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Whenever a believer is in need or distress
calls on Him, He responds. Allaah has revealed His final
Scripture, the Qur'aan, to that last of His Messengers, Muhammed
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam who was responsible for conveying
the Message of Islam to mankind. He is the Exalted Allaah. Glory
is due to Him.
WHERE IS ALLAAH?
Allaah, the Exalted, has described Himself in His Book, and by
the tongue of His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam as
Sublime, Supreme, and Lofty. The Qur'aan is full of proofs
relevant to the Loftiness of Allaah.
Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah believe in and confirm all of the
attributes of Allaah without distorting their meaning, and that
Allaah is above His seven heavens, above His 'Arsh, and
separated from His creatures, and His creatures are separated
from Him.
This discourse will provide the Scriptural proofs of the
Loftiness of Allaah is an indivisible part of the inherent
faculty of knowing Allaah with which Allaah has created mankind.
Although the aqeedah of Loftiness of Allaah is part of man's
innate knowledge and cannot be subjected to hypothetical of
philosophical argumentation, there are some deviated sects who
follow their whims and deny this intuitive and self-evident
fact. For this reason, they have twisted Scriptural proofs and
distorted them, and manipulated the texts to conform with their
deviant argument.
All of the divine attributes are intrinsically related to the
attribute of divine Loftiness. Therefore, accepting or rejecting
them must be based on accepting or rejecting the Loftiness of
Allaah. Whoever believes that Allaah is above His 'Arsh [The
Throne of Allaah] and separated from His creatures, also
believes in the rest of the attributes of Allaah, and believes
as well that the heaves and the earth submit to His will, and
that He is the Great Rubb of the worlds. Allaah does whatever He
wills and rules according to His Own wishes. Glory be to Him.
Denial of the divine Loftiness is one of the basic doctrinal
heresy promoted by the Jahmites [Jahmites are the followers of
Jahm bin Safan (d. 128-745), a radical heretic. Among other
things, they deny that Allaah, the Exalted, is above His Arsh,
and they allege that He is everywhere] and their off-shoots of
today in order to confuse the Muslims' minds. Denying this
divine attribute also leads by necessity to the denial of the
attribute of the istiwaa of Allaah above His Arsh. There is no
doubt that the denial of the attributes of Allaah clashes with
the clear Qur'aanic verses in which the unique essential
attributes and beautiful names of Allaah confirmed. These
attributes must be affirmed as identical with Allaah.
The essential divine attributes of Allaah constitute an integral
part of His essence and are not superadded to it. They are
accepted literally by Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'h without
questioning the 'how' of these attributes. To deny them is clear
unbelief and heresy. It is for this reason this discourse has
been prepared to deal with the creed of Loftiness of Allaah, or
the question, 'Where is Allaah?' with the Scriptural evidences
from the Qur'aan and the authentic prophetic traditions, as well
as the traditions of those early Muslims, the pious
predecessors.
THE QURANIC PROOFS
Allaah, the Exalted, commands the believers to refer their
disputes and differences to His Book and the Sunnah of His
Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying: "And when you
differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His
Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and the Last Day." [6]
Therefore, the words of Allaah, the Exalted, as well as the
words of His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam must be
held as the ultimate and decisive judgment. No judgment or
decision should take precedence over theirs whether in issues
related to the divine attributes, or any other religious issue.
By their emphasis on reason in establishing religious truth, the
rationalists, the modernists, and the Jahmites assert the
preeminence of reason over the divine revelations. Whereas the
Loftiness of Allaah which is clearly enunciated in the Qur'aan
and the Sunnah, is beyond the reach of reason.
The true believers, contrary to the rationalists, believe that
the 'Arsh of Allaah is above the seven heavens. They also
believe that having created the seven heavens and the earth and
what is in them, Allaah, the Exalted, has His great 'Arsh.
