“It is He who has created for you everything that is in the earth and then turned towards (istawa) the Heavens and fashioned it as seven and He has knowledge of all things” (2:29)
Imam al-Qurtubi said: “And al-Bayhaqi Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn `Ali Ibn al-Husayn said: ‘Allah’s saying {istawa} to mean ‘to turn towards’ is correct because to turn towards [the heavens] means to intend to create them. Intent and aim is linked to the Will and that is permitted as an attribute of Allah. The proposition {thumma} is connected to creation and not the Divine Will […] Sufyan Ibn `Uyayna and Ibn Kaysan said regarding {and then he istawa to the heavens}: it means he intended towards it, i.e. to create it and fashion it; this is an opinion’”(al-Qurtubi, al-Jami` li-Ahlam al-Qur’an,1:243-245.)
“The original meaning of istiwa’ is istiqama (‘straightness’) without any crookedness as when it is said ‘straight path’ (sirat mustawin)…it is taken metaphorically to mean ‘having an intent towards something’ (al-qasd `ala ’l-shay’) which includes a firm resolve and swiftness as if He is directly heading towards something without swerving; and the verb being transitive with ‘ila’ is an indication that it is figurative i.e. an analogy or exemplification…”(al-Tahrir wa ’l-Tanwir, 1:383-385)
“He then firmly established (istawa) Himself over the Throne” (Qur’an 7:54)
Therefore the statement Allah Istawa His Arsh means Allah intends to use it to create the universe according to His qualities, His nature, His essence, His responsibility, the Arsh plays the most crucial role of all in the creation of everything, there is no influence in the universe above its influence everything else that exists takes its cue from here and it from Allah.
Imam al-Qurtubi writes in His tafsir: “There are (generally) three types of people when it comes to this verse (2:29): one group says, ‘We read it, believe in it but do not seek to explain it’; many of the scholars inclined to this position […] another group says, ‘we read it and explain it according to what the literal meaning in the language is’; and this is the position of the anthropomorphists (People who say Allah has a body); a third group says, ‘we read it and explain it in a non-literal way and not the literal or apparent meaning’…This was the position of the early scholars who wanted to move away from shirk, so they chose safety, that is the wisdom for their time and alhamdulillah it has preserved the Umma for 1400 years.
For out time Allah has chosen something else entirely different which He promised to mankind, and that is to open for them the understanding of everything in the universe including the Arsh and Kursi; “In time We shall make them fully understand Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the universe]… [Qur’an 41:53] Therefore the wisdom for our time isn’t the wisdom of past scholars but to use science to understand the universe and the Quran, to use what past scholars never had access to.
It may have already become clear to some, that all spiritual things which we considered intangible like the thoughts in our head, or good and bad qualities of others, or blessings/Baraka, knowledge, wisdom, are in fact tangible and created things, made of particles, and because of that they are governed by the laws that govern particles, so they have an origin and location in subatomic space, from this we get the literal dimension in Allah’s words, when something is morally superior it isn’t just elevated “spiritually” it (the particles it is made of) is literally elevated in ghayb towards the Arsh by the Angels (2:31-33).
There shouldn’t be any doubt about this once you understand that your very thoughts are made of particles, physicists observing the subatomic world see that it does some weird things, but this is the part of the universe that has to accommodate for every kind of weird and fantastic thought a person can have, and make it possible. Think about the weirdness of time travel from example, it may not exist, but the particles in our mind have to do some fantastic things just so we are able to imagine it, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, the laws governing our physical world are not the same laws governing the sub atomic world.
You will find ahadith describing intangible qualities in a tangible manner and Allah alluding to this in the Quran when he mentions our innermost thoughts along with subatomic space. When your thoughts entangle these particles, by analogy you are giving them a kind of flavour, and all things you are doing and thinking are very much visible to Angels.
Spiritual qualities in people have spiritual height (exaltedness or subatomic depth) the more perfected that quality the closer to the Arsh in its “light” (existence), this is why the Arsh that Allah established His Qualities upon is at the most distant/exalted place in the universe, so we can feel the qualities exaltedness and depth in a person (You may have sensed this is the case already from the Quran when you read it).
