The third variety: That which is coupled with the waw [of accompaniment] (signifying ma‘a) which makes the verb transitive to the object of accompaniment (al-maf‘ul ma‘ahu); such as: "The water and the wood became level (istawa)," meaning [the water] equaled it.

These are the intelligible meanings of al-Istiwa’ in their speech, and among them, the meaning of "to seize" (istawla) is not found at all. Nor has it been transmitted by any of the leading linguists whose words are relied upon; rather, it was only asserted by later grammarians from among those who followed the path of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu‘tazilah. [End quote from Mukhtasar al-Sawa’iq al-Mursalah (3/888-889)].

Ibn al-A‘rabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ibn Abi Du’ad [the Jahmi] asked me: "Do you know of [a usage] in the language of istawa in the sense of istawla?" I replied: "I do not know of it." [Tarikh Baghdad (5/283)].

Abu Sulayman Dawud bin ‘Ali said: We were with Ibn al-A‘rabi when a man came to him and asked: "What is the meaning of the statement of Allah, Mighty and Majestic: {The Most Merciful rose over (istawa) the Throne} [Taha: 5]?"

He replied: "He is over His Throne just as He, Mighty and Majestic, informed."

The man said: "O Abu ‘Abdullah, this is not its meaning; its meaning is only: 'He seized' (istawla)."

He [Ibn al-A‘rabi] said: "Be silent! What do you have to do with this? It is not said: 'He seized (istawla) the thing' unless there is an opponent to him, and when one of them overcomes the other, it is said: 'he seized' (istawla). Have you not heard [the poet] al-Nabighah:

'Indeed, for the likes of you—or one whom you have surpassed—is the lead of the [noble] horse when it reaches (istawla) the goal (al-amad)?'

[Reported by al-Lalaka’i (666); see also Al-Hujjah fi Bayan al-Mahajjah (2/257)].

Al-Khalil bin Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: "Have you found in the language istawa in the sense of istawla?"