Where is Allah Subhanahu Wa’tala?

Where is Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala?

The Prophet (SAW) asked that question(Where is Allah?) to a little girl from the companions and he asked her “Where is Allah?” The Prophet & his companions as well asked that question to people. If someone comes after that no matter who they are if the Prophet said it, then it is not permissible for anyone to have an issue with it. (Asking people “Where is Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala?”)

Some say “Allah is everywhere” & what they mean by this is “Allah is really everywhere” and not explaining it “Allah is here with us”  so forth and so on. And that is the WRONG ANSWER. It goes against what the Quran has established and what the Prophet(SAW) bought.

Allah is above the throne,above the heavens,above all of His creation. There are many evidences from the Quran and the Sunnah for this

– 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 butconjecture.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 (Allah), will not cause the earth to sink with you, then behold it shakes (as in an earthquake)?} [67:16]

bu 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 Al Hafidh 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 noble 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 is higher 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)

It is reported on the authority of Al Abbas(RA) that Allah’s Messenger(SAW) said:

“Do you know  what is the distance  between the heaven and the earth?  We said: “Allah and His Messenger  know best” He said “The distance between them is five hundred years and the distance between one heaven and the next is five hundred years  and the dimension of each heaven would take five hundred years to travel  and there is a sea between the seventh heaven and the ‘Arsh which has between its lowest and highest  ends the distance equivalent to that between the heavens and the earth. And Allah, Most High, is above that  and nothing is withheld from Him of the deeds of the sons of Adam”. (Narrated by Abu Dawood and others)

Allah’s Messenger(SAW) informs us in this Hadith that the distance between  each of the seven heavens is equivalent to five hundred years’ travel and the distance between the earth and the lowest heaven is also equivalent to five hundred years’ travel and between the seventh heaven  and the “Arsh is a like distance and that Allah is above His ‘Arsh and nothing of His creation is hidden from him.

Benefits derived from this hadith

1.Proof of distances between the heavens and the earth, between each  heaven and between the seventh heaven and the ‘Arsh.
2. That the seven heavens are separate from each other
3.That the heavens are masses with a defined breadth
4. Evidence of position of the water.
5. Confirmation of Allah’s divine attribute of being above His creation
6. The all-encompassing nature of Allah’s knowledge

(See Kitaab at Tawheed explained, Muhammed ibn Abdul-Wahhab Rahimahullah, pg 351-352)