وَإِلَىAnd toهَذَاthisذَهَبَwentابْنُIbnكَثِيرٍKithirرَحِمَهُmay have mercyاللَّهَ؛Allah;فَفَسَّرَand he explainedقَوْلَهُ:his saying:﴿(ثُمَّThenاسْتَوَىhe roseإِلَىtoالسَّمَاءِ؛the sky;أَي:that is:قَصَدَintendedإِلَىtoالسَّمَاءِthe skyوَالِاسْتِوَاءَand the risingهَاhereهُنَاhereمَضْمُونٌimpliedمَعْنَىmeaningالْقَصْدِintentionوَالْإِقْبَالِ ؛and approach;لَأَنَّهُbecause itعُيِّنَwas allocatedبِـby(إِلَى).(to).ا.هـ.End of quote.كَلَامُهُ .His words.
And to this, Ibn Kithir (may Allah have mercy on him) went; and he explained his saying: 'Then He rose to the sky; that is: He intended the sky and the rising here implies the meaning of intention and approach; because it was assigned by (to).' End of his words.
وَالْمَقْرُونَةُAnd the coupledبِالْوَاوِ؛with the 'wa';كَقَوْلِهِم:like their saying:اسْتَوَىHe roseالْمَاءُthe water;وَالْخَشَبَةُ؛and the wood;بِمَعْنَى:meaning:تَسَاوَىequaledالْمَاءُthe waterوَالْخَشَبَةُ .and the wood.
And the coupled with 'wa'; like their saying: 'The water and the wood are equal.'
وَالْمُجَرَّدَةُ؛And the stripped;كَقَوْلِهِlike His sayingتَعَالَى:the Most High:﴿وَلَمَّاAnd whenبَلَغَhe reachedأَشُدَّمُthe full strength;وَاسْتَوَىand He rose**[[الْقَصَصAl-Qasas::١٤]،14],وَمَعْنَاهَاand its meaningكَمَلٌ .is complete.
And the stripped; like His saying the Most High: 'And when he reached the full strength; and he rose.' (Al-Qasas: 14), and its meaning is complete.
تَنْبِيهٌ :Note:إِذَاIfقُلْنَا :we said:اسْتَوَىHe roseعَلَىonالْعَرْشِ ؛the throne;بِمَعْنَىmeaningعَلَا؛He exalted;فَهَاthen hereهُنَاhereسُؤَالٌ،is a question,وَهُوَ:and it is:إِنifاللَّهَAllahخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمَواتِ،the heavens,ثُمَّthenاسْتَوَىroseعَلَىonالْعَرْشِ؛the throne;فَهَلdoes it meanيَسْتَلْزِمُit followsأَنَّهُthat Heقَبْلَbeforeذَلِكَthat,لَيْسَnotعَالِيًا؟exalted?
Note: If we said: 'He rose upon the throne;' meaning He exalted; then here is a question, which is: If Allah created the heavens, then He rose upon the throne; does it mean that He was not exalted before that?
فَالْجَوَابُ :The answer:لَاNoيَسْتَلْزِمُit followsذَلِكَ ؛that;لَأَنَّbecauseالِاسْتِوَاءَthe risingعَلَىonالْعَرْشِthe throneأَخَصُّmore specificمِنَthanمُطْلَقٍabsoluteالْعُلُوِّ؛elevation;لَأَنَّbecauseالِاسْتِوَاءَthe risingعَلَىonالْعَرْشِthe throneعُلُوٌّspecificationخَاصٌّspecificبِهِ،to it,وَالْعُلُوُّand the elevationشَامِلٌis comprehensiveعَلَىonجَمِيعِallالْمَخْلُوقَاتِ؛creatures;فَعَلُوهُHis elevation عَزَّ وَجَلَّThe Mighty and Exaltedثَابِتٌis establishedلَهُto Himأَزَلًاfrom eternityوَأَبَدًا،and forever,لَمHe was notيَزَلْeverعَالِيًاexaltedعَلَىoverكُلِّeveryشَيْءٍthingقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatيَخْلُقَHe createsالْعَرْشَ،the throne,وَلَاand notيَلْزَمُthis necessitatesمِنْfromعَدَمٍabsenceاسْتَوَائِهِof His risingعَلَىuponالْعَرْشِthe throneعَدَمُabsenceعُلُوهِ،of His exaltation,بَلbutهُوَHe isعَالٍ،exalted,ثُمَّthenبَعْدَafterخَلَقَHe createdالسَّمَواتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earthعَلَاHe roseعُلُوًّاan elevationخَاصًّاspecificعَلَىuponالْعَرْشِ.the throne.
The answer: No, it does not follow that; because the rising upon the throne is more specific than absolute elevation; because the rising upon the throne is a specific elevation, while elevation is comprehensive over all creatures; His elevation, the Mighty and Exalted, is established for Him from eternity and forever; He was not ever exalted over anything before He created the throne, and the absence of His rising upon the throne does not necessitate the absence of His exaltation; rather, He is exalted, and then after creating the heavens and the earth, He rose to a specific elevation upon the throne.
فَإِنIf you said:قُلْتَ:you said:نَفْهَمُwe understandمِنَfromالْآيَةِthe verseالْكَرِيمَةِthe nobleأَنَّهُthat whenحِينَwhenخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمَواتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earthلَيْسَhe is notمُسْتَوِيًاestablishedعَلَىuponالْعَرْشِ،the throne,لَـكِنbutقَبْلَbeforeخَلَقِcreatingالسَّمَواتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضِ؛and the earth;هَلis heهُوَheمُسْتَوٍّestablishedعَلَىuponالْعَرْشِthe throneأوorلَا؟no?
If you said: we understand from the noble verse that when He created the heavens and the earth, He was not established upon the throne, but before creating the heavens and the earth; is He established upon the throne or not?