—glory be to Him—for He is not described by these attributes from eternity, and it is impossible for anything that comes into being to subsist in His essence.

As for our report that he said, ‘Among the attributes established through revelation are such-and-such,’ he may have meant attributes of action, or he may have meant attributes known through transmitted reports, for which there is no explanation beyond what the report itself provides.”

He said:

“The teacher Abū Bakr—meaning Ibn Fūrak—said that some of our companions hold that rising over the Throne is an attribute known through revelation, in which reason has no role. The same applies to being above. One must suspend judgment on this [until] a report explaining its meaning is received.

He said that this is the position of the imams of the early generations. It has been reported that Umm Salama said, ‘Rising over the Throne is established, without specifying how.’ This is the position of Mālik ibn Anas, al-Awzā‘ī, and other imams. Our teacher related