the question of Allah’s being above creation” and affirmed that Allah Most High is above His Throne. Every leading scholar of hadith, jurisprudence, the Sunnah, and Sufism who followed al-Shāfi‘ī has well-known statements concerning this subject, too numerous to recount here.

In the book al-Fiqh al-Akbar (The Greater Understanding), famously transmitted from Abū Hanīfah through chains of narration from Abū Mutī‘ al-Hakam ibn ‘Abd Allāh, the latter said: “I asked Abū Hanīfah about al-Fiqh al-Akbar, and he replied: ‘Never declare anyone a disbeliever because of a sin.’” Later, concerning someone who says, “I do not know whether my Lord is in heaven or on earth,” he said: “He has disbelieved, because Allah says:

‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.’

And His Throne is above the seven heavens.”

I said: “What if he says, ‘He is above the Throne, but I do not know whether the Throne is in heaven or on earth’?”

He replied: “He is a disbeliever. And Allah is invoked as being above, not below.”

‘Alī ibn al-Madīnī was asked about Allah’s words:

“There is no private conversation among three but He is their fourth,” and the rest of the verse.

He replied: “Read what precedes it:

‘Do you not see that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth?’ and the rest of the verse.”

It is reported that Abū ‘Īsā al-Tirmidhī said: “He is above the Throne, as He described in His Book, and His knowledge, power, and authority are everywhere.”

When Abū Yūsuf learned that al-Marīsī denied the attributes known through revelation and denied that Allah is above His Throne, he intended to beat him, but al-Marīsī fled. He therefore gave his companion a brutal beating. The statements of Abū Hanīfah’s followers concerning this subject are beyond counting.