The Attributes of God the Creator according to the Muslims (4/5)

5. The Attribute of Sovereignty:

This Attribute is mentioned in the Saying of the Most High, “Say, "Oh Allah! Possessor of the kingdom…"” [Surah Al-`Imran 3: 26]  

Indeed, Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is the King, Sovereign over all things. He is the King of the Visible and Unseen Worlds. Allah (Glorious & Exalted) is the King in the Absolute, Eternal, Infinite sense.   

This Attribute is also mentioned in the Saying of the Most High, “So, Exalted be Allah, the True King, none has the right to be worshipped but Him, the Lord of the Supreme Throne!” [Surah Al-Mu'minoon 23: 116]

Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is the King to Whom belongs the right to command and prohibit in His kingdom. He is the One Who may administer His creation freely, giving orders and acting independently; no one has any preference over Him in doing what He pleases with His kingdom. 
   

He (Noble & Sublime) does what He wills and what He wants according to what His Complete, Ultimate Wisdom requires of Him, as it says in the following Saying of the Most High, “He does what He intends.” [Surah Al-Burooj 85: 16]  

(Mighty & Majestic) is the True, Permanent King. There is no Creator for this universe besides Him, and no Designer for it besides Him (Noble & Sublime).

6. Transcendence (Rising Above):

This Attribute is referenced in the Saying of Allah Most High, “The Most Beneficent (Allah) rose over the Throne.” [Surah Taha 20: 5]    

We should know before all else that the 'rising' of Allah (Glorious & Exalted) over His Throne does not resemble the rising of the created over things, for there is nothing like unto Allah (Glorious & Exalted).    

We should also know that the Throne is one of the greatest of Allah's creations. Allah (Mighty & Majestic) glorified it Himself, and honored it by rising over it; indeed, He is the Lord of the Throne. He says, “Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above all (the lies) they attribute to Him!” [Surah Al-Anbiyaa' 21: 22]   

The rising of Allah Almighty over the Throne means that He (Noble & Sublime) ascends in a special way befitting His Glory and Grandeur. This ascendance is an established fact about Allah Almighty in a real sense.  
  

Allah (Glorious & Exalted) ascends to the Throne in a way befitting Him (Mighty & Majestic). It does not resemble the rising of a human being onto his bed, nor does it resemble ascendancy in astronomy or anything else.  
 

As for those who interpret the rising (istiwaa') as taking possession (istilaa'), these have fallen into gross error, for that is a deviation of the word from its place. It is contrary to that which was agreed upon by the Companions of Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) and those who followed them in truth. Such a false interpretation has corrupt consequences, so no believer should utter it.   

Taking possession of a thing can only be in a case in which there is an opposite. Whichever of the two overcomes the other becomes the possessor of that thing. As such, this interpretation is corrupt and incorrect. May Allah be exalted above the idea of having an opponent to vie with over His kingdom!    

The truth is that the istiwaa' of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) over His Throne is rising and actual ascendancy. It is a rising that befits His Glory and Grandeur, in accord with the Saying of the Most High, “There is none like unto Him.”[Surah Al-Shura 42: 11]   

This is the meaning that is true to the term, for the Holy Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, and the principle in determining the meaning of words in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is that it remains on the exact meaning in the Arabic language.    

When Imam Malik was asked concerning the Verse, “The Most Beneficent (Allah) rose over the Throne.” [Surah Ta-ha 20: 5]: how is the istiwaa'? He replied (may Allah be merciful to him), "The istiwaa' (rising) is known, but the 'how' is unknown; belief is obligatory, and the question about it is innovation (bid`ah)."   

As we have now established, the rising of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) over His Throne is an ascendancy befitting His Glory and Grandeur, and this rising does not resemble the rising of a created human being, onto his bed or otherwise, and that there is nothing like unto Allah Almighty. This now leads us to an important question, which is: Where is Allah?  

Allah (Noble & Sublime) has informed us that He is in the heavens, ascendant over His Throne. The Most High has said, “Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not cause the earth to sink with you, then behold it shakes (as in an earthquake)?” [Surah Al-Mulk 67: 16]    

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) told us that His Lord (Noble & Sublime) is in the heavens. He said, "Do you not believe me, when I am trusted by He Who is in the heavens, and news comes to me morning and evening?" [Reported by Sahih al-Bukhari]    

Indeed, Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) testified to the faith of the slave-girl when she told him that Allah is in the heavens [or: sky].  In Sahih Muslim, Mu’awiyah ibn al-Hakam struck a slave-girl of his, due to some shortcoming in protecting his sheep, but then he regretted it, so he came to Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) asking his permission to set her free. So, Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) called for her and asked her, "Where is Allah?" She replied, "In the sky." He asked, "Who am I?" She replied, "You are the Messenger of Allah." He said, "Set her free, for she is a believer." [Reported by Muslim]

We would like to point out that, in saying that Allah (Noble & Sublime) is in the heavens, we do not mean that He (Mighty & Majestic) is present within the heavens. What we mean is that Allah (Glorious & Exalted) is above the heavens. He is High above His creation, not connected to them, and that His Ascendancy (Noble & Sublime) is that of Being, Position, Honor, and Force; indeed, it is one of His Essential Attributes.    

What we have said can be confirmed in the Holy Quran and the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).    

What we have indicated can be clarified by Allah's Words in the story of the Pharoah, when he said to those who believed Moses (Musa, peace be upon him) in the Quran, “…and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees…” [Surah Ta-ha 20: 71]   

In this Verse, Pharoah threatens those who believed in the God of Moses (peace be upon him) that he would crucify them on the trunks of palm trees, but not in them, since the preposition, "fi," in the Noble Verse gives the meaning, "on," [though its more common meaning is "in"]. 

(Continued)