How can the saying of the Salaf, "Allah is separate from His creation," be reconciled with their saying, "Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night," given that the heavens are part of His creation? And how do we affirm that Allah remains ascended above the Throne after the proofs have established His ascension upon it?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The descent of Allah the Almighty to the lowest heaven is a real descent befitting His Majesty, and it does not imply His indwelling in it, nor does it contradict His
استواء (establishment/ascension) over the Throne. He is the Most High, the Exalted, Whom His creations cannot encompass, and He is capable of descending and being established simultaneously without resembling His creation. And the استواء (establishment/ascension) over the Throne is an inherent attribute of Allah the Almighty that is never interrupted, as He has informed us in the Quran.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/133975
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 133975
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy