the praises of their Lord.’ And His words:

‘Then He turned towards heaven and fashioned them into seven heavens.’

And His words:

‘Then He turned towards heaven while it was smoke.’

He thus stated that He rose over the Throne. You must therefore say that, during the period when the Throne existed before the creation of the heavens and the earth, Allah did not have control over it. For, according to you, ‘then He rose over the Throne’ means that He took control of it. Thus, by your claim, He took control of it only at that time, not before it.’

It has been narrated from ‘Imrān ibn Husayn that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

‘Accept the glad tidings, O Banū Tamīm!’ They said, ‘You have given us glad tidings; now give us something.’

He said, ‘Accept the glad tidings, O people of Yemen!’ They said, ‘We accept them. Tell us, then, how all this began.’

He said, ‘Allah was before all things, His Throne was upon the water, and He recorded in the Tablet the account of everything.’

It has also been narrated from Abū Razīn al-‘Uqaylī—whose questions pleased the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that he said:

‘O Messenger of Allah, where was our Lord before He created the heavens and the earth?’

He said, ‘In a cloud, with air above it and air beneath it.’

It may then be asked: ‘Tell me how He rose over the Throne. Is it as when one says, “So-and-so settled upon the couch,” so that the couch encompasses that person alone when he is upon it? You must then say that the Throne encompasses Allah alone when He is upon it, for we cannot conceive of one thing being upon another except in this way.’