928—Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jarrah and Muhammad ibn Makhlad informed us. They said: ‘Abbas ibn Muhammad al-Duri narrated to us; he said: I heard Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam, when these hadiths were mentioned in his presence: “Our Lord laughs at His servants’ despair and at the imminence of their change of circumstance; the Footstool is the place of the two Feet; Hell will indeed become full, whereupon your Lord will place His Foot in it”; and other hadiths of this kind. Abu ‘Ubayd said: “These hadiths are, in our view, true; trustworthy narrators transmit them from one another. Yet, when we are asked about their interpretation, we say: We have not found anyone who interpreted anything of them, nor do we interpret anything of them. We affirm them and remain silent.” ⦗582⦘

Rabi‘ah ibn Abi ‘Abd al-Rahman was asked about His saying, “The Most Merciful rose over the Throne” [Ta-Ha: 5]. He replied: “The rising is known, its manner is unknown, and belief in it”—Ibn al-Jarrah said—“is obligatory. And Allah cannot be delimited.”