Also the lengthy hadeeth in which the Prophet sallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam describes the journey of the righteous soul through the
heavens after death: "... thereafter it is taken up to the sky which is
then opened for it. It is said: ‘Who is this?’ So (the Angel) says:
‘It is so and so.’ It is said: ‘Welcome to the blessed
soul,’ and it does not cease to be referred to as this until it reaches
the heaven in (above) which is Allaah, the Most High." (Ahmad, as well as
al-Haakim who declared it to be authentic to the standard of al-Bukhaaree and
Muslim)
Imaam Maalik: "Allaah is above the sky and His
Knowledge is in every place, not being absent from anything." (Aboo Dawood
in al-Masaa’il p.263, al-Aajuree in ash-Sharee’ah p.289, and
others)
Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee: "The saying which I hold
regarding the Sunnah and which I found those whom I have seen holding such as
Sufyaan, Maalik and others, is affirmation of the testification that none has
the right to be worshipped but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allaah, that Allaah is above His Throne over His heaven, He draws near to His
creation as He wishes and descends to the lowest heaven as He
wishes..."
(Mukhtasar al-’Uluww no.118 of adh-Dhahabee from
Abu Thawr and Abu Shu’aib, both reporting from ash-Shaafi’ee)
Imaam al-Awzaa’ee (d.157H): "We, whilst the
students of the Successors were many, would say that indeed Allaah, the Most
Perfect, is above His Throne and we believe in what is related in the Sunnah
about the Attributes."
(al-Bayhaqee in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (p.408). Ibn Hajar
graded its isnaad as being jayyid in Fath al-Baaree 13/406)
Shaykh ul-Islaam Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak (d.181H):
"He is above the seventh heaven above His Throne and we do not say as the
Jahmiyyah say: ‘He is here on the earth’."
(Khalq Af’aalul-’Ibaad no.13 of al-Bukhaaree,
ar-Radd ‘alal Mareesee pp.24, 103 and ar-Radd ‘alal-Jahmiyyah p.50
of ad-Daarimee and ‘Abdullaah ibn Ahmad in as-Sunnah pp.7, 25, 35 and
72)
The verses, ahadeeth and sayings of the Salaf with this
meaning are many.