Narrated Waki' bin Hudus:

from his uncle Abu Razin who said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Where was our Lord before He created His creation?' He said: 'He was (above) the clouds - no air was under him, no air was above him, and He created His Throne upon the water.'"

Ahmad [bin Mani'] said: “Yazid bin Harun said (regarding) the air - ‘It means there was nothing with him”’

[Abu ‘Elsa said:] This is what was said by Hammad bin Salamah: “Waki bin Hudus.” Shu‘bah, Abu ‘Awanah, and Hushaim said: “Waki bin ‘Udus” [and it is more correct. Aba Razln’s name is Laqlt bin ‘Amir. He said:] This Hadith is Hasan.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ وَكِيعِ بْنِ حُدُسٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي رَزِينٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيْنَ كَانَ رَبُّنَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ " كَانَ فِي عَمَاءٍ مَا تَحْتَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَمَا فَوْقَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَخَلَقَ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ "

. قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ قَالَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ الْعَمَاءُ أَىْ لَيْسَ مَعَهُ شَيْءٌ .

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَكَذَا رَوَى حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ وَكِيعُ بْنُ حُدُسٍ وَيَقُولُ شُعْبَةُ وَأَبُو عَوَانَةَ وَهُشَيْمٌ وَكِيعُ بْنُ عُدُسٍ وَهُوَ أَصَحُّ وَأَبُو رَزِينٍ اسْمُهُ لَقِيطُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ قَالَ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ .