THE WAY OF THE SALAF REGARDING ALLAAH’S ATTRIBUTE
OF ‘ULUWW (BEING ABOVE HIS THRONE)
The correct belief in respect of Allaah’s Attribute
of ‘Uluww (being above His Throne) is exactly as described by Imaam Aboo
Haneefah:
Aboo Mutee’ al-Hakam ibn ‘Abdullah al-Balkee
said: "I asked Aboo Haneefah about the one who says: ‘I do not know
whether my Lord is in the sky or the earth.’" So he said: ‘He
is a kaafir, for Allaah, the Most High, says: "The Most Merciful has
ascended over the Throne" and His Throne is above the heavens.’ So I
said: "If he says: ‘I say that He ascended above the Throne but I do
not know whether the Throne is in the heavens or the earth.’" He
said: ‘If he denies that He is above the sky then he is a kaafir.’
(Sharh ‘Aqeedah at-Tahaweeyah p.288 of ibn Abil-’Izz al-Hanafee, and
Mukhtasar al-’Uluww no.118 of adh-Dhahabee)
This narration also explains the statement of Aboo
Haneefah given by Kabbani:
"He said in his al-Fiqh al-akbar: ‘Allah has
no limits, nor any rivals... He who says: ‘I do not know if my Lord is in
the heavens or on earth’ is a disbeliever, and he who says: ‘He is
on the Throne, and I do not know whether the Throne is in the heaven or on the
earth,’ he is also a disbeliever.’ Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
explained this to mean: ‘The reason is that by such words he suggests a
place for Allah and this is idolatry.’" (Kabbani, p.136)
Why did Aboo Haneefah impute with kufr one who does not
know whether Allaah is in the heavens or on earth? According to al-Maturidee it
is because this suggests a place for Allaah but this ignores Aboo
Haneefah’s words from the first quote: "If he denies that He is above
the sky then he is a kaafir." Additionally, al-Maturidee’s own
conclusion would only stand if the individual had actually affirmed that Allaah
was in a particular place - heaven or earth - but this is not the case since the
individual says: ‘I do not know if my Lord is
in the heavens or on earth’.
Again, Imaam Aboo Haneefah’s declaration of kufr is
clear from the first quotation. The one who does not know whether Allaah or His
Throne is above the heavens or earth is disregarding the verse cited as proof by
Aboo Haneefah: "The Most Merciful has ascended over the Throne" since
this, as Aboo Haneefah concluded, clarifies that Allaah is above His Throne,
above the heavens. Just as one of the teachers of al-Bukhaaree, Muhammad ibn
Yusuf, said in continuation of the creed of the Salaf: "The one who says
that Allaah is not over His Throne is a kaafir..." (Khalq
Af’aalul-’Ibaad no.66 of al-Bukhaaree)
Ibn Abil-’Izz writes:
"Do not pay any attention to those who reject this
narration from those who ascribe themselves to the Madhab of Aboo Haneefah, for
a group of the Mu’tazilah and other than them attribute themselves to him
but differ with him in a large number of his beliefs. And those who oppose some
of the beliefs of Maalik, ash-Shaafi’ee and Ahmad also attribute
themselves to them. And the story of Aboo Yusuf asking Bishr al-Mareesee to
repent when he denied that Allaah is above His Throne is well known, reported by
‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abee Haatim and others."
(Sharh ‘Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah, p.288)
Why should this not be the position of Aboo Haneefah when
it is in full conformity with the verses of the Qur’aan, the hadeeth of
the Prophet sallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the sayings of the Salaf of this
Ummah (of which he is undoubtedly one).
Allaah, the Most High, says:
"Behold! Allaah said: O ‘Eesa, I will take you
and raise you up to Myself." (Soorah Aali-’Imraan 3:55)
"They fear their Lord who is above (fawq)
them." (Soorah an-Nahl 16:50)
The Messenger of Allaah sallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
said: "Do you not trust me and I am the trustworthy servant of Him Who is
above the sky. The news of heaven comes to me in the morning and the
evening."
(al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from Aboo Sa’eed
al-Khudree)
He sallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said: "Those
who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most High. Have mercy upon those on
the earth, then He who is in the sky will have mercy upon you."
(Ahmad, Aboo Dawood, al-Bukhaaree in at-Tareekh
al-Kabeer, al-Haakim who authenticated it and adh-Dhahabee agreed. At-Tirmidhee
graded it as hasan saheeh in his Sunan)
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.
Exposing Kabbani 16 : Allaah's Uluww in the Light of the Way of the Salaf