Where is Allah? Part 3
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."