Allaah says: "Declare your Rubb, the Supreme, to be far removed
from every imperfection or impurity." [7]
The "Supreme", linguistically, is in the superlative signifying
that Allaah is higher than everything and is above all things in
essence, power, and invincibility. Commenting on this verse, Ibn
al-Qayyim, may Allaah grant him His mercy, said: All Muslims in
the past and in the present, when supplicating Allaah or
imploring His help, they always raise their hands with palms
towards the heaven. They do not lower their hands with palms
towards the earth, nor do they turn them right or left, nor
towards any other direction. They raise their hands up, knowing
that Allaah is above them. The Muslims also say in prayer while
prostrating, "I declare my Rubb, the Supreme, to be far removed
from every imperfection or impurity."[8]
If Allaah is everywhere, as the deviated sects allege, why then
the above verse does not read, 'Declare your Rubb, (around you),
(below you), or (everywhere)?' Allaah says: "They fear their
Rubb above them." [9]
This verse refers to the angels who are above us, and above them
is our Rubb, the Blessed, the Exalted. Lest anyone be confused,
Allaah confirms in this verse that He is above the angels who
are the residents of the heavens: "The Compassionate has rose
over the 'Arsh." [10]
And: "And verily, your Rubb is Allaah who created the heaven and
earth in six days, and then rose over the 'Arsh." [11]
Allaah also says: "Are you sure that He Who is Above the heaven
will not cleave the earth beneath you? Or are you sure that He
Who is above the heaven will not send against you a
stone-charged hurricane." [12]
The renowned exegetes and commentators are agreed that the One
Who is above the heaven is none but Allaah Who has rose over His
Arsh and is above it in the manner which suits His Majesty.
Those who believe that Allaah is everywhere base their argument
on verses such as:"And He is Ilaah in the Heavens and He is
Ilaah on the Earth!"
The term, 'Ilaah' is classical Arabic means, 'the worshipped';
thus the meaning of the above verse is, "It is He Who is
worshipped in the heaven and worshipped on the earth". It would
have been redundant were the verse to speak about the existence
of Allaah in the heaven and on the earth, for the term Illah' is
an adjective of Allaah, while the pronouns, 'He' in the verse is
used in lieu of the name 'Allaah', therefor, when the name
'Allaah' replaces the pronoun 'He', we get the proper meaning of
the verse: 'And it is Allaah Who is worshipped in the heaven and
on the earth'. But according to the deviated sect who consider
the term, 'Ilaah' as 'Allaah', we get the redundant meaning,
'And Allaah is Allaah in the heaven and Allaah is on the earth,'
a sentence which is grammatically, linguistically and logically
incorrect. Qatadah, a renowned exegete, interpreted this verse
as: 'He is worshipped in the heaven and on the earth'.
Imaam al-Aajurri said: 'al-Ilaah, is the worshipped. He is
worshipped in the heaven as He is worshipped on the earth.'
The Omnipresence of the Divine Knowledge
And He is Allaah above the heaven and on the earth He knows your
private and public affairs. And He knows what you achieve. [13]
Those who deny that Allaah is above His 'Arsh, dubiously argue
that this verse supports their argument. Their argument is
refuted by realizing that this verse refers to the knowledge of
Allaah, according to the renowned exegetes, not His essence.
They further assert that this verse signifies that the knowledge
of Allaah encompasses all things in the heavens and on the
earth. The reference to the divine knowledge is made clearly by
repeating the clause, 'He knows' twice in this verse, that is to
say: "Allaah, the Exalted, knows the hidden and the open, and He
knows what you achieve".
Had the verse ended with the word, 'earth', one might take their
dubious argument into consideration, but Allaah, the Exalted,
makes it abundantly clear that it is His knowledge, not His
essence that encompasses all things. Another dubious argument is
presented by those who deny the fact that Allaah, the Exalted,
is above His 'Arsh, by alleging that the following verse
supports their argument.
"Do you not see that Allaah knows all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth? There is no secret counsel of three,
but He is their fourth, nor of five, but He is their sixth, nor
of fewer than that, nor of more, but He is with them wherever
they may be. Then on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them
of what they did. Surely, Allaah knows all things full well."
[14]
The above verse, they contend, signifies that Allaah is
essentially everywhere. This argument is refuted by the
prominent exegete, Ibn Katheer who says: "This means that Allaah
is well acquainted with their utterances, and private talks and
thoughts."
Al-Qurtubi commented on this verse saying: "He knows and hears
their private counsel. This is evidenced by the fact that the
opening and concluding clauses of this verse confirm the
knowledge of Allaah."
Al-Qasimi says: "The scholars among the Prophet's companions,
who transmitted the meaning of the Qur'aan to their successors,
held this verse to mean that Allaah is above His 'Arsh, but His
knowledge is everywhere."
The linguistic analysis of this verse proves the following
points:
1. The opening words of the above verse speak of Allaah's
knowledge, not His location.
