Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
tirmidhi:3109 – Aḥmad b. Manīʿ > Yazīd b. Hārūn > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Yaʿlá b. ʿAṭāʾ > Wakīʿ b. Ḥudus from his uncle Abū Razīn

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."  

الترمذي:٣١٠٩ – 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

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī
ibnmajah:182 – Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And Muḥammad b. al-Ṣabbāḥ > Yazīd b. Hārūn > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Yaʿlá b. ʿAṭāʾ > Wakīʿ b. Ḥudus from his uncle Abū Razīn

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where was our Lord before He created His creation?' He said: He was above the clouds, below which was air, and above which was air and water. Then He created His Throne above the water.'"  

ابن ماجة:١٨٢ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ أَنْبَأَنَا 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 ثُمَّ خَلَقَ الْعَرْشَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ  

ahmad:16188 – Yazīd b. Hārūn > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Yaʿlá b. ʿAṭāʾ > Wakīʿ b. ʿUdus from his uncle Abū Razīn

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where was our Lord before He created His creation?' He said: He was above the clouds, below which was air, and above which was air and water. Then He created His Throne above the water.'" (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 182)  

أحمد:١٦١٨٨ – حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ وَكِيعِ بْنِ عُدُسٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي رَزِينٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيْنَ كَانَ رَبُّنَا ﷻ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ خَلْقَهُ؟ قَالَ كَانَ فِي عَمَاءٍ مَا تَحْتَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَمَا فَوْقَهُ هَوَاءٌ ثُمَّ خَلَقَ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ  

ahmad:16200 – Bahz > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Yaʿlá b.uʿaṭāʾ > Wakīʿ b. Ḥudus from his uncle Abū Razīn al-ʿUqaylī

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where was our Lord before He created His creation?' He said: He was above the clouds, below which was air, and above which was air and water. Then He created His Throne above the water.'" (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 182)   

أحمد:١٦٢٠٠ – حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يَعْلَى بْنُعَطَاءٍ عَنْ وَكِيعِ بْنِ حُدُسٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي رَزِينٍ الْعُقَيْلِيِّ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيْنَ كَانَ رَبُّنَا ﷻ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ؟ قَالَ فِي عَمَاءٍ مَا فَوْقَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَمَا تَحْتَهُ هَوَاءٌ ثُمَّ خَلَقَ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ  

tabarani:16579 – [Chain 1] ʿAlī b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz > Ḥajjāj b. al-Minhāl [Chain 2] al-Miqdām b. Dāwud > Asad b. Mūsá > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Yaʿlá b. ʿAṭāʾ > Wakīʿ b. Ḥudus from his uncle Abū Razīn

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, where was our Lord before He created the heavens and the earth?" He said, "He was in a darkness, below which is air, and above which is air. Then He created His throne upon the water."  

الطبراني:١٦٥٧٩ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ ثنا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ الْمِنْهَالِ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الْمِقْدَامُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ ثنا أَسَدُ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالَا ثنا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ وَكِيعِ بْنِ حُدُسٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي رَزِينٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيْنَ كَانَ رَبُّنَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ؟ قَالَ «كَانَ فِي عَمَاءٍ مَا تَحْتَهُ هَوَاءٌ وَمَا فَوْقَهُ هَوَاءٌ ثُمَّ خَلَقَ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ»