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that He is in heaven, established over His Throne.” He said: “Heaven, by universal agreement, is not on earth. This indicates that He, Mighty and Majestic, is unique in His oneness, established over His Throne, as He has described Himself.”
He said: “He, glorified be He, said, ‘And your Lord comes, with the angels rank upon rank’ {22} [al-Fajr 22]. He, Mighty and Majestic, said, ‘Are they waiting for anything but that Allah should come to them in canopies of clouds?’ [al-Baqarah 210].”
These are the two verses Ahmad cited in support of Ibn al-Mubārak’s statement in the other report.
He said: “He, glorified be He, said, ‘O Jesus, I will take you and raise you to Myself’
أنه في السماء مستو على عرشه قال والسماء بإجماع الناس ليست في الأرض فدل على أنه عز وجل منفرد بوحدانيته مستو على عرشه كما وصف نفسه قال وقال سبحانه وَجَاء رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفّاً صَفّاً
{٢٢}
[الفجر ٢٢]
وقال عز وجل هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ
[البقرة ٢١٠]
وهاتان الآيتان هما اللتان احتج بهما أحمد على قول ابن المبارك في الرواية الأخرى قال وقال سبحانه يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