Is it correct to say, “Allah sits on His Throne”?
The word “sits” implies an apparent meaning that does not befit Allah. For instance, one cannot be described as “sitting” if he does not have a physical body with which to sit, while we know that Allah is not contained in a physical body.
Secondly, the word “to sit” in relation to Allah and the throne is not transmitted in any authentic narration from the Sunnah, nor is it found in the Qur’an. Rather, it is an interpretation and tafseer (explanation) to the word istawaa in the Qur’an, where Allah ascribes this (istiwaa) to Himself. The interpretation that Allah “sits” is not accepted due to (1) it not being narrated from the Sunnah or mentioned anywhere else in the Qur’an, and (2) the impossibility and deficiency it would entail as mentioned above.
What is accepted regarding ‘istiwaa’ is that it is established for Allah as He affirmed for Himself, while we know for certain it is not by way of movement or settling upon something, and this is because Allah is not a physical being.
Imam Abu Hanifah (ra) said regarding Allah, that He is:
الثابت بلا جسم، ولا جوهر، ولا عرض، ولا حد له
“(He is) existent without physicality, not made of substances, nor of particles, and there is no bounds to him.”[1]
Additionally, other scholars held that “istiwaa” refers to Allah’s authority and power over all His creation.
Thus, according to the consensus of the scholars, it is not correct to say Allah “sits” on His Throne because it was not narrated to us as such, and this cannot be inferred from the verse mentioning “istawaa” due to the deficiency it entails. Therefore, the correct approach according to the scholars of Ahlulsunnah is to either:
Say Allah knows best the reality of His ‘istiwaa’, but certainly not movement from place to place because that entails physicality and Allah is superior to the limitations of physicality. Or,
Interpret it in a way that is acceptable within language and befitting of Allah’s magnificence, such as saying it is in reference to His Authority over the throne, meaning if He has that power over the throne, then by default His Authority extends to all else beneath it.
And Allah knows best.
Written by Umar Elhashimi
April 27, 2025
Study Hanbali, Ashari, & Maturidi aqida at Arkview.org
Sources
Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar, of Imam Abu Hanifah, Darul-Siraj.