The Indication of Scholarly Consensus Regarding the Affirmation of Allah’s Highness
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The Shaykh : And among the evidences from the texts, my brothers, among the evidences from the texts is the consensus (ijma') of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), before these envious, misguided people came. They unanimously agreed that Allah the Exalted is in the sky. Not a single letter from any one of them says: "Allah is everywhere, always." And not a single letter from them says: "Allah the Exalted is not in the sky, always."
And I challenge anyone, with the words of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, to bring me a single letter from the Companions that they denied Allah the Exalted being in the sky. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah was extensive in his knowledge and exerted great effort in this issue. He reviewed many books of authentic reports and did not find from any of the Companions that they denied Allah being in the sky, while they recite the Book, the Book of Allah, morning and evening. And it is not reported from any one of them that he interpreted a verse of the verses of Highness other than with the meaning that Allah Mighty and Majestic intended.
And I would like to point out this issue to the students of knowledge. We may transmit the consensus of the Companions without transmitting their words verbatim, but we know that the Companions read the Qur'an. So if nothing is reported from them that contradicts this Qur'an, what is it? It is consensus, because they know the Qur'an; they know the meaning. So, since nothing is reported from them that contradicts this Qur'an, it is their consensus on what the Qur'an indicates, and there is no need for us to say: "Prove with a chain of narration that the Companions unanimously agreed on that," because we have the Book of Allah Mighty and Majestic, and no contradiction to it has been transmitted from them. And this is useful for the student of knowledge in debate and argumentation. If someone says, "Where is the consensus of the Companions that Allah is in the sky?" I say: "Bring me a single letter from them. Bring me a single letter from them that they denied that Allah is in the sky." If you bring it, then there is no consensus. But you cannot do that, and I argue for their consensus by the fact that they read the Qur'an and not a single letter is reported from them that contradicts what came in the Qur'an. So these are the evidences from the texts. And what remains for us?
The student: The rational ones
And I challenge anyone, with the words of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, to bring me a single letter from the Companions that they denied Allah the Exalted being in the sky. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah was extensive in his knowledge and exerted great effort in this issue. He reviewed many books of authentic reports and did not find from any of the Companions that they denied Allah being in the sky, while they recite the Book, the Book of Allah, morning and evening. And it is not reported from any one of them that he interpreted a verse of the verses of Highness other than with the meaning that Allah Mighty and Majestic intended.
And I would like to point out this issue to the students of knowledge. We may transmit the consensus of the Companions without transmitting their words verbatim, but we know that the Companions read the Qur'an. So if nothing is reported from them that contradicts this Qur'an, what is it? It is consensus, because they know the Qur'an; they know the meaning. So, since nothing is reported from them that contradicts this Qur'an, it is their consensus on what the Qur'an indicates, and there is no need for us to say: "Prove with a chain of narration that the Companions unanimously agreed on that," because we have the Book of Allah Mighty and Majestic, and no contradiction to it has been transmitted from them. And this is useful for the student of knowledge in debate and argumentation. If someone says, "Where is the consensus of the Companions that Allah is in the sky?" I say: "Bring me a single letter from them. Bring me a single letter from them that they denied that Allah is in the sky." If you bring it, then there is no consensus. But you cannot do that, and I argue for their consensus by the fact that they read the Qur'an and not a single letter is reported from them that contradicts what came in the Qur'an. So these are the evidences from the texts. And what remains for us?
The student: The rational ones