QUESTION : Some people say Allah is everywhere, some say He is
above the heavens, some say He is on His throne; and everyone seems to
present tons of evidences to prove their point. I am so confused about
the whole issue. Where is Allah? Please explain!
ANSWER:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
The short and simple answer to your question is that Allah Most High
exists beyond time, space, location and ‘physical’ direction; He is where He has always been.
Before detailing the above answer, it is important to realize that the
issue ‘where is Allah?’ was never debated or made a matter of great
dispute by the Companions (
sahaba) and early Muslims (
salaf).
We seldom find within classical teachings of mainstream Muslim scholars
that people went around asking and debating where Allah Most High is!
And aside from the hadith of
Sahih Muslim in which the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) asked the slave-girl (
jariya)
“Where is Allah?”, there seems to be no other text of the Qur’an and
Sunna in which this question is asked. As for the hadith of the
slave-girl, it has its own specific context, which will be explained
later on, insha ‘Allah.
The reason for this is simple: We have not been commanded to identify
the exact ‘physical location’ of Allah; rather our responsibility is to
recognize Allah (
ma’rifa), build a strong relationship with Him, affirm His exaltedness (
tanzih), affirm His Oneness (
tawhid), learn about His attributes (
sifat),
worship Him, obey His commands and abstain from His prohibitions.
Beyond that, there is no Islamic obligation to know where Allah Almighty
exactly is; neither is it possible for the meager intellects of us
created beings to fully grasp the reality and majesty of our Creator. We
have not even fully understood the reality of our souls, bodies, the
sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the sky, and so forth; then how
are we expected to comprehend the essence (
kunh) of the Almighty.
As such, it is important to note – at the outset – that we should avoid:
1) arguing about this topic, 2) considering it a fundamental part of
belief (
aqida), and 3) being hasty in declaring others as
disbelievers or deviants if they happen to hold a different viewpoint.
We should steer clear from trying to grasp the reality of Allah, and
suffice by understanding that the human intellect is very limited in its
reach. We must see our inability to fully understand Allah as being
from our weakness and imperfection as humans. This will bring about a
deeper sense of slave-hood and neediness towards the One who is in need
of no one.
Sadly, however, we live in a time where some Muslims constantly debate
this issue and behave as though it is a fundamental part of one’s faith.
They waste theirs and others’ precious time arguing for long periods
about an issue that will not be questioned about on the Day of Judgment.
As a result, much more important aspects of
deen are neglected.
Islamic forums and discussions are filled with arguments,
counter-arguments, refutations, attacks and never ending debates about
this one topic. Many are left confused and bemused with the whole
experience, and some have even left Islam altogether due to their
inability to fully comprehend this issue.
As such, the first advice for my dear brothers and sisters – of
whichever persuasion – is to take a step back, relax and not become over
emotional about the issue at hand. Thereafter, with cool headedness,
realize that this issue is not a foregone conclusion and that there is
room for ‘valid’ disagreement and thus ‘agree to disagree’. By doing so,
we would save ourselves and others from falling into major sins and
even disbelief.
To proceed with the answer: The central point of belief (
aqida) with respect to Allah Most High – alongside affirmation of His Oneness (
tawhid) – is His transcendence (
tanzih), which has a clear Qur’anic basis and is unanimously agreed upon.
Tanzih
refers to affirming, in absolute and emphatic terms, that there is no
similitude between Allah and His creation. Allah does not resemble His
creation in any way, and there is no creation that is similar to Him in
any way. No imagination can conceive of Him and no understanding can
comprehend Him, as He is different from all created beings.
Allah Most High says about Himself, “There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him.” (Qur’an 42:11)
And He Most High says in Surat al-Ikhlas, “And there is none like unto Him.” (Qur’an 112: 4)
This central belief has been outlined in almost all of the classical
manuals on Islamic Creed. For example, Imam al-Nasafi (Allah have mercy
on him) states, “He [Allah] is not a body (
jism), nor an atom (
jawhar), nor is He something formed (
musawwar), nor a thing limited (
mahdud), nor a thing numbered (
ma’dud), nor a thing portioned or divided, nor a thing compounded (
mutarakkab), and nor does He come to end in Himself. He is not described by quiddity (
al-mahiyya), or by quality (
al-kayfiyya), nor is He placed in a space (
al-makan); and time (
al-zaman)
does not affect Him. Nothing resembles Him; that is to say, nothing is
like unto Him.” (See: Sa’d al-Din al-Taftazani & Najm al-Din
al-Nasafi,
Sharh al-Aqa’id al-Nasafiyya, P: 92-97)
To believe that Allah Most High resembles His creation in any way, or
attribute human forms and qualities to Him (anthropomorphism/
tashbih) constitutes disbelief (
kufr).