Allah said in the Quran “And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in six days (periods of time) and His Throne was on the water, that He might try you, which of you is the best in deed (that He may test our Qualities, see who gains the best qualities in life)” (11:7)
Istawa on the Arsh or established can’t mean anything like physical movement or attachment on Allah’s behalf because in many verses He says He is exalted above His creation including the throne;
“So Exalted be Allah, the True King; there is no deity but Him, the Lord (the controller/owner/governor) of the Supreme Throne!” (23:116)
Our human qualities being exalted means they are closer to the Arsh, the most exalted place created, while Allah being exalted means He is not of anything in this universe, this is the same thing but with different standards between us and Allah because being not of this Universe means not needing anything under the Arsh and the only thing above it is what ever is outside the universe.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said about ‘Istawa “[Istiwa’]: It means height/exaltation (`uluw) and elevation (irtifa`). Allah – Most High – is ever exalted (`ali) and elevated (rafi`) without beginning, before He created the Throne. He is above everything (huwa fawqa kulli shay’), and He is exalted over everything (huwa al-`ali `ala kulli shay’). He only specified the Throne because of its particular significance which makes it different from everything else, as the Throne is the best of all things and the most elevated of them. Allah – Most High – therefore praised Himself by saying that He {established Himself over the Throne}, that is, He exalted Himself over it (`alayhi `ala. Above it also means outside the universe, hence above in this context means not in need of what ever the universe relies on to exist. Allah made both things have the same significance). It is impermissible to say that He established Himself with a contact or a meeting with it. Exalted is Allah above that! Allah is not subject to change, substitution, nor limits, whether before or after the creation of the Throne” (Tabaqat al-Hanabila, 2:296-297).
“and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne” (9:129) “Owner of the Throne, the Glorious” (85:15), Lord and Owner are His qualities which mean He controls it and isn’t in need of it.
We understood what it means that Allah doesn’t need anything in this universe by first understanding what man does need of it, and in this way, we can understand how Allah is truly the reality (Haq) of everything He created.
The purpose of Allah saying He is established on the Arsh then immediately afterwards explaining that He is exalted above the universe, is to clearly state to everyone He has no physical connection to it but is using it to represent Him, He is the creator of the throne and also exalted above it, but the throne serves a supreme purpose in the Universe which Allah is explaining to us by associating it with Himself using a word that in some contexts means physical attachment (Istawa), but in reality means it represents Him this closely in its responsibilities over the universe.
This is the place from where Allah is known from in the universe by the Angels and His creatures, they are limited by direction so Allah gave them a direction to face when seeking Him, inwardly, the radiance of His light that touches people’s hearts comes from here and through it, they can know Him.
Allah says to man “la hawla wala quwata illah billah”, “there is no might or power except with Allah”. The origin of every power we see around us comes from what is within it and that eventually leads to Allah himself who has the entire universe in His Hand sustaining and supporting it.
The same goes for the qualities that appear in everything, they come from what is within them and everything leads back to the Arsh, even physics teache’s sub atomic space is the origin of everything, we just have to understand that everything means every tangible and intangible thing.
Imam ‘Ali ibn abi Talib said; “Indeed, Allah the Exalted created the Throne as a manifestation of His Power and not a place for His Essence. He was in the beginning, while there was no place or time and He is now as He ever was” (Imam ‘Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, Al-Farq Bayn al-Firaq, p. 41)
The throne is a manifestation of His power because everything in the universe is created according to the Arsh’s control over it, the Kursi influences the creation process with its entanglement and knowledge only according to the Arsh.
Imam Abu Hanifa said “Had He (Allah) been in a place and needing to sit and rest before creating the Throne, then the question ‘Where was Allah’ would have applied to Him, which is impossible….We assert that Allah is established on the throne without His need (haja) nor settlement (Istiqrar) upon it, for He it is who preserves the Throne and other than it without needing any of them” (Wasiyyat al-imam al-azam abu hanifa, ed. Fuad Ali Rida, Beirut: Maktabat al-Jamahir, 1970, p. 10).
