and whatever falls under the same principle; we do not introduce into the religion of God anything for which He has granted no permission, nor do we speak of God without knowledge. We maintain that God will come on the Day of Resurrection, just as He—majestic is He—has said: “And your Lord will come, and the angels, rank upon rank” (al-Fajr 22).

Likewise, God draws near to His servants in whatever manner He wills, as He has said: “We are nearer to him than his jugular vein” (Qāf 16); and as He has said: “Then He drew near and descended, until He was two bow-lengths away or even closer” (al-Najm 8–9).

He went on to say: “We shall advance proofs for what we have set forth of our doctrine, and for what remains unmentioned, chapter by chapter.”

He then discussed the fact that God will be seen and produced evidence for it; next he dealt with the Qur’an’s being uncreated and cited proofs; after that he addressed those who suspend judgment about the Qur’an, saying, “I do not say it is created, nor do I say it is uncreated,” and he refuted them.

[Al-Ashʿarī’s statement on the divine istiwāʾ over the Throne]

He continued: “A chapter on mentioning the istiwāʾ over the Throne.”

If someone were to ask, “What do you say about istiwāʾ?” it would be said to him: God is established over His Throne just as He said: “The All-Merciful rose over the Throne” (Tā Hā 5). God has also said: “To Him ascends good speech, and righteous action He elevates” (Fāṭir 10); and: “Rather, God raised him up to Himself” (al-Nisāʾ 158); and: “He directs the affair from heaven to earth, then it ascends to Him” (al-Sajdah 5). And the Most High has reported Pharaoh as saying: “O Hāmān, build me a tower that I may reach the pathways—the pathways of the heavens—so that I may look upon the God of Moses, for indeed I think he is a liar” (Ghāfir 36–37)—thus he accused Moses of lying regarding