2. Private counsel, or secret talk, is the theme of this verse.
Allaah says, 'There is no secret counsel of three, but He is
their fourth.' He does not say, 'There are not three, but He is
their fourth'. Thus the meaning becomes quite clear that it is
the knowledge of Allaah what encompasses all His creatures.
3. Allaah confirms that He will inform them of their secret talk
on the Day of Resurrection.
4.The verse ends, therefore, confirming Allaah's knowledge.
5. Allaah begins the surah of al-Mujadilah (Chapter 58), of
which the verse in question is part, with the following verse:
"Allaah has indeed heard the speech of the woman who pleads with
you concerning her husband and complains to Allaah. And Allaah
has heard your dialogue. Verily, Allaah is All-Hearing and
All-Seeing." [15] Allaah, the Exalted, states that He has heard
the woman who was complaining to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, and has certainly heard her arguing with her husband,
but He did not state in the verse that He was their third.
6. In the subsequent verse, Allaah emphasizes that He is well
acquainted with the deeds of His slaves. If one were to believe
that Allaah is essentially everywhere, it would follow then that
He also dwells in filthy places. Only an insane person would
dare to impute to Allaah such an attribute. Far removed is
Allaah of what they ascribe to Him. It would also follow that
Allaah is mingling with His creatures in the heavens and on the
earth. Such belief has paved the way for panatheism [16], and
promoted the myth of god incarnate. Allaah is far removed from
what they ascribe to Him. It should be clear in the minds of the
true believers that there is nothing to surround Allaah, the
Exalted, nor is there a place to contain Him. Things and places
are creatures, and Allaah is above all His creatures. All
creatures need Him, while He is separated from His creatures,
and stands in need of none of them. The Heaven is the Qiblah of
the Du'a Muslims supplicate Allaah with their palms upheld
because they believe Allaah is above the heaven. When confronted
with this fact, those who deny the Loftiness of Allaah allege
that Muslims supplicate in this manner only because heaven is
the qiblah of du'aa or supplication.
7. The above allegation, to begin with, has no proof in the
Qur'aan or the Sunnah, and it cannot be related to any of the
Companions of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam nor to
any of the Tabi'een, who succeeded them. There is no mention of
this statement in the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of the
Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The issue of the qiblah
is central to the religion of Islam, so every Muslim must be
aware of it and especially the scholars of the Muslim ummah
should have known it.
8. It is an established fact, that the Ka'bah is the qiblah of
formal prayer as well as the du'aa or supplication. To declare
the heaven or anywhere else to be the qiblah of du'aa is a gross
bid'ah (innovation) and a clear breach of the Qur'aan, the
Sunnah, and the consensus of the ummah, because the Muslims have
one single qiblah, the Ka'bah.
9.The qiblah is the direction to which Muslims turn or face in
prayer, and to face something is to look toward it. If the
heavens were the qiblah, the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam would have commanded his companions, with whom Allaah is
pleased, to face the heavens in their prayer. On the contrary,
the Muslims are forbidden to uphold their eyes while praying,
but are to concentrate on the spot upon which their faces rest
during prostration. The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam warned: "Let those who uphold their eyes while praying
stop doing so, lest they become blind." [17] The Qur'aanic
verses allow no room for such opinions. Allaah, the Exalted,
specifically commanded His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam and his ummah to face the direction of the Ka'bah in
their prayers, saying: "And from wherever you come forth, turn
your face toward the Sacred Mosque." [18] Then Allaah addresses
the Muslims: "And wherever you may be, turn your faces toward
it." [19] The Loftiness of Allaah is also proven by the
following verse: "To Him ascend the good words, and He exalts
the righteous deeds." [20]
This verse contains the clear words of Allaah, in which the verb
"ascend" is used to indicate that Allaah is above and separated
from His creatures. The ascendance of deeds is also proven by
the words of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
describing the excellence of the period of time that falls after
zawal of zenith. He said, "This is a time when the gates of the
heavens are opened, and I hope that a good deed of mine would
ascend to Allaah." The verb "ascend" in the text signifies that
the good deeds are raised up to reach Allaah, the Exalted. And
Allaah says:"The angels and ar-Rooh [21] ascend to Allaah in a
day which is fifth thousand years long." [22] The Loftiness of
the Creator is made clear by the great distance that separates
the angels who inhabit the heavens from their Rubb above them.
