20:5 Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa)

{ الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ } الذي هو أرفع المخلوقات وأعظمها وأوسعها، { اسْتَوَى } استواء يليق بجلاله، ويناسب عظمته وجماله، فاستوى على العرش، واحتوى على الملك.

وقوله "الرحمن على العرش استوى" تقدم الكلام على ذلك في سورة الأعراف بما أغنى عن إعادته أيضا وأن المسلك الأسلم في ذلك طريقة السلف إمرار ما جاء في ذلك من الكتاب والسنة من غير تكييف ولا تحريف ولا تشبيه ولا تعطيل ولا تمثيل.

Which was revealed at Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Qur'an is a Reminder and a Revelation from Allah

We have already discussed the separated letters at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah, so there is no need to repeat its discussion here. Allah says,

مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى

(We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress,) Juwaybir reported that Ad-Dahhak said, "When Allah sent the Qur'an down to His Messenger , he and his Companions adh- ered to it. Thus, the idolators of the Quraysh said, `This Qur'an was only reve- aled to Muhammad to cause him distress.' Therefore, Allah revealed,

طه - مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى - إِلاَّ تَذْكِرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى

(Ta Ha. We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress, but only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah).) The matter is not like the people of falsehood claim. Rather, whomever Allah gives knowledge to, it is because Allah wants him to have an abundance of good. This like what is confirmed in the Two Sahihs on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ يُرِدِ اللهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّين»

(Whomever Allah wants good for, then He gives him the understanding of the religion. ) Mujahid commented on Allah's statement,

مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى

(We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress,) "This is like His statement,

مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ

(So recite as much of the Qur'an as may be easy (for you).) 73:20 For, the people used to hang ropes at their chests (to hang on to when tired) in the prayer." Qatadah said,

مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى

(We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress,) "No, by Allah, He did not make it a thing of distress. Rather, He made it a mercy, a light and a guide to Paradise." Allah said,

إِلاَّ تَذْكِرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى

(But only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah).) Allah revealed His Book and sent His Messenger as a mercy for His servants, so that the person who reflects may be reminded. Thus, a man will benefit from what he hears of the Book of Allah, it is a remembrance in which Allah revealed what He permits and prohibits. His saying,

تَنزِيلاً مِّمَّنْ خَلَق الاٌّرْضَ وَالسَّمَـوَتِ الْعُلَى

(A Revelation from Him (Allah) Who has created the earth and high heavens. ) means, `This Qur'an, which has come to you, O Muhammad, is a revelation from your Lord. He is the Lord of everything and its King. He is Most Able to do whatever He wills. He created the earth with its low depths and dense regions. He created the lofty heavens with their high altitudes and subtleties.' It has been reported in a Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi and others graded as authentic, that the density of each sky of the heavens is the distance of five hundred years travel and the distance between it and the next heaven is also five hundred years. Concerning Allah's statement,

الرَّحْمَـنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى

(The Most Gracious Istawa the Throne.) A discussion concerning this has already preceded in Surat Al-A`raf, so there is no need to repeat it here. The safest path to take in understanding this, is the way of the Salaf (predecessors). Their way was to accept that which has been reported concerning this from the Book and the Sunnah without describing it, reinterpreting it, resembling it to creation, rejecting it, or comparing it to attributes of the creatures. Concerning Allah's statement,

لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِي الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى

(To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and all that is between them, and all that is under the soil.) This means all of this is owned by Him and in His grasp. It is all under His control, will, intent and judgement. He created all of this, He owns it and He is the God of all of it. There is no true God other than He and no Lord other than He. Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى

(and all that is under the soil.) Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "This means that which is beneath the seventh earth." Concerning Allah's statement,

وَإِن تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

(And if you speak aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden.) This means that He Who revealed this Qur'an, has also created the high heavens and the earth and He knows that which is secret and what is even more hidden. As Allah says,

قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ الَّذِى يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

(Say: "It has been sent down by Him Who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.") 25:6 `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,

يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

(He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden.) "The secret is what the son of Adam hides within himself, and

وَأَخْفَى

(that which is yet more hidden. ) is the deeds of the son of Adam, which are hidden before he does them. Allah knows all of that. His knowledge encompasses that which has passed and that which is in the future and it is one, complete knowledge. In this regard, all of the creatures are as one soul to Him. That is the meaning of His statement,

مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلاَ بَعْثُكُمْ إِلاَّ كَنَفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ

(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person.) 31:28 Concerning Allah's statement,

اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى

(Allah! There is no God but Him! To Him belongs the Best Names.) This means, `He Who revealed this Qur'an to you (O Muhammad), He is Allah, there is no God except Him. He is the Owner of the Best Names and the most lofty attributes.'

He is the Compassionate One presided upon the Throne al-‘arsh in the classical Arabic language denotes a king’s seat a presiding befitting of Him;

عَلَى الْعَرْ‌شِ اسْتَوَىٰ (Positioned Himself on the Throne - 20:5): About these words the truth is what the majority of the early scholars have held that the exact nature of 'Istiwa" (positioning) is not known to anybody. It is included in 'Mutashabihat' (the verses meaning of which is unknown). A Muslim has to believe that Istiwa’ ‘Ala-Al-` Arsh' (positioning on the Throne) is true, the nature of which must be in accordance with the high attributes of Allah, but nobody can comprehend it in this world.

The All-Merciful sat on the Throne. In the Qur'an He mentioned seven times that He is sitting on the Throne. Shaykh al-Islām Anṣārī said, “The sitting of the Lord on the Throne is in the Qur'an, and I have faith in it. I do not seek interpretation, for interpretation in such topics is rebellion. I accept the outward meaning and surrender to the inner meaning. This is the belief of the Sunnis, whose path is to accept with the spirit what is not perceived. “My faith comes by hearing, my Shariah comes by reports, my recognition comes by find- ing. I assent to the reports, I realize the found, and I follow the heard with the tool of intellect, the witnessing of His artisanry, the evidence of light, the allusions of the revelation, the message of the Messenger, and the condition of surrender. “Nonetheless, I know for sure that He is not one who takes up place out of need, for He shows places for argument. The Throne does not elevate God, for God elevates and preserves the Throne. He made the Throne for seekers of God, not recognizers of God. The God-seeker is one thing, the God-recognizer something else. He says to the God-seekers, 'The All-Merciful sat on the Throne.' He says to the God recognizers, 'And He is with you' [57:4] on the Throne by Essence, in knowl- edge everywhere, through companionship with the spirit, and through nearness with the soul.” O chevalier, do not put down your bags in the seclusion of He is with you, for High indeed is God, the King, the Real [20:114] applies to Him. Do not relax on the carpet of We are nearer [50:16], for beneath it is They measured not God with the rightful due of His measure [22:74]. Do not be bold because of Faces that day will be radiant, gazing upon their Lord [75:22-23], for above it is Eyesights perceive Him not [6:103]. Whatever He is the First gives, He is the Last snatches away; whatever He is the Outward shows, He is the Inward [57:3] effaces. What is all this? This is so that the person of faith will circle around between fear and hope, and the recognizer between contraction and expansion. You cannot say that you cannot find, for the Shariah disputes that. Nor can you say that you can find, for the Exaltedness does not approve. He is exalted and tremendous, one whose measure is not recognized and whose rightful due is not perceived. He is gentle and loving, one who loves them, and they love Him [5:54].