Evaluation of the Salafist Conception of Mālik b. Anas’s Interpretation of the Verse of Istiwaʾ (Settlement)

Salafists and scholars of kalām (theologians) disagree over several issues regarding divine attributes, including  the interpretation of Quranic verses about divine attributes in terms of qualitative meanings. Muslim theologians believe that such an interpretation contradicts the exalted or immaculate nature of God, while Salafists refer to certain exegeses provided by earlier scholars to support the notion of qualitative meanings in the interpretation of Quranic verses about divine attributes. One notable example is Mālik b. Anas's interpretation of the Verse of Istiwāʾ (Settlement). Salafists cite interpretations attributed to Mālik, suggesting that he attributed qualities to God, implying that God's "settlement" on the Throne (al-ʿArsh) can be understood as a literal ascension and physical presence on the Throne. However, a careful examination of ten chains of transmission for the interpretation of the Verse of Settlement attributed to Mālik reveals issues concerning both the reliability of the transmission chains and the implications of the interpretation. Only two of these chains are considered reliable, and even in those cases, Mālik, while deferring the interpretation of the verse to God Himself, seeks to exalt God by avoiding any attribution of qualitative meanings to Him.