Discussion of the categories of people regarding the attribute of Allah’s (the Exalted) elevation.

Is the elevation the elevation of the attribute on which the Muslim community agreed, or is it the elevation of the Essence that those who denied it denied? It is both: the elevation of the Essence and the elevation of the attribute. As for the elevation of the attribute, all Muslims agreed upon it, even the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, the Asha'irah, the Maturidiyyah, and others; they all agreed upon the establishment of the attribute of elevation for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the elevation of the attribute. So I say to you: the ta'til (denial of the divine attributes) people who deny the attributes, do you know why? They said: Because we purify Allah, for the establishment of these attributes implies, in their claim, deficiency, so they deny them to purify Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Therefore, the elevation, which is the elevation of the attribute, is established for Allah by the consensus of the community, and no one denies it. The elevation of the Essence is what people differed on, so they divided into three main categories:
The first category: those who denied it but made Allah (the Exalted) in every place. They say: Allah’s place is not specific in the elevation, but He is in every place. This is the view of the Jahmiyyah who hold to the doctrine of indwelling; they state this explicitly, saying: It is not possible for Allah (the Exalted) to be elevated above everything, but He is in everything. If you are in the mosque? ... In the toilet? Then He is in the toilet. May Allah fight them, and far is He from their saying. And they have a doubt (shubhah).
The second saying is the exact opposite. It says: It is not permissible for us to say that Allah is in a place, neither high nor low, but He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is not above the world, nor below it, nor to the right, nor to the left, nor connected, nor disconnected, nor distinct, nor neutral, and so on of negative matters, exactly the opposite of the first group. And I ask you by Allah: Where would the deity be if it is denied of all this? It would be non-existence. Therefore, Mahmud ibn Subuktakin (may Allah have mercy on him), one of the famous commanders, when he debated Muhammad ibn Fawruk, one of the theologians, and Muhammad ibn Fawruk said: "Not inside the world, nor outside it," and so on, he said to him: "Explain to me what is the difference between non-existence and your Lord whom you describe with this attribute?" And what was the answer? No difference.
The third group says: Allah (the Exalted) is elevated by His Essence above everything, and nothing of His creations encompasses Him, and His elevation is necessary to His Essence. And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is distinct from His creation, meaning He is not indwelling in them, nor are they indwelling in Him. This is the school of the people of truth, indicated by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, reason, the fitrah (the innate natural disposition), and consensus. Five pieces of evidence, all indicating the elevation of the Essence, and they are also varied, meaning the indication of the Qur'an is not one verse nor in one way; it is varied. Likewise in the Sunnah. So the Qur'an is full of establishing the elevation of the Essence for Allah, such as His saying: , , , , and countless proofs.
From the Sunnah, there are verbal, practical, and confirmatory proofs, meaning all types of the Sunnah indicated the elevation of Allah’s Essence. As for the verbal Sunnah, here is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying in his prostration: thereby establishing His elevation. As for the confirmatory, he asked the slave girl: She said: "In the sky," so he approved her. As for the practical, he used to preach to the people on the Day of 'Arafah and say: They would say: "Yes," and he would raise his finger to the sky and say: meaning over these people, pointing to the sky. This is a practical indication by gesture. As for consensus, the Salaf, led by the Companions, are in consensus that Allah (the Exalted) is above everything, in a definitive consensus on this. Because they all say in their prostrations: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High," and it is not reported from any one of them that he said: "Allah is not in the sky" ever. The non-transmission of disagreement with what is in the Book and the Sunnah indicates consensus. This is a clear path: if nothing is reported from the Salaf that contradicts the indication of the Qur'an, they are in consensus on what the Qur'an indicated. As for the indication of reason, ask yourself: Which is more likely, a Lord described with what indicates non-existence, or a Lord not purified from filthy places, or a Lord elevated above everything? Which one? The third, without doubt. Then, the elevation, in that it is elevation, is an attribute of perfection, is it not? And if it is an attribute of perfection, Allah has established for Himself every attribute of perfection, as He (the Exalted) said: This is a rational indication. We remain with the fitrah indication; the fitrah also indicated the elevation of Allah. A person by his fitrah, before he learns, where does he imagine Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to be? In the elevation. Therefore, you find a person who has not read this research, a common person, if he wants to supplicate to Allah, where does he go? To the sky. Therefore, Abu al-'Ala al-Hamdani (may Allah have mercy on him) said to al-Juwayni, the Imam of the two Harams, and he was affirming—may Allah pardon al-Juwayni, and perhaps he repented and Allah accepted his repentance—he was affirming the denial of elevation, meaning the denial of istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) with the elevation, and saying: "Indeed, Allah (the Exalted) was, and there was nothing before Him, and He is now upon what He was upon" What did he want? To deny the istiwaa' on the Throne and the elevation as well. So Abu al-'Ala al-Hamdani (may Allah have mercy on him) said to him: "O teacher, leave us from mentioning the Throne and the istiwaa' on the Throne. Tell us about this fitrah: no one who knows has ever said: 'O Allah,' but he found in his heart a necessity to seek the elevation" Glory be to Allah, is the matter not so? The term "one who knows" (al-'arif) is applied to the Sufi in their terminology, but the intended meaning here is broader. No one who knows has ever said: "O Allah," but he found in his heart a necessity to seek the elevation. He started slapping his head. He confused me, he confused me, he confused me. Why? Because he was unable to answer. This is a fitrah indication that no one can deny. So praise be to Allah who guided us to this.
So the elevation of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) divides into two categories: elevation of the Essence and elevation of the attribute. The second: the Muslim community did not differ on it. The first, the elevation of the Essence, they divided into three sects. The saved sect, may Allah make me and you among them, are those who established His elevation by His Essence (Exalted and Majestic is He) above everything. There is nothing that is on the same level as Allah (Mighty and Majestic). All creation is in His grasp. All creation is nothing in His sight. If the seven heavens and the seven earths, in relation to the Footstool, are like a ring thrown in a vast desert, the seven heavens in their greatness and vastness, and the seven earths, in relation to the Footstool, are like a ring thrown in a vast desert. The ring is the ring of a helmet, narrow, thrown in a vast desert. Tell me, what does this ring occupy of this vast desert? Yes, nothing. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So what is the Footstool in relation to the Throne? Nothing. And the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) is above that. So He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is above everything; nothing is on the same level as Him. All creations are below Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), and He is above everything. If we establish this elevation, we will elaborate on it because it is important, and because there are now those who deny it, may Allah grant us safety. And no doubt that Allah has turned away the hearts of these people, otherwise, if they returned to their fitrah, the fitrah alone, they would know that Allah (the Exalted) is above everything and that this is part of His perfection.