Al-'Arsh — Rawzat

The Quranic Foundation

The ‘Arsh appears in 7 major passages:

“The Most Merciful — settled (istawā) upon the Throne.” (20:5; also 7:54, 10:3, 13:2, 25:59, 32:4, 57:4)

“And the angels are at its borders, and eight will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day.” (69:17)

“His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not.” (2:255 — from Ayat al-Kursi)

“And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon the water — that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed.” (11:7)

“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then settled upon the Throne, directing all affairs.” (10:3)

These verses establish the ‘Arsh as:

The highest created reality (above the heavens)
The place of the divine’s governance of creation
Borne by the highest angels
Associated with the divine’s attribute of rahmah (mercy — the verse 20:5 says Al-Rahman istawā, not any other name)

The Central Theological Question: What is Istawā?

The word istawā (settled, established, ascended — root: s-w-y) is the crux of the scholarly debate. Three major positions:

1. The Anthropomorphist position (rejected by the scholarly mainstream): istawā is literal — Allah literally sits on a physical throne. This position attributes spatial location to Allah, which the classical consensus rejected as tashbih (comparison to created things).

2. The Ta’wil position (Ash’ari, Mu’tazili, and others): istawā is metaphorical — it means istawla (subdued, mastered, had power over) or istaqarra (established authority over). The divine does not have a spatial location; the verse expresses sovereign authority over creation.

3. The Tafwidh position (Athari/Salafi): Accept the words as they are without asking how — affirm that istawā is real and true, but do not specify what it means or how it occurs. The bila kayf (without how) approach: “We do not say how.”

The classical consensus: The ‘Arsh is real; the divine’s istiwa’ upon it is real; but we do not compare the divine’s mode of existence to anything created. “There is nothing like unto Him.” (42:11)

The ‘Arsh in Cosmic Structure

The ‘Arsh is described as the highest created reality:

The seven heavens (sab’ samawat): in the Islamic cosmological picture, there are seven heavens, each ascending in glory and nearness to the divine.

The Kursiyy (the Footstool): Below the ‘Arsh is the Kursiyy — mentioned in Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) as “His Kursiyy extends over the heavens and the earth.” The Prophet explained: “The Kursiyy compared to the ‘Arsh is like a ring thrown in an open desert.” — Ibn Hibban, Abu Dawud

The ‘Arsh and water: “His Throne was upon the water” (11:7) — before the creation of the heavens and earth, the ‘Arsh was on the primordial water (al-ma’). This places the ‘Arsh at the foundational moment of creation.

The eight bearers: On the Day of Resurrection, eight mighty angels will bear the ‘Arsh (69:17). Currently, four angels bear it; on that Day, the bearers will be eight.

Al-Bayt al-Ma’mur: Above the Ka’ba, in the seventh heaven, is the Celestial House (Bayt al-Ma’mur) — where 70,000 angels perform Tawaf daily. This is the heavenly analog of the Ka’ba.

The Ismaili Ta’wil: ‘Arsh as the First Intellect

In the Ismaili cosmological framework, the ‘Arsh has a batin:

The ‘Arsh = the First Intellect (‘Aql al-Awwal): The Throne is the highest created reality — the vehicle through which the divine’s governance (tadbir) radiates into creation. In Ismaili cosmology, the First Intellect is precisely this: the first and highest being, through which the divine’s command (amr) flows into all subsequent existence.

“Al-Rahman istawā ‘ala al-‘Arsh” — in ta’wil: the divine’s attribute of Rahmah (mercy, creative love) established itself through the First Intellect. The First Intellect is the ‘Arsh of divine mercy — the cosmic canopy through which the divine’s generosity showers into existence.

The eight bearers = in ta’wil, the eight highest degrees of the da’wa hierarchy (the cosmic hudud) — the levels of the divine’s governance structure manifest in the human world through the da’wa.

The Kursiyy and the ‘Arsh: The Kursiyy (the Footstool, like a ring in a desert compared to the ‘Arsh) represents the Universal Soul (Nafs al-Kulliyya) — the second cosmic hypostasis, vast compared to the material world but small compared to the First Intellect/‘Arsh.

The ‘Arsh and the Human Heart

The Prophet (SAW): “The heart of the believer is between the fingers of the Most Merciful — He turns it as He wills.”

A deeper teaching: “Heavens and earth cannot contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant contains Me.” — Hadith Qudsi

These teachings point to the ‘Arsh’s innermost meaning: the divine’s istiwa’ is not a spatial claim but an intimacy claim — the divine’s “throne” is ultimately the qalb al-mu’min (the heart of the believing soul). In the Ismaili reading, the heart oriented toward the Imam is the human ‘Arsh — the place where the divine’s governance is present in the microcosm of the individual.

Al-'Arsh — The Throne of the Most Merciful

The Quranic Foundation

The Central Theological Question: What is Istawā?

The ‘Arsh in Cosmic Structure

The Ismaili Ta’wil: ‘Arsh as the First Intellect

The ‘Arsh and the Human Heart

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