We believe that the Throne is a massive creation by Allah Almighty; rather, it is one of the greatest among His created beings. When the Mighty Lord describes it as mighty, this means it is truly mighty. Allah Almighty says: {Allah; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.} [Surat an-Naml: 26] And He describes it as glorious, saying: {The Lord of the Glorious Throne.} [Surat al-Burūj: 15] In spite of its massiveness, it is a created being of Allah. Allah Almighty says: {Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?"} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 86] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "... and He created His Throne on the water." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (3109), Ibn Mājah (182), At-Tayālisi (1189), Ahmad (16188), and Ibn Abi ‘Āsim in As-Sunnah (625)] The Throne has pillars. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "People will be struck unconscious on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first to regain consciousness, and behold! There I will see Mūsa (Moses) holding one of the pillars of the Throne." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3398), Muslim (2374), and Abu Dāwūd (4668)]
The Throne is above the heavens, and Allah is above the Throne. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "His throne is above the heavens like this - indicating with his fingers like a dome over him - and it groans on account of Him as a saddle does because of the rider." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (4726), ‘Uthmān ibn Sa‘īd ad-Dārimi in Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah (24), Ibn Abi ‘Āsim in As-Sunnah (587), and Ibn Khuzaymah in At-Tawhīd (147)] In another version of the Hadīth: "Indeed, Allah is above His Throne, and His Throne is above His heavens." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (4726), ‘Uthmān ibn Sa‘īd ad-Dārimi in Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah (24), Ibn Abi ‘Āsim in As-Sunnah (588), and Ibn Khuzaymah in At-Tawhīd (147)]
We believe that there are divine treasures underneath the Throne that only Allah can measure. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And I was given these verses in the last part of Al-Baqarah from a treasure underneath the Throne, and they were not given to any prophet before me." [Narrated by Muslim (522), without the relevant part in question, At-Tayālsi (418), Ibn Abi Shaybah in Al-Musannaf (32306), and Ahmad (23251), and this is his wording, as well as others]
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: My friend (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to do seven things. Among them, he mentioned: "And he commanded me to often say 'La hawla wala quwwata illa billah' (there is no power or strength except through Allah), for they are from a treasure underneath the Throne." [Narrated by Al-Bazzār (3966), Ibn Abi Shaybah (35491), Hannād in Az-Zuhd (1013), Ahmad in Al-Musnad (21415) and this is his wording, and in Az-Zuhd (401)]
We believe that the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) will prostrate himself underneath the Throne on the Day of Judgment before engaging in the major intercession. In the long Hadīth about intercession, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I will then set off and come below the Throne and fall down prostrate before my Lord, Exalted be He. Then Allah will inspire me with some of His praises and glorifications which He had not inspired anyone before me. He will then say: 'O Muhammad, raise your head; ask and your request will be granted; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.' I will raise my head and say: 'My Ummah, O my Lord; my Ummah, O my Lord." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4712), Muslim (194), At-Tirmidhi (2434), and Ibn Mājah (3307)]
We believe that the spirits of martyrs nestle in lamps of gold hanging in the shade of the Throne. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When your brothers were smitten at the battle of Uhud, Allah put their spirits in the crops of green birds which go down to the rivers of Paradise, eat its fruit, and nestle in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (2520), Ibn al-Mubārak in Al-Jihad (62), Ibn Abi Shaybah (19678), and Ahmad (2388)]
Ibn al-Mubārak was asked: "How can we recognize our Lord?" He replied: "He is above the seventh heaven, on the Throne, being distinct from His creation." [Ad-Dārimi in Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah (47), Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Asmā’ Wa As-Sifāt (2/336), Al-Fatwa Al-Hamawiyyah Al-Kubra (333), and Sharh At-Tahāwiyyah (219)]
Imām Ad-Dārimi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "Allah Almighty is above His Throne, above His heavens, being distinct from His creation. He who does not know Him by that does not know the God he worships. His knowledge, from above His Throne, is the same about the most distant of His creation and the nearest. Nothing is far from Him. {Not even an atom’s weight is hidden from Him in the heavens or on earth} [Surat Saba’: 3]. Glorified and far exalted be He above what the deniers describe Him with." [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah (47)]
