ab al-Aabid
Abu al-Hasan Alee ad-Daraqutnee (d. 385H), brings in his “Kitaab us-Sifaat, with his chain of narration:
Muhammad bin Makhlad narrated to us: Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Umar bin al-Hakam Abu al-Hasan al-Ataa said: I heard Muhammad bin Mus’ab al-Aabid saying:
“Whoever claims that You do not speak and will not be seen in the Hereafter, then He is a kaafir (disbeliever) in Your Face, and he does not know you. I bear witness that You are above the Throne, above the seventh heaven and it is not as your enemies, the zanaadiqah (heretics) say.”
Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Firyaabee
[al-Bukhaaree narrates from] Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Firyaabee (d. 212H) [that he] said:
Whoever says Allah is not above His Throne is a kafir and whoever claims that Allah did not speak to Moses is a kafir. (“Khalq Af’aal il-Ibaad” of al-Bukhaaree p. 15)
And Muhammad bin Yusuf is the Shaykh of al-Bukhaaree, and he was from ash-Shaam.
From Saalih bin ad-Darees who said: Abdullah began beating the head of a relative of his who held the view of Jahm. So I saw him beating him on his head with a sandal whilst saying, “No (I will not stop), (not) until you say Ar-Rahmaan ascended above the Throne, separate and distinct from His creation (ar-Rahmaanu ‘alal-arsh istawaa, baa’inun min khalqihi).” (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee, p. 172)
Al-Qa’nabee, student of Imam Malik (d. 221H)
Banaan bin Ahmad said:
We were with Al-Qa’nabee (rahimahullaah) and he heard a man amongst the Jahmiyyah saying: “ar-Rahmaan ‘alal Arsh istawlaa” (ar-Rahmaan conquered the Throne). So Al-Qa’nabee said:
Whoever does not hold with certain belief that ar-Rahmaan indeed ascended over the Throne as it occurs and is settled in the hearts of the ‘awwam (normal folks) is a Jahmee. Abdul-Azeez al-Qaheetee related this in both of his works.
And the intent behind the “generality (of the people)”, is the generality of the people of knowledge, as we explained in the biography of Yazeed bin Haaroon, the Imaam of the people of Waasit. And Al-Qa’nabee was from the Imaams of guidance, until some of the Huffaadh exaggerated in him and made him superior to Maalik [bin Anas], the Imam. He (Al-Qa’nabee) died in 221H at some eighty odd years of age, and he is the greatest of the Shaykhs of Muslim [the compiler of hadeeth], absolutely. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabi p. 178)
Hishaam bin Ubaydullaah ar-Raazee, the Scholar of ar-Rayy (d. 221H)
Ibn Abee Haatim said: Alee bin al-Hasan bin Yazeed as-Sullamee narrated to us: I heard my father saying:
I heard Hishaam bin Ubaydullaah ar-Raazee – and a man had been imprisoned for tajahhum (harboring the views of Jahm bin Safwaan) and he had repented. So he was brought to be examined. He (Hishaam) said to him, “Do you testify that Allaah is above His Throne, separate and distinct from His creation (baa’inun min khalqihi)?” He said, “I do not know what is ‘baa’inun min khalqihi’”. So he (Hishaam) said, “Send him back (to prison) for he has not repented.
Hishaam bin Ubaydullaah died in 221H. Aasim bin Alee, the Shaykh of al-Bukhaaree, (d. 221H)
Aasim bin Alee bin Aasim al-Waasitee
We have reported from Aasim bin Alee bin Aasim al-Waasitee, [that] he said: I debated a Jahmee and it became clear from his speech that he does not believe there is a Lord above the heaven.
I say: Aasim was a haafidh (memorizer), from the vessels of knowledge, truthful. He carried (knowledge) from Shu’bah, Ibn Abee Dhi’b and a portion of others. Al-Khateeb mentions in his biography that [the caliph] al-Mu’tasim appointed a person to estimate the gathering of this Aasim in the open space of the grand mosque of ar-Rasaafah, and he used to sit on the roof of the open space, and the people used to sit in the open space and what was after it. So one occasion the gathering was very large until he had to say, “Al-Layth bin Sa’d narrated to us …” fourteen times as the people could not hear due to their large number. And the scribe Haaroon (writing from Aasim’s dictation) would gather (from) date-palm trees, writing on them. So they estimated the gathering and it was 120,000. And Yahyaa bin Ma’een said, “Aasim bin Alee is the leader of the Muslims”. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee, p. 179 -181)
Sunayd bin Daawood
Abu Haatim ar-Raazee said: Abu Imraan at-Tarsoosee narrated to us, saying: I said to Sunayd bin Daawood, “Is He, the Mighty and Majestic, above His Throne, separate and distinct from His creation (baa’inun min khalqihi)? He said, “Yes.”
