'Arsh
ʿArsh (Arabic: العَرش) is a Quranic term that literally means "throne" and is attributed to God. In some verses of the Quran, it is mentioned that God "settled" on the throne, a concept that is interpreted in various ways by Muslim scholars. However, some Sunni groups, like the Ash'arites and the People of Hadith, hold that these verses should not be deeply scrutinized but simply accepted as they are.
According to Zahirism (Zahiriyya) and Hashwiyya, 'arsh refers to a physical throne that belongs to God, upon which He sits and governs the world's affairs. In contrast, Shi'as and Mu'tazilites interpret these verses metaphorically, with some viewing the 'arsh as a symbol of God's infinite knowledge.
'Allama Tabataba'i interprets the 'arsh as an evolved stage of existential realms, where divine commands are issued. He sees God's settling on the 'arsh as a metaphor for His administration of the world and His knowledge of all affairs.
Concept and Quranic Usage
The word 'arsh literally means a king's throne or anything with a ceiling.[1] This term is attributed to God 21 times in the Quran.[2] Qur'an 9:129 alludes to the greatness of the divine throne.[3] In several verses, God is described as settling on the throne.[4] Other verses mention angels who exalt God around the throne[5] or carry it.[6] In Qur'an 11:7, the divine throne is described as resting upon water.[7]
Characteristics of the 'Arsh in Hadiths
There are various hadiths regarding the 'arsh or throne. One hadith describes archangels carrying the throne and mentions that the throne contains images of all entities in the world,[8] along with inscriptions such as "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the apostle of Allah, Ali is the Commander of the Faithful."[9] According to a hadith transmitted from the Prophet (s), during his Mi'raj journey, he saw that all the Infallibles (a) were on the right side of the throne.[10] Other hadiths state that the throne represents God's infinite knowledge.[11]
According to hadiths, the throne is magnificent, with all creatures being like a small ring within a vast desert in comparison to it.[12] The distance between each pair of the throne's pillars is so vast that it takes a fast bird one thousand years to fly from one pillar to the other.[13] Additionally, the throne is said to be greater than the divine kursi (seat).[14] God created the throne from light, making it impossible for any creature to gaze upon it.[15]
Various Views about the 'Arsh
The verses regarding the 'arsh (divine throne) and kursi (divine seat) are among the ambiguous Quranic verses, leading Muslim scholars to propose diverse perspectives on their meanings.[16] Here are some of these views.
The Meaning of 'Arsh being Unknown
Certain Sunni groups, such as the Ash'arites and the People of the Hadith, believe that concepts like 'arsh and kursi should be accepted without delving into their meanings.[17] According to the Quran, God settles on the throne, but how this occurs is beyond human understanding.[18] For instance, Malik b. Anas explains that while we know what "sitting" means, we cannot comprehend how it applies to God. He asserts that questioning this is heretical and that it is imperative to believe it simply.[19]
'Arsh being Material and Spatial
The Zahiriyya and Hashwiyya interpret 'arsh literally, viewing it as a physical throne. They believe God has a vast throne on which He sits and administers the world.[20]
Some Muslim philosophers, including Mulla Hadi Sabziwari, use the Ptolemaic system of the universe to interpret the divine throne as the "sphere of the spheres" (falak al-aflak), which is the ninth sphere in the ancient Greek philosophical system.[21] Some corporalists believe that 'arsh and kursi are two large celestial bodies,[22] while others assert they are identical to Saturn and Jupiter.[23]
Metaphorical Sense of 'Arsh
Mu'tazilites and a group of Shi'a exegetes of the Qur'an believe that the 'arsh does not exist as a physical entity in the external world; rather, it is a metaphor.[24] However, they hold diverse views on its exact metaphorical meaning. Some interpret the kursi as a metaphor for the material world and the 'arsh as a metaphor for the supernatural world.[25] Al-Shaykh al-Saduq interprets the 'arsh as God's infinite knowledge,[26] while others believe it symbolizes God's rule, sovereignty, and ownership.[27]
'Allama Tabataba'i views the 'arsh as an evolved stage of the existential realms and the command center of the world where divine commands are issued. He interprets God's sitting on the throne metaphorically, representing His administration of the world and His knowledge of all affairs.[28]
The Divine Throne in Other Religions
The concept of a divine throne appears in other religions as well. For example, the Bible forbids swearing by heaven, which is considered God's throne.[29] It also describes the throne as having wheels[30] and being engulfed in fire.[31] Additionally, the Bible mentions angels who sit on the divine throne,[32] and seraphim angels are depicted as exalting God around it.[33]
Notes
- ↑ Dihkhudā, Farhang-i lughat, vol. 10, under the word "ʿArsh".