Imam al-Tahawi (Allah have mercy in him) states in his famous reference
work on Muslim beliefs, “Anyone who describes Allah as being in any way
the same as a human being has become an unbeliever. All those who grasp
this will take heed and refrain from saying things such as the
unbelievers say, and they will know that He, in His attributes, is not
like human beings.” (Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya, article 34)
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (Allah have mercy on him) states, “Whosoever
thinks that Allah has a body made of organs is an idol-worshipper…
Whosoever worships a body is considered a disbeliever by the consensus
of all the scholars – both the early scholars (
salaf) as well as the late ones (
muta’akhirun).” (Iljam al-Anam an ilm al-Kalam, P: 6-8)
Mulla Ali al-Qari states in his commentary of
Al-Fiqh al-Akbar,
“We are unable to comprehend Allah Most High. Whatever occurs in one’s
mind [regarding Allah’s appearance], Allah is other than that, for Allah
says: ‘But they shall not encompass Him with their knowledge.’” (Minah
al-Rawd al-Azhar fi sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar, P: 117)
Abu ’l-Fadl al-Tamimi al-Hanbali says, “Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Allah
have mercy on him) condemned those who said that Allah is a body (
jism)… since the term
jism/body
linguistically is used to indicate things that have length, width,
depth, and a compound nature. (See the footnotes to Minah al-Rawd
al-Azhar fi sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar, P: 118)
As such, this basic and central
aqida in Allah’s transcendence is
the only requirement from a believer (along with general affirmation of
all of Allah’s attributes), and would be sufficient for one’s
salvation. Thereafter, there is no need for a simple believer to
scrutinize the technical details of Allah’s attributes, and there is
definitely no need for disputes and arguments. Most Muslims – if not all
– deny that Allah resembles His creation, thus argumentation and haste
in declaring others as disbelievers must be avoided. Yes, if one clearly
believes that Allah is ‘physically’ in a location or that He has organs
– such as hands, feet, face, etc –
that are similar to His creation, or one gives Allah attributes of created things, then that would entail disbelief.
Beyond Time and Space
Part of this central point of
aqida is recognizing that Allah Most High is not confined to time (
zaman) and space (
makan), since He is the creator of both and absolutely free from needing anything (
ghaniyy)
that He has created. “Surely Allah is independent of all the worlds.”
(Qur’an 29:6) He is not to be described with having a form, body,
limits, directions and a material existence that occupies a particular
space or location. Limiting Allah to time and space implies likening Him
to His creation, because the one who exists in a physical place would,
by nature, be a body; thus attributing a body to Allah.
Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) says, “Allah existed when
there was no place, and He is now where He has always been [i.e. without
place].” (Al-Farq bayna al-Firaq, P: 333)
Imam al-Tahawi (Allah have mercy on him) states, “He (Allah) is beyond
having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or
limbs. Nor is He contained by the six directions like all the created
things.” (Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya, Point: 38)
It is stated in
Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, attributed to Imam Abu Hanifa,
“Allah is an entity unlike any other entity. The meaning of [Allah being
a] entity [unlike any other] is that He is without body (
jism), substance (
jawhar), or accident (
arad). He has no definition/limit, no opposite, no equal, and no peer...” (See:
Minah al-Rawd al-Azhar fi sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar, P: 117-120)
Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah be pleased with him) also states in his
Al-Fiqh al-Absat,
“If it is asked, ‘Where is Allah?’ It will be said to him that Allah
Most High existed when there was no place, before creating the creation.
And Allah Most High existed when there was no ‘where’, no creation,
nothing; and He is the Creator of everything.” (Al-Fiqh al-Absat, P: 21)
Mulla Ali al-Qari states in his commentary of
Al-Fiqh al-Akbar,
“Allah Most High does not reside in a place from the places and neither
in a time from the times, because place and time are from the created
things whilst Allah Most High has existed eternally when nothing from
the created things were in existence with Him.” (Minah al-Rawd al-Azhar
fi sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar, P: 117)
Qadi Abu Ya’la al-Hanbali says, “Indeed, Allah Most High is not to be
described with [residing in a] place.” (Daf’ Shubah al-Tashbih, P: 43)
Based on this, it is erroneous to say that Allah Most High is
‘physically’ in the sky or above the heavens on His Throne. Likewise, it
is wrong to say that He Most High is ‘physically’ everywhere and in
everything. The reason, as explained above, is that these things are
created and limited. The Throne and heavens are restricted entities, and
space is an area restricted within six dimensions. Allah Most High
cannot be confined to things He has created, such as the heavens and the
Throne. He is the creator of time and space, and thus is exalted beyond
both.
Furthermore; sitting, standing, rising over, ascending, descending,
climbing, etc are all characteristics of created bodies, whilst Allah is
pure from having any attributes of created things attributed to Him.
