Allah's Mighty Throne

Does Allah have an executive office (Arsh’ or Throne)?  Does Allah have a desk, chair, and a diary – a super-duper one -- to manage His affairs of heaven and earth?  Where is His Throne?  How does it look like?  Does Allah have secretaries and personal assistants?  Have Allah hands, feet, and eyes?  Does Allah have telephones, fax machines, PCs, PDAs, the Internet, and all other office equipment that are used by every executive in a modern office?  Nay, He does not need them because there are no earthlings who know how to fix them because Murphy’s Law is supposed to work everywhere and yes that includes Allah’s Arsh’ too!

All those questions are silly and blasphemous no doubt, aren’t they?  A good Muslim should never ask such silly questions.  The Holy Quran clearly admonishes asking such questions because these are not permitted (5:101, 102), for the fear that if you ask such silly questions you may end up losing your faith.  That is the worst crime a man can commit.  Therefore, you had better watch out! 

[5:101 O ye who believe! Ask not questions About things which, If made plain to you, May cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things When the Qur’an is being Revealed, they will be Made plain to you, God will forgive those: For God is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing]

A very clever ploy indeed!  Fear tactics would work if not for all folks but for many. 

[5:102 Some people before you Did ask such questions, And on that account Lost their faith]

Are there any hard references on this?  These days, even a court in Timbuktu will not entertain any quotation, hearsay, etc., without hard evidence.  Therefore, such vague reference about “Some people before you Did ask such questions…” won’t fly anywhere except in the realm of Blind Faith.

Many Islamic scholars, Maulanas, Mullahs will simply scoff at you if you put such questions to them. Many Tafsirs (explanations) of the Holy Qur’an try to avoid those questions by simply saying that the verses containing mentions of Allah's throne are actually allegorical, mystic, figurative, symbolic, sublime, parables...blah, blah, blah… anything that gives you the impression that Allah's throne is not for real but only an imaginary concept of the authority of Allah over all affairs of His creation.  They will vehemently oppose any such idea that Allah really has a physical existence and that His executive office (Throne) is a real physical entity which actually exists somewhere in the heaven.

Are those explanations by the Mullahs correct?  To find the truth, we just need to look at the Qur’an and the Hadith in detail and see for ourselves how these Mullahs mislead the people to believe in their interpretations.  Let us tour the Qur’an and the Sahih Bukhari to see for ourselves how does the executive office or Arsh’ of Allah look like.

The Qur’an

·         Allah really has a physical office.  His office is huge and He does work 24/7/365 and He never gets tired He has a huge desk that extends over the heavens.

 [al-Baqarah 2:255] God! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).

·         Allah raised heaven without pillars, established His throne and He manages all affairs from this office. He also has communication tools (like fax, telephone Internet, satellite.......?) to send and to explain His messages.

 [ar-Ra`d 13:2] God is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.

·         Allah's office has tight security. He can see everything on earth from His office. He is firmly established on the throne

 [al-Furqan 25:59] He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between, in six days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): God Most Gracious: ask thou, then, about Him of any acquainted (with such things).

 [as-Sajdah 32:4] It is God Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all between them, in six Days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): ye have none, besides Him, to protect or intercede (for you): will ye not then receive admonition?

 [al-Hadid 57:4] He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and is moreover firmly established on the Throne (of Authority). He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And God sees well all that ye do.

·         Allah has a throne high above all ranks

·          

 [al-Mu'min 40:15] Raised high above ranks (or degrees), (He is) the Lord of the Throne (of Authority): by His Command doth He send the Spirit (of inspiration) to any of His servants he pleases, that it may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting,-

·         Is Allah's throne Octagonal in shape/does Allah has eight personal secretaries?

[al-Haqqah 69:17] And the angels will be on its sides, and eight will, that Day, bear the Throne of thy Lord above them.

Sahih Bukhari

·         Allah's throne has legs and sides. Moses will be holding the side and a leg of Allah's throne. You don't believe? See for yourself this Hadith!

Volume 3, Book 41, Number 594:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarrelled. The Muslim said, "By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, "By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!" At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to the Prophet and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet said, "Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them, but I will. be the first to gain consciousness, and will see Moses standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether (Moses) has also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke."

·         Where is the exact location of Allah's throne? This question is also answered in Sahih Bukhari. Allah's throne is above Al-firdaus (the highest of heavens) and Allah's throne is the origin of the river of paradise.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 48:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle, offer prayer perfectly and fasts the month of Ramadan, will rightfully be granted Paradise by Allah, no matter whether he fights in Allah's Cause or remains in the land where he is born." The people said, "O Allah's Apostle ! Shall we acquaint the people with this good news?" He said, "Paradise has one-hundred grades which Allah has reserved for the Mujahidin who fight in His Cause, and the distance between each of two grades is like the distance between the Heaven and the Earth. So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-firdaus which is the best and highest part of Paradise." (i.e. The sub-narrator added, "I think the Prophet also said, 'Above it (i.e. Al-Firdaus) is the Throne of Beneficent (i.e. Allah), and from it originate the rivers of Paradise.")

·         Since the river of paradise originates from Allah's throne, so logically, Allah's throne is over the water (something like a floating water lotus we see in some idols in Hindu scriptures). Allah even has an official diary where He keeps records of His creations.

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 414:

Narrated Imran bin Husain:

I went to the Prophet and tied my she-camel at the gate. The people of Bani Tamim came to the Prophet who said "O Bani Tamim! Accept the good tidings." They said twice, 'You have given us the good tidings, now give us something" Then some Yemenites came to him and he said, "Accept the good tidings, O people of Yemem, for Bani Tamim refused them." They said, "We accept it, O Allah's Apostle! We have come to ask you about this matter (i.e. the start of creations)." He said, "First of all, there was nothing but Allah, and (then He created His Throne). His throne was over the water, and He wrote everything in the Book (in the Heaven) and created the Heavens and the Earth." Then a man shouted, "O Ibn Husain! Your she-camel has gone away!" So, I went away and could not see the she-camel because of the mirage. By Allah, I wished I had left that she-camel (but not that gathering).

Narrated 'Umar: One day the Prophet stood up amongst us for a long period and informed us about the beginning of creation (and talked about everything in detail) till he mentioned how the people of Paradise will enter their places and the people of Hell will enter their places. Some remembered what he had said, and some forgot it.

·         The title of Allah's diary is "My mercy overpowers My Anger".  Allah keeps His diary on His throne (Arsh’).

Volume 9, Book 93, Number 501:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "When Allah created the Creation, He wrote in His Book--and He wrote (that) about Himself, and it is placed with Him on the Throne--'Verily My Mercy overcomes My Anger.'"

·         Allah has two hands.  Both of His hands are busy.  Unbelievable, you say.  See this Hadith.

·          

 Volume 9, Book 93, Number 515:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "The Right (Hand) of Allah Is full, and (Its fullness) is not affected by the continuous spending night and day. Do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Yet all that has not decreased what is in His Right Hand. His Throne is over the water and in His other Hand is the Bounty or the Power to bring about death, and He raises some people and brings others down." (See Hadith No. 508)

·         The sun prostrates and takes a rest underneath the throne of Allah (that is, under water) and waits for the green signal from Allah to go back to work again. One day this green signal may not be given

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 421:

Narrated Abu Dhar:

The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All-Knowing." (36.38)

Nowhere in the Qur’an and Sahih Bukhari Allah says that the concept of His throne is only conceptual (mystical, spiritual, figurative. .... etc.) and not literal.  All the above quoted verses and the Ahadith clearly demonstrates that the concept of Allah's throne is real and Allah does have a physical office no matter how much absurd we may think.  The merciful Prophet had to give his original handful illiterate converts a vivid picture of Allah and His managerial office.  The unlettered and uneducated Bedouins could never understand Mohammed's view of Allah if he did not give them a mental picture of his God (Allah) which somehow or other may resemble some form of deity that were prevalent during those days.  Read those verses and the Ahadith again and what picture do you get of Allah?  Do you remember any of the pictures of gods and goddesses that you saw in Hindu/other religious scriptures?   Do you recall the picture of a woman with a sword in one hand and a balance in the other?  Yes, that is it.  Mohammad borrowed these pictures from the Greek pantheons and possibly, from Hindu scriptures so that his early converts could have an easy mental glimpse of his Allah.  This was the only way he could attract converts.  The idea of a shapeless, formless, omniscient, all-powerful mighty Allah was too difficult for the uncultured Arab Bedouins to understand during merciful Prophet's time.

Is Allah reading this essay?  Which Dojok (Hell) will be reserved for this scribe?   Got any clues?

A cautionary note.

The readers should note that the explanations given inside the brackets  (.......) in the translation of the Quran and the Sahih Bukhari are the opinions of the translators. There is no such parenthesis in the original Holy Scriptures. You must take those explanations with many grains of salt. Most of the time they twist the original message to suit the agenda of the translator. You really do not need to be a Nuclear Physicist or a rocket scientist to understand the Qur’an and Hadith. Most of the meanings are quite straightforward.

Quran translation is by A. Yusufali.

Sahih Bukhari translation is by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan