This is split into two categories:
8.1 ALLAAH'S ATTRIBUTES ARE MOST HIGH [AND
PERFECT]
i.e. Allaah possesses every Attribute of perfection, in the highest and most perfect form.
8.2 ALLAAH HIMSELF IS MOST HIGH AND EXALTED ABOVE
HIS CREATION
Proved by the Book, Sunnah, the Companions, the intellect, and instinct.
8.2.1 THE BOOK AND SUNNAH
8.2.1.1 Directly Mentions Him Being Above His creation
- e.g. (2):255, (87):1, (16):50, (20):5, (67):16, and hadeeth: "... and the
throne is above that and Allaah is above the throne" [at-Tabaraanee and Ibn
Khuzaymah - authentic] and "And that you don't believe in me even though I
am the trustworthy one of He who is above the heavens?"
8.2.1.2 Mentions Things Rising to Him - e.g. (35):10,
(70):4, (4):158, and hadeeth: "Nothings ascends to Him except that which is
good and pure" and: "the actions of the night rise to Him before the
actions of the day and the actions of the day before the actions of the
night."
8.2.1.3 Mentions Things Descending from Him - e.g.
(69):43, (16):102, and hadeeth: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven
when the last third of the night remains" [al-Bukhaaree and
Muslim].
8.2.1.4 Altogether this fact is established via
Mutawaatir proofs
8.2.2 THE CONSENSUS
All the Companions, their students and the scholars of Ahl-us-Sunnah are agreed upon this.
- al-Awzaa'ee stated it during the time of Jahm.
- None of them said the contrary to this.
8.2.3 THE INTELLECT
The clear mind proves this from two angles:
- Highness is an attribute of perfection and to Allaah belongs all perfection, so He must possess this Attribute.
- The opposite of this is lowness - an attribute of deficiency, which Allaah is free of - so He must possess the opposite i.e. Highness.
8.2.4 THE IN-BORN INSTINCT
- All the creation, when doing worship, directs itself to
that which is High and Exalted, and turns their faces up and not to any other
direction.
- Even Aboo al-Mu'aalee (a person of kalaam) had to accept this.
8.3 VERSES THAT THE JAHMEES TRY TO USE TO REFUTE
THIS FACT
8.3.1 (6):3
Actually means either of the following two possibilities:
- He is the only One who is to be worshipped in the
heavens and earth.
- Or firstly Allaah says He is above the heavens; then He
says He knows all we do in the earth, and His Highness above the heavens does not prevent Him from having this knowledge.
8.3.2 (43):84
- Means that Allaah's right to be worshipped is established in both the heavens and the earth, although He is above the heavens, in the same way it is said that so and so is a leader in two cities - i.e. his leadership extends over two cities although he himself is only in one of them.