Islam and the Quran

Where Is Allah?

Question: Where is Allah? A lot of verses and hadiths point that Allah is in the Sky (Sama) and Four Sectarian Imams also confirm this. These are the several verses which they submit as an evidence: "Do you feel secure that He Who is in the Sama will not let loose upon you a storm of stones?" (Al-Mulk/ The Sovereignty 67:17) "They fear from their Lord above them..." (An-Nahl / The Bee 16:50) “Allah raised Jesus to Himself.” (An-Nisa / The Women 4:158) Related two hadiths are also as follows: Our prophet asked a female slave: "Where is Allah?" She answered: "In the Sky (Sama)." This time he asked: "Who am i?" When female slave said: "You are the messenger of Allah." Our prophet told the master of female slave: "You let her free because she is Muslim" (Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nesai) A female slave, who says "Allah is in the Sky (Sama).", being declared as a Muslim by the Messenger of Allah, shows that a person who wants to be a Muslim must know that Allah is in the Heaven. Our prophet also commanded: "Don't you trust me even though i am the trusted one of Allah in the Sky (Sama)?" (Bukhari and Muslim) According to what i've read, Allah is in the sky (Sama). I can see that from Quran, hadiths, the companions of the prophet Muhammad and the Four Sectarian Imams' faiths are also in this way. What would you say about this subject?

The sky comes to mind when we say Sama. Sky wraps the whole spherical earth. Sama wraps all around us. Sama has the meaning: height. Arabs call the ceiling as ‘sama’, as well as horse’s back and even grass rising from ground. (Maqayis Al-Luga)

The image above is the Earth’s photograph. All around the Earth is Sama.

“There is nothing like unto Him.” (Ash-Shura / The Consultation 42:11)

“He is the God in the Sama, and the God also on the earth. He is the One Whose all decisions are right and Who knows everything” (Az-Zukhruf/ Gold Adornments 43:84)

It is He Who created the Samas (skies) and the earth in six days. Then He established His dominance. He knows all that enters the earth and all that comes out of it, and all that comes down from the Sama and all that goes up to it. He is with you wherever you are. Allah sees all that you do. His is the only dominion of the Samas and the earth. All affairs are turned to Him.” (Al-Hadid/ The Iron 57:4-5)

 “We have created man, We know what his ownself whispers to him, since We are closer to him than his jugular vein.” (Qaf 50:16)

As Allah is everywhere with His strength and knowledge, He is everywhere in and of Itself. He is closer to us than our jugular vein. Therefore He knows what ourselves whisper to us. Our assigned angels are also close to us. But their closeness is not enough to know what happens inside us. They can only know the words coming out of our mouths and what we do. The Glorified Allah commands:

 “There are two registrars [angels], sitting on the right and the left. Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer [angel] prepared [to record].” (Qaf 50:17-18)

“It is a truth that there are guardians over you. Worthy scribes they are, who know what you all do.” (Al-Infitar/ The Cleaving 82:10-12)

In that case, the phrase of “Allah is in the Sama” is not to locate Him, but to express His supremacy.

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