Irrefutable Proofs in Clearing Allah (God) from being a Body or being in a Place

Al-Bukhariyy, Al-Bayhaqiyy, and Ibnul-Jarud narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: [كَانَ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ غَيْرُهُ] which means: “Allah existed (eternally) and there was nothing else (in existence) except Him.” Since Allah is the Creator of places and directions, and He existed before creating them, this hadith is explicit proof that Allah exists without a place because all the Muslims knows that change does not occur to the Self of Allah or His attributes.

Al-Hafidh As-SuyuTiyy mentioned in his book Al-Ashbah wan-Nadha’ir that Al-Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy said: [الْمُجَسِّمُ كافر] which means: “The one who attributes a body to Allah is a kafir (non-Muslim).”

Ash-Shafi^iyy also said what means: “Whoever believes that Allah is a body sitting on the Throne is a kafir (non-Muslim).”

Ibn Al-Jawziyy (died 597 AH), the great Hanbaliyy scholar said what means: “It is obligatory upon us to firmly believe that the Self of Allah is not confined to place nor attributed with change or moving.”

The Hanafiyy scholar, Ash-Shaykh ^Abdul-Ghaniyy An-Nabulusiyy, said in his book Asrar Ash-Shari^ah what means: “Whoever believes that Allah is (an actual) light/illumination that fills the skies and the earth or that He is a body sitting on top of the Throne (^arsh) has blasphemed—even if he claims he is Muslim.”

Abu Mansur Al-Baghdadiyy related in his book Al-Farqu Baynal-Firaq that Al-Imam ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah raise his rank, said: [إنَّ اللهَ تَعَالى خَلَقَ العَرْشَ إِظْهَارًا لقُدْرَتِهِ، ولمْ يَتّخِذْهُ مَكَانًا لِذَاتِهِ] which means: “Allah the Exalted created the Throne as a sign of His Power, and not to take as a place for His Self.”

The Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: [اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ، فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ، فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَيْءٌ] which means: “O Allah, you are ADh-Dhahir and there is nothing above You, and you are Al-BaTin and there is nothing below You.”

In reference to this hadith, Al-Bayhaqiyy said in his book Al-Asma’u was-Sifat: [اسْتَدَلَّ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيِثِ عَلى نَفْيِ الْمَكَانِ عَنِ اللهِ تَعَالى فَإِنَّهُ إِذا لَمْ يَكُنْ فَوْقَهُ شَىْءٌ ولاَ دُونَهُ شَىْءٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ في مَكَانٍ] which means: “Some of our companions took this Hadith as proof that Allah exists without a place. This is because if there is nothing above Him, and nothing beneath Him, then He is not in a place (i.e. He exists without a place).”

Al-Imam Az-Zarkashiyy narrated in his book Tashnif Al-Masami^ that the great Imam, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah raise his rank, said: [العَجْزُ عن دَرَكِ الإِدْرَاكِ إِدْرَاكُ والبَحْثُ عن ذَاتِهِ كُفْرٌ وإِشْرَاكُ] which means: “The inability to realize the Reality of Allah is the correct realization. However, to try and search for the Reality of Allah is blasphemy and shirk (polytheism).”

Ibnul-Mu^allim Al-Qurashiyy narrated in his book Najmul-Muhtadi wa Rajmul-Mu^tadi on page 588 that Al-Imam ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib said: [سَيَرجِعُ قَومٌ مِن هَذِهِ الاُمّةِ عِندَ اقتِرَابِ السَاعَةِ كُفَارَا .فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يا امِيرَ المُؤمِنِين كُفرُهُم بِمَاذَا أبالإحداثِ أم بِالإنكَار .فَقَال: بَل بِلإنكَار يُنكِرُونَ خَالِقَهُم فَيَصِفُونَهُ بِلجِسمِ والأعضَاء] which means: “A people of this Nation (of the Prophet Muhammad) shall return to being blasphemers (kuffar) when the Day of Judgment is near.” A man asked, “O Prince of the Believers, what is their blasphemy for? Is it for inventing something, or for denying something?” ^Aliyy replied: “It is for denial. They deny their Creator; they say that He is attributed with a body and limbs.”

The highly pious waliyy of Allah and descendant of the Messenger of Allah, Al-Imam Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy, raDiyallahu ^anhu, said: [غَايَةُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِاللهِ الإِيقَانُ بِوُجُودِهِ تَعَالى بِلاَ كَيْفٍ وَلاَ مَكَانٍ] which means: “The ultimate knowledge (that one can reach) about Allah is the certainty that He exists without a manner (without a ‘how’) and without a place.”

Believing in anything that contradicts the aforementioned belief of Muslims takes one out of Islam. One must immediately utter the Shahadatayn to return to Islam. They would say: Ash-hadu allaa ilaaha illallaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasoolullaah (or in any other language) such as to say: No one is God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

To keep this note short, we have left out some of the Arabic sayings and kept their meanings, as well as some of the references. Anyone who wants these references may contact us and we will be more than happy to provide them for you. May Allah grant us success in this life and the Hereafter. Aameen.