Al-Arsh () is the throne of God in Islamic theology. It is believed to be the largest of all the creations of God.
The Throne of God has figured in extensive theological debates across Islamic history with respect to the question of the anthropomorphism and corporealism of God. Some schools argue that it is metaphorical while others argue that it is a literal reality and creation of God. It generally represents God's divine majesty (Al-Jalal), power, and sovereign dominion over the cosmos as king. As Al Jalalayn says in his tafsir of Quran 7:54, "then presided upon the Throne a presiding befitting of Him al-‘arsh ‘throne’ in the classical language is the elevated seat on which a king sits."
In Islamic cosmology and mythology, the heavens span in a dome-like structure over the earths, arranged in horizontal layers one upon another. At top stands the Throne of God (Al-ʽArsh) separated from the seven heavens below. The lowest heaven is often associated with a firmly-enclosed water of a celestial ocean. Below the heavens follow the seven earths. The earths are likewise also part of the supernatural cosmos and serve as gradual stages of hell. The surface is inhabited by humans, the lower stages are the abode of destructive winds and jinn, followed by brimstones of hell, scorpions and vipers, and eventually the devils at the bottom.Heinen, A. (2012). Samāʾ. In P. Bearman (ed.), Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Online (EI-2 English). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0991
Quran The Quran mentions the throne some 25 times (33 times as Al-Arsh) , such as in verse and :
The Quran depicts the angels as carrying the throne of God () and praising his glory ().
The Ayat al-Kursi (often glossed as "Verse of the footstool"), is a verse from Al-Baqara, the second sura of the Quran. It references the Kursi (كرسي) which is different from the Throne (عرش), and also God's greatest name, Al-Hayy Al-Qayyoom ("The Living, the Eternal").
Hadith Sunni Sunni prophetic hadith say that the Throne is above the roof of Al-Firdaus Al-'Ala, the highest level of Paradise where God's closest and most beloved servants in the hereafter shall dwell.
Sunni scholars of hadith have stated that Islamic prophet Muhammad said the reward for reciting Ayatul Kursi after every prayer is Paradise, and that reciting it is a protection from the devil.Sahih al-Bukhari - Volume 3, Book 38, Number 505
Characteristics Its breadth has been described as the Seven Heavens is like a ring in a desert in relation to the Kursi or the footstool of God, and likewise the Kursi is like a ring in a desert in relation to "the Throne",ما هو الفرق بين عرش الربّ وكرسيه islamqa.info On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, he said:Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmoo’ al-Fatawa 6/ 556.
The Throne is the highest of all creatures, and it was primarily on the water.خلق العرش والكرسي ـ موقع الكلم الطيب The Quran says: and on the authority of Abdullah ibn Masud he said:Al-Tawhid p.: 105, and Al-Bayhaqi in the Names and Attributes p.: 401, and Ibn al-Qayyim in Mukhtasar al-Sawa’iq al-Mursalah p.:435 Al-Dhahabi in Al-Ulwu li’l-Ali al-Ghaffar p. 64.
Bearers of the Throne Bearers of the Throne or ḥamlat al-arsh (حملة العرش) are a group of angels in Islam. The Quran mentions them in and . Other hadiths describes them with six wings and four faces. While according to a hadith transmitted from At-Targhib wat-Tarhib authored by ʻAbd al-ʻAẓīm ibn ʻAbd al-Qawī al-Mundhirī, the bearers of the throne were angels who shaped like a rooster, with their feet on the earth and their nape supporting the Throne of God in the highest sky. a number modern Islamic scholars from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University , and other institutes Yemen and Mauritania also agreed the soundness of this hadith by quoting the commentary from Ibn Abi al-Izz who supported this narrative.
These four angels are also held to be created from different elements: One from light, one from fire, one from water and one from mercy. It is also said they are so large that a journey from their earlobes to their shoulders would take seven hundred years. According to various Islamic tafsir scholars which compiled by Islamic University of Madinah and Indonesian religious ministry, the number of these angels will be added from four into eight angels during the Day of Resurrection. This interpretation were based on Qur'an chapter .
According to Al-Suyuti who quoted a hadith which transmitted by Ibn al-Mubarak, archangel Israfil is one of the bearer of the throne.
Views Sufi
Sufi Muslims believe God created the throne as a sign of his power and not as place of dwelling.
Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi (d. 429/1037) in his al-Farq bayn al-Firaq (The Difference between the Sects) reports that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, said: "God created the Throne as an indication of His power, not for taking it as a place for Himself." The vast majority of Islamic scholars, including Sunnis (Ash'aris, Maturidis and Sufis), Mu'tazilis, and Shi'is (Twelvers and Isma'ilis) believe the Throne ( al-'Arsh) as a symbol of God's power and authority and not as a dwelling place for Himself, others describe it as an allegory, and many others said that the heart of the believer is the Throne of God (قلب المؤمن عرش الله), a quote criticized by Salafi Muslim scholars.
Salafi Some Islamic sects, such as the Karramis and the Salafis believe that God has created it as a place of dwelling.
See also Throne of God Throne Verse
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