Imam Abū Ḥanīfah: Where Was He Before the Throne?

That is why, when Imam Abū Ḥanīfah was asked about this, he said something very, very clear about it. He said that we agree that Allah is established on the Throne without His needing it, or resting on it. That is what he said: we agree that Allah is istawā on His ʿArsh without His needing it, without any iḥtiyāj, without being muḥtāj of it. The Arabic is given here so that it is known exactly what he used, because the English messes it up a bit. We agree that Allah is istawā on the Throne without His iḥtiyāj to it, or istiqrār on it.

He took out the istiqrār meaning, because that is problematic: it would mean that He is contained by this limited throne. And everybody agrees that the Throne is created by Allah; it is limited; though it is vast, it is limited. And if that contains Allah (lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh), that gives a major problematic connotation.

Then he said: and He is the guardian of the Throne, and all besides the Throne. And then he says: if He were in need, He would not have been able to bring into existence the universe, or administrate over its affairs, just as created beings cannot. If He were in need of the Throne, in terms of sitting on it, or using it for whatever, if He had need of it, then He would not have been able to bring it into existence, just as created beings cannot. And then he says: if He were in need of sitting or settling on it, istiqrār or julūs on it, then before the creation of the Throne, where was He, Most High? That is what he said. If He needs to sit on it, then where was He before He created the Throne? In effect, He is transcendent of all of this. He is above all of this. It is such a beautiful way in which he has clarified that.