What is the difference between Arsh and Kursi of Allah ?
Praise be to Allaah.
The
Kursiy is the footstool of the Most Merciful, according to the most
correct of the scholarly opinions on the matter. The ‘Arsh (Throne)
is the greatest of all things that Allaah has created, over which our
Lord rose in a manner that befits His Majesty. It has pillars
and is carried by bearers who are angels of immense size.
The
evidence for the above is given below, along with the comments of some
of the scholars.
It
was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood said: Between the first heaven and the
one above it is (a distance of) five hundred years. Between each of
the heavens is (a distance of) five hundred years. Between the seventh
heaven and the Kursiy is (a distance of) five hundred years. Between
the Kursiy and the water is (a distance of) five hundred years, and
the Throne is above the water. Allaah is above the Throne, and nothing
whatsoever of your deeds is hidden from Him. (narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah
in al-Tawheed, p. 105;
by al-Bayhaqi in al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Sifaat,
p. 401).
This report was classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim in Ijtimaa’ al-Juyoosh al-Islamiyah, p. 100; by al-Dhahabi in
al-‘Uluw, p. 64).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
This hadeeth stops at Ibn Mas’ood (it is mawqoof),
but this is one of the matters concerning which there is no room for
personal opinion, so it comes under the heading of marfoo’
[ahaadeeth whose isnaad goes back to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)], because Ibn Mas’ood is
not known to have taken anything from the Israa’eeliyyaat
[reports derived from Jewish sources].
(al-Qawl
al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/379)
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said, in the list of points noted
from this hadeeth:
.....(9) The great size of the Kursiy in relation to the heavens.
(10)
The great size of the Throne in relation to the Kursiy.
(11)
That the Throne is something other than the Kursiy and the water.
(Sharh
Kitaab al-Tawheed, p. 667, 668).
The Throne of the Most Merciful is the greatest and most vast thing
in His creation.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So
Exalted be Allaah, the True King: Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the
right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!
[al-Mu’minoon
23:116]
“and
He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne” [al-Tawbah 9:129]
“Owner
of the Throne, the Glorious” [al-Burooj 85:15]
Al-Qurtubi
said:
The Throne is mentioned on its own because it is the greatest thing
that Allaah has created; everything else is also included in this.
(Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 8/302,
303).
Ibn Katheer said:
“and
He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne” [al-Tawbah 9:129 – interpretation
of the meaning]
means, He is the Sovereign and Creator of all things, because He is
the Lord of the Mighty Throne which is the roof of creation. All created
things, the heavens and the earth and all that is in them and in between
them are beneath the Throne of Allaah and are subject to His power.
His knowledge encompasses all things and His power controls all things,
and He is Watcher over all things.
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
2/405)
And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him):
“Owner
of the Throne” [al-Burooj 85:15 – interpretation of the meaning]
means, the Master of the Mighty Throne which is above all created things.
“The Glorious” – there are two
readings of this word (al-Majeed).
If it is nominative (al-Majeedu)
it is an adjective referring to the Lord, may He be glorified, and if
it is genitive (al-Majeedi),
it is an adjective referring to the Throne. Both meanings are correct.
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
4/474).
Majeed means vast and mighty in power.
It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people will fall
unconscious on the Day of Resurrection; I will be the first to regain
consciousness, and Moosa will be there, holding on to one of the pillars
of the Throne. I do not know whether he woke up before me or if he was
exempted because he had fallen unconscious at the Mount of Sinai.” (Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 3217)
The
Throne has bearers who carry it.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allaah) and those
around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and
ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah) (saying):
‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive
those who repent and follow Your way, and save them from the torment
of the blazing Fire!’”
[Ghaafir
40:7]
They are of immense size:
It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:
“I
have been granted permission to speak about one of the angels of Allaah,
one of the bearers of the Throne. The space between his earlobes and
his shoulders is the distance of seven hundred years’ travelling.”
(Narrated
by Abu Dawood, 4727)
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said concerning this hadeeth: its isnaad meets the
conditions of being saheeh.
(Fath al-Baari, 8/665)
The Throne is above the Kursiy, and is above all of creation. Ibn al-Qayyim
said:
If Allaah is separate from His creation, then either He is encompassing
them or He is not. If He is encompassing them, then He must be above
them, because that which encompasses must necessarily be above that
which is encompassed. Hence because the heavens encompass the earth,
they must be above it, and because the Kursiy encompasses the heavens,
it must be above them, and because the Throne encompasses the Kursiy,
it must be above it. Whatever encompasses all of that must necessarily
be above it. This does not imply that there is physical contact with
anything that He encompasses; neither is there any similarity or resemblance
between Him and that which He encompasses.
(al-Sawaa’iq
al-Mursalah, 4/1308)
The Throne is neither Sovereignty (al-Mulk)
nor the Kursiy
Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi said:
What would those who distort the word of Allaah and say that the Throne
is an expression referring to al-Mulk
or sovereignty say about the following aayat? –
“…and
eight angels will, that Day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them”
[al-Haaqqah 69:17 – interpretation of the meaning]
“…and
His Throne was on the water…” [Hood 11:7 –
interpretation of the meaning]
Will they say that eight angels will, that Day, bear the Sovereignty
of Allaah, and that His Sovereignty was on the water? Will Moosa be
holding on to one of the pillars of Allaah’s sovereignty? Can any same
person who knows what he is saying utter such things?
Concerning the Kursiy, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“His
Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth” [al-Baqarah 2:255]
It
was said that this is the Throne, but the correct view is that it is
something else. This was transmitted from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with them both) and others. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in Sifat
al-‘Arsh, and al-Haakim
narrated in his Mustadrak
that [the following report] meets the conditions of the two Shaykhs
[al-Bukhaari and Muslim] although they did not narrate it: (it was reported
from) from Sa’eed ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased
with them both) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“His
Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth” [al-Baqarah 2:255]:
The
Kursiy is the footstool, and no one can comprehend how vast the Throne
is except Allaah.
This
was transmitted as a marfoo’
report (attributed to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), but the correct view is
that it is mawqoof, stopping
at Ibn ‘Abbaas…
Abu
Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say: “The Kursiy in relation to the Throne is like
an iron ring thrown out into empty land.”
And,
as one of the Salaf said, before the Throne it is like a step.
(Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah,
p. 312, 313).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
There are those who say that the Kursiy is the Throne because of the
hadeeth, “Allaah will set up His Kursiy on the Day of Resurrection.”
They think that the Kursiy is the Throne.
Similarly, some people claim that the Kursiy is Allaah’s knowledge,
and say that the aayah (interpretation of the meaning)
“His
Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth” [al-Baqarah 2:255] refers to His Knowledge.
The correct view is that the Kursiy is a footstool, and the Throne is
that which the Most Merciful rose above (istiwaa’).
And knowledge is the attribute of the knowledgeable one by means of
which he understands that which he knows.
(al-Qawl
al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/393, 394).
And Allaah knows best.
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