Allah is not in need of a place in order to exist. Imam al-Tahawi sums
this up by saying, “He [Allah] is independent of the Throne and that
which is beneath it.” (Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya, Point: 50)
Dealing with texts whose meanings are not decisively known (mutashabihat)
There are certain texts in the Qur’an and Sunna which indicate that
Allah Most High is in the sky or above the heavens upon his Throne. For
example:
a) “The All-Merciful
istawa [literal meaning: positioned Himself] upon the Throne.” (Qur’an 20:5)
b) “Have you become fearless of Him who is in the sky if He makes you
sink into the earth, and it starts trembling at once?” (Qur’an 67:17)
c) Mu’awiya ibn al-Hakam relates, as part of a long hadith, that he came
to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and
asked various questions about his practices before Islam. From among the
questions he said that he had slapped his slave girl, and whether he
should free her. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him
peace) asked that she be brought before him, and then asked her, “Where
is Allah?” She replied, “In the sky (
fi ‘l-sama).” The Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) asked, “Who am I?” She
replied, “You are the Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah (Allah
bless him & give him peace) said, “Free her, for she is a
believer.” (Sahih Muslim 537 and others)
d) Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, “Our
Lord ‘
yanzilu [literal meaning: descends]’ every night to the closest heavens…” (Sunan Tirmidhi 2414)
Conversely, there are other texts which indicate that Allah Most High is everywhere and All-Encompassing. For example:
a) “No secret consultation takes place between three, but He [Allah] is
fourth of them; nor between five, but He is sixth of them; nor between
fewer than that or more, but He is with them wherever they may be…”
(Qur’an 58:7)
b) “Indeed, We have created man, and We know whatever thoughts his inner
self develops, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.”
(Qur’an 50:16)
c) “When My servants ask you about Me, then [inform them that] I am
near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me…” (Qur’an 2:186)
d) “Allah encompasses everything.” (Qur’an 4:126)
e) “He is with you wherever you are…” (Qur’an 57:4)
These types of texts are known as
mutashabihat i.e. their
meanings are not decisively known by us. Their outward apparent meanings
indicate location for Allah Most High or a similitude between Allah and
His creation, and thus they go against the fundamental ‘agreed-upon’
belief in Allah’s transcendence (
tanzih), mentioned in unequivocal verses such as “There is nothing like unto Him.”
The question that arises, then, is how do you deal with such texts?
1) The most precautious and mainstream position in this regard is of the early Muslims (
salaf), which includes the majority of the Companions, their followers (
tabi’un), the majority of hadith scholars (
muhaddithun),
the four main Imams and the major scholars of their schools (Allah be
pleased with them all). Their view is that the outward purport of such
texts is not intended, and only Allah knows the real meanings of such
texts; thus they consign their meanings completely to Allah Most High
without attempting to interpret them – either literally or figuratively.
This is known as the position of
tafwid.
It means that we fully believe in the texts, but owing to the fact that
their meanings have not been decisively established and that they
apparently contradict the decisive texts, we consign the knowledge of
their reality to Allah Most High, and avoid delving into them. We
understand that they have meanings befitting Allah, but it is impossible
that they would have physical meanings, since they do not befit Allah;
such as places, shapes, limbs, movements, sitting, colors, directions,
smiling, laughter, and other meanings which are not permissible to be
attributed to Allah.
As such; we affirm the words indicating location and Throne for Allah,
and also those which indicate Him being everywhere. However, we cannot
comprehend the reality of Allah being on his Throne and neither can we
comprehend the reality of Him being everywhere – although we fully
negate that Allah is ‘physically’ in the heavens/on his Throne (
tashbih), and also negate that He is ‘physically’ everywhere in everything (
hulul). This is what the early scholars meant when they said regarding such texts, “Pass them by as they are, without asking how” (
amirruha bi la kayf).
(Some of the scholars from this group, however, interpret the second
type of texts which indicate that Allah Most High is everywhere by
saying, He is everywhere by His Knowledge, His Seeing, His Hearing and
His Power).
This position of
tafwid is based on the following verse of the Qur’an:
“He [Allah] is the One who has revealed to you the Book [the Qur’an]. Out of it there are verses that are
muhkamat [of established meaning], which are the principal verses of the Book, and some others are
mutashabihat [whose definite meanings are unknown]. Now those who have perversity in their hearts go after the
mutashabih
of it, seeking [to create] discord, and searching for its
interpretation [that meets their desires], while no one knows its
interpretation except Allah; and those well-grounded in knowledge say:
We believe therein; all is from our Lord. Only the men of understanding
observe the advice.” (Qur’an 3:7)
Mulla Ali al-Qari states in his commentary of
Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, “Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) said in his
Kitab al-Wasiyya, ‘We agree that Allah performed
istiwa
[literal meaning: positioned Himself] upon the Throne without Him
having any need for it or resting on it. He is the Guardian of the
Throne and all besides the Throne. If He were in need [of the Throne],
He would not have been capable of bringing the universe into existence
and administrating over its affairs, like the created beings [for
created things are in need, and the one in need of others cannot create
the universe]. If He [Allah Most High] was in need of sitting or
settling [on the Throne], then before the creation of the Throne, where
was He Most High? In effect, He is transcendent of all of this.’ (Minah
al-Rawd al-Azhar fi sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar P: 126-127)
Mulla Ali al-Qari further states, “How fitting is the response of Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him) when he was asked about
istiwa. He said, ‘
