Is it permissible to say that Allah is not in a place?

The questioner : The honorable Shaykh, some scholars have said: "Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is not in a place, because the word 'place' is derived from 'creation.' Rather, we say He was as He was before the creation of place."

The Shaykh : This is pleasant rhetoric, but it is of no benefit. We say: The phrases "Allah is in a place," "Allah is not in a place," "Allah is in a direction," or "Allah is not in a direction" are newly coined expressions, my brothers. They were not found among the Salaf. They are rendered unnecessary by the saying of Allah the Exalted: , and His saying: , and His saying: , and so on. The numerous texts, which are too many to count, indicate what? They indicate the exaltation of Allah. Affirm this. As for saying "in a place" or "not in a place," or "in a direction" or "not in a direction," these expressions did not come from the Salaf, nor are they found in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. However, if we are tested with a person who insists that...