And Allaah says:"He manages all affairs from the heaven unto the
earth." [23]
It should be borne in mind that this verse is preceded by the
words of Allaah: "He rose over the Throne." And Allaah also
says:"O, Issa (Jesus)! I shall cause you to die, and raise you
up to Me." [24] Since Allaah addressed Issa saying: "I will
raise you up to Me", what would those who believe that Allaah is
everywhere answer when they are asked: "Where is Issa now?" They
would say either Issa is everywhere, or he is in heaven. If they
claim that Issa is everywhere, they would apostatize as a result
of their equating Issa with Allaah in accordance with their
claim that Allaah is everywhere. A claim which resembles the
Christians' myth of god incarnate. But if they say, "Issa is in
the heaven," they would admit that Allaah did raise Issa up to
the heaven, and that Allaah is above the heavens. Allaah
says:"Surely, your Rubb is the One who created the heavens and
the earth in six days; then He istawa[25] on the Throne." [26]
This is one of the seven Qur'aanic verses in which Allaah, the
Exalted, refers to His istiwa' on His 'Arsh. Ahlus-Sunnah are
certain that the great 'Arsh of Allaah is above the seven
heavens. They also believe that Allaah, having created the earth
and apportioned its provisions, ascended above His great 'Arsh.
Only those who believe otherwise hold these verses to be
allegorical. Allaah, they say, "is everywhere", denying that He
is above the 'Arsh. Exalted is Allaah, and far is He removed
from their ascription. Quoting all or even most of the verses
signifying Allaah's attribute of Loftiness would only enlarge
the volume of this issue. There are about 215 verses in the
Qur'aan containing the verb sent down with reference to either
the Qur'aan, the previous Scriptures, or the angels.
PROOFS FROM AUTHENTIC PROPHETIC TRADITIONS
Authentic Prophetic traditions, as well as traditions of the
Prophet's companions, with whom Allaah is pleased, and works of
the Four Imaama and of the rest of the pious predecessors
contain many textual as well as inferential proofs of Allaah's
Loftiness. Allaah, the Exalted, praises His Messenger
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and confirms his veracity and
truthfulness by saying: "Nor does he speak of his own desire. It
is only revelation revealed (to him.)" [27] And Allaah says:
"And whatsoever the Messenger commands you, adhere to it, and
whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it."
1. And the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
said: "I have been given the Qur'aan and similar to it
therewith." [28]
2. The purified Sunnah is what the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam meant by saying: "and similar to it therewith". The
Sunnah is the second source of the Shari'ah of Islamic laws.
Many traditions deal with the attribute of Allaah's Loftiness.
The following are selected authentic traditions to whose
authenticity all scholars of the hadith at all times have
testified.
3. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam reported his
eventful journey from Makkah to Jerusalem (al-Mi'raj) [29] and
from there up to the heavens as follows: Jibreel took me up to
the lowest heaven and requested its guards to open its gate. He
was asked, 'Who is this?' He answered, 'Jibreel.' 'Who is with
you?' They inquired. 'Muhammed sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam' He
answered. They inquired. 'Has he been invited?' 'Yes'. Jibreel
replied. Then someone greeted saying, 'He is most welcome'. The
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam continued, when the gate
was opened, I entered and met Adam there. Jibreel said to me,
'This is your father, greet him'. Adam greeted me back, saying:
'Welcome, pious son and pious Prophet'. Then Jibreel ascended to
the second heaven and requested its guards to open its gate. The
questioning that took place in the lowest heaven was repeated
before the gate was opened. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam described what he saw in every heaven, until finally he
was taken up to the seventh heaven where obligatory prayers were
prescribed to him. This authentic mutawatir [30] hadith speaks
clearly in plain words and straightforward manner which is not
liable to misconstruction or farfetched interpretations. The
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was taken up to his Rubb
from one heaven above the other. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah
believe that the Mi'raj was neither an illusion nor a vision,
rather real and essential. Had Allaah been everywhere, why would
the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam be taken all the way
up to the seventh heaven? Allaah would have prescribed to him
the Salaah on earth rather than in the seventh heaven.
