511. Can it be mentioned as “He sat on the Arsh”.

There is a need to understand the reason we have translated these verses (7:54, 10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4, 57:4) of the Quran, as ‘He established His rule over the Arsh’ while others have translated it as ‘He sat on the Arsh’.

In the above verses the Arabic word ‘Istawa’ is made use of.

 The same word is used in the Quran in other places to mean ‘to be seated’.

In verse 11:24 of the Quran the same word is used to express a phrase ‘the boat sat on the mountain top’. In verse 23:38 of the Quran the same word is used in the phrase ‘sit on the boat’.

The word ‘Istawa’ is generally not used to refer to one sitting on the floor, but to a person sitting in a higher level from the floor.

This word in used in the Quran and hadiths in phrases like ‘sitting on the boat’, sitting on top of the mountain, sitting on a vehicle (horse), sitting on the mimber steps etc.,

 In verse 43:13 of the Quran it is used to mean being seated on a vehicle.

In hadiths also this word refers to being seated.

When Abu Qatada (RA) said I sat on the horse he used the word ‘Istawa’. Bukhari: 2914

When mentioning the Prophet was well seated on his vehicle, Ibn Abbas uses the word Istawa. Bukhari: 4277.

To express that Prophet Muhammad was seated on the dais, Anas (RA) uses the word ‘Istawa’. Bukhari: 72:69.

The renowned Arabic dictionary Lisan ul Arab defines the term as ‘being on the upper part of something.

Istawa means being above, Ex; being above in the heavens, skies, roof of the house etc.,

Hence mentioning ‘The Almighty is seated above in the Arsh’ is the apt expression that has to be used.

 And those who offer other explanations are doing so against the fundamentals of the Quran and hadiths as well contradicting basics of Arabic grammar.

512. The extent to which a thief’s hand