istiwa is known [i.e. we know and accept that it has been mentioned in the Qur’an, because in another narration Imam Malik said, ‘
istiwa is not unknown’], the ‘how’ (
kayf)
is unknown [this has also been transmitted as ‘the how is not
comprehensible’], asking about it is an innovation, and belief in it
[i.e. accepting it to be part of revelation] is obligatory.’ This is the
way of the early scholars (
salaf) and the safest path, and Allah knows best.” (Minah al-Rawd al-Azhar fi sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar P: 127)
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Allah have mercy on him) said, when asked about Allah’s
istiwa on the Throne, “He performs
istiwa
upon the Throne, however He wills and as He wills, without any limit or
any description that can be made by any describer.” (Daf’ Shubah
al-Tashbih, P: 28)
Imam Shafi’i (Allah have mercy on him) would simply say regarding the
mutashabihat
texts, “I believe in what has come from Allah as it was intended by
Allah, and I believe in what has come from the Messenger of Allah (Allah
bless him and give him peace) as it was intended by the Messenger of
Allah.” (Ibn Qudama,
Dhamm al-Ta’wil)
Imam Sufyan ibn Uyayna (Allah have mercy on him) says, “All that Allah
has described Himself with in His Book; its explanation is its reciting
and keeping silent about it.” (Bayhaqi,
Al-Asma’ wa ‘l-sifat 2/158)
2) The second position concerning such texts is of some later
scholars; such as Imam Ibn Taymiya, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim and others (Allah
have mercy on them). They also consign the knowledge of what is meant
to Allah, but in a slightly different manner. They are of the opinion
that we must affirm the apparent literal meaning that has been expressed
in the text (
tathbit), but then consign its details to Allah Most High. So for example, in relation to the verse of ‘
istiwa’, we must believe in and affirm the apparent meaning which is ‘elevation’ and ‘rising over the Throne’. However, the modality (
kayfiyya)
of this ‘elevation’ or ‘rising’ is unknown, but it is certainly not
like the rising of created things. (As for the second type of texts,
they clearly interpret them by saying that Allah is everywhere by His
Knowledge, His Seeing, His Hearing and His Power).
The key difference between this position and the previous one is that in the case of the former, one recites the
mutashabih
text, accepts it to have been revealed by Allah, believes in it and
affirms ‘whatever’ is intended by Allah through it, and then remains
silent about it without saying whether the literal or figurative meaning
is meant (pass them by as they are without asking how). In the latter
position, however, after recital and acknowledgement of the text, one
affirms that the apparent literal meaning is what is meant, but the
details of this apparent meaning is only known by Allah. There is a very
subtle difference between the two viewpoints!
Even though this (latter) view – in of itself – can be considered
acceptable, it can also potentially be highly dangerous, especially in
our times. This is due to two reasons:
Firstly; the human intellect is very limited, and thus it is very
difficult for it to comprehend Allah being above the heavens upon His
Throne without some sort of bodily figure coming to mind. The early
Muslims had strong faiths, and may have been equipped to negate any
thought of a bodily figure occupying a throne. This cannot be said for
every simple believer today. In life, we are accustomed to only
experiencing created things; and thus it may be difficult to fully
realize the transcendent nature and majesty of Allah Most High – if we
were to say that He is upon His Throne.
Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha’rani expresses this point in a very beautiful manner. He states that Allah’s attributes of ‘
istiwa’, ‘elevation’ and ‘
nuzul [descending] to the heavens’ are all eternal (
qadim),
for He is eternal with all His attributes; whereas there is a consensus
that the Throne and everything surrounding it is created. As such,
Allah Most High had the attribute of ‘
istiwa’ and ‘
nuzul’ even before He created the Throne and the heavens. So where was His ‘
istiwa’ before creating the Throne, and upon what did He do ‘
nuzul’ before creating the heavens and the sky? Therefore, the way you envisage Allah’s ‘
istiwa’ upon the Throne and His ‘
nuzul’
to the heavens before the creation of the Throne and the heavens,
envisage it in the same manner after their creation. (Al-Yawaqit wa
‘l-Jawahir)
Secondly, the discourse of the early Muslims was mainly in the Arabic language. As such, both approaches in consigning the
mutashabihat
texts to the knowledge of Allah seemed similar. The advocates of the
first approach would, for example, merely recite the word ‘
istawa’ and say “I affirm this
istiwa as intended by Allah” and leave it to that, whilst those who took the second approach would also recite ‘
istawa’ and then say that the meaning of this
is literal ‘
istiwa’ but in a manner befitting Allah. The difficulty arises when the word ‘
istawa’
is translated into another language. If the second approach is taken,
then one would translate it in English by saying “the meaning of this is
that Allah rose over the Throne” and the like. This is when the thought
of a bodily figure and human-like attributes come to mind.
This also explains why the advocates of both approaches use the same
evidences and statements of early Muslim scholars, such as the four
Imams, in justifying their view. Using only the Arabic medium, it can be
difficult to distinguish the clear difference between the two
approaches.
For example, Imam Abu Hanifa states in his
Al-Fiqh al-Absat, “He
who says that I do not know if my Lord is in the sky or the earth has
indeed committed disbelief… Similarly, he who says that He is on His
Throne, but I do not know whether the Throne is in the sky or the earth
[has also committed disbelief].” (Al-Fiqh al-Absat, p: 14)
This quote of Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) is misunderstood
by some, and incorrectly used to prove that the Imam believed in
affirming a direction and location for Allah! The reality is that Imam
Abu Hanifa was amongst the very early Muslims (
salaf), and his position was in harmony with the mainstream popular opinion of that time – which is ultimate
tafwid,
as it is clear from his statements quoted earlier; such as, “If He
[Allah Most High] was in need of sitting or settling [on the Throne],
then before the creation of the Throne, where was He Most High?”