4. Adullah bin Amr reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam said: "Be merciful to those on earth, so that the One
above the heavens will be merciful to you." [31] Abu Hurairah
reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
"The angels of death usually attend the dying person. If he is
pious, they would address his soul saying, 'O good soul! Come
out of the good body, and rejoice in the annunciation of mercy
and provision from the Rubb Who is well pleased with you'. The
angels would keep coaxing it with these words until the soul
emerges from the body. Then it would be taken up to the heaven
where permission to open the gates of the heaven would be
sought. The guards would inquire, 'Who is this?' 'So and so',
the angels would answer. The guards would say: 'O good soul! You
are welcome'. The soul would be flattered by such words and
finally be taken up to heaven above which is Allaah." [32] It is
quite evident that Allaah, the Exalted, is above the seven
heavens. Otherwise, why would the souls and the believers deeds
be taken up to the heavens to reach Allaah?
5. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "The angel of death used to appear to people whose
souls he would collect. When he came to the Prophet of Allaah,
Musa alayhis-salaam to collect his soul, Musa punched out his
eye. The angel of death ascended to his Rubb, the Glorious, and
said to Him, My Rubb! You have sent me down to Musa who punched
out my eye. Had he not been honored by You, I would have given
him hard time..." The angel of death descended to Musa from the
heaven to collect his soul. He did not come to him from east,
west, north, or south, nor did he emerge from the earth, and
then he ascended to His Rubb Who is above the heavens.
6. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "There are hundred levels in Jannah which Allaah
has prepared for the Mujahideen who fight in His cause. Between
on level and another is a distance which is equal to that
between the earth and the heaven. When you ask Allaah, azza
wajull, ask Him for Firdaws, because it is situated in the midst
and Highest point of Jannah from where the rivers of Jannah
spring, and above it is the 'Arsh of the Most Merciful." [33]
7. Mu'awiyah as-Sahmi reported: "I had some sheep which I kept
between Uhud and Juwaniyyah with a slave-girl to look after
them. One day, I went out to check on my sheep and discovered
that a wolf had devoured one of them. Since I am just a human,
(I became angry) and struck the girl. Later on, I came to the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and reported to him the
incident. He terrified me with the gravity of my action. I said,
'Messenger of Allaah'! Shall I free her (as an expiation of my
sin.) He said 'Call her over'. When I did, he asked her, 'Where
is Allaah?' She said, 'Above the heavens'. Then he asked her,
'Who am I?' She said, 'The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam'. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ordered me, 'Free her. She is a
believer'." [34] The above hadith, according to Shaikh Kahlil
al-Harras, is a luminous proof of the Loftiness of Allaah, the
Exalted. Here is a man who wronged his female slave by striking
her, and wanted to expiate his sin by giving her freedom in
return. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam chose one
particular question, 'Where is Allaah?' Then the slave girl gave
him the correct answer, 'Above the heaven'. The Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam declared her to be a believer.
Does not the above the hadith stand as a solid proof that Allaah
is above the heaven? Doubtlessly, that slave girl, the
shepherdess, knew her Rubb more than those ignorantly claim that
Allaah is everywhere!
8. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "Our Rubb, the Blessed, the Exalted, descends to
the lowest heaven every night, during the last third of the
night, and says: 'Anyone calls Me, I will respond to him? Is
there anyone asking for anything? I will give it to him? Is
there anyone seeking My forgiveness, I will forgive him?' " [35]
The words of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam: 'Our
Rubb, the Blessed, the Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven',
clearly indicate the essential Highness or Loftiness of Allaah,
the Exalted. Were Allaah to exist everywhere, there would be no
need for the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam who knew
Allaah best, to say, 'Allaah descends', nor would there be a
reason to distinguish one portion of the night from another.
There is only one answer to this: Allaah, the Blessed, the
Exalted, is above the seven heavens, and above the great 'Arsh.
9. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "Allaah will descend to His slaves on the Day of
Resurrection." [36] It is the Day when Allaah will come down to
pass His judgment.
10. In another tradition, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "Allaah will gather the first and the last of His
slaves for an appointed certain Day, when they will remain for
forty years with their eyes uplifted towards heaven waiting for
the decisive judgment. Allaah will then descend in coverings of
clouds from His 'Arsh to the Kursi."
THE STANDPOINT OF THE COMPANIONS Radiallaahu 'anhum
1. Zainab, the wife of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, used to claim excellence over the rest of his wives by
telling them, 'It is only your parents who gave you in marriage
to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, while it is Allaah
Who gave me in marriage to him from above the seven heavens.'
[37]
2. In another narration, she said to the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, 'It is the Rahmaan, the Merciful, Who married
me to you from above His 'Arsh.'
