Are the narrations attributed to Imam Ali, which state: "Allah was, and there was no place, and He is now as He was" and "Indeed, Allah Almighty created the Throne to manifest His power, not as a place for His essence," authentic? And what is the opinion regarding them?

What has been narrated from Imam Ali regarding this matter has no basis. As for the hadith, "Allah was, and there was nothing before Him...", it is authentic, but the addition, "And He is now as He always was," is fabricated and forged by the consensus of the hadith scholars. It was inserted by some Jahmite theologians to negate Allah's attributes and His ascension (Istawa) over the Throne. Ahl al-Sunnah (the People of the Sunnah) respond to this by saying that a change in relations and additions does not necessitate a change in the Essence, or that the renewal of Allah's active attributes is established by texts and does not imply a deficiency. Before the creation of the Throne, Allah was "in a mist (or cloud of unknowing)," and He does not need the Throne or a place, and His ascension over it does not imply need or encompassment.