A reply to a question about Allah being above, Exalted is He

Your statement at the opening of the letter: (Allah is far removed from direction, and no place encompasses Him).

Your statement: (It caught my eye and drew my attention as I was leafing through the book (Ṣirāʿ bayna al-Ḥaqq wa-l-Bāṭil) by Professor Saʿd Ṣādiq. Then you mentioned the āyāt and ḥadīths he cited as proof of Allah’s being above… until you said: I do not know what that author and those like him gain from this belief, which is mostly a cause of trials, unrest and the division of ranks… until you said: especially as the common people hold fast to what is in this book and believe that Allah exists in the heaven), etc. At the end of the letter you then mentioned that you had copied out the words of al-Rāzī, al-Qurṭubī and al-Ṣāwī for my information, and so that I might perhaps reply to them.

Answer

What appears to me from this letter of yours is that you lack insight into ʿaqīdah in the area of the names and attributes, and that you need a dedicated study, and close attention to whatever will make the sound ʿaqīdah clear to you. Know, therefore — may Allah bless you — that ahl al-sunnah wa-l-jamāʿah [the people of the Sunnah and of the united body of Muslims], from among the Companions of the Messenger ﷺ and the Successors who followed them in excellence, are unanimously agreed that Allah is in the heaven, that He is above the Throne, and that hands are raised to Him, Glory be to Him, as the āyāt and the authentic ḥadīths indicate. They are likewise agreed that He, Glory be to Him, has no need of the Throne or of anything else, and that all created things, every one of them, are in need of Him. They are likewise agreed that He, Glory be to Him, is in the direction of being above: above the Throne and above all created things, and not inside the heavens — Allah is exalted high above that. Rather, He, Glory be to Him and Exalted is He, is above all created things. He rose over His Throne in a manner that befits His majesty and greatness, and He does not resemble His creation in that or in any of His attributes. As Imām Mālik, raḥimahu Allāh, said when he was asked about the rising over: (The rising over is known, its how is unknown, īmān in it is obligatory, and asking about it is bidʿah [innovation in the religion]) — meaning, asking how the rising over is. The same is said by ahl al-sunnah of all the attributes, in the manner of Mālik’s saying: the meanings are known, according to what is required by the Arabic language in which Allah addressed His servants; the how is unknown; and those meanings are perfect, established meanings with which our Lord, Glory be to Him, is described, and in them He does not resemble His creation. This subject needs a fuller explanation, and we will give it, if Allah wills, after we reach al-Madīnah: we will go through your letter with you and point out its errors. We advise you to reflect on the Noble Qurʾān, and to believe that everything it indicates regarding the names and attributes is true and befits Allah, Glory be to Him.

In the same way, everything it indicates in every other area is true. It is not permissible to subject the attributes to taʾwīl [reinterpretation], to divert them from their apparent meaning that befits Allah, or to subject them to tafwīḍ [consigning the meaning]. All of this belongs to the beliefs of the people of bidʿah. As for ahl al-sunnah wa-l-jamāʿah, they do not subject the āyāt and ḥadīths of the attributes to taʾwīl, divert them from their apparent meaning, or subject them to tafwīḍ. Rather, they believe that the whole of the meaning these indicate is true and established for Allah, befitting Him, Glory be to Him, and that in it He does not resemble His creation. As He, Glory be to Him, said: ﴿قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ﴾ "Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Self-Sufficient. He neither begets nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him." [al-Ikhlāṣ: 1–4]. He also said, Glory be to Him: ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾ "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." [al-Shūrā: 11]. So He denied of Himself any likeness to creation, and affirmed for Himself hearing and sight in the manner that befits Him; and so it is with the rest of the attributes.

We also advise you to read the reply of Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah to the people of Ḥamāh, and his reply to the people of Tadmur. The two replies contain great good: a detailed account of the position of ahl al-sunnah and quotations of some of their words, especially al-Ḥamawiyyah. They also contain a sufficient refutation of the people of bidʿah.

We further advise you to read (al-Qaṣīdah al-Nūniyyah) and (Mukhtaṣar al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Mursalah), both by the great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim, raḥimahu Allāh. They contain an exposition and clarification of the positions of ahl al-sunnah, and a refutation of the people of bidʿah, such as you may not find elsewhere, together with careful verification and attention to setting out the proofs from the Book, the Sunnah and the words of the salaf [the early generations of Muslims] of this Ummah.

We ask Allah to grant us and you success in beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, to give us all understanding of His religion and steadfastness upon it, and to protect us all from the swerving of hearts and from misleading trials. He is All-Hearing, Ever Near. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings¹.