I (adh-Dhahabee) say: Sunayd has a large tafseer and I have seen all of it with the asaaneed (chains of narration). And his madhhab in the Attributes (of Allaah) is the madhhab of the Salaf. He died in 226H. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabi, p. 183)
Ahmad bin Hanbal
So Yoosuf bin Moosaa al-Qattaan, the Shaykh of Abu Bakr al-Khallaal, said: It was said to Abu Abdullah (Ahmad bin Hanbal):
“Allah is above the seventh heaven, over His Throne, separate and distinct (baa’in) from His creation, and His power and knowledge are in every place?” He said:
Yes, He is over His Throne, and nothing escapes His knowledge. (Adh-Dhahabi’s “Mukhtasar al-Uluww” p. 189)
Abdullah Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ishaaq bin Raahawaih and Harb bin Ismaa’eel al-Kirmaanee
Ishaaq bin Raahawaih, the Scholar of Khurasaan (d. 237H) Harb bin Ismaa’eel al-Kirmaanee (d. 280H) said: I said to Ishaaq bin Raahawaih, “His, the Most High’s saying, ‘There is no secret gathering of three, except that He is the fourth…’, how do we speak regarding it? He said: Wherever you may be, He is closer to you than your jugular vein, but He is separate and distinct from His creation (baa’inun min khalqihi) Then he (Ishaaq) mentioned from [Abdullah] Ibn al-Mubaarak (d. 181H), his saying:
He is over His Throne, separate and distinct from His creation (baa’inun min khalqihi). Then he (Ishaaq) said:
The most apparent and manifest thing in that regard is His, the Most High’s saying: ar-Rahmaan ascended above the Throne (Taha 20/5)
It was reported by al-Khallaal in “as-Sunnah” from Harb. (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabee, p. 191)
Qutaybah bin Sa’eed
Abu Ahmad al-Haakim and Abu Bakr an-Naqqaash, the Mufassir, and the wording is his: Abu al-Abbaas as-Siraaj said: I heard Qutaybah bin Sa’eed saying:
This is the saying of the Imaams (leading scholars) of Islaam, the Sunnah, and the Jamaa’ah: “We know our Lord to be above the seventh heaven, above His Throne, just as He, lofty is His Majesty, said, “Ar-Rahmaan ascended above the Throne”.
And thus has Moosaa bin Haaroon narrated from Qutaybah, that he said: We know our Lord (to be) above the seventh heaven, above His Throne.
And this Qutaybah, with his Imaamship (in the religion) and his truthfulness has narrated the Ijmaa’ (unanimous consensus) on the issue. And he had met Maalik, and al-Layth and Hammaad bin Zayd and the Kibaar (amongst the early Salaf) (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of Imaam adh-Dhahabee, p. 187)
Ibn Abee Shaybah
Al-Haafidh Abu Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Uthmaan bin Muhammad bin Abee Shaybah al-Abasee, the Muhaddith of al-Kufah in his time – and there is some speech made regarding him – he authored a book regarding the Throne, so he said (therein):
They mentioned that the Jahmiyyah say: “There is no veil between Allah and His creation”, and they rejected the Throne, and that Allah is above it. They said, “He is in every place”. So the Scholars explained (the verse), “He is with you…” to mean “His knowledge [is with you]”. Then the reports that Allah created the Throne and rose over it were transmitted through tawaatur [large-scale transmission]. So He is above the Throne, free [of being merged] with any of His creation, separate and distinct (baa’in) from them.
Abu Ja’far died in the year 297H and he met Ahmad bin Yunus and his generation (of Scholars). (“Mukhtasar al-Uluww” of adh-Dhahabi p. 220)