3. Ibn Abbas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said to Aa'ishah,
the wife of the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam when she was on her death bed: "Of all his wives you were
the most beloved to the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, and he used to live only the pure. Allaah, the
Exalted sent down your exoneration from above the seven heavens
which was brought down by Jibreel. There is not a single masjid
of the masajid of Allaah but the verses of your exoneration [38]
are recited in it day and night." Aa'ishah, the wife of the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam in this world and in the
world to come, Mother of the Believers, whom the
pervasive-minded sect tried to dishonor, but Allaah, the
Exalted, exonerated her honor and condemned those who spread the
lies against her.
4. In his speech subsequent to the death of the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, Abu Bakr as-Saddiq said: "He who
was worshipping Muhammed sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, (let him
know that) Muhammed is dead, and he who was worshipping Allaah,
(let him know that) Allaah is above the heaven Ever-Living,
never dies'." [39]
5. Ibn Umar passed by a shepherd and asked him, 'Do you have a
sheep fit for slaughter? 'Its owner is around', the shepherd
answered. 'Tell him that the wolf devoured it'. Ibn Umar said to
him. Thereupon, the shepherd uplifted his head towards the
heaven and said, 'Then where is Allaah?' Ibn Umar responded, 'By
Allaah. It is I who should have said, 'Where is Allaah.' He
later on bought off the sheep and the shepherd and freed the
latter and gave him the sheep. [40]
6. Abdurrahman al-Mahdi [41] said: "There is no one more evil
among the people of whims than the followers of Jahm. All their
deviant beliefs revolve around one theme; 'There is no one above
the heaven.' I believe, by Allaah, that they should not be
married from, nor to inherit Muslims nor to be inherited by
Muslims." This opinion of Ibn Mahdi is shared by many among the
pious predecessors.
7. Wahab b. Jareer said: "Beware of the opinions of Jahm's
followers, for they try to convince people that there is nothing
above the heavens. Their statements are only from Iblees's
revelation, and it is only infidelity".
THE STANDPOINT OF THE FOUR RENOWNED IMAAMS
Imaam Abu Hanifah [43]
Abu Muti' Al-Balkhi reported:"I asked Imaam Abu Hanifah about a
person who says, 'I do not know whether my Rubb is, above the
heavens or on earth?' Abu Hanifah, may Allaah grant him His
mercy, said: 'A person who makes such a statement becomes an
apostate because Allaah, the Exalted says, 'The Merciful has
ascended above the 'Arsh, and the 'Arsh of Allaah is above His
heavens'. I further asked Abu Hanifah, 'What if such a person
admits, Allaah is above His 'Arsh, but exclaims, I do not know
whether His 'Arsh is above the heavens or on earth'. Abu Hanifah
responded: 'If he denies that the 'Arsh is above the heavens, he
is an apostate." [44] If the person apostatizes by saying that
he did not know where is the 'Arsh of Allaah, then by right a
person who denies the Loftiness of Allaah altogether is
definitely worse than an apostate.
Imaam Maalik [45]
Abdullah bin Nafi' reported: Maalik bin Anas said:'Allaah is
above the heavens, but His knowledge encompasses everything.
Nothing escapes His knowledge.' [46]
Imaam Ash-Shafi'ee [47]
Imaam ash-Shafi'ee said:"The creed which I hold is the same
creed the Muslims before me were holding, namely, the Testimony
of Faith: "There is no god worthy of being worshipped except
Allaah, that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allaah, and that
Allaah is above His 'Arsh, above the heavens. He descends to the
lowest heaven whenever He wishes." [48] Imaam ibn Khuzaimah, a
Shafi'ite himself, said: "Whoever disacknowledges that Allaah is
above His 'Arsh, above His seven heavens, and that He is
separated from His creatures, is a Kafir, (unbeliever). Such
person must be ordered to repent and disavow his belief, or else
he must be beheaded and thrown on a garbage dump so that neither
Ahlul-Qiblah [49] nor Ahludth-dthimmah [50] be annoyed by the
foul odor of his carcass." [51] Abu Bakr Muhammad at-Tamimi, a
Shafi'ite Imaam of Naisaboor, said:"I do not pray behind a
person who denies the attributes of Allaah and does not
recognize that Allaah is above His 'Arsh." [52]
Imaam Ahmad [53]
He was asked: "Is Allaah above His 'Arsh, above the seventh
heaven, separate from His creatures, and is His knowledge and
power encompassing everything everywhere? He replied:
'Certainly, He is above His 'Arsh and nothing escapes His
knowledge." [54] All of the above show that the entire Muslim
ummah, in the past and present, is in unison regarding the
belief in the Loftiness and Supremacy of Allaah, the Exalted.
