is above His seven heavens, upon His Throne, as His Book declares in His words:

‘Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne.’”

He cited several verses concerning this, for Allah mentions it in seven places in the Quran. He said:

“The scholars of hadith affirm concerning this what Allah Most High has affirmed. They believe in it and accept as true what the Lord, majestic in His glory, has reported. They speak of His rising over His Throne as Allah, glorified be He, has spoken of it. They accept it according to its apparent meaning, entrust knowledge of it to Allah Most High, and

‘say, “We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord.” And none will take heed except those of understanding.’”

He related through two chains of transmission that Mālik ibn Anas was asked about His words:

“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.”

“How did He rise over it?”

He replied: “Rising over the Throne is not unknown; its manner cannot be comprehended. Belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation. I consider you nothing but misguided.” He then ordered that the man leave the gathering.

He also related, through his established chain of transmission, that ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak said: “We know our Lord to be above His seven heavens, distinct from His creation. We do not say, as the Jahmiyyah say, that He is here”—and he pointed towards the earth.

He said: “Abū ‘Abd Allāh al-Hāfiz—meaning the hadith master—informed us in his History, which he compiled for the people of Naysābūr, and in his Knowledge of the Foundations of Hadith, two works the like of which no one had previously produced. He said: ‘I heard Abū Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Sālih ibn Hāni’ say: I heard Imam Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishāq ibn Khuzaymah say: “Whoever does not acknowledge that Allah is upon His Throne and has