If you could explain your statement about the place of Allah in more detail, and what is the evidence for it?
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The questioner : The questioner says, may Allah reward you, if you could explain your last statement that Allah is not in a place above the Throne, what is the evidence for it from the verses of Allah?
The Shaykh : The created universe is limited, and place is derived from the universe. If the questioner has a doubt about what we mentioned, he should clarify his doubt or his objection. Otherwise, if he repeats and asks us to repeat the previous speech, that is a waste of time. Place is derived from the universe, and the universe was created by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from nothing. We said that Allah was, and there was nothing with Him, then He created the Throne. This is the hadith of 'Imran ibn Husayn: "Allah was, and there was nothing with Him." So when Allah was, there was no place, because place is from the universe, meaning it is created. Then place came into existence after Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) created the heavens and the earth. So if place is derived from the universe, and the universe was non-existent, and Allah existed and there was no place, then He (Blessed and Exalted is He), from this perspective, is now as He was before, meaning He is not in a place, because place is the created thing. Otherwise, we would still say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic), after He created place, meaning the universe, and it came into existence as a place, that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) ... is independent of place, and entered into or was mixed with His creation, becoming one mass, as is the belief of the extreme Sufis. They say in the unity of existence, saying that there is no Creator and no created, and they give bad examples for the Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He), saying that Allah (Mighty and Majestic), in His relationship with His creation, is like water in ice, or like butter in milk. This is the belief of the unity of existence. And our Lord says: "He is the Self-Sufficient, the Lord of all the worlds." So our Lord, because He was before He created the universe, and He is independent of all this creation which He made from dust and the matter ended, so our Lord was and there was no place, and when He created place, He is not in need of it. Therefore, in that He is not in a place, He is now as He was before, not in a place. Then, as a logical and rational aspect, there is no harm in that, if the intellect follows the Shari'ah. As long as the universe came into existence, either Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created this universe above Him, and this is impossible, or He created it below Him, and this is what can be said. But to say neither above nor below, this is the very impossibility. Yes.
The Shaykh : The created universe is limited, and place is derived from the universe. If the questioner has a doubt about what we mentioned, he should clarify his doubt or his objection. Otherwise, if he repeats and asks us to repeat the previous speech, that is a waste of time. Place is derived from the universe, and the universe was created by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from nothing. We said that Allah was, and there was nothing with Him, then He created the Throne. This is the hadith of 'Imran ibn Husayn: "Allah was, and there was nothing with Him." So when Allah was, there was no place, because place is from the universe, meaning it is created. Then place came into existence after Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) created the heavens and the earth. So if place is derived from the universe, and the universe was non-existent, and Allah existed and there was no place, then He (Blessed and Exalted is He), from this perspective, is now as He was before, meaning He is not in a place, because place is the created thing. Otherwise, we would still say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic), after He created place, meaning the universe, and it came into existence as a place, that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) ... is independent of place, and entered into or was mixed with His creation, becoming one mass, as is the belief of the extreme Sufis. They say in the unity of existence, saying that there is no Creator and no created, and they give bad examples for the Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He), saying that Allah (Mighty and Majestic), in His relationship with His creation, is like water in ice, or like butter in milk. This is the belief of the unity of existence. And our Lord says: "He is the Self-Sufficient, the Lord of all the worlds." So our Lord, because He was before He created the universe, and He is independent of all this creation which He made from dust and the matter ended, so our Lord was and there was no place, and when He created place, He is not in need of it. Therefore, in that He is not in a place, He is now as He was before, not in a place. Then, as a logical and rational aspect, there is no harm in that, if the intellect follows the Shari'ah. As long as the universe came into existence, either Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created this universe above Him, and this is impossible, or He created it below Him, and this is what can be said. But to say neither above nor below, this is the very impossibility. Yes.