“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne” (Q 20:5). We do not venture ahead of Allah with our words; rather, we say, “He rose over (the Throne) in a manner unknown to us,” and we affirm that He has two hands, as He said, “I created you with My two Hands” (Q 38:75). We affirm that He descends to the lowest heaven just as the hadith states.

Then he said: “The Muʿtazilah claim that His rising over the Throne means that He took possession and subdued; they interpret ‘hand’ as ‘favor,’ and His statement, ‘sailing under Our eyes’ (Q 54:14) to mean ‘under Our knowledge.’”

270 – Maqālāt, pp. 210–211, 218.

289 – Abū al-Hasan al-Ashʿarī, in his book Juml al-Maqālāt—which I read in the handwriting of the ḥadith scholar Abū ʿAlī ibn Shādhān—set forth material of nearly the same tenor when discussing the creed of the People of Ḥadith. I have not reproduced his exact wording lest the quotation become lengthy; the purport is identical.

290 – Al-Ashʿarī likewise said in his book al-Ibānah fī Uṣūl al-Diyānah, in the chapter on istiwāʾ:

If someone asks, “What do you say about istiwāʾ (rising over)?” it is answered for him¹: We say that Allah is established upon His Throne, as He said, “The Most Merciful rose over the Throne” (Q 20:5). He also said, “Unto Him ascend good words” (Q 35:10); and, “Rather, Allah raised him to Himself” (Q 4:158). He further relates Pharaoh’s words: “Pharaoh said, ‘O Hāmān, build me a tower that I may reach the pathways—the pathways of the heavens—that I may look upon the God of Moses; indeed, I think him a liar’ ” (Q 40:36–37). Thus Pharaoh belied Moses for saying that Allah is above the heavens. And Allah said: “Do you feel secure that He who is in heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you?” (Q 67:16).

The heavens have the Throne above them. Because the Throne is above the heavens—and everything that is higher is termed ‘heaven’—when He said, “He who is in heaven,” He did not mean every heaven, but rather the Throne, which is the highest of the heavens. Do you not see that He mentioned the heavens in His words, “and made the moon therein a light” (Q 71:16), yet He did not intend thereby that the moon fills all of them, or that He is in all of them?

He continued: We have observed all Muslims, whenever they supplicate, raising their hands toward the sky, because Allah is upon the Throne that is above the heavens; had Allah not been upon the Throne, they would not raise their hands toward it.

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¹ In other words, this is the reply given on their behalf.