Section Two: The Interpretation of al-Istiwa’ according to the People of the Sunnah
Al-Istiwa’ (Rising over/Ascending) is an attribute established for Allah the Almighty by the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and the Pious Predecessors (al-Salaf al-Salih) reached a consensus on its affirmation. The People of the Sunnah (Ahl al-Sunnah) affirm this attribute for Allah the Almighty in a real sense (ithbatan haqiqiyyan) in a manner that befits Him, Glorified and Exalted is He, without distortion (tahrif), negation (ta‘til), anthropomorphism (tamthil), or comparison (tashbih).
The expressions of the Salaf varied in affirming the reality of al-Istiwa’ for Allah the Almighty; however, their objective was one, as Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in Sharh Hadith al-Nuzul (p. 393): "The established statements of the Salaf are in agreement on this matter; no two differing opinions are known from them, as they may sometimes differ regarding [the interpretation of] certain verses. Even if their expressions vary, their objective is one, which is: affirming Allah’s transcendence (‘uluw) over the Throne."
Among the meanings of al-Istiwa’ reported from the Pious Predecessors and others among the linguists are:
(1) Istawa in the sense of: ‘ala (He ascended/rose above). Among those who held this view:
