Where is Allah Exactly?

Sam Shamoun

The Quran presents a rather incoherent and contradictory portrait of Allah and his attributes. The Quran, in two places, says that nothing resembles Allah (cf. Surah 42:11; 112:4), and yet scores of passages speak of Allah in highly anthropomorphic terms, i.e. Allah ascends and descends, has eyes, hands, shin etc. These statements have caused many prominent Muslim scholars to disagree on whether Allah does indeed have a face, eyes, hands, and whether he moves from one place to another, even though in a manner unlike anything in creation, or whether these statements should be understood metaphorically. For instance, the Salafi Muslim website, www.Islamqa.com, comments on specific hadiths which say that Allah created Adam in his image (meaning in Allah’s image) and claims that:

From these ahaadeeth we learn that it is proven that Allaah has an image (soorah in Arabic), in a manner that befits Him, may He be glorified and exalted. His image is one of His attributes which cannot be likened to the attributes of created beings, just as His essence cannot be likened to their essence.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: "The word soorah (image) in this hadeeth is like all the other names and attributes narrated (in the texts) where the words used may also be applied to created beings, in a limited manner. When these words are applied to Allaah, they carry a unique meaning, such as al-‘Aleem (All Knowing), al-Qadeer (All-Powerful), al-Raheem (Most Merciful), al-Samee’ (All Hearing), al-Baseer (All-Seeing), and such as His creating with His hands, rising above the Throne, etc." Naqd al-Ta’sees, 3/396

Everything that exists must inevitably have a form or image. Shaykh al-Islam said: "Just as everything that exists must have attributes that, so too everything that exists by itself must have a form or image. It is impossible for something that exists by itself not to have a form or image."

And he said: "There was no dispute among the salaf of the first three generations that the pronoun in the hadeeth refers to Allaah, and it is narrated through many isnaads from many of the Sahaabah. The contexts of the ahaadeeth all indicate that… but when al-Jahamiyyah became widespread in the third century AH, a group began to say that the pronoun refers to something other than Allaah, and this was transmitted from a group of scholars who are known to have knowledge and to follow the Sunnah in most of their affairs, such as Abu Thawr, Ibn Khuzaymah, Abu’l-Shaykh al-Asfahaani and others. Hence they were denounced by the imams of Islam and other Sunni scholars."

… The Prophet’s words, "Adam was created in His image" means that Allaah created Adam in His image, for He HAS A FACE, AN EYE, A HAND, AND A FOOT, and Adam had a face, an eye, a hand, and a foot… but that does not mean that these things are exactly the same. There is some similarity, but it is not exactly the same. Similarly the first group to enter Paradise are likened to the moon, but they are not exactly the same. This confirms the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, who say that none of the attributes of Allaah can be likened to the attributes of created beings, without distorting or misinterpreting, or discussing how or likening Him to His creation. (Question #20652: Commentary on the hadeeth, "Allaah created Adam in His image"; online source; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

More importantly, such differences in theology greatly affect how certain passages of the Quran which speak of Allah’s acts and attributes are rendered. Here is a case in point:

And:

More accurate than all these Muslim translations of S. 92:20 is the rendering by Arberry: "only seeking the Face of his Lord the Most High". The Arabic word, wajh, literally means face and, depending on one’s theology, can either suggest that Allah actually has a face or that this is to be understood metaphorically as a reference to Allah’s immaterial and invisible presence. However, even if taken metaphorically as presence, then it should be translated as "presence" and not as "purpose" or "pleasure." The "face" of Allah is clearly a problematic expression for many Muslim translators.

The "location" of Allah is another problematic issue and provides examples of differences between translations:

And:

Three of these five versions translate these verses in line with what the Arabic literally says, i.e. that Allah is in heaven, whereas Shakir’s version implies that the texts are actually speaking about all those who reside in heaven (presumably the angels). The Hilali and Khan duo, since they are Salafi Muslims and therefore of those who believe that Allah actually has a form, clearly had a problem with Allah being IN heaven since their theology demands that he is literally OVER or ABOVE it. As the Salafi scholars at www.Islamqa.com write:

One of the things concerning which there is no doubt is that the Throne is above the seventh heaven; indeed it is the highest of all created things… It is affirmed by all the Muslims that Paradise is above the seventh heaven, so if the Throne is above Paradise, then the Throne must also be above the seventh heaven. (Question #47048: Is the Throne above the seventh heaven?; online source)

There is actually support for this view from the so-called sound hadiths:

