An answer to a question about the height of God Almighty
From Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Baz to the honorable brother Muhammad bin Ahmed Sindi, may God grant him success, and increase his knowledge and faith. Amen Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you, and after, your lengthy book, dated without a link, may God bless you with its guidance, and what it contained of the following matters:
Your saying in the front of the book: (God is impeccable from direction, and no place surrounds Him).
Your saying: (Caught my attention and drew my attention while I was browsing the book (Struggle between Truth and Falsehood) by Professor Saad Sadiq, then I mentioned what he invoked on God’s transcendence of verses and hadiths… until you said, I do not know what this author and his ilk gain from this belief that is Mostly a source of strife, unrest, and division of ranks… Until I said: Especially since the general public adhere to what is in this book, and believe that God is present in heaven) etc. Then, at the end of this book, you mentioned that you quoted the words of Al-Razi, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Sawy for information, and that I might respond to them.
Your saying in the front of the book: (God is impeccable from direction, and no place surrounds Him).
Your saying: (Caught my attention and drew my attention while I was browsing the book (Struggle between Truth and Falsehood) by Professor Saad Sadiq, then I mentioned what he invoked on God’s transcendence of verses and hadiths… until you said, I do not know what this author and his ilk gain from this belief that is Mostly a source of strife, unrest, and division of ranks… Until I said: Especially since the general public adhere to what is in this book, and believe that God is present in heaven) etc. Then, at the end of this book, you mentioned that you quoted the words of Al-Razi, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Sawy for information, and that I might respond to them.
What appears to me from this book of yours is that you are not insightful about the matter of belief in the matter of the names and attributes, and that you need a special research and care in what clarifies the correct belief for you, and accordingly know, may God bless you, that the people of the Sunnah and the community are among the companions of the Messenger, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and those who follow them in goodness are unanimous that God In the heavens, and that He is above the Throne, and that hands raise to Him, Glory be to Him, as evidenced by the verses and authentic hadiths, as they unanimously agreed that He, Glory be to Him, is independent of the Throne and other than Him, and that all creatures are in need of Him, just as they unanimously agreed that He, Glory be to Him, is above the Throne, and above all creatures. And there is no within the heavens – God is exalted above that much higher – but rather He, may He be glorified and exalted, is above all creatures. He said: (Al-Istiwa’ is known, the quality is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation) meaning about the manner of Al-Istawa, and this is what the Sunnis said about all the attributes, such as the words of Malik. Fixed described by our Lord Glory be to Him, there is no resemblance to His creation, and talking about this needs more elaboration, and we will do that, God willing, after we reach Medina, and we read your book to you, and we warn you of the errors in it, and we advise you to reflect on the Holy Qur’an and believe that everything that it indicates is true. It relates to the section of names and attributes.
Likewise, all that is indicated is true in all other chapters, and it is not permissible to interpret the attributes, nor to divert them from their apparent meaning, which is appropriate to Allah, nor to delegate them. Rather, they believe that all the meanings indicated by it are true and established by God, befitting Him, Glory be to Him, in Him there is no resemblance to His creation, as He, Glory be to Him, said: Say: He is God, one * God, the Eternal, * He did not beget, nor was He begotten, * and there is no one equal to Him. [الإخلاص:1-4]And the Almighty said: There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing [الشورى:11] So he denied himself the likeness of creation, and established hearing and sight for himself in a way that befits him, and so on for the rest of the attributes.
We also advise you to read the answer of Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah to the people of Hama, and his answer to the people of Palmyra.
We also advise you to read (Al-Qasida Al-Nouniyyah) and (Mukhtasar Al-Sawa’iq Al-Mursalah), both of which are by the scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, and in them there is an explanation and clarification of the sayings of the Sunnis, and a response to the people of innovation that you may not find in others, while investigating and taking care to clarify the evidence from the Book and the Sunnah and the words of the nation’s predecessors .
And God is asked to guide us and you to beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, and to grant us all understanding in His religion and steadfastness in it, and to protect us all from the deviation of hearts and the misguidance of temptations, for He is All-Hearing, Near. Peace, mercy and blessings of God[1].
Likewise, all that is indicated is true in all other chapters, and it is not permissible to interpret the attributes, nor to divert them from their apparent meaning, which is appropriate to Allah, nor to delegate them. Rather, they believe that all the meanings indicated by it are true and established by God, befitting Him, Glory be to Him, in Him there is no resemblance to His creation, as He, Glory be to Him, said: Say: He is God, one * God, the Eternal, * He did not beget, nor was He begotten, * and there is no one equal to Him. [الإخلاص:1-4]And the Almighty said: There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing [الشورى:11] So he denied himself the likeness of creation, and established hearing and sight for himself in a way that befits him, and so on for the rest of the attributes.
We also advise you to read the answer of Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah to the people of Hama, and his answer to the people of Palmyra.
We also advise you to read (Al-Qasida Al-Nouniyyah) and (Mukhtasar Al-Sawa’iq Al-Mursalah), both of which are by the scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, and in them there is an explanation and clarification of the sayings of the Sunnis, and a response to the people of innovation that you may not find in others, while investigating and taking care to clarify the evidence from the Book and the Sunnah and the words of the nation’s predecessors .
And God is asked to guide us and you to beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, and to grant us all understanding in His religion and steadfastness in it, and to protect us all from the deviation of hearts and the misguidance of temptations, for He is All-Hearing, Near. Peace, mercy and blessings of God[1].
- A collection of various fatwas and articles by Sheikh Ibn Baz (2/105).
Fatawi binbaz.org.sa