The meaning of the ideathat Allaah is in heaven is that He is above the heaven

I have read the many translations in english ofthe Holy Quran: Surat
Mulk Verses 16-17 dr mosin khans say Do you feel safe from the one who
is OVER the heaven, in both these ayats; however Yusaf Ali and
pickthal state IN the Heaven, and some of theurdu translations say IN
the heaven, im a little confused because my Aqeedah is that Allah
swtis above the heavens and his throne in a manner that fits his
majesty, and he does descend to the first heaven during the 3rd part
of the night. Also there interpretation of Istawa is fixed on the
throne, M.khans is rose over(in a manner that Suits my Lord). I would
realy appreciate it if you could explain this in detail, What does the
ayat really say and whenwas it revealed, I have read ibn kathir there
is not much detail for this ayat there. Your website has been very
helpful and i find it alhamdulilah very honest and frank, I have
previously suffered fromWaswasa, which i have recovered fom al praise
be to Allah(swt) through your sites ansers.
Praise be to Allaah.
With regard to the issue of Allaah being above His creation and rising
above His Throne, there are two important principles which must
beestablished and highlighted:
1.
Affirming that which Allaah has affirmed for Himself in His holy Book,
in which He describes Himself as being above all of His creation, and
rising above His Throne after creating the heavens and earth. This is
stated in clear and unambiguous verses of the Qur'aan. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And to Allaah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in
the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they
are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allaah) with humility].
50. They fear their Lord above them, and they dowhat they are commanded"
[al-Nahl 16:49-50]
"Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allaah), will not
cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake?
17. Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allaah),
will not send against you a violent whirlwind? Then you shall know how
(terrible) has been My Warning"
[al-Mulk 67:16-17]
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do
you not trust me, when I am the trustee of the One Who is above the
heaven and the news of heaven comes to me morning and evening?"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4351) and Muslim (1064). And he also said:
"Show mercy to those who are on earth so that the One Who is in heaven
will show mercy to you." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (no. 1924) - he said
it is hasan saheeh. And he also said: "When Allaah created the
universe, he wrote in His Book, whichis with Him above the Throne: "My
mercy prevails over My wrath." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3194) and
Muslim (2751).
See also the answers to questions no. 992 , 9564 , 11035 and 47048 .
2.
Nothing of Allaah's creation can encompass Him and He is not contained
within His creation. He, may He be glorified, has no need ofit. He is
above needing itand exalted be He aboveany of His creation
encompassing Him.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. He is Al-Lateef
(the Most Subtle and Courteous), Well-Acquainted with allthings"
[al-An'aam 6:103]
"He (Allaah) knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world,
and what will happen tothem (in the Hereafter) but they will never
compass anything of His Knowledge"
[Ta-Ha 20:110]
From these two principles, Ahl al-Sunnahestablished that the ideaof
Allaah's being above His Throne and above all of His creation means
that He is above all creation, above the heaven, above Paradise, above
the Throne, and none of His creation encompasses Him, He does not need
any of them; rather He is their Creator and Sustainer. The texts which
describeAllaah as being in heaven mean that He is high above His
creation: they do not mean that the heaven surrounds and encompasses
Him. That is because heaven [sama'] here means high, and it is not
referring to the created heaven. Or it may be saidthat the proposition
in [fi] in this case means above ['ala], i.e., above the heaven.
It is proven that 'Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Shaqeeq, the shaykh of
al-Bukhaari, said:
I said to 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak: How do weknow our Lord?
He said: [He is] in the seventh heaven above His Throne. According to
another version: [He is] above the seventh heaven above His Throne,
and we do not say as the Jahamiyyah do, that He is here on earth.
That was said to Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and he said: This is how we understand it.
Imam al-Dhahabi said, commenting on this report:
This is saheeh and proven from Thaabit ibn al-Mubaarak and Ahmad (may
Allaah be pleased with them both). The words 'in heaven' in another
report explain to you that what he meant by saying 'in heaven' was
'above the heaven', as in the other saheeh report which he wrote to
Yahya ibn Mansoor al-Faqeeh. End quote.
