And the imam and spiritual master Maʿmar ibn Ahmad al-Asbahānī, a shaykh of the Sufis in the late fourth century AH, before al-Qushayrī, said in a treatise of his: “I wished to counsel my companions with an exhortation drawn from the Sunnah and an admonition drawn from wisdom, and to bring together the teachings followed by the people of hadith and transmitted reports and the people of spiritual knowledge and Sufism, both earlier and later generations.”

He said in it: “And Allah rose over His Throne, without specifying how, without likening Him to creation, and without reinterpretation. His rising over the Throne is understood, but how it is remains unknown. He, mighty and majestic, is over His Throne, distinct from His creation, and creation is distinct from Him, without indwelling, intermingling, mixing, or contact. For He is the Unique, distinct from creation, the One, who has no need of creation.

“Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Aware. He speaks, is pleased, is displeased, laughs, and marvels. He will reveal Himself to His servants on the Day of Resurrection, laughing. Every night He descends to the lowest heaven however He wills, saying, ‘Is there anyone calling upon Me, that I may answer him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may seek forgiveness for him? Is there anyone repenting, that I may accept his repentance?’ This continues until dawn breaks. The Lord’s descent to