Imam Abū ‘Uthmān Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān al-Sābūnī al-Naysābūrī said in his book al-Risālah fī al-Sunnah (The Epistle on the Sunnah):

“The scholars of hadith believe and testify that Allah is above His seven heavens, upon His Throne, as His Book declares. The scholars of the Muslim community and the leading figures of its early generations have not differed over Allah Most High being upon His Throne and His Throne being above His heavens.”

He said:

“Our imam, Abū ‘Abd Allāh al-Shāfi‘ī, cited in his book al-Mabsūt, when discussing the freeing of a believing slave as expiation and the invalidity of fulfilling an expiation by freeing an unbelieving slave, the report that ‘Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam wished to free a black slave woman as expiation. He asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about freeing her. The Prophet tested her to determine whether she was a believer, asking her: “Where is your Lord?” She pointed towards heaven, and he said: “Free her, for she is a believer.”’ Thus, he judged her to be a believer when she acknowledged that her Lord was in heaven and recognized her Lord by His attribute of being high and above.”

The hadith master Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī said:

“Chapter on Rising over the Throne”

Allah Most High said:

“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.”

“Then He rose over the Throne.”

“He is the Subduer, above His servants.”

“They fear their Lord above them.”

“To Him good words ascend, and righteous deeds raise them.”

“Do you feel secure from Him who is in heaven?”

What is meant is He who is above heaven, just as He said:

“I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees.”

Here, fī (“in”) means “on the trunks of palm trees.” He also said:

“Travel freely throughout the land.”

That is, upon the land. Everything that is above is termed samā’ (heaven), and the Throne is the highest of the heavens. Thus, the verse means: “Do you feel secure from Him who is upon the Throne?”—as He explicitly stated in the other verses.

He said: