الْعَرْشُthe throneأَيْنَwhereكَانَwasاللَّهُGod؟?تَعَالَىexaltedاللَّهُGodعَنْfromذَٰلِكَthatعُلُوًّاexaltationكَبِيرًاgreat
The throne, where was God? Exalted is God above that in great exaltation.
أَقُولُI say
I say.
إِنَّIndeedمَعْنَىthe meaningالْأَلُوهِيَّةِof divinityالِاسْتِغْنَاءِself-sufficiencyعَنْaboutكُلِّeverythingمَاthat whichسِوَاهُis besides itوandاِفْتِقَارdependencyكُلِّallمَاthat whichسِوَاهُis besides itإِلَيْهِto Himكَذَاas suchفِيinالسَّنُّوسِيَّةِthe Sanusiya (a Sufi order)
Indeed, the meaning of divinity is self-sufficiency from everything besides it and the dependency of everything besides it to Him, as in the Sanusiya.
فَثَبَتَThus it is establishedأَنَّthatاللَّهَGodتَعَالَىexaltedمُنَزَّهٌis freeعَنْfromالْأَقْوَالِstatementsفِيaboutكُنهِthe essenceالْعَرْشِof the throneلَاnotفِيinشَيْءٍanythingالِاحْتِيَاجِthe needوَعَنْAnd aboutالْجُلُوسِsittingوَالْقَرَارِand settleوَالْمَكَانِand the placeوَ الزَّمَانِand timeوَهُوَAnd He isخَالِقُthe creatorالْكُلِّof allمِنْfromغَيْرِwithoutاحْتِيَاجٍneed
Thus it is established that God, exalted, is free from statements about the essence of the throne, not from anything in need, and He is the creator of all without need.
وَعَنْAnd aboutجَعْفَرَJa'farالصَّادِقِthe truthfulرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himعَنْهُabout himأَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaidالتَّوْحِيدَMonotheismثَلاَثَةٌthreeأَحْرُفٍlettersإِنَّthatتَعْرِفُknowأَنَّهُthat heلَيْسَis notمِنْofشَيْءٍanythingوَلَاand notفِيinشَيْءٍanythingعَلَىonشَيْءٍanythingلَأَنَّbecauseمِنْwhoوَصَفَهُdescribes himأَنَّهُthat heمِنْofشَيْءٍanythingفَقَدْthenوَصَفَهُdescribed himبِأَنَّهُas ifمَخْلُوقٍcreatedفَيَكْفُرُand he disbelievesوَمَنْAnd whoeverقَالَsaidإِنَّهُthen he isفِيinشَيْءٍanythingفَقَدْthenوَصَفَهُdescribed himبِأَنَّهُas ifيُحَدِّثُoccursفَيَكْفُرُand he disbelievesوَمَنْAnd whoeverقَالَsaidعَلَىonشَيْءٍanythingفَقَدْthenوَصَفَهُdescribed himبِأَنَّهُas ifمُحْتَاجٍin needمَحْمُولٍcarriedفَيَكْفُرُand he disbelieves
And about Ja'far al-Sadiq, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: Monotheism is three letters, that you know that He is not of anything, and not in anything, and not on anything, because whoever describes Him as being of anything has described Him as being created, and he disbelieves. And whoever said that He is in anything has described Him as occurring, and he disbelieves. And whoever said that He is on anything has described Him as if He is in need, which he disbelieves.
وَعَنAnd aboutمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadابْنِthe son ofالْحَسَنِal-HasanإِنَّاIndeed weنَقُولُsayنُؤْمِنُwe believeبِمَاin whatجَاءَhas comeمِنْfromعِندَwithاللَّهِGodتَعَالَىexaltedعَلَىonإِرَادَةِwillاللَّهِof Godتَعَالَىexaltedوَلَاand notنَشْتَغِلُwe busy ourselvesبِكَيْفِيَّتِهِwith its natureوَبِمَاand in whatجَاءَhas comeمِنْfromعِندَwithرَسُولِthe Messengerاللَّهِof Godعَلَىas wanted byمَاwhatأَرَادَwants
And about Muhammad ibn al-Hasan: Indeed, we say we believe in what has come from Allah, exalted, according to the will of Allah, and we busy ourselves not with its nature, and in what has come from the Messenger of Allah, in what he wanted.
وَاخْتَلَفُواAnd they differedفِيinالْعَرْشِthe throneقَالَsome saidبَعْضُهُمْsome of themهُوَit isسَرِيرٌa bedمِنْofنُورٍlightوَقَالَAnd others saidبَعْضُهُمْsome of themيَاقُوتَةًa rubyحَمْرَاءَredكَمَاasفِيinبَحْرِthe seaالْكَلَامِof speechوَقَالَAnd it was saidفِيinدَقَائِقَthe detailsالْأَخْبَارِthe newsخَلَقَcreatedاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىexaltedاللَّوْحَthe preserved tabletالْمَحْفُوظِpreservedمِنْfromدُرَّةًa pearlبَيضاءَwhiteطُولُهَاIts lengthمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earthسَبْعَsevenمَرَّاتٍtimesوَعَلَّقَهَاand He hung itبِالْعَرْشِto the throneمَكْتُوبٌwrittenفِيهَاin itمَاwhatهُوَit isكَائِنٌexistenceإِلَىuntilيَوْمِthe dayالْقِيَامَةِof resurrection
And they differed about the throne. Some of them said it is a bed of light, and others said it is a red ruby as in the sea of speech. And it was said in the details of the news: God, exalted, created the preserved tablet from a white pearl, its length is what is between the heavens and the earth seven times, and He hung it to the throne written in it what is existent until the Day of Resurrection.
وَأَخْرَجَAnd IbnابْنُIbnأَبِيAbuحَاتِمٍHatimفِيinتَفْسِيرِهِhis exegesisوَأَبُوand Abuالشَّيْخِal-Sheikhفِيin٦٣63
And Ibn Abi Hatim in his exegesis, and Abu al-Sheikh in 63.