Imam Abu Hanifa also said “Being near to Allah or far from Him is not in terms of physical/spatial distance, rather whoever obeys Allah is near Him and whoever disobeys Allah is far from Him” (Fiqh al-Akbar). And in this way, Allah made being close to Him or being far from Him a thing that occurs without movement by us, but at the same time occurs through the elevation or lowering of what is within us in reference to the Arsh. Whoever obeys Allah his qualities are exalted by the Angels close to the Arsh and receives light from it and those who disobey Allah their qualities are lowered to this earth and what is beneath the ground and don’t receive anything from His light.
This is the underlying knowledge behind being close or distant from Allah, the universe reacts to represent what Allah thinks of us, which is why this matter is very subtle, Allah changes our reality according to our deeds some moments we are closer to Him some moments farther way and over time this is a pattern that shapes who we are.
The Prophet (saws) said, “Ihsan (human perfection) is to worship Allah as if you see Him (you see His actions in the universe), and if you do not achieve this state (reality), then (know that) Allah sees you (Without using the systems of the universe).” (Bukhari)
Allah created the Arsh (to Istawa upon), the Kursi (“His Kursi Is His Knowledge”), Time (“I am Time”) and subatomic particles (“Allah is the light/particles of the Heavens and the Earth”) all to represent Him, as Allah elevates your heart the veils between you and them are steadily removed and your heart can encompass them better giving you depth of insight, “And We are closer to Him than his jugular vein” (50:16) you are also closer to what represents Allah’s qualities in the universe.
Allah created the universe so that the value of deeds and actions are represented in a tangible manner in it, Angel’s are among Allah’s spiritual creatures who experience this representation in their lives, measure it, record it and make decisions upon it, Angels are so focused at witnessing the lives of Allah’s creatures they have no self of their own.
“That He might try you, which of you is the best in deed” (11:7), it is the Angels who witness everything that value or devalue all things in life. The jinn by comparison witness things spiritually from a place closer to us and only get glimpses of what the Angels see, this is where they get their short sighted incomplete knowledge of things that they use against people, but the Angels witness the reactions of the universe from our world to the depths of the Arsh.
Which is why Allah referenced the way the universe works when addressing the Angels about the physiology of Adam, “Did I not say unto you, `Verily, I alone know the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth (the laws of the universe that make it work), and know all that you bring into the open (from sub atomic space) and all that you would conceal (into it, take into its depths)’?” (2:31-33). (The verse isn’t speaking of a weakness in the Angels which some people took to thinking and translating, Angels are charged with witnessing everything, they don’t hide or conceal anything the way humans do in their character).
This is the work the Angels carry out in the universe, making the qualities of all things (people, creatures, lifeless things) apparent in the world so we know them, the good and bad. Angels either exalt/raise the good in us so it is a reward/Baraka for others and is seen by them, or hide/lower our good qualities as punishment, make them disappear from us, and elevate the bad instead so they are seen and known in the world, darkness is seen on the person when his good qualities disappear. The qualities you earn over a lifetime because of this process shape the way you look, people develop a sinister appearance or a radiant one.
To understand this subject we have to paint the picture of what is happening to us spiritually what is occurring in the spiritual world, ghayb, because of our actions.
Subatomic particles have taken on many forms and each of the forms (Atoms, objects, planets, creatures, ideas etc.) they have taken on is a veil (of form) between us and Allah, where He to remove those veils (forms) standing between us and Him we would see the splendour of His aspect (true nature);
The prophet (saws) said “Allah hath Seventy Thousand Veils (layers) of Light (particles) and Darkness (between us and Him/ the edge of the universe): were He to withdraw their curtain (unravel the forms they take), then would the splendours of His Aspect surely consume everyone who apprehended Him with his sight” (Imam al Ghazali, Mishqat al Anwar).
It was narrated that Ibn Mas`ud said, “There is no night or day with your Lord; the Light of the Throne comes from the Light of His Face (His highest qualities/reality/aspect).’’
Allah did this very thing for Musa (as) but the Atoms and particles the mountain was made from could not handle the raw power that has no veil of form between it and Allah’s splendour, (Atoms can’t exist at the depth of electrons or quarks, let alone the smallest particles in existence, the unraveling of the subatomic layers between us and the Arsh also make the power that created them shine into this world, like the power behind a nuclear explosion, destroying what it touches) hence the mountain turned to dust or in modern terms it’s substance disintegrated just as it formed.
The prophet (saws) said “Do you know the greatness of Allah? Truly, His Throne (‘arsh) is on His Heavens (the Universe) like this” – and he formed with his fingers something like a dome over him – and it groans on account of Him like a saddle groans because of its rider (this is the Istiwa mentioned in the Quran, because of it the Arsh makes a creaking sound).” (Abu Dawud)
Consider the fact the Arsh which spans to the edge of the universe groans because of what is outside the universe, (this is what “and it groans on account of Him” means), the prophet (saws) called what is outside the universe the splendour of Allah’s aspect in one narration and the light of His face in another, neither are Him in the “literal” sense but things that represent Him; the pure “Aura” or “radiance” of Allah (both terms are a metaphor because we don’t know what it actually is) that reflects His nature outside the universe in the most complete way, so as to be likened to His face, it is entirely exalted above needing anything in the universe, and it does not require time to exist like Allah.
That timeless “outside” is putting pressure on the Arsh causing it to groan and make a creaking sound which the Prophet (saws) said He heard in a number of ahadith. We can discuss this matter because the Prophet (saws) described it in Ahadith when He was asked “Did you see your Lord”, essentially meaning “did you see outside the universe”, the location the Prophet (saws) reached on the night Journey was but two bow lengths from the edge of the universe, so He was looking directly at what was outside of it and He called it light.
If some are tempted to think of this like a logical argument that negates Allah, “what is outside the outside”, and where does it all end, then don’t, because understanding the physics of what you are looking at (it’s mechanics) nullifies the possibility of logic based arguments because the formulation of accurate logic is limited to what you already know, and it is blind to things you haven’t discovered yet. Literally direction and time rely on particles to exist and no particles or direction or time, exist outside the universe, you are looking at something that has no space, up or down, left or right, they only exist inside the universe that created them and because of that fact their existence is causing the Arsh to creak, like pressure pushing on a balloon struggling to maintain its dimensions as time passes, because these dimensions are required by us to know Allah.
People think they can deduce everything with logic, this is what the scholars of tassawuf were talking about when they said the intellect has limitations in grasping the true nature of things, while that is the job of the heart. Spiritual knowledge, its source is the Angels that witness everything and give you input through your heart, it means through them you have gained direct experience about that nature of matters as they exist now, while any person talking with logic or knowledge is always talking in the past tense, referencing what others experienced and building upon that with conjecture.
In this instance, outside the universe, place and matter do not exist because time doesn’t exist, so we don’t know what that experience is like all we can do is repeat the statements of the scholars that describe Allah.
What we should realise is that the way our body perceives things itself will not work outside the universe so just as the souls of every creature are limited by the particles they are created from, our perception is limited by the things it needs to work, and our body doesn’t work outside the universe that created it.
Shaykh al-Islam, Imam al-Huda, the Imam of Guidance Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (Allah have mercy on him) said; “The foundation of this issue is that Allah Almighty was when there was no place, then locations were raised while He remains exactly as He ever was. Therefore, He is as He ever was and He ever was as He is now. Exalted is He beyond any change or transition or movement or cessation! For all these are portents of contingency (hudth, reliance on created things) by which the contingent nature of the world can be known, and the proofs of its eventual passing away…” – (Kitab at-Tawhid Imam Maturidi p. 72)
Of all the humans Allah created, on the night of Isra wal Miraj the Prophet (saws) was taken the closest to the splendour of Allah and reached a distance of two bows length away from leaving the Universe, “Till he was (distant) two bows’ length or even nearer” (53:9) Abu Dharr (ra) said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him): Did you see your Lord? The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied: He is Nur (نُورٌ) I Saw Him ( انى أَرَاهُ) (Muslim) that splendour which caused Musa (as) to faint the Prophet (saws) saw it and it looked like light, even though it wasn’t light as we know it.
“While he was in the highest part of the horizon (the limit of the universe): Then he approached (Allah) and came closer, And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or nearer; And He revealed unto His slave that which He revealed. The (prophets) heart lied not (in seeing) what it saw.” (53:7-11)
We explained in modern terms the Arsh, but in the language of the Arabs 1400 years ago the prophet (saws) himself taught about it.
Sayyiduna Maysarat al-Fajr narrated: “I said: “Rasul-Allah! When were you made a Prophet?” He replied: “When Allah created the earth and turned to the heavens (subatomic), arranging them into seven heavens, and He created the Throne (Arsh), He wrote on the Pillar (foundation) of the Throne (the foundation of everything that exists. Allah made this Shahadah the foundation of everything to be created): MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH AND THE SEAL OF PROPHETS. (The prophet’s soul took up the responsibility of prophet hood before He was born, then after Him as ahadith state the other prophets were also made prophets). And Allah created Paradise in which He made Adam and Hawwa’ dwell, then He wrote my name [there] on the gates (because it would become a condition of entry), the tree-leaves, the houses and tents, while Adam was still between the spirit and the body (everything has its reason including these). When Allah Almighty brought him to life, he looked at the Throne and saw my name (“He wrote on the Pillar”, but Adam saw it on the Arsh, this is why Pillar isn’t literal it’s the foundation upon which the universe is created), whereupon Allah Almighty informed him: ‘He is the liege-lord of your offspring.’ When Shaytan deceived them, they repented and sought intercession with my name from Him.” (its chain is sound. Imam Salihi Shafai Dimishqi, Imam Halabi Shafai and others).
The Arsh has no literal pillars or poles it is carried by this is affirmed by those who have seen it because it isn’t shaped this way, it is like a giant particle field (like the ocean) spread throughout the entire universe and too large for such a thing as needing poles to carry it.
The term Pillar as Imam ibn al Arabi explains (other scholars understood the same thing), because of what the Arsh is responsible for, means its foundation, so it’s four pillars mean the four foundations that created the universe. Allah wrote the prophets (saws) name on one of the foundations of the universe, most likely the one Jibril is responsible for, and this is a scientific statement in the language of the Arabs. The universe does, in fact, have four foundations that created it, that the four major Angels are responsible for as the Imam explained, they are Jibril, Mikail, Israfil and the Angel of death, Malik al Mawt.
Angels are creatures made of subatomic particles, Allah simply says light but in the Quran explains that He calls all particles light, so Angels near the Arsh the depths of sub atomic space are created from different particles than the ones near earth, this is simple physics which teaches that the particles closest to us can’t exist at the deepest sub atomic depths.
Hence Angels like Jibril, who couldn’t go as deep as the human soul into the Arsh, represent the four fundamental forces that created the universe after Allah created the throne, they are different from every other kind of Angel and much more powerful.
Imam Ibn Arabi alluded to this and some scholars today also think the four pillars the Prophet (saws) mentioned are the four fundamental forces of the universe that created everything, these Angels are certainly befitting this status.
When the Arsh was created it stabilised the young volatile universe, it created the conditions that allowed the four forces to exist and the particles that carry them, then everything in the universe was created as a result. We see this in ahadith and the Quran when Allah lists the order He created everything in, the four fundamental forces are the foundation that the Arsh created for the universe so the Prophet (saws) called them its four pillars which the four Major Angels carry because Allah created the bearers of the throne from each force and its particle.
“There are four fundamental forces at work in the universe: the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force. Three of the fundamental forces result from the exchange of force-carrier particles, which belong to a broader group of particles called “bosons” (the Prophet (saws) mentions this group in ahadith when talking about subatomic space). Particles of matter transfer discrete amounts of energy by exchanging boson particles with each other. Each fundamental force has its own corresponding boson particle – the strong nuclear force is carried by the “gluon” (particle), the electromagnetic force is carried by the “photon” (light), and the “W and Z bosons” are responsible for the weak nuclear force. Although not yet found, the “graviton” should be the corresponding force-carrying particle of gravity.”
Here are the Angels associated with each force; Gravity (Mika’il, who is responsible for the earth, everything physical and nature), the electromagnetic force (Jibril, because it is responsible for life and everything spiritual we experience including revelation, which is placed in the heart through its electromagnetic field), the strong nuclear force (Israfil, this force acts like a glue holding particles together, Israfil will blow the trumpet and cause every particle to unbind eventually disintegrating the universe as the Quran explains) and the weak nuclear force (the Angel of Death, this force is responsible for things decaying).
Because of this, we can say, the prophets (saws) name was written on the electromagnetic force that is responsible for life and every spiritual thing we experience including how the heart receives revelation and inspiration. By it all creation came to know Allah exists and through the prophet Muhammad’s (saws) achievements they came to know everything about Him.
Jibril (as) informed the Prophet (saws) that Mikail (as) is the elder of all the Angels which also corresponds with everything, the particle responsible for gravity is smaller, exists at a greater sub atomic depth, than the photon particle responsible for the electromagnetic force and because of this it hasn’t been discovered yet. Since gravity is the force that governs life and nature and Jibril stopped at sidrat al Muntaha and could not go into the Arsh, it may be the graviton particle comes from a place inside the Arsh and this is in part how the Arsh’s reach influence’s every part of space, it may also be the case that Mika’il as the leader of the Angels is the only Angel allowed to enter the Arsh like man’s soul, Allah placed Him in charge of earth, nature and all life on it, hence a comprehensive picture of the universe is required to nurture life and judge it.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas said: “Allah Almighty revealed to Isa (Jesus): ‘O Isa! Believe in Muhammad and command whosoever reaches his time among your Community (Ummah) that they believe in him. Were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Adam, and were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Paradise or Hellfire (If the electromagnetic force the Prophets name is written upon because of His achievements for the universe, did not exist, none of these things could be created. This force makes it possible for most objects to exist and here Allah is telling you the worth of the Prophets actions in life, that this force only deserved to be created because of Him.). Indeed, I created the Throne (Arsh) on top of the water and it shook, so I Inscribed upon it La Ilaha Illa ALLAH MUHAMMAD UN RASULULLAH, whereupon it stood still.’” (Imam Al Khallal said: “I read it to Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Bishr bin Sharik and he concurred with it.” i.e. with its being Authentic. Imam Khallal narrated it in ‘Al Sunna (1:261), the Hadith Masters through Islamic History also verified and transmitted this Hadith).
This is the first moments of the universe when figuratively speaking, nothing knew what would come next, the Arsh stood still because on it was now written the name of a person who’s heart would encompass everything about it, a heart that would hold it in its eye, master everything it was created for, at the point the name was written on it Allah gave the Arsh its purpose in life (direction in time, when time hardly existed as we know it today). It shook because knowing Allah from the nothing outside the universe that it protected everything from, was its responsibility, there is no veil between the Arsh and Allah it knew all of Allah’s qualities and didn’t know where they would lead to, so it shook from their awesomeness as it held that in itself (these qualities were not shared with anything yet and the final shape of the universe had not come into existence). But the prophet’s name told it everything that was going to Happen, everything that was going to be achieved by the universe because in the name of a person is the essence of who he is and the Prophet’s (saws) name represented the pinnacle of what creation will be.
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar through his father Sayyiduna Umar ibn al Khattab (rah) narrated that the Prophet (saws) said: “When Adam committed the (mistake) he made, he raised his head toward the Throne (Arsh) and said: ‘I am asking You by the right of Muhammad to forgive me!’ Allah, Most High revealed to him: ‘What is Muhammad? Who is Muhammad?’ (how did you know about Him) He replied: ‘Glorified be Your Name! When You created me I raised my head toward Your Throne (Arsh) and [saw] there was written on it: La Ilaha Illa ALLAH MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH. I knew that there was no one more magnificent in Your sight than him whose name You placed next to Your Name!’ Allah, Most High revealed to him: ‘O Adam! Truly he is the last of the Prophets from your seed and his Community are the last of all Communities from your seed. Were it not for him, O Adam, I would not have created you!’” (Imam Tibrani narrated in ‘Mu’jam al Saghir (2:82 § 992)’ and in ‘Mu’jam al Awsat (6:313-614 § 6502))
Sayyiduna Umar ibn al Khattab (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saws) said: “When Adam committed his mistake, he said: ‘O my Lord, I am asking You to forgive me for the sake of Muhammad.’ Allah, Most High said: ‘O Adam! And how do you know about Muhammad whom I have not yet created?’ Adam replied: ‘O my Lord! After You created me with Your hand (power, care and attention) and breathed into me of Your spirit (so that I would know everything it is responsible for), I raised my head and saw written on the heights of the Throne (Not underneath it in its pillars, here is a clear indicator the Arsh Has no pillars because any Pillars/Poles would be at the bottom, not its heights): “La Ilaha Illa ALLAH MUHAMMAD UN RASULULLAH.” I knew that You would not place next to Your Name but the most beloved one of Your creation!’ Allah, Most High said: ‘O Adam, I have forgiven you, and were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created you!’” (Imam Hakim in ‘Mustadrak (2:615)’ and Imam Bayhaqi in ‘Dala’il ul Nubuwa (5:488-489))
Allah makes no distinction between any of His prophets, the true meaning of Allah forgiving Adam (as) was His ability to recognise the Prophet (saws), meaning His heart would reach that perfection itself in the future, hence Adam (as) recognised what that name symbolised when He first saw it. This is one of the qualities of the heart to sense the nature of things ahead of time before knowledge of them reaches you in this world, and His (as) recognising the Prophet (saws) from only a name meant to Allah (swt) His (as) heart would move past His (as) mistake towards Ihsan, perfection, these are the asbab (causes) behind Allah forgiving Adam (as).
Everything that occurs in the universe is “hard wired” into its systems, even the spiritual things we find hard to understand, because Allah only does things through the systems He placed in the universe, this is how mankind sees His signs, otherwise Allah’s actions would be untraceable.
The Arsh is responsible for the universe knowing Allah and all knowledge in the universe lead’s to knowing something about Him. Because it was only under the prophethood of Muhammad that the universe would be studied and known, Allah placed His name on the throne because He was the one to complete for mankind what Allah wanted, “O Adam, I have forgiven you, and were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created you”, I would not have even began creation, this meant His achievements would shape the reality of every thing in the universe.
These are the asbab (causes, reasons) behind our reality, before we even existed Allah prepared and created the universe for these reasons, and everything is in Allah’s foreknowledge.
Placing His name on the Arsh is part of the mechanism, asbab (causes/reasons) all knowledge of this universe was opened for mankind, He would reach the Arsh inwardly and so would mankind who followed His sunnah and the path He (saws) opened. When you understand the foundations the scholars of Islam and the Ummah laid for the world; as Islam reached a new civilisation the scholars of those people would take the knowledge of their civilisation, combine it with the principles of the Quran and Sunnah to develop new science from it, then sharing all that with every corner of the globe over a period of 1300 years ensuring the light of science, the light of Allah, was never put out no matter how hard the non believers tried (61:8), you will see the prophet Muhammad (saws) is the reason science as we know it today, exists.
Each prophet achieved something spiritual for his community that advanced them and mankind, from a caveman like spirituality to the sophistication we see under the prophet hood of Muhammad (saws).
Everything we take for granted today was earned for mankind at some point by one the prophets (saws), and this is seen with the unique revelations Allah granted each of them. Our prophet would often remark about the qualities of surah’s like al Fatiha which no other community was given before Islam.
Al Fatiha literally means the opener to everything and it was given to the prophet (saws) because He (saws) would open the universe for mankind to study.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (ra) who said (in part of the hadith) that “The Prophet (saws) called Ubayy ibn Ka’b and told him that, “…Would you like me to teach you a Surah the likes of which is not to be found in the Tawrah, Injil, Zabur or the [rest of the] Quran?” He said, “Yes O Messenger of Allah”‘ The Prophet (saws) said, ‘I hope that I will not leave this door until you know it.’
“Ubayy said, ‘Then he took hold of my hand and talked to me while I slowed down fearing that we may reach the door before he finished talking. When we did reach it I asked him, ‘What is the Surah you promised me, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, “What is the Surah you recite in prayer?” So I recited the Mother of the Quran upon which he said, ‘By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, Allah has not revealed the likes of it in the Torah, Injil, Zabur or the [rest of the] Quran. It is the Seven Oft-Repeated verses.’”(Ahmad)
Ibn Abbas (ra) said, “While the Messenger of Allah (saws) was sitting with Jibril he heard a creaking sound above him. Jibril looked up and said, “This is [the sound of] a gate that has been opened in heaven today and has never been previously opened.” Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet (saws) and said, ‘Rejoice in the good news of two lights (for mankind) that have been given to you such as no prophet before you has been given. [They are] Surah Al-Fatihah and the concluding [two] verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them without being given the blessings they contain.’”(Muslim)
If the prophet (saws) didn’t reach a distance of two bows length mankind would not have been allowed to know the complete nature of the universe, they would not have had a spiritual path open for them among the Angels, leading them to this point, these doors would have remained closed.
Many great scholars and saintly men called this the Haqiqah Muhamadiya, the Muhamadan Reality; ultimately the Prophet (saws) is part of shaping every bodies reality which is why His name is on the very thing responsible for it, we could not know Allah without Him and so Allah said, ‘Were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Adam, and were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Paradise or Hellfire’.
The Prophet (saws) taught about this in many places, He (saws) said: “Utitu mafatiha kulli shay’in illa al-khams”, “I was given the keys to all things, except the five” (except for knowledge related to knowing the future, which was given to the Pen so it could write). Abu Huraira (ra) added “And you are digging out those treasures” discovering that knowledge, understanding the universe.
Allah then made the promise to mankind through the prophet (saws), because of all this that;
“In time We shall make them fully understand Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the universe] and within themselves [the microscopic and sub atomic], so that it will become clear unto them that this [revelation] is indeed the truth.” [Qur’an 41:53], so that you will know Allah.
He also made it clear that “We have explained in detail in this Qur’an, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude (relating to everything): but man is, in most things, contentious (to argumentative to see the relationships or the similitudes.)” (18:54)
The Quran was the Prophet’s (saws) greatest miracle because Allah had granted mankind knowledge of the universe through the spiritual paths it created for mankind;
Abu Huraira said the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There was none among the prophets but that he was given signs (miracles) to show humanity by which they were granted faith and they believed. Verily, I have been given the divine revelation (Quran) that Allah has revealed to me, so I hope that my followers will outnumber theirs on the Day of Resurrection.” (because of its supremacy over ephemeral Miracles) (Bukhari 6846, Muslim 152)
“Say: If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Quran, they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others (in trying, meaning Jinn inspired those that tried and failed).” (17:88)
Imam Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): “I heard the Prophet (saws) say: “The Throne shook at the death of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh.” al-Hasan said: The Throne of the Most Merciful, may He be glorified and exalted, shook at the funeral of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (ra). Al-Hasan interpreted it as referring to joy at (the coming of) his soul. (as-Sunnah by ‘Abdullah ibn al-Imam Ahmad)