Which means: « Allāh existed [eternally] and nothing else existed with Him. He created the ^Arsh (Throne) [and placed it] above the water. Then He [ordered the Pen to] write in the (Guarded) Tablet everything that would happen. Then Allāh created the heavens and Earth. » [Related by al-Bukhariyy] The Prophet answered this question by first stating that Allāh’s Existence does not have a beginning, i.e., He is Eternal. There is no one attributed with eternity other than Him. In other words, nothing existed eternally except Allāh, and Allāh created everything, i.e., He brought all the creation from non-existence into existence. Allâh, ta`âlâ, did not create all the creations at one time. Had He willed for this, it would have occurred. Rather, in six days, He created the heavens and Earth ; and for Earth Allāh created rivers, mountains, and valleys. The wisdom of this is to teach us not to be hasty in doing things. The first creation is water. The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْمَاءِ Innallâha ta^âlâ khalaqa kulla shay’in mina l-mâ’ Which means: « Allāh created everything from water. » [Related by Ibn Hibban];

When Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, was asked how this universe started to exist, he said:

“Allah existed [eternally] and nothing else existed with Him. He created the ^Arsh (Throne) [and was positioned] above the water. Then He ordered the Pen to write in the (Guarded) Tablet everything that would happen. Then Allah created the heavens and Earth.” (Related by al-Bukhariyy.)

#Bismillah School; #Islam; #Creation; #Universe

Quranic Evidence: Allah’s Throne on Water before Creation

Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in six Days and His Throne was on the water, that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds.} [Hud 11:7]

This is a statement by Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, that His Throne was above the water before He created the heavens and earth and what is in them. Qatadah said: Your Lord, may He be Blessed and Exalted, is telling you how His creation began before He created the heavens and the earth. (End quote from Tafsir At-Tabari, 15/246)

Hadith Narrations on the Position of The Throne of Allah

Al-Bukhari (2953) narrated from `Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that some of the people of Yemen asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) this and said: We have come to you to ask you about this matter. He said: “There was Allah, and there was nothing else besides Him, and His Throne was over the water. He wrote all things in the Book (in heaven) and He created the heavens and the earth.”

Then Pen wrote the Qadr/ Destiny in Lawhul Mahfuth (Book of Destinies in the Heavens)

Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah ordained the measures (of quality) of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, as His Throne was upon water.

The first thing Allah Almighty created was a pen, and instructed the pen to write. The pen asked Him, what should it write, and Allah said, write everything that was and would be. This took place 50,000 years before the creation of the world as the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned.

[Source: Reported by Ahmad 23197. Abu Daawood, 4700. At-Tirmidhee, 2155]

Both the verse and the Hadith are speaking of the beginning of creation, and say that the Throne of Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, was over the water before the creation of heaven and earth.

This does not mean that the Throne is not still over the water.

Al-Bukhari (6869) and Muslim (1659) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Right Hand of Allah is full and (its fullness) is not decreased by any spending; it is overflowing by night and day. Think of what He has spent since He created the heavens and the earth, but all this spending has not decreased what is in His Right Hand.” He said: “And his Throne is over the water, and in His other Hand is the power to bring about death, and He raises some people and brings others low.”

Scholarly Interpretations on the Throne and Its Significance

Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

In the report of Is-haq ibn Rahawayh it says “and the Throne is over the water.” The apparent meaning is that it was like that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke these words. The apparent meaning of the Hadith which comes before it is that the Throne was over the water before the creation of the heavens and earth, and the two Hadith when taken together indicate that it is still over the water. (End quote from Fat-h Al-Bari, 20/496)

What It Means for The Throne of Allah to Be Over Water

The meaning of the word Kana (was) in the verse refers to what happened in the past, before the creation of the heavens and the earth. From his saying in the other Hadith, “His Throne is over the water,” it may be understood that it is still like that.

‘Ubādah ibn As-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his son: “O Son, you will not taste true faith until you know that whatever has come to you would never have missed you, and that whatever has missed you would never have come to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘The first thing Allah created was the Pen. He commanded it to write. It said: ‘My Lord, what shall I write?’ He said: ‘Write down what has been ordained for all things until the establishment of the Hour.'” O Son, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Whoever dies believing otherwise does not belong to me.'” In a narration by Imām Ahmad: “Verily, the first thing Allah, the Almighty, created was the Pen. He said to it: ‘Write.’ So in that very hour it wrote down all what was to occur up to the Day of Judgment.” In a narration by Ibn Wahb, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “So, whoever disbelieved in fate, the good and the bad thereof, Allah will burn him with the Hellfire.”  
[Authentic hadith] – [Ibn Wahb in Al-Qadar – Narrated by At-Termedhy – Narrated by Abu Daoud – Narrated by Ahmad]Explanation

“As soon as Allah created the pen, he commanded it saying: write. It said: “what should I write my Lord?” Allah said: “Write the record of all things to happen till the establishment of the hour” Oh my son I have heard Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) saying: “He who dies believing other than this is not from me”(i.e. is not upon the prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) belief) (Abu Dawud)