Muwatta Malik (Qasim)

Research: Authentic Chain
Takhrij:
[الموطا رواية يحييٰ 777، 776/2ح 1550، ك 38 ب 6 ح 8، التمهيد 75/22، الاستدكار : 1479 * و أخرجه النسائي فى الكبريٰ 418/4 ح 7756، من حديث مالك به : ورواه مسلم 537، من حديث هلال به و قال : ”معاوية بن الحكم“ وهوالصواب]

Note:
In the mentioned narration, the word “Muawiyah” is correct instead of “Umar,” meaning the narrator of this hadith is Sayyiduna Muawiyah bin al-Hakam al-Sulami radi Allahu anhu, as is written in Sahih Muslim and others.

Understanding:
➊ Asking the question, “Where is Allah?” is absolutely correct and Sunnah; rather, it is a criterion of faith. Remember, in response to this question, saying “Allah is present everywhere in His Essence” is incorrect, because Allah Ta’ala is established above His Throne (Arsh) over the seven heavens. «كما يليق بجلاله وشأنه»
➋ In Islam, it is not an issue that it is personally obligatory (taqlid shakhsi) upon Muslims to follow only one of the four Imams (Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal), and forbidden to follow the other three. Rather, Islam is the name of having faith in Allah and His Messenger.
➌ It is established from the Noble Qur’an and authentic ahadith that Allah Ta’ala is established above His Throne (Arsh) over the seven heavens. «كما يليق بجلاله»
➍ The senior scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah have written, with evidence, about Allah Ta’ala being established above the Throne in their works. For example, see: Sahih Bukhari [كتاب التوحيد باب 22ح7418 تا 7428،] and others. In fact, some scholars have written specific books on this issue of the Exaltedness of Allah Ta’ala, such as the book “al-‘Arsh” by the hadith scholar Muhammad bin ‘Uthman bin Abi Shaybah, “al-‘Uluw lil-‘Aliyy al-Ghaffar” by Hafiz Dhahabi rahimahullah, and “al-Risalah al-‘Arshiyyah” by Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah [مجموع الفتاوٰيٰ 6/ 545۔ 583] and others. This creed has also been explained in detail in the works of Imam Ibn Khuzaymah and similar books.
➎ Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu said: The distance between one heaven and the next is five hundred years, the distance between the earth and the (first) heaven is five hundred years, the distance between the seventh heaven and the Kursi is five hundred years, the distance between the Kursi and the water is five hundred years, and the Throne (Arsh) is upon the water, and Allah is above the Throne, and He knows your deeds. [كتاب التوحيد لابن خزيمه ص 105 ح 149، و سنده حسن لذاته، عاصم بن ابي النجو والقاري حسن الحديث و باقي السند صحيح]
It is clear from this that Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu did not believe that Allah Ta’ala is present everywhere in His Essence, but rather affirmed that He is established above the Throne.
➏ When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu said: Whoever used to worship Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), then Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has died, and whoever worships Allah, then Allah is alive above the heaven and will never die. [التاريخ الكبير للبخاري 202/1 و سنده حسن، الرد على الجهميه للامام عثمان بن سعد الدارمي : 78]
➐ The famous Tabi’i Sa’id bin Jubayr rahimahullah’s student and Qur’an commentator Dahhak bin Muzahim rahimahullah [متوفي105ه] said: «هوا فوق العرش و علمه معهم اينما كانوا» He is above the Throne, and His knowledge is with them wherever they may be. [تفسير ابن جرير الطبري ج28ص10، و سنده لعبدلله بن أحمد بن حنبل : 592]
➑ Imam Abdullah bin al-Mubarak al-Marwazi rahimahullah was asked: How do we recognize our Lord? He replied: He is above the seventh heaven, above the Throne, distinct in His Essence. [كتاب الرد على الجهميه للامام عثمان بن سعيد الدارمي : 67و سنده صحيح]
Imam Ibn al-Mubarak rahimahullah said: «نعرف ربنا فوق سبع سموات على العرش استوي بائنا من خلقه ولا نقول كما قالت الجهمية : انه هاهنا۔ واًشار الي الارض۔» We know that our Lord is established above the Throne over the seven heavens, distinct from His creation. We do not say, as the Jahmiyyah say, that He is here—and he pointed towards the earth. [عقيده السلف واصحاب الحديث للصابوني ص185، 186، سنده صحيح، دوسرا نسخه ص 20 ح28، السماءوالصفات للبيهقي ص427 دوسرا نسخه ص538، تيسرنسخه ص303، محمد بن عبدالرحمنٰ هوالسامي بالسين المهمله]
➒ Imam Malik bin Anas rahimahullah (author of al-Muwatta) said: «الله عز وجل فى السماءعلمه فى كل مكان، لا يخلو من علمه مكان» Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is above the heaven, and His knowledge encompasses every place; nothing is outside His knowledge. [الشريعه للاجري ص289ح652 وسنده حسن لذاته، مسائل ابي داودص263]
➓ There are countless statements of the pious predecessors (salaf salihin) regarding this creed. Finally, I present the statement of Imam Ibn Khuzaymah rahimahullah, the author of Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, who said: Whoever does not affirm that Allah Ta’ala is above the seven heavens and established above His Throne, then he is a disbeliever in his Lord; he should be made to repent, otherwise his neck should be struck and he should be thrown on a garbage heap. al-kh [معرفة علوم الحديث للحاكم ص 84 ح187، و سنده صحيح، دوسرا نسخه ص285]

Note: EB
◈ Remember, executing, killing, and carrying out punishments are the responsibilities of Muslim rulers.

For further evidences regarding Allah Ta’ala being established above the Throne, see my book “Ilmi Maqalat” [ج1ص13]