Where is ALLAH?
Friday, July 3, 2009
In The Name Of ALLAH The Most Kind and The Most Merciful
Allah is physically present over his Throne which is above the seven heavens and he watches over all things in the heavens and the earth.
A common misconception of many muslims is that they believe Allah is every where. Lets analyse this under the light of Quran and Hadith:
Allah says:"Surely, your Rubb is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days; then He rose over the Throne(Arsh)." Quran (7:54)
And they esteem not as he hath the right to be esteemed, 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.[Quran 39:67 ]
On the Day of Judgement : “And the angels will be on the sides and eight angels will, that day ,will bear the throne of their lord above them ” (Quran - 69:17)
The above ayat narrates that 8 angels will physically carry the throne with Allah over it.
And Allah also says:"O, Issa (Jesus)! I shall take you and raise you up to Me." [Q -3:55]
Since Allah addressed Issa saying: "I will raise you up to Me", what would those who believe that Allah is everywhere answer when they are asked: "Where is Issa now?" They would say either Issa is everywhere, or he is in heaven.
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) reported his eventful journey from Makkah to Jerusalem (al-Mi'raj) and from there up to the heavens as follows:
Jibreel took me up to the lowest heaven and requested its guards to open its gat……The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) was taken up to his Rubb from one heaven above the other. [Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim and others.]
Had Allah been everywhere, why would the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) be taken all the way up to the seventh heaven? Allah would have prescribed to him the Salaah on earth rather than in the seventh heaven.
The Standpoint of Imam Abu Hanifah
Abu Muti' Al-Balkhi reported:"I asked Imam Abu Hanifah about a person who says, 'I do not know whether my Rubb is, above the heavens or on earth?' Abu Hanifah, may Allah grant him His mercy, said: 'A person who makes such a statement becomes an apostate because Allah, the Exalted says, 'The Merciful has ascended above the 'Arsh, and the 'Arsh of Allah is above His heavens'.
I further asked Abu Hanifah, 'What if such a person admits, Allah 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."[Sharhut-Tahawiyyah, p.288 ]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) said: "There are hundred levels in Jannah which Allah 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 Allah, 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."[Imam al-Bukhari, Ahmad, and others]
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 `alaihi wasallam) and reported to him the incident. He terrified me with the gravity of my action. I said, 'Messenger of Allah'! Shall I free her (as an expiation of my sin.) He said 'Call her over'. When I did, he asked her, 'Where is Allah?' She said, 'Above the heavens'. Then he asked her, 'Who am I?' She said, 'The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) '. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) ordered me, 'Free her. She is a believer'."[Imam Muslim, Abu Dawood, and others. ]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) said: "Allah will descend to His slaves on the Day of Resurrection."[At-Tirmidthi and others]
Some Misconceptions over the Quranic Verses :
Or have ye taken security from Him Who is above the heaven that he will not send against you a stone-charged hurricane… Truly it is He that watches over all things. [Quran 67:17-19]
And He is Allah above the heaven and on the earth He knows your private and public affairs. And He knows what you achieve.[Quran 6 :3]
Those who deny that Allah 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 Allah, according to the renowned exegetes, not His essence. They further assert that this verse signifies that the knowledge of Allah 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: "Allah, the Exalted, knows the hidden and the open, and He knows what you achieve".
Do you not see that Allah 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,… Then on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Surely, Allah knows all things full well."[Quran - 58:7]
If one were to believe that Allah is essentially everywhere, it would follow then that He also dwells in filthy places. Only an insane person would dare to impute to Allah such an attribute. Far removed is Allah of what they ascribe to Him.
