Mention of ‘Juluus’ for Allah Among the Salaf

العلو للعلي الغفار – الذهبي

 قال أحمد بن حنبل رضي الله عنه حدثنا وكيع عن إسرائيل بحديث إذا جلس الرب جل جلاله على الكرسي فاقشعر رجل عند وكيع فغضب وكيع وقال أدركنا الأعمش والثوري يحدثون بهذه الأحاديث ولا ينكرونها رواها أبو حاتم عن أحمد

Al-‘Uluuw lil-‘Aliyy il-Ghiffaar- by ath-Thahabee

431- ‘Ahmad bin Hanbal said, Allah be pleased with him, Wakee’ narrated to us, on authority of ‘Israa’eel, a narration “…when the Master, Lofty and Perfect is He, sat upon the Kursee…”, so a man near Wakee’ trembled, then Wakee’ became angry and said: “We observed al-‘Amash and ath-Thawree narrating these narrations and they did not reject it; ‘Abu Haatim transmitted it on authority of ‘Ahmad (also).

Wakee’ bin al-Jarraah

al-‘Imaam, al-Muhaddith of al-‘Iraaq, al-Haafith, one of the ‘A’laam, born in 129H; he narrated from Sufyaan ath-Thawree who was from among his Shuyuukh, ‘Abd Allah bin al-Mubaarak, Yahyaa bin ‘Aadam, ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdee, al-Humaydee, Misdad, ‘Alee (bin al-Madeenee), ‘Ahmad (al-‘Imaam), Yahyaa bin Ma’een, ‘Ishaaq bin Rahwayh, the children of ‘Abee Shaybah, ‘Abu Khaythamah.

‘Israa’eel bin Yuunus

al-Haafith, al-‘Imaam al-Hujjah, born in 100H; ‘Abd ar-Razzaq, ‘Abu Nu’aym, al-Firyaabee, Yahyaa bin ‘Aadam and ‘Abul-Waleed at-Tayaalisee all narrated from him. He was declared Thiqah by the ‘Aa’immah of Hadeeth and the most strict, an-Nasaa’ee said: ‘There is no harm in him’.

Comments

This shows that ath-Thahabee considered this ‘Athar authentic up to ‘Israa’eel, since the narration continues with the chain to ‘Abee ‘Ishaaq (who is ‘an’anah and Mudallis), on authority of ‘Abd Allah bin Khaleefah (who is few in narrations and who sometimes reports this narration Munqati’ and other times Marfuu’), on authority of ‘Umar, mercy upon him.

What we know is that indeed the meaning of ‘Juluus’ for ‘Istawaa ‘alaa’ was known in the first century of ‘Islaam, and the ‘Aa’immah of this ‘Ummah from the Salaf passed along this narration, despite its’ weakness, accepting the expression found in it.

We do not say that the Prophet, peace upon him, said ‘Juluus’ due to the weakness of the narration, however we do say that the Salaf affirmed this expression due to their acceptance of this wording by not objecting to it, and there are at least 2 narrations raised with weakness to the Prophet, peace upon him, so it is not possible to say that the Salaf never heard of this expression.

Whoever objects to the meaning of this narration, has no Salaf in their objection, and rather the Salaf passed this narration along without objection, while acknowledging the weakness in the chain.