However, the Imam was also against figurative interpretation of the
mutashabihat texts, and firm on the position of consigning the meaning to the knowledge of Allah.
As such, followers of Imam Abu Hanifa and commentators of his works have
explained what he meant by the above text. They state that the reason
why Imam Abu Hanifa declared a person who says these two phrases a
disbeliever is because they contain attributing a direction and location
for Allah. (See:
Isharat al-Maram min Ibarat al-Imam, p: 168)
Imam Izz al-Din ibn al-Salam says that the reason why Imam Abu Hanifa
declared such a person a disbeliever is that by using such words, one
suggests a place for Allah; and whosoever believes that Allah has a
place is an anthropomorphist. (Minah al-Rawd al-Azhar fi sharh al-Fiqh
al-Akbar P: 115)
Thus, Imam Abu Hanifa’s intention is not to prove that the heavens and
the Throne are places for Allah, and the clearest evidence for this is
the aforementioned saying of the Imam himself, “If He [Allah Most High]
was in need of sitting or settling [on the Throne], then before the
creation of the Throne, where was He Most High? In effect, He is
transcendent of all of this.” And Allah knows best.
3) The third position in regards to these
mutashabihat
texts is that their apparent literal meaning is impossible for Allah;
thus the texts will be interpreted figuratively/metaphorically in a
manner befitting Allah, yet without affirming it with certainty since
other meanings could also be correct. This position was held mainly by
scholars of later generations (
khalaf), who were forced to take this stance in order to safeguard the
iman of the masses, since people were not satisfied with merely consigning the knowledge of
mutashabihat texts to Allah, and thus began to understand them literally and read into meanings that do not befit Allah Most High.
This position is known as the position of
ta’wil.
Ta’wil
means to interpret, make sense of, assign a meaning to, and give an
interpretation or explanation to a particular text or phrase. For
example, interpreting the saying “the King defeated the enemy” that the
defeat occurred at the hands of the King’s army and not the King
himself.
This is also a valid and acceptable view according to the vast majority
of scholars as long as it remains within the boundaries of the Arabic
language and spirit of Shari’ah. Even some early Muslims (
salaf), including some of the Sahaba such as Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), made
ta’wil
in some of the Qur’anic verses and hadiths, and the reality is that at
times we have no choice but to assign figurative meanings, otherwise
they will contradict the decisive and emphatically established texts (
muhkamat), leading to many contradictions in the Qur’an and Sunna.
For example, Imam al-Bukhari (Allah have mercy on him) interprets the
verse “There is no god but He. Everything is going to perish except His
wajh [literal meaning: face]” (Qur’an 28:88) by saying that the word ‘
wajh’ means ‘
mulk’
or ‘dominion.’ He also quotes another interpretation, “that which was
done solely for the sake of Allah [i.e. righteous actions].” Imam Ibn
Hajar al-Asqalani, in his
Fath al-Bari, quotes Abu Ubayda as saying that the word ‘
wajh’ in the verse means the ‘majesty (
jalal)’ of Allah. (See:
Fath al-Bari with Sahih al-Bukhari 8/641-642)
Similarly, in regards to the hadith of
Bukhari and
Muslim wherein the attribute of Allah ‘
dhik (literal meaning: laughing)’ has been mentioned, Imam Bukhari is quoted as saying that it means, “Allah’s mercy.” (Bayhaqi,
Kitab al-Asma’ wa ‘l-Sifat, p: 433)
In Surat al-Qalam, Allah Most High says, “On the Day when the
saq [literal meaning: shin] will be exposed…” (Qur’an 68:42) Likewise, in the hadith of
Bukhari, it is stated, “Our Lord will expose his
saq [literal meaning: shin].” Many scholars from the
salaf and
khalaf; such as Abdullah ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatada interpret the term ‘
saq’ with various different explanations. (See: Imam al-Bayhaqi’s
Al-Asma’ wa ‘l-Sifat, p: 323)
Imam Ibn Kathir (Allah have mercy on him) relates in his masterpiece
Al-Bidaya wa ‘l-Nihaya quoting Imam al-Bayhaqi from his
Manaqib
through a sound chain that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Allah have mercy on
him) interpreted the verse, “And your Lord shall come” (Qur’an 89:22) to
mean, “His recompense (
thawab) shall come.’ (Al-Bidaya wa ‘l-Nihaya, 10/327)
There are countless other examples of this, but the above should suffice, insha‘Allah.
