Does Allah exist in a place? A man in the sky?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Some people are confused about belief in Allah, or God, as if the believers think there is literally a man sitting on a cloud in the sky. The favorite insult of atheists against believers is that we allegedly believe in a โsky-daddyโ (Allah is perfectly above what they claim).
Indeed, some religions have conceived of the Creator in these terms, but the theology of Islam is more sophisticated than these crude caricatures.
It is a fundamental belief in Islam that the Creator is unlike anything in His creation, not subject to natural laws or limits like all other created beings.
Allah said:
ููููุณู ููู ูุซููููู ุดูููุกู ูููููู ุงูุณููู ููุนู ุงููุจูุตููุฑู
There is nothing like Him, for He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
Source: Surat al-Shura 42:11
This verse is instructive, because it affirms the complete uniqueness of the Creator while also describing him as โHearingโ and โSeeing.โ It is understood that hearing as attributed to the Creator is perfect, limitless, flawless, and infinite, unlike human beings. The only commonality between the โhearingโ of the Creator and of the creation is the word itself, not the realities that they describe.
The same principle is true for descriptions of Allah that might imply a place, such as His being โaboveโ the creation. The word โaboveโ does not refer to a place or spatial direction, but rather the exaltedness of His attributes and His transcendence over creation.
As stated by Imam al-Tahawi in his creed:
ููุชูุนูุงููู ุนููู ุงููุญูุฏููุฏู ููุงููุบูุงููุงุชู ููุงููุฃูุฑูููุงูู ููุงููุฃูุนูุถูุงุกู ููุงููุฃูุฏูููุงุชู ููุง ุชูุญูููููู ุงููุฌูููุงุชู ุงูุณููุชูู ููุณูุงุฆูุฑู ุงููู ูุจูุชูุฏูุนูุงุชู
He is exalted above any limits, ends, supports, limbs, or tools. He is not contained by six directions like the rest of created things.
Ibn Abi al-โIzz commented on this statement, writing:
ูููููููู ุงูุดููููุฎู ุฑูุญูู ููู ุงูููููู ููุง ุชูุญูููููู ุงููุฌูููุงุชู ุงูุณููุชูู ููุณูุงุฆูุฑู ุงููู ูุจูุชูุฏูุนูุงุชู ูููู ุญูููู ุจูุงุนูุชูุจูุงุฑู ุฃูููููู ููุง ููุญููุทู ุจููู ุดูููุกู ู ููู ู ูุฎููููููุงุชููู ุจููู ูููู ู ูุญููุทู ุจูููููู ุดูููุกู ูููููููููู ููููุฐูุง ุงููู ูุนูููู ูููู ุงูููุฐูู ุฃูุฑูุงุฏููู ุงูุดููููุฎู ุฑูุญูู ููู ุงูููููู ููู ูุง ููุฃูุชูู ููู ููููุงู ููู ุฃูููููู ุชูุนูุงููู ู ูุญููุทู ุจูููููู ุดูููุกู ูููููููููู โฆ ุนูููู ู ุฃูููู ู ูุฑูุงุฏููู ุฃูููู ุงูููููู ุชูุนูุงููู ููุง ููุญูููููู ุดูููุกู ููููุง ููุญููุทู ุจููู ุดูููุกู ููู ูุง ููููููู ููุบูููุฑููู ู ููู ุงููู ูุฎููููููุงุชู ููุฃูููููู ุชูุนูุงููู ูููู ุงููู ูุญููุทู ุจูููููู ุดูููุกู ุงููุนูุงููู ุนููู ููููู ุดูููุกู
The statement of the Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, โHe is not contained by the six directions like the rest of created beings,โ is true in the sense that no creatures surround Him.
Rather, He surrounds all things and is above them. This is what was meant by the Shaykh, as what he said later is that He is exalted, surrounding all things and is above themโฆ
It is understood that he means Allah is exalted, not contained or surrounded by anything, as all other creations besides Him are. He is exalted, surrounding all things and higher than all things.