Al-'Arsh 2/189
We will quote here the words of the scholars which explained and
clarified this matter:
Al-Haafiz Ibn 'Abd al-Barr(may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven [fi'l-sama']
(Allaah), will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it
should quake" [al-Mulk 67:16], what it means is the One Who is above
the heaven, i.e., above the Throne. The word fi [in the phrase
fi'l-sama' (translated above as 'over the heaven'); fi literally means
'in'] may mean 'ala [above, over]. Haven't you seen the verse in which
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "So travel freely (O
Mushrikoon) forfour months (as you will)throughout the land
[fi'l-ard]" [al-Tawbah 9:2], meaning on the land; and the verse in
which He says (interpretation of the meaning): "and I will surely,
crucify you on the trunks of date palms [fi judhoo' al-nakhl]" [Ta-Ha
20:71]. End quote.
Al-Tamheed, 7/130
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The salaf, the imams andall the scholars of the Sunnah, when they say
that He is above the Throne, He is in heaven above all things, do not
mean that there is something which contains Him or surrounds Him, or
that He has a location, or thatthere is something that encompasses
Him. Exalted be He above that. Rather He is above all things, He has
no need of all things, and all things are in need of Him. He is above
all things, He is the One Who carries the Throne and its bearers by
His power and might. All created beings are in need of Him, but He has
no need of the Throne or of any created being.
With regard to what it says in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, "Do you feel
secure that He, Who is over the heaven [fi'l-sama']...?" [al-Mulk 67:16]
and so on, some people may understand the word heaven as being the
same as the created heaven on high or the Throne and what is beneath
it, so they say that His words "in heaven (fi'l-sama')" mean that He
is above the heaven, as the words"and I will surely, crucify you on
the trunks of date palms [fi judhoo' al-nakhl]" [Ta-Ha 20:71] mean on
the trunks of date palms, and the words "So travel freely (O
Mushrikoon -- see V.2:105) for four months (as you will) throughout the
land[ fi'l-ard]" [al-Tawbah 9:2] mean onthe land.
There is no need for that; rather the word sama' (often translated as
heaven) refers to what is up high, and does not apply to any specific
thing. So the words fi'l-sama' [translated above as 'in heaven'] apply
to that which is up high as opposed to being low ordown.
He is high and the highest, and He is the Highest of the high; there
is nothing beyond the Most High, may He beglorified and exalted. End
quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa (16/100-101)
To sum up: What you believe, that Allaah rose above His Throne, above
His heaven, above all of His creation, is what every believer must
believe. What you have read in the Tafseers referred to, that Allaah
is'in heaven' is also correct and is in accordance with what you
believe. It is mentioned in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, buton condition
that it be understood that the word heaven (sama') here means what is
on high, above, or that fi [in] may mean 'ala [above], as we have
explained above. If the mufassir intended some meaning other than
thatwhich we have mentioned, then his words are to be rejected. We
would appreciate it if you couldtell us exactly what he said so that
we may examine what is in it.
And Allaah knows best.

Meaning of the name Rakib/Raqeeb

Please could you tell me what my name RAKIB means?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Raqeeb is one of the beautiful names of Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, Allaah is Ever an All-Watcher [Raqeeb] over you"
[al-Nisa' 4:1]
"And Allaah is Ever a Watcher [Raqeeb] over all things"
[al-Ahzaab 33:52]
and Allaah tells us that His Prophet 'Eesa (peace be upon him) said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are
a Witness to all things"
[al-Maa'idah 5:117].
The meaning of the word al-Raqeeb is the Watcher, the One who sees the
actions of His slaves, from Whom nothing is hidden. Also included in
the meaning of the name al-Raqeeb isthe Controller Who runs the
affairs of creation in the best possible manner.
Al-Khaazin said in Lubaab al-Ta'weel (1/473) concerning the meaning of
the verse "Surely, Allaah is Ever an All-Watcher [Raqeeb] over
you"[al-Nisa' 4:1]:
The name al-Raqeeb, when referring to Allaah, means: He is the one Who
is not inattentive to that whichHe has created in such a way that
would lead to it becoming imperfect and faulty. And it was said that
He is al-Haafiz from whom nothing is hidden with regard to His
creation. And he explained the verse "Surely, Allaah is Ever an
All-Watcher [Raqeeb] over you"[al-Nisa' 4:1] asmeaning that He knows
that which is secret and yet more hidden. As that is the case, He is
deserving of being feared and obeyed. End quote.
