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al-Kursi
The Place of the two Feet of Allaah, the Most
High



Compiled by: Aboo Aleef Muhammad Rasheed bin Abdir-Rahmaan al-Maaldeefee
Translated by: Aboo Ubaydah Ahmad Nishwaan al-Maaldeefee





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1
Allaah says in His Noble Book, Surah al-Baqarah, Verse 255:
< .l| | > _>l `,1l .:.>!. .. . .l !. _ ,...l !. _ _ _. : _ _:
.:..s | ..:|, `l-, !. _,, `,., !. l> L,>`, ,`_:, _. ..ls | !., ,!: _. ,.
,...l _ .:::, !,L> > _l-l `,L-l
Without a doubt, the scholars, specially the scholars of tafseer, differed in their interpretation
of the word al-Kursi. This is a concise compilation of the statement of the scholars regarding
this issue. And I have concluded this small treatise explaining the correct stance regarding the
interpretation of the word al-Kursi as mentioned by one of the scholars from the Muhaditheen
(scholars of hadeeth). And success is from Allaah.

1
This is called the Khutbat ul-Haajah (Sermon of Need). The prophet (sallalaahu alaihi wasallam) would begin his
speeches with this sermon. The hadeeth mentioning this is recorded in an-Nasaai, Aboo Daawood, Muslim, Ibn
Hibbaan and others. For more information see the booklet (al- Khutbat ul-Haajah) by al-Albaani.
Some of the scholars or the Mufassireen (scholars of tafseer) stated that al-Kursi is the Qudrah
(Power) of Allaah.This was said by Imaam Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Others said that al-Kursi is referring to al-Arsh (the Throne). This was said by the noble
Imaam, the tabiee, al-Hassan al-Basri (may Allaah have mercy on him). This interpretation was
mentioned in the exegesis of Imaam Aboo Jafar at-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) and
ash-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him).
And others from them said that al-Kursi is al-Ilm, meaning the Knowledge of Allaah.
This interpretation was mentioned in the exegesis of Imaam Aboo Jafar at-Tabari (may Allaah
have mercy on him) from Saeed bin Jubayr (may Allaah have mercy on him) from Ibn Abbaas
(may Allaah be pleased with them both). This was also mentioned in the exegesis of Imaam al-
Baqhawi, Ibn Atiyyah al-Andalusi, Imaam al-Qurtubi, Imaam Ibn Katheer, Imaam as-Suyooti,
Imaam ash-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on them all).
And others said, as mentioned by Imaam ash-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him),
that al-Kursi is only a depiction of the greatness of Allaah and that it is not real.
And others said, as mentioned by Imaam ash-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him),
that al-Kursi means the sovereignty of Allaah.
And some of them said that al-Kursi is the place of the two Feet of Allaah. This was
said by Imaam ad-Dahhaak, Muslim, al-Bateen, al-Siddi (may Allaah have mercy on them). This
interpretation was mentioned by Imaam Aboo Jafar at-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him).
This was also mentioned by Imaam Ibn Abee Haatim ar-Raazee (may Allaah have mercy on him)
in his exegesis, from Saeed bin Jubayr (may Allaah have mercy on him) from Ibn Abbaas (may
Allaah be pleased with them both). He (Ibn Abbaas) said: al-Kursi is the place of the Feet of
Allaah, the Most High. This interpretation was also mentioned by Imaam ibn Katheer, Imaam as-
Suyootee (may Allaah have mercy on them).
Commenting on the hadeeth, The seven heavens in comparison to the Kursi is nothing but like a ring
thrown in a desert, and the excellence of the Arsh (Throne of Allaah) over the Kursi is like the excellence of that
desert over that ring," Imaam, the Muhaddith, the Mujaddid (reviver of the Sunnah), al-Albaani (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: The hadeeth comes forth as an explanation of His (Allaahs)
statement, the Most High: His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and it is clear with
regard to the existence of the Kursi being the greatest of creations after the Throne (of Allaah),
and that it is an independent, physical entity and not something abstract. Therefore, there is a
refutation in (this hadeeth) against the one who interprets (the Kursi) to mean dominion and
extent of rule as mentioned in some explanations of the Quraan. And it was not narrated from
Ibn Abbaas that (the Kursi) is knowledge, so it is not correct to attribute it to him because it is
from the narration of Jafar bin Abi l-Mugheera from Saeed bin Jubayr from (Ibn Abbaas). Ibn
Jareer reported it. Ibn Mandah said: Ibn Abi l-Mugheera is not strong with regard to (narrating
from) Ibn Jubayr.
And know that it is not correct to describe the Kursi...as is in some narrations that...four
angels carry it, each angel having four faces, and their feet are upon the rock that is under the
seventh earth, etc. So all of this is not correct in being attributed to the Prophet (sallAllaahu alaihi
wa sallam), and some of them (the narrations) are more severe in weakness than others.
2

So the correct interpretation of al-Kursi is that it is the place of the two Feet of Allaah,
the Most High. The reason is that the scholars have agreed on the authenticity of the narration
of the Imaam of the Mufassir of Ahlu Sunnah, Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
al-Kursi is the place of the two Feet of Allaah and other than this that has been transmitted
from him is not authentic. This has been explained by al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on
him) in his book Tahkhreek ahaadeeth Sharh Aqeedat-ut-Tahaawiyyah and also in his abridgement of
al-Uluww of adh-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him). Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: al-Kursi is the place of the two Feet of Allaah. al-Albaani (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said regarding this narration: Saheeh mawqoof
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So know O beloved reader! The noble Imaam, al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
not alone in his choosing this view as the correct stance, but rather Imaam ash-Shawkaani (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said the same in his famous exegesis. And so did Imaam as-Sadee
(may Allaah have mercy on him) in his tafseeer of this word.
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And Allaah knows best!

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2
Al-Silsilat-us-Saheehah, 1/174 (Translation from as-saheeha blog).
3
Mawqoof means suspended and narration attributed to a companion.
4
In his interpretation of the Ayatul Kursi, Imaam ibn Uthaimeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The kursi
[literally: footstool] is c, Most Mighty and Most Majestic, and it is before the arsh like a front to it. This was
authentically related by ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) in a mawqoof type of narration .This is agreed
upon by the majority of ahlus-sunnah wal jamaaah .In fact this what is asserted by Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyah ,
ibnul Qayyim, and others from the people of knowledge and from the verifying scholar. Some have said that al-kursi
is the arsh itself. However, this is not true because the arsh is greater, more spacious, and more profound in its
extent of encompassing than al-kursi. It has also been narrated on the authority of ibn Abbas that al-kursi
represents Allahs Knowledge. But I do not think that this narration is authentic because this meaning (i.e.
knowledge) is not the true meaning for the word al-kursi in the classical Arabic language nor in the common ( urfi)
language. In fact, it is very unlikely that this transmission from ibn Abbaas is an authentic one. Hence, al-kursi is
the place of the two Feet of Allaah (See Dr. Saleh as-Salehs translation of the Tafseer of Ayatul Kursi by Ibn
Uthaimeen.)
5
When something which pleases the Muslim is accomplished then it is sunnah to say this statement. Hadeeth to this
regard is reported in Imaam Ibn as-Sunnis amal al-Yawm wal-layla from Aaisha (may Allaah be pleased with her).
Al-Albaani said that this narration is authentic. See Saheeh aj-Jaami, hadeeth number 4640.