Allah is Free of Need of His Throne
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (24)
It should be noted regarding the creation of the Throne that describing the Throne as the "Throne of the Most Merciful" and likening it to a king's seat does not imply that Allah is in need of it. Allah is far greater than that. All creation is in need of Allah; they cannot exist without Him, while Allah is self-sufficient and praised. Ibn Abi al-Izz explained in Al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah: "His being free of need of the Throne and anything below it clarifies that His creation of the Throne and His establishment upon it is not due to any need for it. Rather, it serves a divine wisdom. The fact that something high is above something low does not mean that the low encompasses or holds the high, nor does it mean that the high is dependent on the low. Consider the sky, which is above the earth but is not in need of it."
Thus, the Lord is far greater and more exalted than to be constrained by such implications. Rather, the attributes of His exaltation are inherent to Him: His ability to uphold the lower creation, the lower creation's need of Him, and Him being in no need of it. He encompasses all things in His majesty. Allah Almighty is above the Throne while simultaneously sustaining the Throne and its bearers with His power. He is free of need of the Throne, and the Throne is in need of Him.
Similarly, Allah's creation of the servants for His worship does not imply that He is in need of them or dependent on their worship. Rather, He is self-sufficient, and they are the ones in need of Him. Their worship of Him is merely a manifestation of their dependence on Him and their weakness before Him. The Throne, the heavens, the earth, the angels, and the jinn—all are servants of Allah.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 181-182.
- A summary of the explanation of the Tahawi creed, Al-Albani, p. 51.
- The Story of Creation, Al-Kharaan, p. 65.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