Accordingly, scholars of later generations interpreted the
mutashabihat
texts which indicate Allah’s physical elevation above the heavens, and
Allah being positioned in the sky or upon His Throne with various
explanations. For example:
a) Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari states in his well-known exegesis (
tafsir)
of the Qur’an, “Allah made himself exalted over the heavens with the
exaltation of sovereignty and power, not that of dislodgment and
movement.” (Tasir al-Tabari 1/430)
Others who interpret the verses of ‘
istiwa’ figuratively include:
Imam al-Bayhaqi, Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni, Imam Raghib al-Isfahani,
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Imam Abu ‘l-Faraj ibn al-Jazi al-Hanbali,
Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Imam al-Baydawi, Imam al-Nasafi, Imam Taqi
al-Din al-Subki, Imam Ibn al-Humam al-Hanafi, Imam al-Suyuti and others
(Allah have mercy on them all). They state that ‘
istiwa’ does not
mean Allah’s physical elevation over the Throne; rather, it refers to
elevation of rank, status and dominion, and Allah’s subjugation of the
Throne that is without a beginning like all of the attributes of Allah.
b) In regards to the verse of Surat al-Mulk [“Have you become fearless of Him who is in the sky…”], the great Maliki exegete (
mufassir) Imam al-Qurtubi (Allah have mercy on him) says in his twenty-volume commentary of the Qur’an,
Al-Jami’ li ahkam al-Qur’an,
“It is said that the meaning of the verse is, have you become fearless
of Him whose power, authority, Throne and dominion is in the sky. The
reason for specifying the sky – despite His authority being universal –
is to assert that a God is One whose power is [also] manifest in the
heavens, and not [only] one whom people venerate on the earth. Some
others said that it refers to the angels, and some said that it refers
to angel Jibra’il who is entrusted with punishing people. I [Qurtubi]
say that the verse could mean, “Have you become fearless of the Creator
of those in the sky...” (Al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Qur’an, tafsir of 67/17,
18/141)
Imam al-Qurtubi further states in the commentary of the same verse, “The
more exacting scholars hold that “in the heavens” is similar to Allah’s
statement “Journey in the earth”, meaning over the heavens; but [not
over it] by way of physical contact or spatialization, but by way of
power (
qahr) and control (
tadbir). Another position is that it means, “Have you become fearless of Him who holds sway over (
ala)
the heavens” just as it is said, “So-and-so is over Iraq and the
Hijaz”, meaning that he is the governor and commander of them. The
hadiths on this subject are numerous, rigorously authenticated (
sahih),
and widely known, and indicate the exaltedness of Allah; only an
atheist or a stubborn ignoramus would deny them. Their meaning is to
dignify Allah and exalt Him above what is base and low, and to
characterize Him by highness and grandeur, not by being in places,
particular directions, or within limits, for these are the qualities of
physical bodies. The hands are only raised towards the heavens when one
supplicates because the sky is from where divine revelation descends and
rain falls, the place of purity and the wellspring of the purified ones
from the angels, and that the deeds of servants are raised to it; and
over it is His Throne and His Paradise; just as Allah has made the Ka’ba
the direction (
qibla) of supplication and prayer. And also
because He has created all places and has no need of them. He was in His
beginning-less eternality before creating space and time, when there
was no place or time, and is now as He was.” (Al-Jami’ li Ahkam
al-Qur’an, tafsir of 67/17, 18/141)
Similarly, Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) states in his
commentary on Sahih Muslim, “Al-Qadi Iyad said, ‘There is no
disagreement among any of the Muslims – their jurists (
fuqaha), their hadith scholars (
muhaddithun), their theologians (
mutakallimun), their polemicists (
nuddhar) and their ordinary followers (
muqallidun)
– that the texts which outwardly indicate that Allah is in the sky –
for example, the statement of Allah Most High, “Have you become fearless
of Him who is in the sky if He makes you sink into the earth?” (Qur’an
67:17) – are not to be taken literally; rather, according to them all
[that is, all the Muslims and experts of every field of Shari’ah as
mentioned above], they are to be interpreted figuratively.’” (Al-Minhaj
sharh Sahih Muslim)
c) In regards to the hadith of the slave-girl whom the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) asked, “Where is Allah?”,
and she responded by saying, “In the sky”, Imam Nawawi states, “This is
one of the hadiths which deal with the attributes [of Allah]. There are
two positions with regards to them, both of which have been discussed
repeatedly in the chapter of faith (
iman). The first position is to believe in them without delving into its meaning (
tafwid);
while maintaining categorically that there is nothing like unto Allah
Most High, and that He transcends the attributes of created things. The
second position is to interpret them figuratively (
ta’wil) in a
manner that befits Him. Those who hold this [latter] position [of
figurative interpretation] say that [in the present hadith] the
Messenger of Allah’s (Allah bless him & give him peace) intention
was to examine her to see whether or not she was one of those who
worshiped idols that are before them, or one of those who believed in
the Oneness of Allah and maintained that Allah alone is the creator,
disposer, and one who effects [all things] – for He is the One that when
a person supplicates to Him, he turns [his attention, or hands] towards
the sky; just as when a person performs Salat, he faces the Ka’ba.
[What is mentioned in the hadith] is not because Allah is restricted in
the sky, just as He is not restricted in the direction of the Ka’ba.
