rose over the Throne, or that one may not say, “He is established over it.” If one of these people is told that Allah says in another verse:

“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne.” [Al-A‘rāf 54]

And that He says:

“Allah is the One who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see, then rose over the Throne.” [Al-Ra‘d 2]

He is left bewildered. Similarly, it is related that ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd said to Abū ‘Amr ibn al-‘Alā’: “I would like you to read this passage—‘And Allah spoke directly to Moses’ {164} [Al-Nisā’ 164]—in such a way that Moses is the one who spoke to Allah, and the wording does not indicate that Allah spoke to anyone.”

He replied: “Then what would you do with His words, ‘And when Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him’ [Al-A‘rāf 143]?”