This is a short discussion of the apparent meaning of the ‘Arabic transliterated words ‘Istawaa ‘alaa, found in the Qur’an, translated conventionally as ‘is established upon’; however what is proven by the opinion of the likes of ‘Abu Hatim ar-Raazee, Wakee’ bin al-Jarrah, ‘Ibn Taymiyyah, ‘Ibn Qayyeem, ath-Thahabee, ‘Abu Ya’laa, and others, is that the correct understanding of ‘Istawaa ‘alaa’ is ‘to sit upon’…
Below are the entries found in various ‘Arabic-English and ‘Arabic-‘Arabic dictionaries that illustrate this point…
From al-Mawrid by Dr. Rohi Baalbaki, 6th edition 2002, page 103:
Under the entry for:
استوى
استوى على: استقر, جلس
: to sit firmly on
Also in my Muhaddith.org dictionary on my laptop is the same…
Also, you will find in Tabaqaat ash-Shafi’eeyah al-Kubraa, 9/27:
فنقول لهم ما هو الاستواء في كلام العرب فإن قالوا الجلوس والاستقرار قلنا هذا ما تعرفه العرب إلا في الجسم فقولوا يستوي جسم على العرش وإن قالوا جلوس واستقرار نسبته إلى ذات الله تعالى كنسبة الجلوس إلى الجسم
Where as-Subki mentions that when they asked them (the Mujassimah according to him) what does al-‘Istiwaa’ means in the speech of the ‘Arabs, they responded with ‘al-Juluus’ and ‘al-Istiqraar’, and he responded that they only know of this meaning when referring to ‘al-Jism’ or ‘A body’..
‘Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-Qaahir al-Jurjaanee, Shaykh al-‘Arabeeyah d. 471 from his book: ‘Asraar al-Balaaghah Vol. 1, page 14:
و: ” الرَّحْمن عَلَى العَرْش اسْتَوَى ” ” طه: 5 ” ، وأشباه ذلك من النُّبُوِّ عن أقوال أهل التحقيق، فإذا قيل لهم: الإتيان والمجيء انتقال من مكان إلى مكان، وصفةٌ من صفات الأجسام، وأن الاستواء إن حُمل على ظاهره لم يصحّ إلاّ في جسم يشغَل حيِّزاً ويأخذُ مكاناً…
And: {The Merciful is upon the Throne ‘Istawaa} TaHa: And most resembling that from the contention about the statements of the people of Tahqeeq, is when it was said to them: the ‘arrival’, and the ‘coming to’, and the ‘movement’ from place to place, and an attribute from the attributes of the body, and that al-Istawaa’ if carried literally is not correct except in reference to a body occupying a space and taking a certain position…
In Lisaan al-‘Arab Vol. 1, page 200, under the entry for
(Waka)
وكأ
المُتَّكِئُ في العَرَبِيَّةِ كُلُّ مَن اسْتَوَى قاعِداً على وِطاءٍ…
“And the ‘Resting Upon’ in ‘Arabic: All who are ‘Istawaa, are (Qaa’id) ‘Sitting’ upon a lower position…”
Also in Ibid Vol.5, page 337, under the entry for
(Hafaza)
حفز
وقال ابن الأَثير قلق وشَخَص ضَجَراً وقيل استوى جالساً على ركبتيه كأَنه ينهض واحْتَفَزَ في مشيه احْتَثَّ…
“And ‘Ibn ‘Atheer said: ‘Worried’, and ‘to Rise from Boredom’, and it is said: ‘Istawaa is (Jaalis) ‘Sitting’ upon his knee like that he was rising and being motivated in walking urgently…”
Also in Ibid Vol. 6, page 313, under the entry for
(‘Arsh)
عرش
روي عن ابن عباس أَنه قال العَرْش مجلِس الرحمن…
“Transmitted on authority of ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas is that he said, “The Throne is the seat ‘Majlis’ of the Merciful…”
Ibid, Vol. 14, page 408, under the entry for
(Sawaa)
سوا
أَنشد اللحياني تَرى القومَ أَسْواءً إذا جَلَسوا معاً…
“Al-Lahyaanee put into prose: “You see the people ‘Aswaa’aan, when they sit ‘Jalasuu’ together…” (And this is among the first definitions for the root of ‘Istawaa!)
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