It is narrated that the bearers of the Throne have their feet in the lowest earth and their heads have pierced the Throne. They are in humility and do not raise their gaze. And from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, "Do not contemplate the greatness of your Lord, but contemplate what Allah has created from the angels." [[Narrated by al-Thalabi. And it is reported by Shahb bin Hushab that Ibn Abbas raised it as a commentary, and it is in the Book of Greatness by Abu al-Fath.]] Among the creations of the angels is one called Israfil: a corner of the Throne is on his shoulder, and his feet are in the lowest earth. His head has passed through the seven heavens, and he diminishes in the greatness of Allah until he becomes like a small bird [[The saying "like a small bird" refers to a bird smaller than a sparrow. (A)]] . In the hadith, Allah the Exalted commanded all the angels to greet the bearers of the Throne with peace, honoring them above the other angels [[I did not find it.]] . It is said that Allah created the Throne from a green jewel, and between its two supports is the fluttering of a bird flying swiftly for eighty thousand years. It is said that around the Throne are seventy thousand types of angels, circling it, proclaiming the Oneness of Allah and magnifying Him. Behind them are seventy thousand rows standing, with their hands on their shoulders, raising their voices in glorification and magnification. Behind them are a hundred thousand rows with their right hands on their left sides, none of them except that he glorifies Allah in a way that others do not. Ibn Abbas read the Throne with a pronounced 'ain. If you say: What is the benefit of His saying وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ, and it is not hidden from anyone that the bearers of the Throne and those around them from the angels who glorify the praise of their Lord are believers? [[Mahamud said: "If you say, what is the benefit of His saying وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ, and it is not hidden from anyone that the bearers of the Throne and those around them from the angels are believers in Allah the Exalted... etc." Ahmad said: This is good speech except for his inference from the saying وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ that they are not witnesses. This does not indicate that, because faith is the affirmation that is not conditioned by the absence of the one being affirmed. This is evidenced by the validity of the term faith in the verses even though they are witnessed, such as the splitting of the moon and the turning of the staff into a serpent. Rather, al-Zamakhshari's argument is a forced interpretation of what is in his heart of sickness, but he has strayed far from the objective. He asserted that the bearers of the Throne are not witnesses, based on the saying وَيُؤْمِنُونَ because, according to him, the meaning of faith is the affirmation of the unseen. Then he takes from their being non-witnesses: that the Almighty, glorified and exalted is He, if His vision were valid, they would have seen Him. Since they did not see Him, it must be that His vision is something that reason cannot affirm. We have refuted what he claimed that faith necessitates the absence of vision, and even if we concede that, we do not concede that from the fact that the bearers of the Throne are not witnesses to Him, it follows that His vision is not valid. And his saying: If it were valid, they would have seen Him: is a condition that produces no result, because vision is an act of perception: Allah the Exalted creates this perception for the bearers of the Throne, unless al-Zamakhshari's imagination leads him to believe that the affirmers of vision believe in corporeality and stability on the Throne, which would necessitate the bearers of the Throne seeing Him, glorified is Allah from that. And far removed are the people of the Sunnah and the affirmers of vision from that.]] I said:

Its benefit is the demonstration of the nobility and virtue of faith, and the encouragement towards it, as the prophets have been described in various places in His Book as being righteous for that. And as He concluded the good deeds with His saying, 'Then he was among those who believed,' thus clarifying the virtue of faith. Another benefit is the indication that if the matter were as the corporealists say, then the bearers of the Throne and those around it would be witnesses seeing, and they would not be described with faith, because only the absent can be described with faith. So when they were described with it as a praise for them, it was known that their faith and the faith of those on earth, and everyone who is absent from that position, are the same: in that the faith of all is through observation and reasoning alone, except for this, and that there is no way to know Him except this, and that He is exalted above the attributes of bodies. The correspondence is taken into account in His saying, 'And they