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Knowledge are in every place.” He said, “Yes, He is above the
Throne and His Knowledge is in every place.” 171
Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah writes, ‘the early generations of
Muslims and their Imams were in complete and unanimous
agreement that the Lord is separate and distinct from His
creation.’ 172
These are few sayings of the scholars, Adh-Dhahabee has
collected more than two hundred sayings of the early scholars in
this regard in his book al-’Uluw. 173
Misconception Cleared
A number of Qur’aanic verses indicate the nearness of Allah to
His creations, one among them is “He is with you, wherever you
are...” 174
The nearness of Allah to His slaves refers to His Absolute
Knowledge, as is also explained by Imam Ibn Katheer
(rahimahullah) in his Tafseer of the above mentioned verse. He
says, “meaning, He is Watching over you and Witnessing your
deeds wherever you may be, on land or on sea, during the night
or the day, at home or in open areas or deserts. All of that is the
same before His Knowledge and all of it is under His Sight and
Hearing. He hears your speech and sees wherever you are…”
Thus, the nearness in the Qur’aanic verses is not by the Essence of
Allah, but in Knowledge. Allah is As-Sameeh (the All-Hearer), Al-
Baseer (the All-Seer) and al-Aleem (the All-Knower). He does not
need to be among His creation to know their actions and
conditions.
171 Reported by al-Khallaal in al-Mukhtasar.
172 ‘Al-Furqaan bayna Awliya ar-Rahmaan wa-Awliya ash-Shaytaan’ by
Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah on p.111.
173 ‘The Ever-Merciful Istiwa Over the Throne’ by Shaikh Abdullah
as-Sabt deals with this subject in details.
174 Soorah al-Hadid (57): 4.
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