The meaning of Al-Arsh (The Throne)

11 months ago
3 minutes

Sayyid Badr al-Din al-Houthi (d. 1431 AH), while commenting on the meaning of al-‘Arsh within Surat al-A‘raf (7:54), argues that it is not to be understood literally. He points out that the word was used figuratively by the early Arabs to mean “king” or “ruler”, and that this figurative sense can be seen from its usage in pre-Islamic poetry.

He cites the line of Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma (d. 13 BH), who was describing the fate of two clans—‘Abs and Dhubyan—after they had lost their authority. Addressing the new rulers of these clans, Zuhayr said:

“You have regained ‘Abs while its throne was empty,
and Dhubyan has now lost its feet.”

In this verse, the word ‘arsh (throne) clearly refers to kingship or rulership, while feet signifies support.

Lexical Evidence

This metaphorical meaning of ‘arsh is well-established in classical lexicons:

  • Ibn Manzur (d. 711 AH) in Lisan al-‘Arab defines ‘arsh as “kingship” (المُلْك).
  • Al-Raghib al-Isfahani (d. 502 AH) in al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur’an includes “kingdom and authority” (مملكته وسلطانه) among its meanings.

Ahl al-Bayt and Figurative Interpretation

The scholar Muhammad b. Yahya (d. 1351 AH) in Kashif al-Amin highlights that the figurative interpretation of al-‘Arsh is attributed to a number of early scholars from the Ahl al-Bayt, including:

  • Imam Zayd b. ‘Ali (d. 122 AH)
  • Imam al-Qasim b. Ibrahim ar-Rassi (d. 246 AH)
  • Imam Yahya al-Hadi (d. 298 AH)
  • His son Imam Muhammad al-Murtada (d. 301 AH)
  • and others

Statements of the Imams

  • Imam al-Qasim b. Ibrahim ar-Rassi (d. 246 AH) was asked about the verses:
    • “His Throne was over the waters” (Hud 11:7)
    • “His Chair encompasses the heavens and the earth” (Baqarah 2:255)
    He replied: “The {Throne} and the {Chair} refer to His Rule and Authority.”
  • On the verse: “On that Day eight mighty angels will bear the Throne of your Lord above them” (Haqqah 69:17),
    Imam al-Mutawakkil Ahmad b. Sulayman (d. 566 AH) explained: “Eight kinds of angels will take charge of Allah’s authority (ملك) on the Day of Judgment.”
  • Imam al-Qasim b. Ibrahim also explained the verse “His Throne was over the water” (Hud 11:7) as follows: “The dominion (ملك) of Allah was over the water, since there was nothing but water, as He rules today over the earth and the heavens and all that is in them.”

This interpretation was likewise held by other Ahl al-Bayt scholars, including Imam Yahya al-Hadi (d. 298 AH) and Imam al-Mansur Billah ‘Abdullah b. Hamza (d. 614 AH).

References

📕 — Taysir at-Tafsir, Sayyid Badr al-Din al-Houthi (d. 1431 AH), vol. 3, p. 48.
📕 — Lisan al-‘Arab, Ibn Mandhur (d. 711 AH), vol. 6, p. 323.
📕 — Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur’an, Al-Raghib al-Isfahani (d. 502 AH), p. 429.
📕 — Kashif al-Amin, Muhammad b. Yahya (d. 1351 AH), vol. 1, p. 248.
📕 — Masa’il al-Qasim b. Ibrahim ar-Rassi (d. 246 AH), vol. 1, pp. 663–664.
📕 — Haqa’iq al-Ma‘rifa, Imam al-Mutawakkil Ahmad b. Sulayman (d. 566 AH), p. 412.
📕 — Majmu‘ ar-Rasa’il, Imam Yahya al-Hadi (d. 298 AH), p. 829.
📕 — Al-Majmu‘ al-Ansari, Imam al-Mansur Billah ‘Abdullah b. Hamza (d. 614 AH), p. 281.
📕 — Kitab fihi Masa’il al-Qasim b. Ibrahim ar-Rassi (d. 246 AH), p. 52.