The discussion regarding the interpretation of His statement, the Exalted: {Then He directed Himself to the heaven and fashioned them into seven heavens}

Abū Jaʿfar said: They differed regarding the interpretation of His statement: "Then He directed Himself (istawā) to the heaven."

Some of them said: The meaning of "istawā to the heaven" is that He turned toward it, just as you say: "So-and-so was turning toward so-and-so, then he turned (istawā) upon me insulting me" - and "he turned (istawā) to me insulting me." Meaning: he turned upon me and to me insulting me. And they cited as evidence that "istiwāʾ" means turning toward (iqbāl) the saying of the poet:

I say, as they crossed Sharawrā with us ... striving forward, and they turned (istawayna) from al-Ḍajūʿ (1)

So he claimed that he meant by it that they exited from al-Ḍajūʿ, and that was in his view meaning: they turned toward. But this interpretation of this line of poetry is a mistake; rather, the meaning of his statement: "and they istawayna from al-Ḍajūʿ" is that they straightened out on the path exiting from al-Ḍajūʿ, meaning they went straight upon it.

And some of them said: That was not by a physical transition from God, majestic be His mention, but it is in the meaning of His action, just as you say: "The caliph was among the people of Iraq allying with them, then he transitioned to the Levant." He only means: