Hazrat Ja’far bin ‘Abdillah (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
We were once with Imaam Maalik bin Anas (rahimahullah) when a man came to him and asked, “O Abu ‘Abdillah! The Qur’aan Majeed mentions:
اَلرَّحۡمٰنُ عَلَی الۡعَرۡشِ اسۡتَوٰی ﴿۵﴾
Rahmaan (Allah Ta‘ala) has positioned Himself on the throne
How did Allah Ta‘ala position Himself on the throne?”
Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) was greatly affected by the question. Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) looked at the ground and began to scratch at it with a stick in his hand, until his body was covered in perspiration (as this critical question related to the zaat of Allah Ta‘ala and one should be extremely cautious in wrongly attributing anything to Allah Ta‘ala).
Eventually, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) cast the stick aside and said, “This cannot be understood. The word ‘istiwaa’ (to settle) is not unknown (i.e. although we know the literal meaning of the word, we are unable to understand its intended meaning in relation to Allah Ta‘ala). To bring Imaan in it is necessary, and to ask this type of question is wrong and bid’ah. I thus regard you to be a person who wishes to commence and spread a bid’ah.”
On account of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) perceiving this person to be a person of fitnah, he ordered for him to be taken away, due to which he was removed from the august presence of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah).
(Hilyatul Awliyaa 6/355)
