WHERE IS ALLAAH? The Standpoint of the Four Renowned Imams Imam Abu Hanifah[43] Abu Muti Al-Balkhi reported:I asked Imam Abu Hanifah about a person who says, I do not know whether my Rubb is, above the heavens or on earth? Abu Hanifah, may Allah grant him His mercy, said: A person who makes such a statement becomes an apostate because Allah, the Exalted says, The Merciful has ascended above the Arsh, and the Arsh of Allah is above His heavens. I further asked Abu Hanifah, What if such a person admits, Allah is above His Arsh, but exclaims, I do not know whether His Arsh is above the heavens or on earth. Abu Hanifah responded: If he denies that the Arsh is above the heavens, he is an apostate.[44] If the person apostatizes by saying that he did not know where is the Arsh of Allah, then by right a person who denies the Loftiness of Allah altogether is definitely worse than an apostate. Imam Malik[45] Abdullah bin Nafi reported: Malik bin Anas said: Allah is above the heavens, but His knowledge encompasses everything. Nothing escapes His knowledge.[46] Imam Ash-Shafiee[47] Imam ash-Shafiee said:The creed which I hold is the same creed the Muslims before me were holding, namely, the Testimony of Faith: There is no god worthy of being worshipped except Allah, that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, and that Allah is above His Arsh, above the heavens. He descends to the lowest heaven whenever He wishes.[48] Imam ibn Khuzaimah, a Shafiite himself, said: Whoever disacknowledges that Allah is above His Arsh, above His seven heavens, and that He is separated from His creatures, is a Kafir, (unbeliever). Such person must be ordered to repent and disavow his belief, or else he must be beheaded and thrown on a garbage dump so that neither Ahlul-Qiblah[49] nor Ahludth-dthimmah[50] be annoyed by the foul odor of his carcass.[51] Abu Bakr Muhammad at-Tamimi, a Shafiite imam of Naisaboor, said:I do not pray behind a person who denies the attributes of Allah and does not recognize that Allah is above His Arsh.[52] Imam Ahmad[53] He was asked: Is Allah above His Arsh, above the seventh heaven, separate from His creatures, and is His knowledge and power encompassing everything everywhere? He replied: Certainly, He is above His Arsh and nothing escapes His knowledge.[54] All of the above show that the entire Muslim ummah, in the past and present, is in unison regarding the belief in the Loftiness and Supremacy of Allah, the Exalted. 43] Abu Hanifah, one of the four Imam was prominent jurist living from 80 to 150 AH. [44] Sharhut-Tahawiyyah, p.288 [45] Malik bin Anas, one of the four Imams, was prominent jurist and traditionist (93-179 H). [46] Abdullah bin Ahmad, as-Sunnah, and others. [47] Abdullah Muhammad bin Idris ash-Shafiee one of the prominent four Imams. Prominent jusrit (150-204 H). [48] Al-Juyoosh al-Islamiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, p.93 [49] The Muslims in general. [50] Christian or Jewish subjects of a Muslim country. [51] Ibid. [52] Ibid. [53] Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal, the great Imam, was nicknamed the Imam of Ahlus-Sunnah. This name was to become in Islam the watchword for uncompromising belief. Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, was a hero and victim of the violent inquisition during the reign of the Caliph al-Mamoon, who ordered his subjects, under pain of severe punishment, to adopt the belief that the words of Allah of which the Quran is composed are created, thus resembling the belief of the Christians. Imam Ahmad, who refuted to endorse this belief was subjected to harassment, imprisonment, and torture.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 14:33:41 +0000
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