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’\u2026<\/p>\n
Below are the entries found in various ‘Arabic-English and ‘Arabic-‘Arabic dictionaries that illustrate this point\u2026<\/p>\n
From al-Mawrid by Dr. Rohi Baalbaki, 6th edition 2002, page 103:<\/p>\n
Under the entry for:<\/p>\n
\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0648\u0649<\/span><\/p>\n \u0627\u0633\u062a\u0648\u0649 \u0639\u0644\u0649: \u0627\u0633\u062a\u0642\u0631, \u062c\u0644\u0633 <\/span> Also in my Muhaddith.org dictionary on my laptop is the same…<\/p>\n Also, you will find in Tabaqaat ash-Shafi’eeyah al-Kubraa, 9\/27:<\/p>\n \u0641\u0646\u0642\u0648\u0644 \u0644\u0647\u0645 \u0645\u0627 \u0647\u0648 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0648\u0627\u0621 \u0641\u064a \u0643\u0644\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628 \u0641\u0625\u0646 \u0642\u0627\u0644\u0648\u0627 \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0644\u0648\u0633 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0642\u0631\u0627\u0631 \u0642\u0644\u0646\u0627 \u0647\u0630\u0627 \u0645\u0627 \u062a\u0639\u0631\u0641\u0647 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628 \u0625\u0644\u0627 \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0633\u0645 \u0641\u0642\u0648\u0644\u0648\u0627 \u064a\u0633\u062a\u0648\u064a \u062c\u0633\u0645 \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0634 \u0648\u0625\u0646 \u0642\u0627\u0644\u0648\u0627 \u062c\u0644\u0648\u0633 \u0648\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0642\u0631\u0627\u0631 \u0646\u0633\u0628\u062a\u0647 \u0625\u0644\u0649 \u0630\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u062a\u0639\u0627\u0644\u0649 \u0643\u0646\u0633\u0628\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0644\u0648\u0633 \u0625\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0633\u0645<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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’..<\/p>\n ‘Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-Qaahir al-Jurjaanee, Shaykh al-‘Arabeeyah d. 471 from his book: ‘Asraar al-Balaaghah Vol. 1, page 14:<\/p>\n \u0648: ” \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0651\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0645\u0646 \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u064e\u0631\u0652\u0634 \u0627\u0633\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0648\u064e\u0649 ” ” \u0637\u0647: 5 ” \u060c \u0648\u0623\u0634\u0628\u0627\u0647 \u0630\u0644\u0643 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0646\u0651\u064f\u0628\u064f\u0648\u0651\u0650 \u0639\u0646 \u0623\u0642\u0648\u0627\u0644 \u0623\u0647\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u062a\u062d\u0642\u064a\u0642\u060c \u0641\u0625\u0630\u0627 \u0642\u064a\u0644 \u0644\u0647\u0645: \u0627\u0644\u0625\u062a\u064a\u0627\u0646 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0645\u062c\u064a\u0621 \u0627\u0646\u062a\u0642\u0627\u0644 \u0645\u0646 \u0645\u0643\u0627\u0646 \u0625\u0644\u0649 \u0645\u0643\u0627\u0646\u060c \u0648\u0635\u0641\u0629\u064c \u0645\u0646 \u0635\u0641\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0623\u062c\u0633\u0627\u0645\u060c \u0648\u0623\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0648\u0627\u0621 \u0625\u0646 \u062d\u064f\u0645\u0644 \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0638\u0627\u0647\u0631\u0647 \u0644\u0645 \u064a\u0635\u062d\u0651 \u0625\u0644\u0627\u0651 \u0641\u064a \u062c\u0633\u0645 \u064a\u0634\u063a\u064e\u0644 \u062d\u064a\u0651\u0650\u0632\u0627\u064b \u0648\u064a\u0623\u062e\u0630\u064f \u0645\u0643\u0627\u0646\u0627\u064b…<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2026<\/p>\n In Lisaan al-‘Arab Vol. 1, page 200, under the entry for \u0627\u0644\u0645\u064f\u062a\u0651\u064e\u0643\u0650\u0626\u064f \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0639\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0628\u0650\u064a\u0651\u064e\u0629\u0650 \u0643\u064f\u0644\u0651\u064f \u0645\u064e\u0646 \u0627\u0633\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0648\u064e\u0649 \u0642\u0627\u0639\u0650\u062f\u0627\u064b \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0648\u0650\u0637\u0627\u0621\u064d…<\/span><\/p>\n “And the ‘Resting Upon’ in ‘Arabic: All who are ‘Istawaa, are (Qaa’id) ‘Sitting’ upon a lower position…”<\/p>\n Also in Ibid Vol.5, page 337, under the entry for \u0648\u0642\u0627\u0644 \u0627\u0628\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u064e\u062b\u064a\u0631 \u0642\u0644\u0642 \u0648\u0634\u064e\u062e\u064e\u0635 \u0636\u064e\u062c\u064e\u0631\u0627\u064b \u0648\u0642\u064a\u0644 \u0627\u0633\u062a\u0648\u0649 \u062c\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0627\u064b \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0631\u0643\u0628\u062a\u064a\u0647 \u0643\u0623\u064e\u0646\u0647 \u064a\u0646\u0647\u0636 \u0648\u0627\u062d\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0641\u064e\u0632\u064e \u0641\u064a \u0645\u0634\u064a\u0647 \u0627\u062d\u0652\u062a\u064e\u062b\u0651\u064e…<\/span><\/p>\n “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…”<\/p>\n Also in Ibid Vol. 6, page 313, under the entry for \u0631\u0648\u064a \u0639\u0646 \u0627\u0628\u0646 \u0639\u0628\u0627\u0633 \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0647 \u0642\u0627\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u064e\u0631\u0652\u0634 \u0645\u062c\u0644\u0650\u0633 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u062d\u0645\u0646… <\/span><\/p>\n “Transmitted on authority of ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas is that he said, “The Throne is the seat ‘Majlis’ of the Merciful\u2026”<\/p>\n Ibid, Vol. 14, page 408, under the entry for \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0634\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0644\u062d\u064a\u0627\u0646\u064a \u062a\u064e\u0631\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0642\u0648\u0645\u064e \u0623\u064e\u0633\u0652\u0648\u0627\u0621\u064b \u0625\u0630\u0627 \u062c\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0633\u0648\u0627 \u0645\u0639\u0627\u064b…<\/span><\/p>\n “Al-Lahyaanee put into prose: “You see the people ‘Aswaa’aan, when they sit ‘Jalasuu’ together\u2026” (And this is among the first definitions for the root of ‘Istawaa!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ‘Istawaa ‘alaa’ means ‘to sit upon’…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aqeedah","category-lughat-al-arabiyyah"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanbali.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n: to sit firmly on<\/p>\n
\n(Waka)
\n \u0648\u0643\u0623 <\/span><\/p>\n
\n(Hafaza)
\n \u062d\u0641\u0632 <\/span><\/p>\n
\n(‘Arsh)
\n \u0639\u0631\u0634<\/span><\/p>\n
\n(Sawaa)
\n\u0633\u0648\u0627 <\/span><\/p>\n