Allah Exists without a Place
• Allah, said in Sooratush Shooraa, verse 11:
لَيْسَ كمثلهِ شىءٌ وهوَ السَّميعُ البصيرُ
The verse means: there is absolutely nothing like Allah whatsoever, and He has the attributes of Hearing and Sight.
This verse absolutely clears Allah of resembling the creations.
• The verse comprises that Allah, the Exalted, is absolutely different from the creations in the Reality, Attributes, and Actions.
• It shows that Allah, the Exalted, exists without a place, because whatever exists in a place is a body, i.e, a creation.
• Hence, Allah, the Exalted, is clear of occupying spaces.
• The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:
كان الله ولم يَكُنْ شَىءٌ غَيْرُهُ
The hadith means: Allah existed eternally and nothing else existed. (Imamul Bukhariyy, Imamul Bayhaqiyy and Imam Ibnul Jaarood)
• The hadith proves that only Allah existed without a beginning, i.e., before creating any of the creation.
• There was nothing with Allah: no place, no space, no direction, no sky, no earth, no light, and no darkness.
• It is determined in the rules of the Islam and the judgments of the sound mind that Allah, the Exalted, does not change.
• Hence, it is impossible that after having been existing without a place, Allah will change and dwell in a place, because this is a development. The development is a sign of needing others, and the one who needs others is not God.
• The Prophet, blessing and peace be upon him, said:
اللهم أنت الظاهر ليس فوقك شىء وأنت الباطن ليس دونك شىء
The hadith says: You (Allah) is adhDhaahir and there is nothing above You, and You are alBaatin and there is nothing underneath You. (Imam Haafidh alBayhaqiyy narrated in his book, AlAsmaa’u wasSifaat)
• Imamul Bayhaqiyy said:
Some of our companions of scholars used this hadith as a proof to refute someone attributing the place to Allah. If there is nothing above Allah and nothing underneath Allah, Allah is not in a place.
What was mentioned towards the end of the hadith is an evidence for negating that Allah has a place and negating that the servant is alike to Allah.
Allah, the Exalted, is adhDhaahir, hence it is valid to know about Him by proofs.
Allah is alBaatin, hence it is impossible that He dwells in a place. (Imamul Bayhaqiyy, pg 400).
• Allah, the Exalted, is adhDhaahir, hence every creation shows the proof that Allah exists and Allah is alBaatin, hence no one knows Allah’s Reality except Allah.
• Imam `Aliyy, the fourth Caliph, may Allah reward his deeds, said:
كان الله ولا مكان وهو الآن على ما عليه كان
The saying means: Allah existed eternally and there was no place, and He is now as He was [i.e., without a place]. (Imam Abu Mansoorul Baghdaadiyy related it in his book AlFarqu Baynal Firaq)
• Imam Zaynul `Aabideen said about Allah:
سبحانك أنتَ الله الذى لا يحويك مكان
The saying means: O Allah, You are clear of all imperfection. You are Allah the One Who no place contains You. (Documented in his treatise asSaheefah asSajjaadiyyah)
• Imam Zaynul `Aabideen `Aliyy Ibnul Imamul Husayn Ibn `Aliyy Ibn Abi Taalib, who is the grandson of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, is among the best of the Salaf. He earned the title of asSajjaad, i.e., the one who prays a lot because he used to pray 1,000 rak`ah each day.
• The linguist and scholar of Hadith, Imam Muhammad Murtadaaz Zabeediyy, narrated asSaheefah asSajjaadiyyah by a continuous chain from himself back to Imam Zaynul `Aabideen.
• Imam Zaynul `Aabideen also said about Allah:
سبحانك أنتَ الله الذى لستَ بمحدود
The saying means: O Allah, You are clear of all imperfection. You are Allah, the One Who is clear of quantity and volume.
• Imam Ja`farus Saadiq said:
The one who claims that Allah is in something, or on something, or from something commits shirk (blasphemy).
Because, if Allah was in something, He would be contained, and if He was on something, He would be carried, and if He was from something, He would be a creature.
• Imam Abu Hanifah, one of the authorities of the Salaf, said:
Allah existed eternally and there was no place. He existed before creating the creation. He existed, and there was no place, creation, or a thing. He is the Creator of everything. (AlFiqhul Absat)
..and He is the Preserver of the `Arsh and everything else, without needing them, for had He been in need, He would not have the power to create, manage, and preserve the world. Moreover, had He been in a place needing to sit and rest, then before creating the `Arsh, where was Allah? [That is, Allah existed without a place when the place did not exist. One cannot then ask the question where is Allah to imply that Allah has a place.] (alWasiyyah)
Allah existed eternally and there was no place; He existed before creating the creation. He existed and there was not a place, creation, or thing; and He is the Creator of everything. He who says ‘I do not know if my Lord is in the heavens or on Earth’, is a blasphemer. Also is a blasphemer whoever says that `He is on the `Arsh, and I do not know whether the `Arsh is in the heaven or on Earth. (AlFiqhul Absat)