Khalifahklothing - Where is Allah? - By Abu Usamah Ath Thahabi

The creed of the Pious Salaf, Ahl As-Sunnah in this matter:Allah Almighty is above the throne, above the heavens, above all of His creation.Evidence from the Qur'an- Allah says -- translation of the meaning- :{The Most Gracious Rose (Istawa) above the Throne} [20:5]And the Throne is the highest of all creation, as it is above the heavens and all of creation, it is the roof of creation.- {They fear their Lord ABOVE THEM, and they do what they are commanded} [16: 50]{From Allâh, the Lord of the ways of ascent. The angels and the Rûh ASCEND TO HIM in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years} [70:3-4]And ascension is: Rising, meaning: the angels rise to Allah Almighty because He is above.- {And because of their saying, "We killed Messiah, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allâh," -- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture.For surely, they killed him not. But Allâh RAISED HIM UP TO HIMSELF..} [4:157-158]- {Do you feel secure that He, WHO IS OVER THE HEAVEN, will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake?} [67:16]Abu Bakr Ahmad As-Sibghi (d. 342 H.) said: «The Arabs would sometimes use the word 'fi' to mean 'alaa' (on; above). Allah the Exalted said: {So travel 'fi' the earth} [9:2] and {I will crucify you 'fi' the trunks of palm trees} [20:71]. The meaning is 'on the earth' and 'on the trees'. The phrase 'fi as-samaa' is used in the same way, meaning: on the throne, above the heavens, as it has authentically been reported from the Prophet peace be upon him.»("Al Asmaa was Sifaat" by Al Baihaqi (p.324). He said: "Abu Abdillah AlHafidh said: The Shaikh Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ishaq ibn Ayyub al Faqeeh said: ..." and then he mentioned his statment. The chain is saheeh.){He is the First and the Last, the Most High and the Most Near. And He is All-Knower of every thing} [al-Hadid: 3]The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "When any one of you intends to go to sleep, he should lie on the bed on his right side and then say: "O Allah. the Lord of the Heavens and the Lord of the Earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, our Lord, and the Lord of everything, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the datestone (or fruit kernal), the Revealer of Torah and Injil (Bible) and Criterion (the Holy Qur'an), I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of every- thing Thou art to sieze by the forelock (Thou hast perfect control over it). O Allah, Thou art the First, there is naught before Thee, and Thou art the Last and there is naught after Thee, and THOU ART ADH-DHAHIR AND THERE IS NOTHING ABOVE THEE, and Thou art Al-Batin (Innermost) and there is nothing dunak. Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us from want."Dunak in this hadith means: near, meaning nearer in knowledge.Ibn Jarir At-Tabari (d. 310 H.) said: "and His saying {Adh-Dhahir}, He is saying: And He is dhahir over everything below Him, and He is High above everything, nothing ishigher than Him. {Al-Batin} He is saying: and He is the batin of everything, nothing is nearer to anything than Him, as He said: {And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein} [50:16]." (Tafsir At-Tabari [Jami` Al-Bayan] (23/168)At-Tabari says in the Tafsir of that ayah [50:16] : "With knowledge of what his own self whispers to him."Ibn Abi Zamanin (d. 399 H.) said: " Adh-Dhahir is the High above everything He created, and Al-Batin is His inward knowledge of His creation (i.e His knowledge of the hidden), {And He is All-Knower of every thing} [Al Hadid: 3]."("Riyadh Al-Jannah bi-Takhrij Usool As-Sunnah" by Ibn Abi Zamanin Al Maliki (p.61)Statement of Abdullah Ibn Masud (RA)Abdullah Ibn Masud --(RA)- said: «Between the lowest heaven and the one after it is the distance of five hundred years, and between every two heavens is the distance of five hundred years, and between the seventh heaven and the Kursi is the distance of five hundred years, and between the Kursi and the water is the distance of five hundred years, and the Throne (Arsh) is above the water, Allah the Almighty is above the Throne (fawqa Al-Arsh). And nothing is hidden from Allah of your deeds.» And in another narration «He knows what you are upon». Its grading is: hasan.(Al`Adhamah by Abu Ash-Shaykh AlAsbahani (2/688-689); Al-Mujalasah wa Jawahir Al-`Ilm by Ahmad ad-Daynuri (6/406); An-Naqd by Ad-Darimi (1/422); Sharh I`tiqad Ahl AsSunnah wal Jama`ah by Al-Lalikai (3/395-396); Ithbat Sifat Al-Uluw by Ibn Qudamah (p.151-152) and others)http://www.mohammadimasjid.org/For all enquiries about dawah: dawah@mohammadimasjid.orgFor all other enquiries: info@mohammadimasjid.org