Rather, it is because the sky is the direction (
qibla) for supplication (
dua’), just as the Ka’ba is the direction (
qibla)
for the ritual prayer. So when she said that “He is in the sky”, it
became known that she was one of those who believed in the Oneness of
Allah, and not a worshipper of idols.” (Al-Minhaj sharh Sahih Muslim)
Mulla Ali al-Qari states in his commentary on
Mishkat al-Masabih
in relation to this hadith, “Al-Qadi Iyad al-Maliki said, ‘By asking
this question, the Messenger of Allah’s (Allah bless him & give him
peace) objective was not to ask about Allah’s location (
makan),
for verily He is above and beyond space, as He is above and beyond time.
Rather the intent of his question to her was to find out whether she
was a believer in His oneness (
muwahhida) or someone who associated partners with Allah (
mushrika),
because the unbelievers of the Arabs used to worship idols, and each
tribe used to have a specific idol in its midst which it worshipped and
aggrandized; and it may be that the simple-minded and ignorant ones
among them did not know any other object of worship than that idol. The
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) meant to
determine what she worshipped. When she said, ‘In the heavens’ – and
another narration says that she made a sign towards the heavens – it was
understood that she was a believer in
tawhid. His objective by
this line of questioning was the disowning of the gods of the earth,
which are the idols; not the establishment of the heaven as a location
for Allah. Allah is greatly exalted from the sayings of the
wrong-doers.’” (Mirqat al-Mafatih)
Furthermore; Imam al-Ubbiy in his commentary of
Sahih Muslim, Shaykh Muhammad al-Shanqiti, Imam Abu Bakr ibn al-Furak in his
Mushkil al-Hadith, Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi in his commentary of
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Imam Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanbali in his
Daf’ Shubah al-Tashbih,
Imam Abu ‘l-Walid al-Baji, Imam al-Baydawi, Imam Taqi al-Din al-Subki
and countless other classical scholars also state that the Messenger of
Allah’s (Allah bless him & give him peace) objective by the question
was not to ask regarding the physical location of Allah (
makan), but about His rank and status (
makana);
and the slave-girl’s response was not intended to describe Allah
physically being in the sky, rather to express His tremendousness (
adhama),
superiority, nobility and elevation of status and rank. There are so
many quotes of the Imams in this regard such that it is difficult to
reproduce them here.
As such, this group of scholars interpreted all such texts which
indicate Allah’s physical elevation over the heavens and Throne by
giving figurative meanings. Similarly, many of them interpreted the
second type of texts which indicate that Allah Most High is everywhere
by saying, He is everywhere with His knowledge, assistance and the like.
Interpreting both types of texts is acceptable and valid as long as it
remains within the known parameters of language and Shari’ah. Just as it
is valid to interpret texts indicating Allah being everywhere or with
His creation, it is likewise permitted to interpret the texts indicating
Allah being above the heavens on His Throne. Sadly, some people
consider the interpretation of ‘Allah above the heavens/upon His Throne’
texts to be deviation, yet they see no problem in interpreting the
‘Allah with His creation’ texts! This is an unjust approach. If
interpreting the second type of texts is not deviation, then
interpreting the first type of texts is also not deviation. Consistency
demands that we hold the same stance with both types of texts.
Conclusion and final thoughts
In conclusion, the central point of
aqida which every Muslim must firmly believe is of Allah’s transcendence (
tanzih)
– that is to say, Allah Most High is above and beyond having any
resemblance with His creation. He Most High is not to be described with
limits, organs and other such characteristics belonging to created
things; and is not confined to time and space. “There is nothing
whatsoever like unto Him.” (Qur’an 42:11) This much belief is sufficient
for an average Muslim to attain salvation, insha Allah.
Thereafter; with regard to the texts describing Allah to be everywhere
or with His creation, most classical and later scholars interpret them
to mean that Allah is everywhere with His knowledge, seeing and hearing;
and this is not the real point of contention. Accordingly, one may
interpret these texts, or consign their meaning to the knowledge of
Allah. However, one must not believe that Allah Most High is
‘physically’ everywhere, since space is created whereas Allah is
pre-existent and eternal.
As for the texts describing Allah to be in the heavens/sky and above His
Throne – which are the real point of contention, and apparently go
against the above core belief in Allah’s transcendence – one may adopt
any of the following positions; and all of them are valid positions and
none of them can be considered outright deviation:
a) Consigning their meanings and details completely to the knowledge of Allah. This position, known as
tafwid, was chosen by the majority of early scholars (
salaf), and by far the best and safest approach.
b) Affirming their literal meanings (
tathbit) – with emphatic rejection of a similitude between Allah and His creation – and then consigning the modality (
kayfiyya)
of such texts to the knowledge of Allah. This position, chosen by
scholars such as Imam Ibn Taymiya, can be risky for an average believer.
c) Interpreting such texts figuratively in a manner that befits Allah. This is known as
ta’wil, and was chosen by some later scholars.
