Ṭā-Hā 20:5

The issue

The verse states that Allah “settled on the throne,” meaning that he sat down. This image describes Allah as having a body. The belief that Allah has a body is incompatible with the Muslim view that Allah is beyond description. This Islamic view is claimed by all the Islamic sects, including its two main branches, the Sunni and the Shiite.

For this reason, some Islamic commentators suggest that sitting on the throne is metaphorical and points to Allah’s sovereignty over the universe. It is common to say “someone sat on the throne” to mean “that he reigned even if he never sat”. Others state that Allah “is settled on his throne without a restriction or a condition,” as his settling is different than that of created beings.

These two views could be accepted if they did not contradict another verse, Q 40.7, which mentions that the angels carry the throne and confirms that Allah has a body: “Those who bear the throne and those around it celebrate the praise of their Lord.” This verse gives the image that the throne is carried and around it are angels praising.