Interpreting (Istiwa) to mean (Isteela’) = To Conquer or Take Over

 

Some statements by the Righteous Salaf (predecessors) and scholars of Ahl Assunnah regarding interpreting “Istawa” to mean “istawLa” (conquered or took over).

Imam Abu Abdullah Ibn Al-A’rabi (d. 231 H.), a scholars of the Arabic language:

Dawud bin Ali said : We were at Ibn Al-‘Arabi, and a man came up to him and said: “O Abu Abdullah, what is the meaning of Allah’s saying:
(Ar-Rahmanu ‘ala al-Arsh Istawa – The Most Merciful upon the Throne Istawa) ?
He (Ibn Al A’rabi) said: “He is on (‘ala) His Throne like He informed.”
So the man said: “It is not like that, It means: Istawla (conquered or took over).”
So Ibn Al-A’rabi said to him: “And what makes you know what this is?! The Arabs do not say about a man: istawla upon something unless he has an opposition in it. Then whoever of the two defeats the other, it is said: istawla; and there is no opponent to Allah, and He is on His Throne like He informed.”
(An authentic reported quoted by al Bayhaqi in his book al sifat and others)

Al Bayhaqi rahimahullah mentioned in his book “Al Asmaa was-Sifat” :

قال : وليس ذلك في الآية بمعنى الاستيلاء ، لأن الاستيلاء غلبة مع توقع ضعف
(And he said: “And istila (conquoring or taking over) is not from the meaning of the ayah, because istila’ is dominance with anticipation of weakness.”)
Ibn Kathir rahimahullah said in his book “al Bidayah wan-Nihaya“, when speaking about al Akhtal who was an Arab Christian poet :

[And he is the one who vocalized his poetry to Bishr bin Marwan, in which he said:. ]

Istawa Bishr over Iraq without a sword or spilt blood.

And these verses (of poetry) are used as evidence by the Jahmiyah that Istiwa’ over the Throne means: al Istila’ (conquer, take over), and this is from the distortion of the speech, and there is no proof in this Christian’s poetry verse for that.

And Allah Azza wa Jal didn’t intend by His Istiwa on the Throne that He conquered it, greatly exalted be Allah from the saying of the Jahmiyyah.    Becasue it is said: Istawa upon something if that thing was rebellious or resistant to him before he took it over, like the conquering of Bishr over Iraq, and the taking over of a city by the king after its rebellion against him.
And the Throne of the Lord was not forbiden or inaccessable for Him, for one to say: Istawa over it or the meaning of Istiwa’ is “isteela”.

And you will not find a weaker proof than that of the Jahmiya, to the point of their lack of proof leading them to using a poetic verse by an ugly censured Christian, and there is no proof in it, and Allah Knows best