It is confined, or it is in a direction, or it is likened, or it is a body; you are not one who knows the Most Merciful (Is it permissible to apply the words "confined," "direction," and "body" to Allah, and what is the meaning of likening and absolute likening between the Creator and the created, and is there anyone who holds this view?)
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The Shaykh :"It is confined, or it is in a direction, or it is likened, or it is a body; you are not one who knows the Most Merciful"
That is, they say that whoever says that Allah the Exalted is in the sky has "confined" Him, meaning they have placed Allah the Exalted in a confined space. This is a deficiency in the right of Allah, for Allah’s Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth, whereas a confined space is one that is contained by the created things. So these people say "muhayyazah," meaning those who claim that Allah is in a confined space contained by the created things. We say to them: the word "hayz" (confined space) has not come in the Qur'an or the Sunnah, neither in negation nor in affirmation. So you cannot compel us to either negate it or affirm it. Nevertheless, we descend to your level and ask: What do you mean by the "hayz" with which you have distorted our reputation? Do you mean by "hayz" that Allah is separate from the created things and distinct from them? We affirm that. Do you mean by "hayz" that Allah the Exalted is contained within the created things, meaning that they contain Him and surround Him? We do not affirm that. In that case, we have two considerations regarding "hayz." First, from the perspective of the word itself: it is obligatory for us not to affirm it and not to negate it, because its affirmation or negation has not come. Second, from the perspective of its meaning: if you mean that Allah is in a confined space that contains Him, that is a deniable statement and we do not affirm it. If you mean that Allah is separate from the created things, distinct from them, and not in a state within them, that is the truth. Good. Then "jahayyit," "jahayyit" means I said that Allah is in a direction. Woe to the one who says that Allah is in a direction, even though the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Where" is used to inquire about place. But they say that anyone who affirms the elevation of Allah is one who affirms a direction. We say regarding the direction exactly what we said regarding the confined space, precisely in terms of the word.
The student: Yes, I am.
The Shaykh : No, this one, you.
The student: Regarding the word, if he intended.
The Shaykh : Regarding the word, there is no "if he intended" or "if he did not intend." Where are you?
The student: Present.
The Shaykh : Here, your body is present, but your heart, tell the truth and we will excuse you from the answer.
The student: Present...
The Shaykh : Yes, your heart is in your chest, but it appears that it is wandering far away. And what do you say? How do you not know? Ha ha, you did not notice. Good, this is the truth, you.
The student: We say that the word has not come in the Book and the Sunnah, we do not negate it nor affirm it.
The Shaykh : We do not negate it nor affirm it. We do not say that Allah is in a direction or in other than a direction. You cannot compel us to this, because Allah has not affirmed it for Himself nor negated it from Himself, and we are in no need of speaking about it. But descending to your level, we say: if you mean a direction that surrounds Allah, that is deniable and we do not want it and do not affirm it. If you mean that Allah is in the elevation, the elevation means that there is nothing surrounding Allah. There is nothing above the universe except what? Except Allah. There is nothing parallel to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. So if you mean that Allah is in a direction, meaning in the elevation, in the direction of elevation in which nothing from His creation surrounds Him, that is the truth and we agree with you on it. This is in terms of what? In terms of the meaning. But as for the word, my brothers, it is not upon us, and it is not for us, to affirm it or negate it, because its affirmation or negation has not come.
Good. "Or you have likened". "Likeyed" means if you say that Allah is in the elevation, you are one who likens, because intrinsic elevation does not exist except with a body, and bodies are similar. Here we say: We do not agree with you on this. We do not negate absolute likening nor affirm it, because no one from among the people has ever spoken of absolute likening, not even the disbelievers. Absolute likening means equality in every respect. No one says this. That is, no one from among the people has said that the Creator is similar to the created in every respect. Even the dualist Majus who say that the world has two creators do not say that they are equal, meaning that these two creators are equal. What do the Majus say? They say that good is created by light and evil is created by darkness, because evil is non-existence and darkness is non-existence, non-existence of light. And light is existence and evil is existence, good is existence. But even so, they do not say that darkness and light are equal. They do not say this. Some of them say that light is eternal and darkness is created. So light is not equal. There is no doubt that it is a desirable thing, and darkness is a disliked thing, so they are not equal. Darkness produces good—my intention is that light produces good and darkness produces evil—so they are not equal in their effects and their impact. So no one from among the creation has said that the Creator and the created are similar in every respect with an absolute similarity. Did you understand? And if you mean by likening sharing in the origin of the meaning, that is the truth. The Creator and the created share in the origin of the meaning in the attributes. Life, in its origin, is a shared meaning. Hearing, in its origin, is a shared meaning. But there is a difference between the life of the Creator and the life of the created, and a difference between the hearing of the Creator and the hearing of the created. In that case, your accusation of us as "mushabbihah" (those who liken) is not acceptable. This is a claim, a claim from you.