None of the above three standpoints can be considered deviation or departure from the
Ahl al-Sunna wa ’l-Jama’ah. One of my respected Shaykhs, Mufti Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) states in his monumental commentary of
Sahih Muslim,
“All four positions [he mentioned one other position which can be
incorporated in the three I have mentioned) are feasible. Large numbers
of verifying scholars have taken every one of these positions, since the
important thing in creed (
aqida) is declaring Allah to be beyond having a similitude [with His creation], and not negating His attributes (
ta’til);
and every one of these four paths is firmly convinced of this. The
difference between them is not a difference in creed, for indeed the
creed is declaring Allah beyond
tashbih and
ta’til; it is
only a difference of opinion in expressing that creed and basing them on
the texts. So not one of these paths is entirely baseless or absolutely
misguided, even if theoretical debates and arguments have not ceased to
run between them for many centuries. Occasionally, exaggeration and
excess occurred in them from the various sides, and occasionally one of
them steered in the direction of trespassing the limits of moderation,
but the truth is that the basis of the dispute is nothing but a
judgmental (
ijtihadi) dispute, akin to the differences of the
jurists in juristic matters which are open to interpretation. For this
reason, outstanding scholars of the Umma, adherent devotees to the Book
and the Sunna, of whose being from the people of truth and from the
Ahl al-Sunnah wa l-Jama’ah is not in doubt, took every opinion from these four opinions.
It is apparent that the path of the majority from the predecessors (
salaf) was
tafwid,
and this is the safest, most prudent and most in accordance with His
statement (Most High), “No one knows its interpretation except Allah.
And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: we believe therein’”
(3:7) (Takmila Fath al-Mulhim 5/379-80)
The famous late Jordanian scholar of immense knowledge and wisdom,
Shaykh Nuh Ali Salman al-Qudat (Allah have mercy on him) expresses the
same stance in his commentary of
Jawharat al-Tawhid. He states
that all the various positions of the scholars are close to one-another,
since they all agree that Allah Most High does not possess human-like
attributes. Thereafter, whether one consigns the meaning completely to
the knowledge of Allah, or interprets the texts figuratively, or affirms
the literal meaning but negates anthropomorphism (
tashbih), it
is all part of affirming Allah’s transcendence. As such, there is no
need to fuel hostility and enmity between Muslims – especially at a time
when Muslims have to combat the enemies of Islam. (See:
Al-Mukhtasar al-Mufid fi sharh Jawharat al-Tawhid, p: 91)
As such, all classical scholars agree on ensuring that the basic
doctrine of Allah’s transcendence is preserved; they merely differ in
the manner in which this is realized. Some perceive Allah’s
transcendence in absolute
tafwid, whilst others see it in
interpreting the texts figuratively, and some others see it in affirming
the literal meaning but with ‘emphatic rejection’ of Allah being
similar to His creation.
For example, Allah’s attribute of ‘
yad’ has been mentioned in various texts of the Qur’an and Sunna. ‘
Yad’
linguistically, as we understand it, refers to the hand of a created
being. However, all the groups agree and emphatically deny that Allah
has a hand like that of a human, thus they all preserve the central
belief in Allah’s transcendence. Thereafter, whether we say “Allah knows
best what ‘
yad’ means” or “it refers to Allah’s assistance, etc”
or “it means a hand but certainly unlike the human hand”, it does not
undo the central
aqida outlined in the verse, “There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him.” (Qur’an 42:11)
Therefore, debates and heated arguments about this issue must be
avoided, and we should learn to ‘agree to disagree’. No group should
enforce their viewpoint on the other group, and no group has the right
of claiming to be on the ultimate truth. Sadly, we live in a time of
religious extremism and fanaticism. Some of us very easily term others
as anthropomorphist (
mushabbiha), whilst others consider
tafwid,
ta’wil and everything else besides affirming the literal meaning (
tathbit)
to be outright deviation and even disbelief! This implies declaring
countless Imams and giants of this Umma as deviated, since most of them
either chose the path of
tafwid or
ta’wil. May Allah protect us, Ameen.
Indeed, the following positions are absolute deviation and may well even take one out of the fold of Islam:
a) Believing (may Allah protect us) that Allah is ‘physically’ in
the heavens or ‘physically sitting’ on His Throne like created beings,
known as anthropomorphism (
tashbih). Sitting, standing, coming
into contact, separation, moving from one place to another, etc, are all
characteristics of created bodies from which Allah is pure.
b) Believing that Allah Most High is ‘physically’ everywhere and
‘physically’ with His creation and in every space. This is known as
hulul.
c) Rejecting and denying the non-decisive (
mutashabihat) texts concerning the attributes of Allah altogether. This is known as
ta’til.
The above is what I have learnt from my teachers, especially Shaykh
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him). It is what I
consider and accept as the truth in the matter, and feel is the most
balanced observation, Insha Allah. May Allah protect us all and bring
about harmony and love between us,
Ameen Ya Rabb.
And Allah knows best
[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK
Source :
Darul Ifta
when he saw Umar ibn Khattab (with the text of the Ahl al-Kitab) and
his face showed signs of anger. This hadith which is mentioned (by
many), we have done a detailed discussion on this Hadith (in an article
or a book). When we don’t read or researches then (naturally) people are
stopped from the same. They (Muslim Scholars of Spain) were also
Muslims, they were also Scholars, and didn’t these narrations (of not
learning the previous scriptures) pass through them. 
that we do not speak without clear proofs.