Belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah
The fundamental belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is that Allah Almighty, in terms of His essence, is elevated above the Throne and is not present everywhere. This belief has been the unanimous view of Muslims throughout all times.
Imam Abu Umar Talmanqi Rahimahullah (d. 429 AH) states:
“The consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah is that Allah Almighty is truly established on the Throne, not metaphorically.”
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah (661-728 AH) states:
“The belief that Allah Almighty is on the Throne is the doctrine upon which all the Prophets agreed, and it is mentioned in the books revealed to every Prophet. The predecessors and noble Imams of the Ummah of Muhammad are also unanimous on this.”
Hafiz Dhahabi Rahimahullah (673-748 AH) states:
“Allah Almighty is exalted above His Throne, as was the consensus of the early Muslims, and the Imams have also narrated this consensus.”
Opposition to Other Views
Philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, Ibn Sina, and some scholars of the Mu’tazila say that Allah Almighty is present everywhere. This view is against the Quran, Hadith, and the consensus of the Ummah.
Natural Belief
Believing that Allah Almighty is above the creations is a natural belief, and this is why Allah Almighty has placed this notion naturally in the heart of every creature. An example of this can be taken from the incident of the ant:
The Ant’s Perspective
Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“A prophet went out with his people to pray for rain. They saw an ant raising its legs towards the sky in supplication. The prophet said: ‘Return, for your prayer has been accepted because of the ant’s action.'”
Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, declared the chain of this hadith as “Sahih” (authentic).
Scholars’ Opinions about Muhammad bin Awn
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “He is a well-known hadith scholar.”
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned him in his book Al-Thiqat
.
Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, declared the chain of his hadith as “Sahih,” which is a means of his authentication.
Belief of the Monotheists of Previous Nations
The monotheists of previous nations also held the belief that Allah Almighty is established on the Throne and is not present everywhere. In this regard, an important narration is presented:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“On the night of Mi’raj, I passed by a fragrance. I asked Jibreel: What is this fragrance? Jibreel replied: This fragrance belongs to the woman who combed the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter and her son. While combing, when the comb fell, she said: Bismillah. Pharaoh’s daughter asked: Are you mentioning my father? She replied: No, my Lord and your father’s Lord. Upon this, Pharaoh asked: Do you have a Lord besides me? She replied: My and your Lord is the One who is in the heavens.”
Imam Ibn Hibban
and Imam Hakim
have declared this hadith “Sahih,” and Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, agreed with them. Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
“إسنادہ لا بأس بہ” meaning there is no defect in its chain of narration.
This hadith is evidence that Allah Almighty is not present everywhere, but He is above the heavens, and this belief has been the unanimous view of the monotheists of every era.
Belief of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Sayyiduna Salman Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Indeed, Allah Almighty is the embodiment of modesty and generosity. When a servant raises his hands in supplication, He feels ashamed to return them empty, so He fills them with goodness.”
From this hadith, it is understood that raising hands towards the sky during supplication is a sign of Allah Almighty’s exaltedness.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Some of Allah’s angels search for gatherings of remembrance on earth. When they find such a gathering, they sit there and fill the space from the earth to the sky with their wings. When they return, they ascend towards the sky. Allah asks them: Where have you come from? Although He knows better than them.”
From this hadith, it is clear that Allah’s essence is not present everywhere, but rather He is in the heavens, because the angels ascend from the earth to the heavens.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Saib رضي الله عنه narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to pray four rak’ahs before Dhuhr and said: This is the time when the gates of the heavens are opened, and I want my good deeds to ascend at this time.”
Imam Tirmidhi رحمه الله classified this hadith as “Hasan Gharib.” If Allah were present everywhere, then the belief that deeds ascend to the heavens would become meaningless.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
“Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it ascends to the heavens like sparks.”
Imam Hakim رحمه الله has agreed on the reliability of the narrators of this hadith.
Belief of the Companions
The unanimous belief of the Companions was that Allah Almighty’s Essence is established above the heavens on His Throne, and He is not present everywhere. An important proof in this regard is:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrates:
“At the time of the Resurrection, a caller will call out: ‘O people! The Day of Resurrection has come to you.’ Both the living and the dead will hear this voice. Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will descend towards the heaven of the world, and the caller will proclaim: ‘Whose sovereignty is this day? It is for Allah, the One, the Subduer.'”
The chain of this hadith has been declared “Hasan” (good). From this, it becomes clear that the Companions of the Prophet did not believe Allah to be everywhere, rather they believed He is above the heavens. If Allah were present everywhere, then the concept of His descent from the heaven of the world would have no reason.
The View of the Great Followers (Tābi‘īn)
The great Tābi‘īn also held the belief that Allah is established on the Throne. Some examples of their belief are as follows:
Ikramah, may Allah have mercy on him (the freed slave of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas), says:
“Indeed, Allah began the creation of the heavens, the earth, and everything between them on Sunday, then on Friday He established Himself on the Throne.”
Ka’b al-Ahbar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“When Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created the creatures, He established Himself on the Throne, and the Throne glorified Allah.”
Regarding Imam Rabi‘ah ibn Abu Abdur Rahman, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 136 AH), Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
A person asked Rabiah, “The Most Merciful is established on the Throne” (how?). He replied: “Establishment is known, but its modality is not understood. This is a message from Allah, it is the responsibility of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to convey it, and it is our responsibility to affirm it.”
Someone asked Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Nasr al-Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him (201-295 AH), that according to the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven of the world, so how does the elevation remain after the descent? The Imam replied:
“The descent of the Exalted is known, its modality is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and questioning its modality is an innovation.”
Summary: The belief in Allah’s establishment on the Throne
The summary of this entire article is that the unanimous belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, the noble Companions, the great Tabi’in, and the monotheists of previous nations is that Allah Almighty’s essence is established on the Throne and He is not present everywhere. The teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, the interpretations of the Companions, and the statements of the Tabi’in all confirm this viewpoint.
Consensus of the Ummah
There has been a consensus among Muslims of every era on this belief that Allah Almighty’s essence is truly established on the Throne, not metaphorically.
Belief of Previous Nations
The monotheists and prophets of previous nations also held the same belief that Allah Almighty’s essence is above the heavens, as is evident from the narration of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) regarding the incident of the woman who combed the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter.
Belief of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ indicated Allah Almighty’s elevation on various occasions, such as raising hands towards the sky during supplication and mentioning Allah Almighty’s descent to the heaven of the world.
Position of the Companions and Tabi’in
The companions of the Prophet, such as Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), and the Tabi‘in like Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) and Rabi‘ah ibn Abu Abdur Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him) also held the same view that Allah Almighty is established on the Throne, and their consensus was on this.
The article proves through numerous hadiths and statements that the belief that Allah Almighty is present everywhere is contrary to the Quran, Hadith, and the consensus of the Ummah. None among Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah holds this belief. This belief is a natural reality that Allah Himself has placed in the hearts of humans, and all the Prophets and nations have taught the same.
Conclusion
The belief that Allah Almighty is established on the Throne is the unanimous and natural belief of the Quran and Sunnah, the Companions, the Tabi‘in, and the righteous predecessors of the Ummah, and the contrary belief of being present everywhere is unacceptable and false.