Al-Aloosi said in Rooh al-Ma'aani (4/209):
He looks at your hearts and sees what is in them. End quote.
It says in al-Tahreer wa'l-Tanweer (13/150), commenting on the verse
in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Is then He
(Allaah) Who takes charge (guards, maintains, provides) of every
person and knows all that he has earned (like any other deities who
know nothing)?" [al-Ra'd 13:33]:
The one who takes charge of a thing is al-Raqeeb, which includes
protecting, preserving and maintaining. End quote.
It says in Lisaan al-'Arab (1/424) under the heading raqiba:
One of the names of Allaah, may He be exalted, is al-Raqeeb, which
means the One Who watches over all things, from whom nothing is
hidden. End quote.
Ibn Jareer said concerning the verse "And Allaah is Ever a Watcher
[Raqeeb] over all things"[al-Ahzaab 33:52]:
Allaah is the One Who watches over all things, meaning that which He
has permitted to you and has forbidden to you and all other things;
none of that is hidden from Him and He feels nofatigue in guarding and
preserving all of that. End quote.
Tafseer al-Tabari (20/304).
Al-Sa'di said:
i.e., He is watching over all things, He knows howthey will end and He
is controlling them in the most perfect, best and wisest of ways. End
quote.
Tafseer al-Sa'di (p. 670).
Secondly:
With regard to your name Rakib (Raqeeb), the meaning is not
muchdifferent from the meaning mentioned above, except that it is
inthe sense that is befitting to a human being.
So what it means is the one who watches over or supervises things.
That includes raqeeb al-jaysh (sergeant) who guards and protects,
andraqeeb al-qawm who guards the people.
See: Lisaan al-'Arab (1/424); al-Sihaah (1/264); Maqaayees al-Lughah
(2/353); al-Qamoos al-Muheet (116); Taaj al-'Aroos (533); al-Mukhassas
(3/155), under the heading raqiba.
If a person understands the good meaning of hisname, then he should
strive to acquire characteristics indicated by this meaning. Usually
every person has a shareof his name.

The meaning of the name of Allah “al-Jabbaar”

What is the meaning of the name of Allah "al-Jabbaar"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The name "al-Jabbaar (the Compeller, the Omnipotent)" has three meanings:
1.
Might in the sense of power. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
is al-Jabbaar, the One Who compels the tyrants and overwhelms them by
His power and might. Every tyrant, no matter how powerful he is, is
subjectto the power of Allah, and his power is in His hand.
2.
Might in the sense of mercy. He, may He be glorified, helps the weakby
making him independent and giving him strength; He helps the one who
is fragile and scared by giving him safety; He helps the
broken-hearted by removing that which causes their grief, bringing
relief and bestowing peace of mind - as well as the reward and good
consequences they will attain if they bear that patiently for His
sake.
3.
Might in the sense of sublime greatness. He, may He be glorified, is
far above His creation, yet despite His being exalted, He is close to
them and hears all that they say and sees all thatthey do, and He
knows what they are thinking.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)
Fataawa al-'Aqeedah (p. 56).

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Rumaysa bint Milhan - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Even before Islam was introduced to Yathrib, Rumaysa was known for her
excellent character, the power of her intellect and her independent
attitude of mind. She was known by various names including Rumaysa and
Ghumaysa, but these were possibly nicknames. One historian says that
her real namewas Sahlah but later she was popularly known as Umm
Sulaym.
Umm Sulaym was first married to Malik ibn an-Nadr and her sonby this
marriage was the famousAnas ibn Malik, one of the great companions of
the Prophet.
Umm Sulaym was one of the first women of Yathrib to acceptIslam. She
was influenced by therefined, dedicated and persuasive Musab ibn Umayr
who was sent out as the first missionary or ambassador of Islam by the
noble Prophet. This was after the first pledge of Aqabah. Twelve men
of Yathrib had gone to Aqabah on the outskirts of Makkah to pledge
loyalty to the Prophet. This was the first major break through forthe
mission of the Prophet for many years.