DUBIOUS ARGUMENTS
Adherents of certain deviant sects promote a false belief that
Allaah is omnipresent Who inheres in His creation. Rational
arguments are deadly available to refute the blasphemy of the
Jahmites and those who try to revive their belief today. To
prove that Allaah is above His 'Arsh, and above the seventh
heaven in a manner that suits His Majesty, the Imaam of
Ahlus-Sunnah, Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allaah be pleased with him,
refuted their belief more than one thousand years ago, when he
wrote: "Where Allaah is and Where He is not - An exposition of
the denial of the Jahmites that Allaah is above the 'Arsh."
We asked them "Why do you deny that Allaah is above the 'Arsh
when He has said: 'The Merciful has the 'Arsh? [55] And again,'
'Who in six days created the Heavens and the earth then the
'Arsh,' [56] They replied: "He is under the seven earths as He
is on the 'Arsh; He is in heaven, on earth and in every place;
there is no place where He is not, nor is He is one place to the
exclusion of any other." And they quoted the verse: "And He is
Ilaah in the heavens and He is Ilaah on the Earth!" If you wish
to prove the falsehood of the Jahmites who claim that Allaah
exists everywhere, not in one particular place, ask them, 'Is it
not true that Allaah was existent when there was nothing in
existence?' The Jahmites' answer would be: "Certainly, there was
nothing before Allaah." Then ask them, "Did Allaah create the
creation within Himself or outside of Himself?" The Jahmites
would be compelled to choose on of the following three answers:
1. If the Jahmites assert that Allaah created the creation
within Himself, they would then become apostate instantly by
claiming that the Jinn, humans and Satans are all dwelling
within Allaah.
2. If the Jahmites assert that Allaah created the creation
outside Himself but dwelled in them afterwards, they would also
become apostate instantly by claiming that Allaah dwells in His
creatures.
3. But if the Jahmites say that Allaah created the creation
outside Himself and has never dwelled in them, they would by
giving this answer, join the folds of Ahl-As Sunnah, for by
giving this answer they denounce their own deviant beliefs.
Allaah, the Exalted, described Himself in the Torah too that He
is above His creatures. Ka'bul-Ahbaar said: "Allaah, azza
wajall, [57] said in the Torah, 'I, Allaah Am above My slaves,
and My 'Arsh is above My creatures, and I am upon My 'Arsh
running the affairs of My slaves. Nothing is hidden from Me
neither in heaven nor on the earth." [58]
Finally, it may be worthwhile to say that even the enemy of
Allaah, Fir'awn (Pharoah), who flagrantly claimed to be a god of
his people, knew where Allaah is more than the followers of Jahm
today. Allaah says: And Fir'awn said, 'O, Haman, build for me a
tower that I may reach the ways; the ways to heavens so that I
may have a look at the Ilaah of Musa.' [59] Now consider the
words of Fir'awn who wanted Haman to build a tower for him that
he might climb all the way to the heavens to see the Rubb of
Musa, for Musa already told him that Allaah to Whom he is
inviting him is above the heavens, and compare this with the
groundless argument of the Jahmite off-shoots of today. A Muslim
wonders how could those who believe that Allaah is Omnipresent
rationalize such assertion knowing that Allaah, the Omnipotent,
will collect the earth in His hand and fold the heavens in His
right hand, as evidenced by the following divine stern warning.
And they have not venerated Allaah with the veneration that is
due Him, for on the Day of Resurrection, the earth will be
collected in His hand and the heavens will be folded up in His
right hand. [60] Were the above verse to be the only proof of
Allaah's Loftiness, it would have been more than sufficient. It
is certainly sufficient to those who fear Allaah and give Him
the true veneration that is due to Him.
CONCLUSION
The first three Muslim generations whose righteousness the
Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam testified for,
and whose merits surpassed the merits of all succeeding
generation. They are the Companions of the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam and the two generations that followed them.
They all believed in the apparent meaning of the Qur'aanic ayaat
that deal with the divine attributes without giving them
farfetched interpretations based on Greek philosophies.
The Believer must believe that there is none like unto Allaah,
the Exalted, in His essence, attributes, nor His actions. He
must also believe that Allaah stands in need of none of His
creatures. Neither a thing nor a place encompasses Him. He is
above His 'Arsh, above the seventh heaven, and above all His
creature essentially and realistically not allegorically.
