Continuation of the explanation: The Fifth Section on Presence: Is there a contradiction between it and Exaltation?

The Shaykh : He says: All the words mentioned before in this verse were explained previously in the verses of what? The verses of Istiwa (rising above the Throne). But he said: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: meaning that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is with you wherever you are. The pronoun refers to Allah Himself, meaning He is with us wherever we are. As for Himself, He is in the Exaltation; He is in the Exaltation and He is with us wherever we are, and there is no contradiction. It has been mentioned previously that it is possible to reconcile this with Exaltation from three angles: The first is that Allah
The student: He reconciled them.

The Shaykh : He reconciled them, and when Allah reconciled them, we know that it is possible, for Allah the Exalted never reconciles two contradictory things.
And know—this is an addition to what came before—that if you see two authentic texts whose apparent meaning seems contradictory, that is only according to what appears to you, not according to reality. So review the matter again and again until it becomes clear to you. If it does not become clear, do not deny them. Say what the scholars deeply rooted in knowledge said: because it is impossible for the speech of Allah and His Messenger to ever be contradictory, and it is impossible for it to ever conflict with tangible reality. And as the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "If a contradiction is posited between two definitive texts, then either one of them is not definitive, or there is no contradiction." Do you understand? If a contradiction is posited between
The student: Two texts.

The Shaykh : Two definitive texts, then either one of them is not definitive. And if one of them is not definitive, what is taken?
The student: The definitive one.

The Shaykh : The definitive one. Or there is no contradiction. Or they are both definitive and there is a contradiction between them, but this is impossible, because that would imply that neither of them is definitive, as one invalidates the other. In any case, we say: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, reconciled for Himself in this verse and He said: He reconciled them, and this indicates that reconciling Exaltation and Presence is what?
The student: Not impossible.

The Shaykh : Not impossible; it is possible. Second: There is no contradiction between them according to tangible, observed reality in creation, as people say.
The student: We are still traveling.

The Shaykh : We are still traveling and the moon is with us, or we are still traveling and the star is with us, or the pole star is with us, and the like. This is linguistically acceptable, acceptable in the Arabic language. Third: What? We say that if a contradiction were posited between them regarding creation, that would not necessarily apply to the Creator. Why? Because Allah is not like anything, so He is High above His Throne and He is with His creation wherever they are. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says Look, the companion in the journey, and what else?
The student: And the successor.

The Shaykh : He reconciled being a companion to the person in his journey and a successor to him in his household, even though regarding creation, is it possible or not possible?
The student: Not possible.

The Shaykh : Not possible, but regarding the Creator, He is not measured by His creation. It is established in the authentic hadith أن الله عز وجل يقول إذا قال المصلي الحمد لله رب العالمين قال: حمدني عبدي That Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says when the worshipper says "Alhamdulillah Rabb al-'alamin," He says: My servant has praised Me How many are the worshippers who say "Alhamdulillah Rabb al-'alamin" in this world?
The student: Millions.

The Shaykh : Millions, uncountable. And how many are the worshippers, one of whom says: and the other says: and each of them has
The student: A response.

The Shaykh : A response. The one who said: Allah says to him and the one who says He says Is this possible or not possible?
The student: It is possible.

The Shaykh : Possible, as indicated by the hadith, but regarding us
The student: Not possible.

The Shaykh : Not possible. So why do we not say it is possible that Allah is truly with us while He
The student: Is on His Throne.

The Shaykh : And He is on His Throne in the sky, there is no obstacle. No one understands that it is contradictory except one who wants to liken Allah to His creation and make the Presence of the Creator like the presence of the created.
But if we say that this is beyond our minds and it is obligatory for us to affirm what Allah affirmed for Himself—He said in the verse "He rose above the Throne" and He said —we believe in this, but we guard it. We guard it against false suspicions. The false suspicion here is to suspect that Allah is with us on earth; this is a false suspicion, do you understand? Because the suspicion that He is on earth is false regarding Allah, Mighty and Majestic. For if we said that the verse indicates that Allah is on earth, it would become contradictory to the verse that establishes His Exaltation; it would become contradictory. This is from one aspect. From another aspect, it contradicts His Exaltation, which is among His attributes, which is among His
The student: Essential.

The Shaykh : Essential attributes. So at that time we say: We believe that Allah is with us and He is in the sky on His Throne. If someone asks how that is possible, we say: Do not ask how it is possible. You say: I have believed in Allah and His Messenger and I have affirmed what Allah said about Himself. Do not ask how it is possible? If you ask how it is possible, we say: Now your question is like what Malik said to the one who asked "How did He rise?" We say: This is an innovation. You must affirm and not ask how, because it is impossible to measure the Creator, Mighty and Majestic, by what?
The student: By the created.

The Shaykh : By the created, correct? Now the camel walks on four legs and you walk
The student: On two legs.

The Shaykh : On two. It is correct to say: How do I walk on two legs while the camel does not fall? If it walked on two legs, what would it do?
The student: It would fall.

The Shaykh : It would fall. Look, it is a created being with a created being. So likewise, the Creator with the created: We must purify Allah, Mighty and Majestic, from being like the created, and we say: We have believed in Allah. Allah said, look, all the pronouns, look Who does it refer to? The doer?
The student: To Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.

The Shaykh : Who does it refer to?
The student: Upon Allah.

The Shaykh : Here.
The student: Upon Allah.

The Shaykh : Here
The student: Allah

The Shaykh : Allah. All the pronouns are moving. Do you understand? It is obligatory for us to believe in the apparent meaning of the noble verse and to know with certainty that this Presence does not necessitate that Allah
The student: Is with us.

The Shaykh : Is with us on earth. This is impossible, because how can He be with us on earth while He has risen above the Throne? This is not possible. We say: He is with us while He has risen above the Throne. He is with us while He has risen above the Throne. This Presence, if we believe in it, establishes for us, meaning it obligates upon us, the fear of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and His mindfulness. And for this reason, it came in the hadith:
Now, did the people of Ta'til (denial of the divine attributes) acknowledge this and affirm it for Allah as we affirm it? No. The people of Ta'til said that Allah is with us in our places. I seek refuge in Allah. If you are in the mosque, Allah is with you in the mosque. The one in the market, Allah is with them in the market. The one in the bathrooms—I seek refuge in Allah—Allah is with them in the bathrooms. They did not purify Him from filth, stench, and places of idle talk and indecency. They said with His Essence.