Praise be to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The Throne is one of Allah’s created beings. It did not exist, and then Allah سبحانه created it. It is among the greatest of created things, and it existed before the creation of the heavens and the earth. As for Allah تعالى, He is the First, before Whom there was nothing. Neither the Throne nor any other created thing existed eternally alongside Him.
Among the fundamental principles of belief is that Allah تعالى is the Creator of everything besides Him, and that He سبحانه existed alone, with none of creation alongside Him, and then He created creation as He willed.
Allah تعالى says:
“And He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.” [At-Tawbah: 129]
Thus, the Throne is included among the created things that Allah تعالى created.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله stated that the Throne is created because Allah سبحانه is the Creator of everything, and the Throne is among the things Allah تعالى created.
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymin رحمه الله described the Throne as a tremendous created thing whose magnitude is known only to Allah.
Therefore, it is not correct to say that the Throne is eternal in the same sense as Allah تعالى, or that it existed eternally alongside Allah.
It is authentically reported in Sahih al-Bukhari from ʿImran ibn Husayn رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah was, and there was nothing before Him, and His Throne was upon the water. Then He created the heavens and the earth, and He wrote everything in the Record.”
In another narration:
“Allah was, and there was nothing other than Him.”
The hadith clearly indicates that Allah تعالى existed before all created things, and then He created the Throne and the rest of His creation.
The Prophet’s ﷺ statement, “His Throne was upon the water,” indicates that the Throne existed before the creation of the heavens and the earth; it does not mean that the Throne was eternal alongside Allah تعالى.
The majority of scholars held that the Throne was among the earliest created things, indeed the earliest created thing mentioned to us in this context.
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymin رحمه الله stated that the first thing known to us that Allah created was the Throne, citing Allah’s statement:
“And He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon the water.” [Hud: 7]
The point is that the Throne existed before the creation of the heavens and the earth, not that it existed before Allah created it.
This expression is ambiguous, and therefore its intended meaning must be clarified.
If by saying “Allah is not in a place” one means that Allah تعالى is not encompassed by any of His creation and that no place or created thing contains Him, then this meaning is correct, because Allah سبحانه is greater than anything in His creation encompassing Him.
However, if it is intended to deny Allah’s exaltedness, His being above His creation, and His Istiwa’ over His Throne, then this meaning does not agree with the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah affirming Allah’s exaltedness and being above His creation.
Allah سبحانه says:
“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.” [Ta-Ha: 5]
And He تعالى says:
“And He is the Subduer above His servants.” [Al-Anʿam: 18]
It is also authentically reported in the Sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ asked a female slave:
“Where is Allah?”
She replied: “Above the heavens,” and the Prophet ﷺ approved her answer.
Accordingly, Ahl al-Sunnah affirm Allah’s exaltedness and His Istiwa’ over His Throne in a manner befitting His Majesty, without this meaning that the Throne encompasses Allah تعالى or that Allah needs the Throne. The Throne and all created things are His creation, and He is independent of them and sustains them.
It should be noted that the well-known statement:
“Allah was, and there was nothing with Him, and He is now as He was”
is not an authentic hadith from the Prophet ﷺ.
Hadith scholars have stated that the addition “and He is now as He was” is not authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, it is not valid to use it as evidence for denying what is established in the revealed texts regarding Allah’s attributes, such as Istiwa’ and exaltedness.
What is authentically established is the hadith of ʿImran ibn Husayn رضي الله عنه:
“Allah was, and there was nothing before Him, and His Throne was upon the water. Then He created the heavens and the earth...”
The Throne is one of Allah’s created beings. It is not eternal and did not eternally exist alongside Allah سبحانه. Allah تعالى existed with none of His creation alongside Him; then He created the Throne, and subsequently created the heavens and the earth and the rest of creation.
It is obligatory to affirm what has been established in the Qur’an and Sunnah concerning Allah’s exaltedness and His Istiwa’ over His Throne in a manner befitting His Majesty, while believing that He سبحانه is not encompassed by any of His creation and does not need any of His creation.
And Allah تعالى knows best.