Allah's Rising over the Throne

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

The Throne ('Arsh) is one of Allah's created beings. It is not eternal alongside Allah. Rather, Allah alone is the First, before whom there was nothing. Everything besides Him is created and came into existence after previously not existing. The Throne is the greatest of all created beings, and the majority of Islamic scholars hold that it was the first of the known creations.

It is authentically reported that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"Allah existed, and there was nothing before Him. His Throne was upon the water, then He created the heavens and the earth."

This hadith shows that Allah existed when nothing else existed alongside Him, and that He subsequently created the Throne and the rest of creation. Therefore, it is incorrect to attribute to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah the belief that the Throne is eternal or that it shares Allah's eternity. Such a claim is false.

The creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah affirms that Allah is established above His Throne, exalted above His creation and distinct from it, just as He informed us in the Qur'an. They affirm this without likening Him to His creation, without comparing Him, without asking how, and without denying or distorting His attributes. They also believe that Allah is not contained by any of His creation, nor is He encompassed by any place.

As for the statement, "Allah exists without a place," it is a general expression that requires clarification. If what is meant is that no place contains Allah and nothing from His creation encompasses Him, then this is a correct meaning. However, if it is intended to deny Allah's exaltedness above His creation and His establishment above the Throne, then this meaning is false and contradicts the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the early generations (Salaf).

Likewise, the commonly quoted addition:

"And He is now as He always was."

is not authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ, and scholars have stated that it is not established as a prophetic narration. Therefore, it should not be used as a foundational proof for denying Allah's affirmed attributes.

In summary: Allah is the First, before whom there was nothing. The Throne is a created being created by Allah, and it is the greatest of the created beings and, according to the majority of scholars, the first of the known creations. Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah affirm Allah's exaltedness above His creation and His establishment above the Throne in a manner befitting His Majesty, while affirming that none of His creation contains or encompasses Him.

And Allah knows best.