There is none of His creatures that touches Him. Based on this
it is not permissible to say that Allaah is everywhere, or He
inheres in any of His creatures, for Allaah was when there was
nothing. He who asserts that Allaah is not outside the universe,
not only denies the existence of Allaah, but he worships a
non-existent god. We ask Allaah to keep us on the straight path
of His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his
Companions and to make us join their company on the Day when
neither wealth nor offspring would avail. Walhamdu lillahi
Rabbil-aalameen.
This discourse has been based mainly on two books: Ithbat
Uluwil-Lah, by Usamah bin Yusuf al-Qassas, may Allaah grant him
His mercy, and Ar-Rahman alal Arsh Istawa, by Dr. Awad Mansoor.
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FOOTNOTES:
6. Q 4:59
7. Q 87:1
8. Q 87:1
9. Q 16:50
10. Q 20:2
11. Q 7:54
12. Q 67:17.18
13. Q 6:3
14. Q 58:7
15. Q 58:1
16. Pantheism is the belief that Allaah and the universe
constitute one being, as opposed to the fundamental belief of
the Oneness of Allaah and the separateness of His creations, as
stressed by Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.
17. Imaam al-Bukhaaree, Imaam Muslim and others.
18. Q 2:150
19. Ibid.
20. Q 35:10
21. Ar-Rooh is Jibreel, peace be upon him.
22. Q 70:4
23. Q 32:5
24. Q 3:55
25. 'Istawa' p.t. is derived from the verb sawiya and its
derivative form istiwaa' to mount on the Throne. The Ash'arites,
the Mu'tazilites, the Jahmites, and those who uphold their
belief, hold the attribute of Istiwaa' to be only symbolic,
whereas Ahlus-Sunnah accept this and the other essential
attributes of Allaah literally without drawing parallels.
26. Q 7:54
27. Q 53:4.527 Q 53:4.5
28. Abu Dawood.
29. Imaam al-Bukhaaree, Imaam Muslim and others.
30. This is the strongest category of the authentic ahadith.
31. Imaam al-Bukhaaree, Imaam Muslim, and others.
32. Imaam Ahmad, al-Hakim, and others.
33. Imaam al-Bukhaaree, Ahmad, and others.
34. Imaam Muslim, Abu Dawood, and others.
35. Imaam Maalik, Imaam al-Bukhaaree, Imaam Muslim, and others.
36. At-Tirmidthi and others.
37. Al-Bukhaaree.
38. The verses in question are in surat An-noor #24:11 thru 20.
39. Imaam al-Bukhaaree and others.
40. Ath-Thahabi.
41. He was a great scholar and a leading authority in the
Prophetic traditions, and a contemporary of Imaam ash-Shafi'ee,
(135-198H.)
42. Al-Bukhaaree, adth-Thahabi and others.
43. Abu Hanifah, one of the four Imaam was prominent jurist
living from 80 to 150 AH.
44. Sharhut-Tahawiyyah, p.288
45. Maalik bin Anas, one of the four Imaams, was prominent
jurist and traditionist (93-179 H).
46. Abdullah bin Ahmad, as-Sunnah, and others.
47. Abdullah Muhammad bin Idris ash-Shafi'ee one of the
prominent four Imaams. Prominent jusrit (150-204 H).
48. Al-Juyoosh al-Islamiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, p.93
49. The Muslims in general.
50. Christian or Jewish subjects of a Muslim country.
51. Ibid.
52. Ibid.
53. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal, the great Imaam, was
nicknamed the Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah. This name was to become in
Islam the watchword for uncompromising belief. Imaam Ahmad, may
Allaah be pleased with him, was a hero and victim of the violent
inquisition during the reign of the Caliph al-Ma'moon, who
ordered his subjects, under pain of severe punishment, to adopt
the belief that the words of Allaah of which the Qur'aan is
composed are created, thus resembling the belief of the
Christians. Imaam Ahmad, who refuted to endorse this belief was
subjected to harassment, imprisonment, and torture.
54. Al-Juyoosh al-Islamiyyag, Ibn al-Qayyim, p.123.
55. Q 20:4
56. Q 25:60
57. Azza wajall, Allaah is the Powerful, the Glorious.
58. Ath-Thahabi and others.
59. Q 40:36,37
60. Q 39:67
Article by, Mahmud Murad |
