Also "Allah created the Throne from His Light...

Also "Allah created the Throne from His Light, and the chair is attached to the throne, and all water is within the chair, and the water is on the back of the wind" (loc. cit.). "Round the throne are four rivers, and four angels stand over these rivers. The throne has tongues equal in number to the tongues of all creatures and all these praise God" "The Heavens are, as compared with the throne, like a lamp hanging between heaven and earth" (loc. cit.).

It is therefore obvious that the 'arsh is something far more wonderful than the kursi. According to Ibnu'l-`Arabi, arsh is the Universal Body (Affifi, 63,n.1), or the Muhammadan Logos (ibid., 66, n. l, no. 5). The body of the Perfect Man is constituted of the arsh (p.82). This is clearly under Ismi'ili influence, cf. creation of `arsh, Kalami Pir, 39; anthropomorphism is foolish, 59; `arsh refers to the soul of man, 92. Previous…