Source: Sharแธฅ al-โAqฤซdah al-แนฌaแธฅฤwแปyah 1/267
Therefore, when the believers say Allah is โaboveโ the creation, this does not literally mean a place or direction above the creation. It means Allahโs attributes are exalted above all creation and the He surrounds all creation, the true manner of which is unknown to us.
Some of the early Muslims explicitly rejected the idea that Allah is contained in a time or โplace,โ based upon the words of the Prophet (แนฃ).
Abu Salih reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
ุงููููููู ูู ุฃูููุชู ุงููุฃูููููู ููููููุณู ููุจููููู ุดูููุกู ููุฃูููุชู ุงููุขุฎูุฑู ููููููุณู ุจูุนูุฏููู ุดูููุกู ููุฃูููุชู ุงูุธููุงููุฑู ููููููุณู ูููููููู ุดูููุกู ููุฃูููุชู ุงููุจูุงุทููู ููููููุณู ุฏูููููู ุดูููุกู
O Allah, you are the First, there is nothing before you. You are the Last, there is nothing after you. You are the Manifest, there is nothing above you. You are the Hidden, there is nothing beyond you.
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ Muslim 2713, Grade: Sahih=Correct
Al-Bayhaqi commented on this tradition, saying:
ููุงุณูุชูุฏูููู ุจูุนูุถู ุฃูุตูุญูุงุจูููุง ููู ูููููู ุงููู ูููุงูู ุนููููู โฆ ููุฅูุฐูุง ููู ู ูููููู ูููููููู ุดูููุกู ููููุง ุฏูููููู ุดูููุกู ููู ู ูููููู ููู ู ูููุงูู
Some of our scholars cited this as evidence of negating a place for Himโฆ If there is nothing above or below Him, then He is not in a place.
Source: Kitฤb al-Asmฤโ wal-แนขifฤt 2/287
How then does Allah exist if not in time or space? It is difficult for us human beings to conceive of a reality transcending time and space, since we are all confined by time and space. For such realities as proven by revelation but beyond the ability of human reason to fully comprehend, Muslim scholars adhere to the principle of โunknown modalityโ (bi la kayf), or literally not asking โhowโ realities of the Unseen truly are.
For instance, when it comes to the texts of the Quran and Sunnah that describe Allah as โrising above the Throne,โ Muslim scholars accept them as describing a true reality of which the modality is unknown and, indeed, cannot ever be known.
Abdullah ibn Nafiโ reported: Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the saying of Allah:
ุงูุฑููุญูู ููู ุนูููู ุงููุนูุฑูุดู ุงุณูุชูููู
The Most Merciful rose above the Throne (20:5).
The man said, โHow is his rising?โ Malik said:
ูููููู ุงุณูุชูููู ููููุงูู ุงุณูุชูููุงุคููู ู ูุนููููู ู ูููููููููููุชููู ู ูุฌููููููุฉู ููุณูุคูุงูููู ุนููู ููุฐูุง ุจูุฏูุนูุฉู
The rising is acknowledged, its modality is unknown, and asking about it is an innovation.
Source: al-Istidhkฤr 2/529
Ibn Abdul Barr commented on this report, writing:
ุฃูู ุงูุณููุฉ ู ุฌู ุนูู ุนูู ุงููุฅูููุฑูุงุฑ ุจูุงูุตููููุงุชู ุงููุฑุงุฏุฉ ููู ุงูููุชุงุจ ููุงูุณููุฉ ููุญู ูููุง ุนูู ุงููุญููููููุฉ ููุง ุนูู ุงููู ุฌูุงุฒ ุฅููููุง ุฃูููู ูู ูููููุง ุดูููุฆุง ู ู ุฐูููู
The people of the Sunnah agreed upon affirming the divine attributes as related in the Book and the Sunnah, interpreting them as reality and not as a metaphor, except that they do not ask โhowโ is the modality of any of that.
Source: al-โUlลซw lil-โAlฤซ al-Ghaffฤr 1/250
And Al-Bayhaqi commented upon it, writing:
ููุนูููู ู ูุซููู ููุฐูุง ุฏูุฑูุฌู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ุนูููู ูุงุฆูููุง ููู ู ูุณูุฃูููุฉู ุงููุงุณูุชูููุงุกู ููููู ู ูุณูุฃูููุฉู ุงููู ูุฌููุกู ููุงููุฅูุชูููุงูู ููุงููููุฒูููู
Most of our scholars followed this example in the issue of the divine attribute of โrising,โ as well as the issues of โcoming,โ โgoing,โ and โdescending.โ
Source: al-Iโtiqฤd lil-Bayhaqฤซ 1/116
Thus, for any scriptural texts that describe Allah in ways that might imply a time or place, the wording of these texts is accepted, not denied, while their modality is not interpreted or sought, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
ุณูููุชู ุนููู ุฃูุดูููุงุกู ุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ููููู ู ุบูููุฑู ููุณูููุงูู ููููุง ุชูุจูุญูุซููุง ุนูููููุง
He has remained silent upon matters as mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not search them out.
Source: Sunan al-Dฤraquแนญnฤซ 4316, Grade: Sahih=Correct
Allah deliberately did not reveal the modality of many matters in the Unseen because there is no practical benefit to knowing these things. This knowledge would not change our moral values, acts of worship, or charity.
In another example, there is a tradition describing Allah as โdescendingโ in the last third of the night to draw near to those who perform prayer in the night.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
ููููุฒููู ุฑูุจููููุง ุชูุจูุงุฑููู ููุชูุนูุงููู ููููู ููููููุฉู ุฅูููู ุงูุณููู ูุงุกู ุงูุฏููููููุง ุญูููู ููุจูููู ุซูููุซู ุงูููููููู ุงูุขุฎูุฑู ููููููู ู ููู ููุฏูุนููููู ููุฃูุณูุชูุฌููุจู ูููู ู ููู ููุณูุฃูููููู ููุฃูุนูุทููููู ู ููู ููุณูุชูุบูููุฑูููู ููุฃูุบูููุฑู ูููู
Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of every night, and he says: Who is calling upon me that I may answer him? Who is asking from me that I may give him? Who is seeking my forgiveness that I may forgive him?
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ al-Bukhฤrฤซ 1094, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi=Agreed upon its authenticity
Ibn Abi al-โIzz commented on this tradition, writing:
ุณูุฆููู ุฃูุจูู ุญููููููุฉู ุฑูุถููู ุงูููููู ุนููููู ุจูุนูุฏ ุฑูููุงููุชููู ุญูุฏููุซ ุงููููุฒูููู ููููุงูู ููููุฒููู ุจูููุง ูููููู
Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked after relating the narration of descending and he said: The descending is in a modality unknown.
Source: Sharแธฅ al-โAqฤซdah al-แนฌaแธฅฤwแปyah 1/269
The purpose of this tradition is to encourage night prayer and to inform us that Allah draws near to us, in the sense of loving us, when we perform night prayer. It is not the purpose of such traditions to describe the modality in which Allah exists.
Islam rejects any notion of anthropomorphism, or that the modality of Allahโs existence and attributes is in any way like human beings. Indeed, Islam rejects any such equivalency between the Creator and anything in the creation.
Abdullah reported: A rabbi came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, โO Muhammad, Allah will place the heavens on a finger, the earth on a finger, the mountains on a finger, the trees and rivers on a finger, and the rest of creation on a finger, then he will say: I am the King.โ The Prophet laughed and he recited the verse:
ููู ูุง ููุฏูุฑููุง ุงูููููู ุญูููู ููุฏูุฑููู
They have not estimated Allah as is due to him. (39:67)
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ al-Bukhฤrฤซ 7013, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi=Agreed upon its authenticity
This is the key point that is misunderstood by atheists, and even many of the people of the Book: Allah is nothing like His creation. Rather, Allah is only described by words that might imply time, or place, or modality because of the limitations of human language and reason.
We simply cannot know the true modalities of Allahโs existence; we can only know that He is infinitely transcending our own existence.
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.