That is, they say that whoever says that Allah the Exalted is in the sky has "confined" Him, meaning they have placed Allah the Exalted in a confined space. This is a deficiency in the right of Allah, for Allah’s Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth, whereas a confined space is one that is contained by the created things. So these people say "muhayyazah," meaning those who claim that Allah is in a confined space contained by the created things. We say to them: the word "hayz" (confined space) has not come in the Qur'an or the Sunnah, neither in negation nor in affirmation. So you cannot compel us to either negate it or affirm it. Nevertheless, we descend to your level and ask: What do you mean by the "hayz" with which you have distorted our reputation? Do you mean by "hayz" that Allah is separate from the created things and distinct from them? We affirm that. Do you mean by "hayz" that Allah the Exalted is contained within the created things, meaning that they contain Him and surround Him? We do not affirm that. In that case, we have two considerations regarding "hayz." First, from the perspective of the word itself: it is obligatory for us not to affirm it and not to negate it, because its affirmation or negation has not come. Second, from the perspective of its meaning: if you mean that Allah is in a confined space that contains Him, that is a deniable statement and we do not affirm it. If you mean that Allah is separate from the created things, distinct from them, and not in a state within them, that is the truth. Good. Then "jahayyit," "jahayyit" means I said that Allah is in a direction. Woe to the one who says that Allah is in a direction, even though the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Where is Allah
أين اللهThe student: Yes, I am.
The Shaykh : No, this one, you.
The student: Regarding the word, if he intended.
The Shaykh : Regarding the word, there is no "if he intended" or "if he did not intend." Where are you?
The student: Present.
The Shaykh : Here, your body is present, but your heart, tell the truth and we will excuse you from the answer.
The student: Present...
The Shaykh : Yes, your heart is in your chest, but it appears that it is wandering far away. And what do you say? How do you not know? Ha ha, you did not notice. Good, this is the truth, you.
The student: We say that the word has not come in the Book and the Sunnah, we do not negate it nor affirm it.
The Shaykh : We do not negate it nor affirm it. We do not say that Allah is in a direction or in other than a direction. You cannot compel us to this, because Allah has not affirmed it for Himself nor negated it from Himself, and we are in no need of speaking about it. But descending to your level, we say: if you mean a direction that surrounds Allah, that is deniable and we do not want it and do not affirm it. If you mean that Allah is in the elevation, the elevation means that there is nothing surrounding Allah. There is nothing above the universe except what? Except Allah. There is nothing parallel to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. So if you mean that Allah is in a direction, meaning in the elevation, in the direction of elevation in which nothing from His creation surrounds Him, that is the truth and we agree with you on it. This is in terms of what? In terms of the meaning. But as for the word, my brothers, it is not upon us, and it is not for us, to affirm it or negate it, because its affirmation or negation has not come.
Good. "Or you have likened". "Likeyed" means if you say that Allah is in the elevation, you are one who likens, because intrinsic elevation does not exist except with a body, and bodies are similar. Here we say: We do not agree with you on this. We do not negate absolute likening nor affirm it, because no one from among the people has ever spoken of absolute likening, not even the disbelievers. Absolute likening means equality in every respect. No one says this. That is, no one from among the people has said that the Creator is similar to the created in every respect. Even the dualist Majus who say that the world has two creators do not say that they are equal, meaning that these two creators are equal. What do the Majus say? They say that good is created by light and evil is created by darkness, because evil is non-existence and darkness is non-existence, non-existence of light. And light is existence and evil is existence, good is existence. But even so, they do not say that darkness and light are equal. They do not say this. Some of them say that light is eternal and darkness is created. So light is not equal. There is no doubt that it is a desirable thing, and darkness is a disliked thing, so they are not equal. Darkness produces good—my intention is that light produces good and darkness produces evil—so they are not equal in their effects and their impact. So no one from among the creation has said that the Creator and the created are similar in every respect with an absolute similarity. Did you understand? And if you mean by likening sharing in the origin of the meaning, that is the truth. The Creator and the created share in the origin of the meaning in the attributes. Life, in its origin, is a shared meaning. Hearing, in its origin, is a shared meaning. But there is a difference between the life of the Creator and the life of the created, and a difference between the hearing of the Creator and the hearing of the created. In that case, your accusation of us as "mushabbihah" (those who liken) is not acceptable. This is a claim, a claim from you.