- ↑ Group of authors, Āyāt-i ʿarsh wa kursī, p. 91.
- ↑ He is the Lord of the Great Throne.
- ↑ Qur'an 7:54; Qur'an 20:5; Qur'an 10:3.
- ↑ Qur'an 39:57.
- ↑ Qur'an 69:17.
- ↑ His Throne was [then] upon the waters.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 8, p. 170.
- ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 27, p. 1.
- ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 36, p. 217.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 58.
- ↑ Rustamī and Āl-i Būya, Sayrī dar asrār-i firishtigān, p. 198.
- ↑ Rustamī and Āl-i Būya, Sayrī dar asrār-i firishtigān, p. 198.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 59.
- ↑ Jaʿfarī, Maʿārif-i Qurʾān-i dīdgāh-hā darbāra-yi ʿarsh-i Khudā, p. 41.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 71.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 53.
- ↑ Khurramshāhī, ʿArsh, p. 1446.
- ↑ Aḥmadī, Andīsha-yi kalāmī-yi Sanāyī darbāra-yi ʿarsh, p. 7.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 68.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 69.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 71.
- ↑ Bayāt Mukhtārī, ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī, p. 69-70.
- ↑ Group of authors, Āyāt-i ʿarsh wa kursī, p. 92.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 20, p. 38.
- ↑ Ṣadūq, Maʿānī al-akhbār, p. 67.
- ↑ Maʿrifat, al-Tamhīd fī ʿulūm al-Qurʾān, vol. 3, p. 125.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 17, p. 298.
- ↑ Bible, Book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 35.
- ↑ Bible, Book of Ezekiel, chapter 1, verse 26.
- ↑ Bible, Book of Daniel, chapter 7, verse 9.
- ↑ Bible, 1 Kings, chapter 22, verse 19.
- ↑ Bible, the book of Isaiah the prophet, chapter 6, verse 3.
References
- Aḥmadī, Jamāl and others. Andīsha-yi kalāmī-yi Sanāyī darbāra-yi ʿarsh. In Nashrīyya-yi Dānishkada-yi Bāhunar-i Kirmān 22 (1386 Sh).
- Bayāt Mukhtārī, Mahdī. ʿArsh-i Khudā wa tafāwut-i ān bā kursī. In Majalla-yi Taḥqīqāt-i ʿUlūm-i Qurʾā wa Ḥadīth-i Dānishgāh-i al-Zahrā 2 (1390 Sh).
- Dihkhudā, ʿAlī Akbar. Farhang-i lughat. Tehran: Muʾassisa-yi Lughatnāma-yi Dihkhudā, 1341 Sh.
- Group of authors. Āyāt-i ʿarsh wa kursī. In Farhangnāma-yi ʿulūm-i Qurʾānī. Qom: Pazhūhishgāh-i ʿUlūm wa Farhang Islāmī, 1394 Sh.
- Jaʿfarī, Yaʿqūb. Maʿārif-i Qurʾān-i dīdgāh-hā darbāra-yi ʿarsh-i Khudā. In Majalla-yi Dars-hā-yī az Maktab-i Islām 615 (1391 Sh).
- Khurramshāhī, Bahāʾ al-Dīn. ʿArsh. In Dānishnāmah-yi Qurʾān wa Qurʾān pazhūhī. Tehran: Dūstān wa Nāhīd, 1377 Sh.
- Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir al-. Biḥār al-anwār. Beirut: Muʾassisat al-Wafāʾ, 1403 AH.
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1369 Sh.
- Maʿrifat, Muḥammad Hādī. Al-Tamhīd fī ʿulūm al-Qurʾān. Qom: Muʾassisa-yi Nashr-i Islāmī, 1416 AH.
- Rustamī, Muḥammad Zamān and Āl-i Būya, Ṭāhira. Sayrī dar asrār-i firishtigān bā rūykardī Qurʾānī wa ʿirfānī. Qom: Pazhūhishgāh-i ʿUlūm wa Farhang Islāmī, 1393 Sh.
- Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-. Maʿānī al-akhbār. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1377 Sh.
- Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī Jāmiʿa-yi Mudarrisīn-i Ḥawza-yi ʿIlmīyya-yi Qom, 1417 AH.