ibn Abī Sālih—at the gathering of the emir ‘Abd Allāh ibn Tāhir. The emir asked me about the reports concerning the descent, and I recounted them. Ibrāhīm then said, ‘I disbelieve in a Lord who descends from one heaven to another.’

“I replied, ‘I believe in a Lord who does whatever He wills.’ ‘Abd Allāh approved of my words and rebuked Ibrāhīm.”

He said: “This is the gist of the account.”

Abū Ismā‘īl al-Ansārī related through his chain of transmission from Harb al-Kirmānī, who said:

“Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm said: It is not permissible to delve into matters concerning Allah Most High as one may delve into the actions of created beings, for He, Most High, says:

‘He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.’ (al-Anbiyā’: 23)

No one may form imagined notions of Allah Most High concerning His attributes and actions—meaning, as we do concerning created beings. Reflection and contemplation are permissible only concerning created beings. For it is possible for Allah to be described as descending every night, after a third of the night has passed, to the lowest heaven, as He wills. One must not ask, ‘How does He descend?’ For the Creator does whatever He wills, however He wills.

It was also related from Harb that Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm said: There is no describing the descent.”

[Al-Khallāl’s statement in his book The Sunnah]

Abū Bakr al-Khallāl said in his book The Sunnah:

“Yūsuf ibn Mūsā informed me that Abū ‘Abd Allāh—meaning Ahmad ibn Hanbal—was asked, ‘Do the people of Paradise look upon their Lord, Mighty and Majestic, and speak to Him, and does He speak to them?’

“He replied, ‘Yes. He looks at them, and they look at Him; He speaks to them, and they speak to Him, however He wills and whenever He wills.’”

He said: “And ‘Abd Allāh ibn Hanbal informed me, saying: My father, Hanbal ibn