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle, offer prayer perfectly and fasts the month of Ramadan, will rightfully be granted Paradise by Allah, no matter whether he fights in Allah's Cause or remains in the land where he is born." The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we acquaint the people with the is good news?" He said, "Paradise has one-hundred grades which Allah has reserved for the Mujahidin who fight in His Cause, and the distance between each of two grades is like the distance between the Heaven and the Earth. So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-Firdaus which is the best and highest part of Paradise." (i.e. The sub-narrator added, "I think the Prophet also said, ‘ABOVE IT (i.e. Al-Firdaus) is the Throne of Beneficent (i.e. Allah), and from it originate the rivers of Paradise.") (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 48)

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle offers prayers perfectly and fasts (the month of) Ramadan then it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him into Paradise, whether he emigrates for Allah's cause or stays in the land where he was born." They (the companions of the Prophet) said, "O Allah's Apostle! Should we not inform the people of that?" He said, "There are one-hundred degrees in Paradise which Allah has prepared for those who carry on Jihad in His Cause. The distance between every two degrees is like the distance between the sky and the Earth, so if you ask Allah for anything, ask Him for the Firdaus, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and AT ITS TOP there is the Throne of Beneficent, and from it gush forth the rivers of Paradise." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 519)

And here is what renowned Sunni commentator Ibn Kathir wrote regarding Surah 36:38:

There are two views over the meaning of the phrase ...

<on its fixed course for a term (appointed).> (The first view) is that it refers to its fixed course of location, which is beneath the Throne, BEYOND the earth in that direction. Wherever it goes, it is beneath the Throne, it and all of creation, because the Throne is the ROOF of creation and it is not a sphere as many astronomers claim. Rather it is A DOME SUPPORTED BY LEGS OR PILLARS, CARRIED BY THE ANGELS, and it is ABOVE the universe, ABOVE the heads of people. When the sun is at its zenith at noon, it is in its closest position to the Throne, and when it runs in its fourth orbit at the opposite point to its zenith, at midnight, it is in its furthest position from the Throne. At that point it prostrates and asks permission to rise, as mentioned in the Hadiths.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I was with the Prophet in the Masjid at sunset, and he said: ...

((O Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun sets?)) I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ...

((It goes and prostrates itself beneath the Throne, and that is what Allah says: <And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.>))

It was also reported that Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah about the Ayah: ...

<And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term.>

He said: ...

((Its fixed course is beneath the Throne.))"

(The second view) is that this refers to when the sun's appointed time comes to an end, which will be on the Day of Resurrection, when its fixed course will be abolished, it will come to a halt and it will be rolled up. This world will come to an end, and that will be the end of its appointed time. This is the fixed course of its time ... (Tafsir Ibn Kathir Abridged, Volume 8 Surat Al-Ahzab, Verse 51 to the end of Surat Ad-Dukhan, abridged by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, London, Lahore; September 2000, first edition], pp. 196-197; bold and capital emphasis ours)

Apart from the fact that this understanding presupposes a flat earth (an issue discussed in detail in these articles: 1, 2, 3, 4), the reader should be able to see the dilemma that these narrations pose for Salafi theology… how can Allah be IN heaven when certain narrations clearly say he is ABOVE it? Thus, is it any wonder that Hilali-Khan would manipulate the translation of the Arabic texts of the Quran in order to make it agree with their theology?

Not all Muslims take Surah 67:16-17 in such a literalistic manner. The late Muhammad Asad presents the other position when he says in reference to Surah 67:16 that:

15 This expression is, of course, purely metaphorical since God is limitless in space as well as in time. Its use here is apparently meant to stress the unfathomable quality of His existence and power, which penetrates, and reveals itself in, every aspect of His cosmic creativeness, symbolized in the term "heaven". (Source)

Whatever the case may be, however one decides to understand these Quranic statements, one fact stands out clearly: The theology of the Muslim translator will have a direct bearing on how the Arabic text of the Quran will be translated in a target language. In some cases the theology of the translators causes them to even distort what the actual Arabic Quran says.

Recommended Reading

For an examination of the Quranic verses and statements from the hadith literature which support Allah having a face, eyes, hands, feet etc., please consult the following links:

http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/allah_as_man.htm
http://www.islam-watch.org/AbulKasem/BismiAllah/1a.htm

Abul Kasem’s articles can also be read here: 1, 2.

To read the opinion of the Salafi Muslims who accept that Allah literally has all these characteristics, even though they claim they are unlike anything in creation, we recommended the following articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

To examine the responses of Muslims that take the opposite views and who speak out against the aberrations of the Salafi-Wahhabi sect please go here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

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