“Abū al-ʿAlāʾ”—meaning al-Hamdānī—who said: We were informed by “Abū Jaʿfar,” the hadith master, who said: I heard “Abū al-Maʿālī al-Juwaynī” when he was asked about the words of the Most High:

“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne (5).” [Tā Hā: 5]

He said: “Allah existed when there was no Throne,” and began to flounder in his speech. So I said: “Sir, we already know