These are transmitted reports concerning the creation of the Throne (ʿArsh) and the Footstool (Kursī).
The Exalted Allah said: "[He is] the Possessor of the Throne (ʿArsh), the Most High, Allah, the highest of all beings." (al-Ghāfir 40:15)
"Exalted is Allah, the True Sovereign. There is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne (ʿArsh)." (al-Muʾminūn 23:116)
"There is no deity except Him, the Lord of the Great Throne (ʿArsh)." (al-Muʾminūn 23:86)
"He is the Possessor of the Glorious Throne (ʿArsh), the Most Loving, the Most Forgiving." (al-Burūj 85:14-15)
"The Most Merciful has established Himself above the Throne (ʿArsh)." (Ṭā-Hā 20:5)
"Then He established Himself above the Throne (ʿArsh)." (al-Raʿd 13:2)
"Those who carry the Throne (ʿArsh) and those around it exalt their Lord with praise and believe in Him. And they ask forgiveness for the believers, [saying], 'Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in knowledge and mercy, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire.'" (al-Ghāfir 40:7) "And on that Day, eight will bear the Throne (ʿArsh) of your Lord above them." (al-Ḥāqqa 69:17)
"And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (ʿArsh), exalting [Allah] with praise of their Lord. And it will be judged between them in truth, and it will be said, 'Praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds.'" (al-Zumar 39:75)
In an authentic hadith, the following dua (supplication) is reported for relief from distress and attaining ease:
"Allah, besides whom there is no deity, the Most Great and Forbearing. Allah, besides whom there is no deity, the Lord of the Throne (ʿArsh). Allah, besides whom there is no deity, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. He is the Lord of the Great Throne (ʿArsh)."
Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal narrated from ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib who said:
We were sitting with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) at Bathāʾ. A cloud passed over us. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us:
- Do you know what this is?
- It is a cloud.
- A white cloud.
- A white cloud.
- Yes, a cloud.
We remained silent. Then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) asked us:
- Do you know the distance between the heaven and the earth?
- Allah and His Messenger know best.
- The distance between them is a journey of 500 years. The distance between each layer of heaven is also a journey of 500 years. The thickness of each layer is also a journey of 500 years. Above the seventh heaven is a sea, the distance between its top and bottom is as the distance between the heaven and the earth. Above it are eight goats, the distance between their backs and their hooves is as the distance between the heaven and the earth. Upon their backs is the Supreme Throne (ʿArsh al-Aʿlā). The distance between the top and bottom of the Throne (ʿArsh) is as the distance between the heaven and the earth. Allah is above it, and none of the deeds of the children of Adam are hidden from Him."
Ahmad b. Hanbal narrated from Jubayr b. Muṭʿim who said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and said:
- O Messenger of Allah, souls are exhausted, children are hungry, wealth is depleted, livestock have perished. Pray to Allah to send us rain. We seek your intercession with Allah, and Allah's intercession with you.
- Woe to you! Do you know what you are saying? After saying this, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) began to declare the transcendence of Allah (tasbīḥ).
He continued to declare tasbīḥ for a while. He noticed from the faces of his companions that they were disturbed by this. Then he said to the man:
- Woe to you! Intercession with Allah is not sought from any of His creatures. Allah's majesty is above this. Woe to you! Do you know how Allah's Throne (ʿArsh) is above the heavens?" As he said this, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) brought his fingers together in the shape of a dome and made a sound like the groaning of a camel under its rider's weight.
Ibn Bazzār, in his hadith, said: "Truly, Allah is above His Throne (ʿArsh), and the Throne (ʿArsh) is above the heavens."
In his work "Musnad," Bazzār, and in "Mukhtārāt," Ḥanẓala al-Maqdisī, narrated from ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him):
A woman came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Pray to Allah to admit me to Paradise." The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), exalting and glorifying his Lord, said: "His Footstool (Kursī) encompasses the heavens and the earth, and from His Footstool (Kursī) comes a creaking sound like that of a new saddle under its load."
According to what is established in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When you ask Allah for Paradise, ask for Paradise al-Firdaws, for it is the highest and middle part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne (ʿArsh) of the Most Merciful."
According to some reports, those in Paradise al-Firdaws hear a sound like that of a mount groaning under a heavy load, that is, tasbīḥ and glorification, due to their proximity to the Throne (ʿArsh).
In an authentic narration, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Because of the death of Saʿd b. Muʿādh, the Throne (ʿArsh) of the Most Merciful shook."
In his book "The Attribute of the Throne (ʿArsh)," Ḥāfiẓ b. Muḥammad b. ʿUthmān b. Abī Shayba narrated from one of the early generations (salaf) who said: "The Throne (ʿArsh) was created from red ruby. The distance between its two poles is a journey of 50,000 years."
"The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years." (al-Maʿārij 70:4)
While discussing this verse, we have said that the distance from the Supreme Throne (ʿArsh al-Aʿlā) to the seventh earth is a journey of 50,000 years, and its width is also a journey of 50,000 years.
Some theologians have said that the Throne (ʿArsh) is a circular orbit encompassing the world from every side, and for this reason, they have called it the ninth sphere, the celestial sphere, and the ether sphere, which is not appropriate. Because
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They would not occupy as much space as the width of the Footstool (Kursī). Their width in relation to the Kursī is only like the size of a ring thrown into a desert."
Ibn Jarīr narrated that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The size of the seven heavens within the Footstool (Kursī) is like seven dirhams thrown into a shield."
Abū Dharr narrated that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The size of the Footstool (Kursī) in relation to the Throne (ʿArsh) is like an iron ring thrown into a desert."
It is narrated from Abū Idrīs al-Khawlānī that Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī asked the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) about the state of the Footstool (Kursī), and the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
"By Allah, in Whose hand is my soul, the size of the seven heavens and the seven earths in relation to the Footstool (Kursī) is only like a ring thrown into a desert. Truly, the superiority of the Throne (ʿArsh) over the Footstool (Kursī) is like the superiority of the desert over that ring."
In his work "Tārīkh," Ibn Jarīr narrated from Saʿīd b. Jubayr who said: Ibn ʿAbbās was asked about the verse, "The Throne (ʿArsh) of Allah was upon the water" (cf. Hūd 11:7), and what the water was upon. Ibn ʿAbbās replied: "The water was upon the wind, and the heavens and the earth and all that is within them were encompassed by the seas. All of these were encompassed by the haykal (structure). It is said that the haykal was encompassed by the Footstool (Kursī)."
Wahb explained the word haykal as follows: "The haykal is something at the edge of the heavens that encompasses the earth and the seas like the rope of a tent."
According to the claim of some who are interested in astronomy, the Footstool (Kursī) is the eighth sphere, which they call the sphere of the fixed stars. This claim is not to be given much attention, because it is established that the Footstool (Kursī) is greater than the seven heavens. As mentioned in the previous pages, the size of the Footstool (Kursī) in relation to the heavens and the earth is like the size of an iron ring thrown into a desert. This is not a comparison of one sphere to another. If those who make this claim say, "We admit this, but nevertheless we call the Footstool (Kursī) a sphere," then we reply:
"The Footstool (Kursī), according to language, is not merely a sphere. Rather, as many of the early scholars (salaf) have stated, it is like a step before the Throne (ʿArsh). Such a thing cannot be a sphere. Their claim that the fixed stars are arranged within this sphere is also without evidence. Moreover, they themselves have disagreed among themselves regarding this claim, as can be seen in their books. Allah knows best."