Certain Muslims, particularly those who identify as Salafis, claim that their god is above his throne which is above the seven heavens in a manner that befits his majesty. These Islamic anthropomorphists deny that Allah is in any of the seven heavens, even though they believe that he does descend to the lowest heaven, that which is closest to the earth, every third part of the night, without vacating his position above the throne. They based this on the following narrations:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Every night when it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Superior, the Blessed, descends to the nearest heaven and says: Is there anyone to invoke Me that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” (See Hadith No. 246,Vol. 2) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 586 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=93&translator=1&start=0&number=586)
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him? (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1656 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=004&translator=2&start=0&number=1550)
The problem with this view, however, is that the Islamic scripture plainly states that Allah is literally IN heaven, not above it:
Do ye feel secure that He Who is in (fee) heaven will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth when it shakes (as in an earthquake)? Or do ye feel secure that He Who is in (fee) Heaven will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones), so that ye shall know how (terrible) was My warning? S. 67:16-17 Y. Ali
The Quran similarly describes the angels as being IN the heavens above:
And there are many angels in (fee) the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and pleases. S. 53:26 Hilali-Khan
No Muslim would deny that the angels are dwelling throughout the seven heavens, as opposed to being above them.
Therefore, since the Islamic text uses the same preposition to describe Allah’s habitation, how can the Salafis get away from admitting that their lord too is literally in heaven just as the angels are?
This is brought out clearly from the following hadith where Muhammad asked a slave girl if she knew where Allah was. Here’s her response, as cited from the alternate versions of this report:
Muwatta Malik
Setting Free and Wala’
Malik related to me from Hilal ibn Usama from Ata ibn Yasar that Umar ibn al-Hakam said, “I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, a slave girl of mine was tending my sheep. I came to her and one of the sheep was lost. I asked her about it and she said that a wolf had eaten it, so I became angry and I am one of the children of Adam, so I struck her on the face. As it happens, I have to set a slave free, shall I free her?’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, questioned her, ‘Where is Allah?’ She said, ‘IN HEAVEN.’ He said, ‘Who am I?’ She said, ‘You are the Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Free her.’ “
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 38, Hadith 8
Arabic reference: Book 38, Hadith 1473 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/urn/415330; emphasis mine)
2 Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)
(322) Chapter: Responding To The One Who Has Sneezed In The Prayer
Mu’awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami said:
I was praying with the Messenger of Allah… I said: Messenger of Allah, we were only recently pagans, but Allah has brought Islam to us, and among us there are men who have recourse to soothsayers (kahins). He replied: Do not have recourse to them. I said: Among us are there are men who take omens. He replied: That is something which they find, but let it not turn them away (from what they intended to do). I said: among us there are men who draw lines. He replied: There was a prophet who drew lines; so if the line of anyone tallies with this line, that might come true. I said: A slave-girl of mine used to tend goats before (the mountain) Uhud and al-Jawaniyyah. Once when I reached her (suddenly) I found that a wolf had taken away a goat of them. I am a human being; I feel grieved as others do. But I gave her a good knocking. This was unbearable for the Messenger of Allah. I asked: Should I set her free? He replied: Bring her to me. So I brought her to him. He asked (her): Where is Allah? She said: IN THE HEAVEN. He said: Who am I? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Set her free, for she is believer.
Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 930
In-book reference: Book 2, Hadith 541
English translation: Book 2, Hadith 930 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/abudawud/2/541; emphasis mine)
22 Oaths and Vows (Kitab Al-Aiman Wa Al-Nudhur)
(1232) Chapter: Freeing A Believing Slave (As Expiation)
Narrated Mu’awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami: I said: Messenger of Allah, I have a slave girl whom I slapped. This grieved the Messenger of Allah. I said to him: Should I not emancipate her? He said: Bring her to me. He said: Then I brought her. He asked: Where is Allah? She replied: IN THE HEAVEN. He said: Who am I? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Emancipate her, she is a believer.
Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 3282
In-book reference: Book 22, Hadith 41
English translation: Book 21, Hadith 3276 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/abudawud/22/41; emphasis mine)
22 Oaths and Vows (Kitab Al-Aiman Wa Al-Nudhur)
(1232) Chapter: Freeing A Believing Slave (As Expiation)
Narrated Abu Hurairah: A man brought the Prophet a black slave girl. He said: Messenger of Allah, emancipation of believing slave is due to me. He asked her: Where is Allah? She pointed to the heaven with her finger. He then asked her: Who am I? She pointed to the Prophet and to the heaven, that is to say: You are the Messenger of Allah. He then said: Set her free, she is a believer.
Grade: Da’if (Al-Albani)
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 3284
In-book reference: Book 22, Hadith 43
English translation: Book 21, Hadith 3278 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/abudawud/22/43; emphasis mine)
13 Marriage
Mu’awiya b. al-Hakam told that he went to God’s Messenger and said, “Messenger of God, I have a slave girl who was herding sheep of mine. I went to her, having missed a sheep from the flock, and asked her about it, and she told me it had been eaten by a wolf. I was annoyed with her, and being human, I struck her on the face. As it is my duty to set free a slave, should I set her free?” God’s Messenger asked her where God was and she replied that he was IN HEAVEN. He asked her who he was and she replied that he was God’s Messenger. He then told him to set her free.
Malik transmitted it.
In Muslim’s version he said, “I had a slave girl who was herding sheep of mine in the direction of Uhud and al-Jawwaniya. One day I looked and saw that a wolf had gone off with one of our sheep. Now I am a man who becomes annoyed just as others do, but I gave her a blow and then went to God’s Messenger. He treated my offence as serious, and so I asked him whether I should set her free. He told me to bring her and when I did so he asked her where God was and she replied that He was IN HEAVEN. He asked her who he was and she replied that he was God’s Messenger. He then told me to set her free, for she was a believer.”
* *This chapter has only one section.
Reference: Mishkat al-Masabih 3303
In-book reference: Book 13, Hadith 217 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/mishkat/13/217; emphasis mine)
The problem for the Salafis is further compounded when we realize that, according to the Quran, there are eight angels that are sustaining and carrying Allah’s throne around:
Those who sustain (yahmiluna) the Throne (of God) and those around it Sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore Forgiveness for those who believe: “Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire! S. 40:7 Yusuf Ali
And the angels will be on its sides, and eight will, that Day, bear (yahmilu) the Throne of thy Lord above them. S. 69:17 Y. Ali
If Allah is above his throne, which is above the seventh heaven, then does this mean that these eight angels are above the seven heavens as well? If so, where do these angels dwell, and what is suspending them?
It is clear that, contrary to these Muhammadan anthropomorphists, the Islamic god literally dwells in heaven along with the angels which means that, like the angels, Allah is an embodied being who occupies time, space and place.
This further explains how Allah could descend every last third of the night to the lowest heaven. I.e., Muhammad’s deity is possessed of a composite, material body that limits him spatially.
FURTHER READING
Islam Portrays Allah as a Finite, Limited, Temporal Embodied Soul
MUHAMMAD’S GOD: A YOUNG CURLY HAIRED, BEARDLESS BOY!
Allah: Evidence Of An Anthropomorphic Deity
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