How Allāh is with us

Question:

Can it be said that: “Allāh is with us in his form without interaction or incarnation”, and what does the statement: ‘Allāh is with us’ mean?

Answer:

With us through his knowledge and control. As for being with the believers, this is through his protection -سبحانه وتعالى – as He is with His believing slaves specifically and with everyone generally.

He is not amongst us in His form so one must keep away from saying: “with us in His form”, it must be avoided. One of our scholars was indeed criticised for saying: “He is literally with us”, they said if you had left out this word (it would have been better), they were harsh upon him and he left it after that – may Allāh The Most High have mercy upon him.

So we advise you to tread how The Salaf trod regarding this by saying: ‘He is specifically with us (believers) through His knowledge, protection and preservation and generally with us (all i.e. believers and disbelievers) through His knowledge and control – سبحانه وتعالى – nobody can escape from Him, His ever-presence or His control, stop there and move on without saying: “With us in His form or with us Himself ” leave this.

Although the last phrase: ‘literally with us’ has been used by some scholars and we believe that being with us is an attribute of Allāh – سبحانه وتعالى – wording that might be misunderstood should be avoided. The Salaf said: ‘with us through His knowledge and protection’ and did not say: “With us Himself”.

مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَىٰ ثَلَٰثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَآ أدْنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أيْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ۖ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
There is no private conversation of three except He is the fourth of them, or five except He is the sixth of them – or less than that or more except that He is with them wherever they are. Then He will inform them of what they did, on the Day of Standing. Indeed Allāh is, of all things, Knowing.

(Al-Mujadila 58:7)

Thus, he is with them through his knowledge – سبحانه وتعالى – so they are not hidden from him. He is not with them in His form for us to say: ‘He is with them in His form, this wording should be left.

Scholars make retractions and are right and are wrong, so when this one was spoken about he retracted from the wording he had brought which could have been exploited by those who say Allāh is everywhere by taking the word ‘literally’ and adding ‘in his form’.

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Answered by: Shaykh Abū Bilāl al-Ḥaḍramī (May Allāh preserve him)

Source : https://t.me/abubilalhami/8138

Translated by: Abū Sufyān Samuel ibn Daniel Al-Britāni Al-Ghāni