Answered by ash-Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Barrak
Question: It says in Qur’an, “The angels and Jibril ascend to Allah in a day the measure of which is 50,000 years.” Does it imply that Allah is controlling the earthly matters sitting on the Throne? Then how can be Allah nearer to us than our jugular veins?
Answer: Praise belongs to Allah.
It is proven in the Qur’an and Sunnah and by the consensus (ijma’) of the Salaf (early generations) of this Ummah that Allah is above His heavens on His Throne, and that He is the Exalted, Most High. He is above all things, and there is nothing that is above Him. Allah says, “Allah it is He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them in six days. Then He rose over (istawa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). You (mankind) have none, besides Him, as a Wali (protector or helper) or an intercessor. Will you not then remember (or receive admonition)?" [32:4]
“Verily, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rose over (istawa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty), disposing the affair of all things.” [10:3]
“He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last
(nothing is after Him), the Most High and the Most Near.” [57:3]
The Prophet (saws) said, “You are the Most High and
there is nothing above You…”
There are many similar Ayaat and Ahadith. But at the same
time, Allah tells us that He is with His slaves wherever they are:
“Have you not seen that Allah knows whatsoever is in
the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no najwa (secret
counsel) of three but He is their fourth (with His knowledge, while
He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), — nor of
five but He is their sixth (with His knowledge), — nor of less than
that or more but He is with them (with His knowledge) wheresoever
they may be.” [58:7]
Allah has combined mention of His being above His Throne with mention of His being with His slaves in one Ayah, where He says, “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rose over (istawa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you (by His knowledge) wheresoever you may be.” [57:4]
Saying that Allah is with us does not mean that He is mixed with (or dwells in) His creation; rather He is with His slaves by His knowledge. He is above His Throne and nothing is hidden from Him of what they do. With regard to the Ayah, “And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” [50:16], most of the mufassireen said that what is meant is that He is near by means of His angels whose task it is to record people’s deeds. And those who said that it means that He is near explained it as meaning that He is near by His knowledge, as is said concerning how He is with us.
This is the view of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, who affirm that Allah is above His creation and that He is also with His slaves, and they state that He is far above dwelling in His created beings. With regard to the denial of all Divine attributes as voiced by the Jahmiyyah and their followers, they deny that His Essence is above His creatures and that He rose above His Throne, and they say that He is present in His Essence everywhere. We ask Allah to guide the Muslimeen.
Allah has combined mention of His being above His Throne with mention of His being with His slaves in one Ayah, where He says, “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rose over (istawa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you (by His knowledge) wheresoever you may be.” [57:4]
Saying that Allah is with us does not mean that He is mixed with (or dwells in) His creation; rather He is with His slaves by His knowledge. He is above His Throne and nothing is hidden from Him of what they do. With regard to the Ayah, “And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” [50:16], most of the mufassireen said that what is meant is that He is near by means of His angels whose task it is to record people’s deeds. And those who said that it means that He is near explained it as meaning that He is near by His knowledge, as is said concerning how He is with us.
This is the view of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, who affirm that Allah is above His creation and that He is also with His slaves, and they state that He is far above dwelling in His created beings. With regard to the denial of all Divine attributes as voiced by the Jahmiyyah and their followers, they deny that His Essence is above His creatures and that He rose above His Throne, and they say that He is present in His Essence everywhere. We ask Allah to guide the Muslimeen.
(Note: Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “The meaning of His statement “and He is with you” is not that He mixes with the creation. Because the lughah (language) doesn’t necessitate this. And it is contrary to the ijma’ (consensus) of the Salaf of the Ummah, and contrary to the fitrah that Allah created the creation upon. Rather, the moon is an Ayah among the Ayaat of Allah, among the smallest of His creatures; it is stationed in the heaven, yet it is with the traveler and non traveler where ever he is.” [al-‘Aqeedah al-Wasitiyyah])
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