We believe that the Throne is carried by angels. Allah Almighty says: {Those [angels] who bear the Throne and those around it glorify their Lord with His praise and believe in Him, and seek forgiveness for those who believe, [saying]: "Our Lord, Your mercy and knowledge encompass everything, so forgive those who repent and follow Your way, and protect them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire."} [Surat Ghāfir: 7] He also says: {With the angels on all its sides, and on that Day, eight [mighty angels] will bear the Throne of your Lord above them.} [Surat al-Hāqqah: 17]
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informed us about some of the traits of the angels who bear the Throne. He said: "I have been permitted to tell about one of Allah’s angels who bears the Throne; the distance between the lobe of his ear and his shoulder is a journey of seven hundred years." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (4727), At-Tabarāni in Al-Awsat (1709), Abu Ash-Shaykh in Al-‘Azhamah (476), and Ibn Shahīn in Al-Fawā'id (19)]
We believe that the angels surround the Throne of the Most Compassionate Lord, Who says: {You will see the angels surrounding the Throne, glorifying their Lord with His praise, and matters will be settled between them with justice, and it will be said: "All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."} [Surat az-Zumar: 75]
The Throne is also mentioned along with the book occurring in the Hadīth that reads: "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne: 'My mercy prevails My anger.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3194), Muslim (2751), At-Tirmidhi (3543), and Ibn Mājah (189, 4295)] Those are the highest among all creation. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So if you ask Allah for anything, ask Him for the Firdaws, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and at its top there is the Throne of the Most Compassionate, and from it gush forth the rivers of Paradise." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7423)]
We believe that Allah is established on His Throne in a way that befits His majesty. Allah Almighty says: {Your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and earth in six days, and then rose over [istawa] the Throne.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 54] He also says: {It is He Who created the heavens and earth and all that is between them in six Days, then rose over the Throne. He is the Most Compassionate, so ask about Him the One Who is All-Aware.} [Surat al-Furqān: 59]
Rabī‘ah ar-Ra’y was asked regarding the verse that says: {The Most Compassionate rose over the Throne} [Tāha: 5], as to how He rose over the Throne? He said: "The manner of doing so is unknown, and His rising is beyond reason, and I and you must believe in all this." [Al-Asmā’ Wa As-Sifāt for Al-Bayhaqi (2/306) and Sharh Usūl I‘tiqād Ahl As-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamā‘ah (3/582)]
A man came to Mālik ibn Anas and said: "O Abu ‘Abdullāh! {The Most Compassionate rose over the Throne} How did He rise?" Thereupon, anger came over Mālik, such that no affair had ever overwhelmed him like this, and started sweating. He looked down thinking, and we were waiting what would be his reaction, then he was was relaxed and said: "The manner is beyond reason, His istiwā' (rising) is not unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is a religious innovation. And I fear you are misguided." Then he commanded that he be driven out. [Ar-Radd ‘Ala Al-Jahmiyyah for Ad-Dārimi (66), Sharh Usūl I‘tiqād Ahl As-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamā‘ah (3/441), Hiliyat Al-Awliyā' Wa Tabaqāt Al-Asfiyā’ (6/325), Al-I‘tiqād for Al-Bayhaqi (116), Sharh As-Sunnah for Al-Baghawi (1/171), and Al-Asmā’ Wa As-Sifāt for Al-Bayhaqi (2/306)]
Defining istiwā’, Imām Ahmad used to say: "It is ascending and rising high. Allah Almighty had always been high and sublime before creating His Throne. He is above everything and higher than everything. Allah specifically mentioned the Throne due to an aspect therein that differs from all other things. The Throne is the best and most sublime of all things. So, Allah praises Himself by saying that He rose over the Throne. It is related from ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Mahdi from Mālik that Allah Almighty is established over His Glorious Throne as He has told, and that His knowledge exists everywhere." [Al-‘Aqīdah, narrated by Abu Bakr al-Khallāl (108)]
Allah's lordship over the Throne is a proof that He alone deserves worship. He says: {If there had been gods besides Allah in the heavens and earth, both realms would have fallen in disorder. Glory be to Allah – Lord of the Throne – far above what they ascribe [to Him].} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 22] He also says: {Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?"} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 86] And He says: {Say: "If there were other gods besides Him – as they claim – they would have surely sought a way to the Lord of the Throne."} [Surat al-Isrā’: 42]