Where is Allaah? Part 1

Where is Allaah? Part 1

By Mahmud Murad


This is a complete book.



CONTENTS



Who is Allaah?

Where is Allaah?

Proof from the Qur'aan

Proof from the Hadiths

View of the Companions

View of the 4 Renowned Imaams

Dubious Arguments

Conclusion

WHO IS ALLAAH?



Allaah is the proper name applied to the true God who exists necessarily by
Himself comprising all the excellent Divine names and attributes of perfection.
Allaah is One and Unique. He has no son, no partner, nor equal. He is the sole
Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Every creature bears witness to His
Oneness, Divinity, and Ruboobiyyah [Ruboobiyyah, inf. of Rubb], and to the
uniqueness of His attributes and names.



His essence does not resemble the essences. He does not inhere in anything, nor
does anything inhere in Him. "There is none like unto Him." He is the One, the
Sole, the Indivisible. He is the Rubb [Some translate the term 'Rubb' into
'Lord', the meaning of 'Rubb' is far more comprehensive than to be restricted to
a single word such as 'Lord'. Rubb, means, among other things, the Creator, the
Sustainer, the Provider, and the One in whose hands is the disposal of all
affairs], who accomplishes all affairs, Allaah is the Omnipotent and the
Omniscient.



His knowledge comprehends in perfect manner all things, hidden or manifest. He
is greater than can be encompassed by the knowledge of His creatures. He knows
everything, and He is aware of all that takes place in the earth and the
heavens. Allaah, the Supreme, is the Rubb of everything and has a free hand in
disposal of all affairs. His mercy encompasses everything. He is far removed
from injustice or tyranny. He is wise in all His actions, just in all His
decrees. His justice ensures order in the universe in which nothing is out of
order.



There is no one to share His dominion, nor does He take an aide or supporter
from His creatures. He is nearer to man than man's own jugular vein [TNQ 50:16].




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.