Where Is Allah? - A Commentary and Analysis In Light Of The Quran and Sunnah

There are numerous branches of knowledge and sciences a person can strive to gain. However, the heart of the creation do not yearn for anything more precious, beautiful and important than knowing about the beautiful names and lofty attributes of Allah SWT, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (r) states in al-Kafiyah ash-Shafiyah fil-intisar lil firqatin-najiyah:

"There is nothing the souls need greater than knowing about their Creator, how to love Him remember Him, be pleased with Him and how to bring themselves closer to Him, except by knowing about His attributes and names. Every time the slave increases in knowledge of the names of Allah and His attributes, he becomes more knowledgeable of his Creator, increases his zeal to gain more knowledge about Him and becomes closer to Him. And every time he turns away from the names and attributes of Allah, he becomes more ignorant of his Creator, increases in ignorance of Him and finds himself more distant from Him."

Therefore, every Muslim is obliged to seek knowledge about Allah SWT. Knowing Allah SWT is every important part of our relationship with Him, it makes a person love as well as fear Him, it helps one place their trust in Him, increasing sincerity in all actions. This is the essence of human happiness. There is no other way of knowing Allah except by knowing His most beautiful names and understanding their meanings. However, if we do not know the right course, we can never reach our destination.

The issue regarding the highness of Allah SWT has been argued by many people even though it is one of the most clearest and important matters of belief. The evidence for the Highness of Allah SWT has reached the level of absolute acceptance in number of narrations. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (r) said that the evidences for affirming the highness of Allah SWT have over 2000 proofs. He states in al-Nuniyyah : Oh People! We swear by Allah The Majestic that our statement has not 1000 proofs to affirm it rather 2000! In addition some contemporary scholars mentioned that the evidences reach well over 3000 proofs, all of them explicitly proving that Allah is above the heavens, above his throne, that He rose over His throne and that He is separate and distinct from His creation

This book Where Is Allah ? : A Commentary and Analysis In Light Of The Quran and Sunnah is a  brief explanation, which clarifies how a person’s Islam cannot be complete unless he believes in this matter. This book despite being concise, is full of benefits and filled with evidences from the Quran and Sunnah, statements of the earlier scholars and the views of the four imams of the madhahib. This book has been approved and recommended by Shaykh Khalid bin 'Abdullah Al-'Afefi, who is a student of the renowned Saudi scholar Allamah Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen (r).

The author has compiled this work pertaining to a question asked by our beloved Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhe Wassalam) to a slave girl, testing her in her religion and her belief.

Mu'awiyah bin al-Hakm as-Sulami (RA) said,
"I had  a slave girl who used to herd sheep for me by the side of Uhud and Jawwaniya. One day I happened to pass that way and found a wolf had carried a sheep from her herd. I am after all, a man from the posterity of Adam. I felt sorry as they (human beings) feel sorry so I slapped her. I came to Allah's Messenger (Sallalahu Alayhe Wassalam) and felt (this act of mine) as something grievous. I said 'Allah's Messenger, should I not grant her freedom?'  He (Sallalahu Alayhe Wassalam) said 'bring her to me,' so I brought her to him. He said to her, 'where is Allah?' She said, 'He is above the heavens.' He said, 'who am I ?' She said, 'you are Allah's Messenger'. He (Sallalahu Alayhe Wassalam) said, grant her freedom for she is a believer'."
[Sahih Muslim 1/381, Hadith No. 537]

In this hadith, the slave girl correctly answered the questions asked by the Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhe Wassalam) and was thus set free by her master Mu'awiyah (RA). Her answer was clear and proves that this was the belief of the Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhe Wassalam) and his companions (RA). It also tells us that the knowledge of this was not only known to the scholars from the companions (RA), rather this was the belief of every one of them including their slaves.

Details

Title: Where Is Allah ? : A Commentary and Analysis In Light Of The Quran and Sunnah
Author: Imran Bin Ibrahim bin Suleiman Patel
Foreword: Sh. Khalid bin 'Abdullah bin Ibrahim al'Afifi (Student of Sh. Ibn al-Uthaymeen)
Translator: Abdul Hasib Noor
Publisher: Darussalam London / Darussalam International Publications - UK
Pages: 148
Volumes: 1
Size:  15 cm x 20 cm
Binding: Paperback
Edition Number: 1st
Year Of Publication: 2013
Weight:  0.24 kg