[ابو الوليد البتار]

The Standpoint of the Four Renowned Imams

Imam Abu Hanifah[43]

Abu Muti' Al-Balkhi reported:"I asked Imam Abu Hanifah about a person who says,
'I do not know whether my Rubb is, above the heavens or on earth?' Abu Hanifah,
may Allah grant him His mercy, said: 'A person who makes such a statement
becomes an apostate because Allah, the Exalted says, 'The Merciful has ascended
above the 'Arsh, and the 'Arsh of Allah is above His heavens'. I further asked Abu
Hanifah, 'What if such a person admits, Allah is above His 'Arsh, but exclaims, I do
not know whether His 'Arsh is above the heavens or on earth'. Abu Hanifah
responded: 'If he denies that the 'Arsh is above the heavens, he is an apostate."[44]
If the person apostatizes by saying that he did not know where is the 'Arsh of Allah,
then by right a person who denies the Loftiness of Allah altogether is definitely
worse than an apostate.
Imam Malik[45]
Abdullah bin Nafi' reported: Malik bin Anas said: 'Allah is above the heavens, but
His knowledge encompasses everything. Nothing escapes His knowledge.'[46]
Imam Ash-Shafi'ee[47]
Imam ash-Shafi'ee said:"The creed which I hold is the same creed the Muslims
before me were holding, namely, the Testimony of Faith: "There is no god worthy
of being worshipped except Allah, that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, and
that Allah is above His 'Arsh, above the heavens. He descends to the lowest heaven
whenever He wishes."[48]
Imam ibn Khuzaimah, a Shafi'ite himself, said: "Whoever disacknowledges that
Allah is above His 'Arsh, above His seven heavens, and that He is separated from
His creatures, is a Kafir, (unbeliever). Such person must be ordered to repent and
disavow his belief, or else he must be beheaded and thrown on a garbage dump so
that neither Ahlul-Qiblah[49] nor Ahludth-dthimmah[50] be annoyed by the foul
odor of his carcass."[51]
Abu Bakr Muhammad at-Tamimi, a Shafi'ite imam of Naisaboor, said:"I do not pray
behind a person who denies the attributes of Allah and does not recognize that
Allah is above His 'Arsh."[52