believe in Him and seek forgiveness for those who believe.' It is as if it were said: 'And they believe and seek forgiveness for those in a similar state and description.' And it indicates that sharing in faith should be the strongest motivation for sincere advice and the greatest impetus for genuine compassion, even if the species differ and the places are far apart. For there is no similarity between an angel and a human, nor between a heavenly being and an earthly being at all. Then when the gathering of faith came, total similarity and true correspondence came with it, until those around the Throne sought forgiveness for those on earth. Allah, the Exalted, said, 'And they seek forgiveness for those on earth.' This means they say, 'Our Lord.' And this implied meaning may indicate that they seek forgiveness is in a raised position like it, or it may be a state. If you say: Exalted is Allah above place, how is it correct to say: 'He encompasses all things'? I say: Mercy and knowledge are what encompass all things in meaning. And the origin:

Your mercy and knowledge encompass all things. However, I remove the words from their origin by attributing the action to the possessor of mercy and knowledge. They are both mentioned in the accusative case to emphasize His description with mercy and knowledge, as if His essence is mercy and knowledge that encompass all things. If you say: Mercy and knowledge have been mentioned, so what follows the conjunction should include both of them, yet only forgiveness is mentioned? I say: Its meaning is to forgive those whom You know to be equal and to follow Your path. [Mawlid said: 'If you say that mercy and knowledge were mentioned first, and then what is required by mercy, which is forgiveness, was mentioned, where is the requirement of knowledge? It is answered that its meaning is to forgive those whom You know to have repented and followed Your path... etc.'] Ahmad said: His words here are filled with various forms of theological deviation: among them is the belief in the necessity of considering the benefit and the motives of judgment upon Allah, the Exalted. Among them is the belief that avoiding major sins necessarily expiates minor sins even without repentance. Among them is the belief in the impossibility of Allah's forgiveness for major sins that have not been repented for. Among them is the belief in the necessity of accepting repentance by Allah. Among them is the denial of intercession, and the belief of the people of the Sunnah that Allah does not have to consider the benefit, and that it is permissible to punish for minor sins even if major sins are avoided, and that it is permissible to forgive major sins other than polytheism even without repentance, and that acceptance of repentance is by His grace and mercy, not by obligation upon Him, and that it reaches the people of major sins who persist among the monotheists. These are five jewels, we ask Allah to make our beliefs adhere to them until the end, and not to deprive us of His kindness and mercy. Amen. All that needs to be refuted from what he mentioned based on the principles of theological deviation in this context has been previously discussed, except that he renewed here his statement: that the benefit of seeking forgiveness is like the benefit of intercession, and that is merely an increase in honor, meaning: that forgiveness for the repentant is obligatory upon Allah, so do not ask. What he said is something that brings him disgrace, and this verse, with eloquent tongues, has increased its invalidity. How can the one who is asked be merely an increase in honor? The text of the verse is: 'So forgive those who have repented and followed Your path, and protect them from the punishment of Hell.' It clearly states that they ask Allah for forgiveness for the repentant and protection from the punishment of Hell, which is what Al-Zamakhshari denied as being something to be asked for. And the path of Allah is the path of truth that He has made clear to His servants and called them to it. 'Indeed, You are the Exalted, the Wise,' meaning the King who cannot be overcome: and with Your kingship and might, You do nothing except by the call of wisdom and the requirement of Your wisdom that You fulfill Your promise. 'And protect them from the evils,' meaning the punishments or the recompense of evils. The addition is omitted on the assumption that the evils are the minor or major sins that have been repented for. And protection from them is expiation or acceptance of repentance. If you say: What is the benefit of seeking forgiveness for them when they are repentant, righteous, and promised forgiveness, and Allah does not break His promise? I say: This is like intercession, and its benefit is an increase in honor and reward. And it is read: 'Garden of Eden.' And 'peace,' with a Dammah on the lam, and the opening is more eloquent. It is said: 'He was righteous, so he is righteous,' and 'He was good, so he is good,' and their offspring.