How do we respond to those who cite the saying of the Exalted, “So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah,” as evidence for denying the exaltation of Allah the Exalted?

The student: ...

The Shaykh : Yes, does this contradict the exaltation such that it becomes evidence for its absence? Is it not possible for something to be above you and yet in front of you? It is possible. How is this with the Creator, who encompasses everything, compared to the created? Then how do we bring a verse that is ambiguous before verses that are clear and decisive, which are the verses regarding exaltation? Pay attention to this, for the people of falsehood bring the ambiguous before the clear and decisive, and they do not interpret the ambiguous in light of the clear and decisive. They bring the ambiguous before the clear and decisive to contradict it, and they do not interpret the ambiguous in light of the clear and decisive to make it clear and decisive. This is the calamity. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: She narrated it this way from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Pay attention, and this is a matter I would like to point out to you: when verses that appear to contradict each other and hadiths that appear to contradict each other are mentioned, do not present them to yourselves as contradictory. Present them to yourselves as seeking to reconcile them, so that you may succeed in reconciling them. If you present them as contradictory, they remain a source of doubt. I always warn you against this. I say: Do not present the ambiguous verses that appear to contradict, or the hadiths that appear to contradict, as contradictory. Present them as seeking to reconcile them, not that some contradict others, so that you may be guided to the straight path. For there is a difference between presenting and responding. Presenting the ambiguous before the clear and decisive means seeking contradiction, but returning the ambiguous to the clear and decisive means attempting to reconcile without imagining contradiction. This matter applies to theoretical issues as well as practical ones. Sometimes, descriptions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a single act of worship are mentioned, and the one who thinks assumes this is a contradiction. But we say: Do not read them or present them to yourself as contradictory. Present them as seeking to reconcile them, so that you interpret this in one way and that in another. The student is most likely to doubt when he presents the verses that appear to contradict, or the hadiths that appear to contradict, as contradictory. But if he presents them as returning some to others and combining some with others, he will find a way out and an exit from what he assumed. This is something he has tried, and, if Allah wills, you will benefit from it.
As for those who said: “ indicates the absence of the exaltation, and it contradicts the evidence for exaltation!” We say: Who said this? Who said that it indicates the absence of exaltation? If something is opposite you, does it necessarily have to be level with you? No, it does not. You might say, “This is to my right, and it is lower, but it is on the right side,” and “This is to my left, and it is lower, and it is on the left side.” As came in the hadith of the Night Journey: The left are the souls of the disbelieving children of Adam in the Fire, and this is below. So it is not necessary that if something is to your right, it is level with you, nor that if something is above you, it is level with you, nor that if it is below you, it is level with you. This is not necessary. But those in whose hearts is deviation follow what is ambiguous therein to introduce doubt. Yes.