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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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What is your opinion regarding the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah about the people of innovation and misguidance when they said that Allah is in a limit or a place?

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The questioner: Our Shaykh, if you would permit, to complete this issue... What is your opinion regarding the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah about the people of innovation and misguidance when they said that Allah is in a limit or a place: "If they mean by limit the legal limit or the one known to us, then it is correct that Allah has a limit, but this limit is not... with Allah... " And likewise for place.

The Shaykh: Yes, we say this, but we do not speak of a limit or a place. However, if something is attributed to Him, we interpret it in a manner befitting Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The student: Your statement... .

The Shaykh: But we do not say that Allah is in a place; He is above the Throne. No, we do not say that Allah is not in a place, because there is a danger in both negation and affirmation. But if someone says "Allah is in a place," we ask him, as the discussion has proceeded, "Do you mean that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is in a created place? What do I mean by this? What do you mean, then? I mean that Allah is above the Throne. So do not say 'place,' for you open the door to doubt for yourself, even though you are affirming an attribute for Allah with a term that is not found in the texts. Likewise, do not say 'He is not in a place,' because the opponent may understand from you that you are saying He is not above the Throne. And we do not say 'with a limit' nor 'without a limit.' But if someone says 'in a place' or 'not in a place,' 'with a limit' or 'without a limit,' we say to him, 'What do you intend?' If he intends a correct meaning, we accept it from him but reject his wording, because that wording is not found in the texts.
Source www.al-albany.com

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

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