Mishkat al-Masabih 28 Events of the Day of Resurrection and the Beginning of Creation كتاب أحوال القيامة وبدء الخلق 195

عَن أبي رزين قَالَ: قلت: يَا رَسُول الله أَيْن رَبُّنَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ خَلْقَهُ؟ قَالَ: «كَانَ فِي عَمَاءٍ مَا تَحْتَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَمَا فَوْقَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَخَلَقَ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: قَالَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ: الْعَمَاءُ: أَيْ لَيْسَ مَعَه شَيْء

Abu Razin told that he asked God’s messenger, “Where was our Lord before He created the creation?” to which he replied, “He was in obscurity ( ‘ama’ ) with no air below Him and no air above Him, and He created His Throne on the water.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. Yazid b. Harun[1] said `ama’ means that there was nothing with Him[2]. Al-Wasiti (d.206), a highly estimated authority who appears in the course of the isnad . The word ‘ama’ presents difficulty. It commonly means `clouds’, but this is felt to be inappropriate here unless figuratively in the sense of God being veiled. It is suggested that this means it is a matter which the mind cannot grasp. Cf. Mirqat , 5:349.