established over the Throne.” He says the same concerning coming and descending.

He says: “These acts are not exclusive to bodies; rather, both bodies and accidents can be described in these terms. Thus one says, ‘The fever has come,’ ‘The cold has come,’ and ‘The heat has come,’ and similar expressions.” This is also the position of al-Qādī Abū Bakr, al-Qādī Abū Ya‘lā, and others.

They likewise interpreted in this way what was reported from the early generations, such as al-Awzā‘ī and others, who said concerning the descent: “Allah Himself acts above the Throne.” This was related by al-Qādī ‘Abd al-Wahhāb from al-Qādī Abū Bakr, and was also related from al-Ash‘arī and others, as mentioned in several places in his books. They regard this, however, as belonging to the attributes known through revelation. This is the position of al-Bayhaqī and a group of others, and it is the first of al-Qādī Abū Ya‘lā’s two views.

Everyone who maintains that attributes subject to the Lord’s will do not subsist in Him denies that an act He wills can subsist in Him, whether intransitive or transitive. Those among them who nevertheless affirm a pre-eternal act—such as those who affirm bringing into being and hold this view—say that this pre-eternal act subsists in Him, but not by His will, just as they say concerning His pre-eternal will.

The second view is that these are, as the evidence indicates, acts that subsist in His very essence by His will