The questioner says:Many of the common Muslims, when asked, where is Allāh?, respond by saying that, Allāh is everywhere. So what is the ruling on making this statement? And what is the best way to explain the falsness of this statement and to clarify the truth in this regard?
Answer:
This statement is false. This is a false belief. It is from the beliefs of the innovators, like the Sūfiyyah, the Ashā’irah, the Mu’tazilah (and other than them) from the innovators and misguided sects.Allāh, exalted is He, the most high, is high and above (everything). Allāh, the most High, says:{أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَمُورُ}”Do you feel secure that He, Who is above the Samā (Allah), will not cause the earth to sink with you, then behold it shakes.” [Sūratul Mulk 16]And ‘fis-Samā’ here means highness (‘uluww). It doesn’t mean that Allāh is encompassed by the heavens (Samā), we seek refuge in Allāh from this; it is not permissible for a Muslim to have this understanding, for verily, Allāh ﷻ says:{وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالْأَرْضُ جَمِيعًا قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ}”They made not a just estimate of Allāh such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him!”[Sūratuz-Zumar 67]Therefore, Allāh is above the heavens, He rose above His throne; a rising which befits His majesty. Nothing from His creation encompasses Him, rather it is Allāh Who encompasses everything.Likewise, Allāh, exalted is He, the most high, says:{سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى}”Glory the name of your lord the most high” [Sūratul-A’lā 1]And He said:{وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ}”And He is the Irresistible, above His slaves, and He is the All-Wise, Well-Acquainted with all things.” [Sūratul-An’ām 18]And He said:{…إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ…}”To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it..”[Sūrat Fāṭir 10]And He said:{إِنَّاۤ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ فِی لَیۡلَةِ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ}”Indeed, ˹It is˺ We ˹Who˺ sent this ˹Qur’ān˺ down on the Night of Glory.” [Sūratul-Qadr 1]And the evidences in this regard are many and mutawātir (multitude reports)He also said:{
..ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ..}”
Then He istawā (rose over) the throne..” [Sūratul-A’rāf 54]{الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ}”The Most Beneficent (Allāh) Istawā (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).[Sūratu Ṭā-Hā 5]Meaning: He rose and elevated, exalted is He, the most high. So Allāh ﷻ is characterised with the Attribute of being high; this is a permanent Attribute that is adherent to Him, never is He separated from this Attribute. The Attribute of highness is from the continual and permanent Attributes of Allāh. He is Al-‘aliyy (the most high) Al-‘adhīm (the most great).Furthermore, in the incident of the ascension, the Prophet ﷺ was taken up until he went passed the seventh heaven, up until he reached the lote-tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass) and his lord spoke to him and showed him some of His greatest signs, as Allāh said:{لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ}”Indeed he (Muhammad ﷺ) did see, of the Greatest Signs, of his Lord.” [Sūratun-Najm 18]And this incident of the night of ascension is a clear evidence indicating Allāh’s highness. Allāh ﷻ honoured him with this noble rank.Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ asked the the slave girl:”Where is Allāh?”, to which she responded: “above the heavens.” He asked her: “And who am I?”She said: “You are the messenger of Allāh.” So he ﷺ said “Free her, for indeed she is a believer.”Sheikh:This question goes to the young ones. Who narrated this hadīth; the hadīth of the slave girl?[Students put up their hands] Sheikh:You. Student:Mu’āwiyah ibn hakam As-sulamī. Sheikh:Who reported it? Student:Muslim. Sheikh:Mā shā Allāh. Allāhumma bārik.So the evidences (indicating Allāh’s highness) are mutawātir, both in the Qur’ān, as well as the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. And the belief that Allāh is everywhere, is a false belief. How can a Muslim say such a thing while Allāh is far-removed from being in dirty places and far-removed from intermixing with His creation, He is far above that.As for the saying of Allāh:
“There is no Najwā (secret counsel) of three, but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their sixth not of less than that or more, but He is with them wheresoever they may be…”[Sūratul-Mujādilah 7]Sheikh:What is the intent of this Āyah?[Sheikh chooses one of the students to answer] Student:It means, Allāh is with them with His knowledgeSheikh:Yes, Allāh is with them with His knowledge, His sight and His hearing. He encompasses and is aware (of everything), nothing is hidden from Him, exalted is He, most high. And this (meaning) is proven by the fact that Allāh began the Āyah with knowledge and ended it with knowledge.
Have you not seen that Allāh knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwā (secret counsel) of three, but He is their fourth (with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), nor of five but He is their sixth (with His Knowledge), not of less than that or more, but He is with them (with His Knowledge) wheresoever they may be; and afterwards on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allāh is the All-Knower of everything.[Sūratul-Mujādilah 7]So He began the Āyah with knowledge and ended it with knowledge.Similarly, the Āyah at the beginning of Sūartul hadīd:(
“He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allāh is the All-Seer of what you do.[Sūratul-Hadīd 4]So, He mentioned (that He is with us) with His knowledge. And the early generations, from the companions and the tāb’īn explained that it means knowledge; that Allāh is with us with His knowledge and that He encompasses everything, He sees and hears everything, and with that, He is above His throne, He does not intermix with His creation, exalted is He from that.And what is the significance of his creation (in comparison to Him) such that He intermixes with His creation?!All the earths and all the heavens are in His grip. ‘Abdulāh ibn ‘Abbās said, “The seven heavens compared to (Allāh’s) throne is like a mustard seed in the palm of one of you.”(I.e. Showing to us the insignificance of this universe in comparison to Allāh’s throne) And Allāh said:
“They made not a just estimate of Allāh such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him!”[Sūratuz-Zumar 67]______
