Does the Lord actually descend to earth, or does His mercy descend, or is it the angels who descend?

The descent of Allah, the Exalted, is established in the authentic, agreed-upon Hadith: "Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains." The people of Hadith affirm this without تشبيه (likening Him to creation), ولا تمثيل (representing Him), ولا تكييف (asking how or in what manner), but rather they affirm what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, affirmed, and they let the narration pass according to its apparent meaning, entrusting its knowledge to Allah.