The first question of Fatwa number ( 18362 ) Q 1: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked a young girl: "Where is Allah?" She said: "In the sky." Is this hadith authentic or weak, and what is the ruling on asking about the place of Allah ? I ask for proof for me from the Qur'an or a hadith regarding this question. A 1: The hadith of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) question to the young girl: أين الله؟ فقالت: في السماء. فقال: من أنا؟ قالت: أنت رسول الله. قال: أعتقها فإنها مؤمنة Where is Allah? She said: In the sky. He said: Who am I? She said: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Set her free, for she is a believer. Sunan al-Bayhaqi 13:20 This is an authentic hadith narrated by Muslim , Abu Dawud , and al-Nasa'i from the hadith of Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam (may Allah be pleased with him). This hadith and others of similar meaning from the evidence of the Book and the Sunnah indicate affirming the attribute of Highness for Allah the Exalted, and that He is in the sky, as Allah the Exalted said: أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ Do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven [Al-Mulk 67:16] the verse. The meaning of "in the sky" is Highness, and that He is above everything and above the Throne, which is the ceiling of the created things, as Allah the Exalted said: الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established. [Taha 20:5] , and He said: إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne [Al-A'raf 7:54] . As for the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) acceptance of that from the girl to rule on her faith, it is evidence that the matter of faith and testifying to it proceeds based on the apparent, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only reported about that woman the apparent faith by which the apparent rulings are linked, and that is as long as no one whose apparent state is faith does something that necessitates his exiting its designation. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) treated the hypocrites according to their apparent state, so he ruled regarding them with his ruling regarding the other believers. If a funeral of one of them were present, he would pray over it, and he was not prohibited from praying except over one whose hypocrisy he knew. Otherwise, it would be necessary to dig into the hearts of people and know their secrets, and this is not something a human being can do. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.

Where is Allah?

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta

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The first question of Fatwa number ( 18362 )
Q 1: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked a young girl: "Where is Allah?" She said: "In the sky." Is this hadith authentic or weak, and what is the ruling on asking about the place of Allah ? I ask for proof for me from the Qur'an or a hadith regarding this question.
A 1: The hadith of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) question to the young girl:

Where is Allah? She said: In the sky. He said: Who am I? She said: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Set her free, for she is a believer.

أين الله؟ فقالت: في السماء. فقال: من أنا؟ قالت: أنت رسول الله. قال: أعتقها فإنها مؤمنة

Sunan al-Bayhaqi 13:20

This is an authentic hadith narrated by Muslim , Abu Dawud , and al-Nasa'i from the hadith of Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam (may Allah be pleased with him). This hadith and others of similar meaning from the evidence of the Book and the Sunnah indicate affirming the attribute of Highness for Allah the Exalted, and that He is in the sky, as Allah the Exalted said:

Do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven

أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ

[Al-Mulk 67:16]

the verse. The meaning of "in the sky" is Highness, and that He is above everything and above the Throne, which is the ceiling of the created things, as Allah the Exalted said:

The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.

الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى

[Taha 20:5]

, and He said:

Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ

[Al-A'raf 7:54]

. As for the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) acceptance of that from the girl to rule on her faith, it is evidence that the matter of faith and testifying to it proceeds based on the apparent, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only reported about that woman the apparent faith by which the apparent rulings are linked, and that is as long as no one whose apparent state is faith does something that necessitates his exiting its designation.
Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) treated the hypocrites according to their apparent state, so he ruled regarding them with his ruling regarding the other believers. If a funeral of one of them were present, he would pray over it, and he was not prohibited from praying except over one whose hypocrisy he knew. Otherwise, it would be necessary to dig into the hearts of people and know their secrets, and this is not something a human being can do. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.

Source www.alifta.gov.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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