Umm Sulaym's decision to accept Islam was made without the knowledge
or consent of herhusband, Malik ibn an-Nadr. He was absent from
Yathrib at the time and when he returned he felt some change had come
overhis household and asked his wife: "Have you been rejuvenated?"
"No," she said,"but I (now) believe in this man (meaning the Prophet
Muhammad)."
Malik was not pleased especially when his wife went on to announce her
acceptance of Islam in public and instruct her son Anas in the
teachings and practice of the new faith. She taught him to say la
ilaha ilia Allah and Ash hadu anna Muhammada-r Rasulullah. The young
Anas repeated this simplebut profound declaration of faith clearly and
emphatically.
Umm Sulaym's husband was now furious. He shouted at her:"Don't corrupt
my son." "I am not corrupting him ," she repliedfirmly.
Her husband then left the house and it is reported that he was set
upon by an enemy of his and was killed. The news shocked but
apparently did not upset Umm Sulaym greatly. She remained devoted to
her son Anas and was concerned about his. proper upbringing. She is
even reported to have said that she would not marry again unless Anas
approved.
When it was known that Umm Sulaym had become a widow, one man, Zayd
ibn Sahl, known as Abu Talhah, resolved to become engaged to her
before anyone else did.
He was rather confident that Umm Sulaym would not pass him over for
another. He was after all a strong and virile person who was quite
rich and who possessed an imposing house that was much admired. He was
an accomplished horseman and a skilful archer and, moreover, he
belonged to the same clan as Umm Sulaym, the Banu Najjar.
Abu Talhah proceeded to Umm Sulaym's house. On the way he recalled
that she had been influenced by the preaching of Musab ibn Umayr and
had become a Muslim.
"So what?" he said to himself."Was not her husband who died a firm
adherent of the old religion and was he not opposedto Muhammad and his
mission?"
Abu Talhah reached Umm Sulaym's house. He asked and was given
permission to enter. Her son Anas was present. Abu Talhah explained
why he had come and asked for her hand in marriage.
"A man like you, Abu Talhah ," she said, "is not (easily) turned away.
But I shall never marry you while you are a kafir, an unbeliever."
Abu Talhah thought she was trying to put him off and that perhaps she
had already preferred someone wealthier and more influential. He said
to her:
"What is it that really prevents you from accepting me, Umm Sulaym? Is
it the yellow and the white metals (gold and silver)?"
"Gold and silver?" she asked somewhat taken aback and in a slightly
censuring tone. "Yes," hesaid. "I swear to you, Abu Talhah, and I
swear to God and His Messenger that if you accept Islam, I shall be
pleased to accept you as a husband, without any gold or silver. I
shallconsider your acceptance of Islam as my mahr."
Abu Talhah understood well the implications of her words. His mind
turned to the idol he had made from wood and on which he lavished
great attention in the same way that important men of his tribe
venerated and cared for their personal idols.
The opportunity was right for Umm Sulaym to stress the futility of
such idol worship and she went on: "Don't you know Abu Talhah, that
the god you worship besides Allah grew from the earth?" "That's true,"
he said.
"Don't you feel stupid while worshipping part of a tree whileyou use
the rest of it for fuel to bake bread or warm yourself? (Ifyou should
give up these foolish beliefs and practices) and become a Muslim, Abu
Talhah, I shall be pleased to accept you asa husband and I would not
wantfrom you any sadaqah apart from your acceptance of Islam."
"Who shall instruct me in Islam?" asked Abu Talhah. "I shall," Umm
Sulaym replied."How?"
"Utter the declaration of truth and testify that there is no god but
Allah and that Muhammad isthe Messenger of Allah. Then go to your
house, destroy your idol and throw it away."
Abu Talhah left and reflected deeply on what Umm Sulaym had said. He
came back to her beaming with happiness.
"I have taken your advice to heart. I declare that there is no god but
Allah and I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
Umm Sulaym and Abu Talhah were married. Anas, her son, was pleased and
the Muslims would say: "We have never yet heard of a mahr that was
more valuable and precious than that of Umm Sulaym for she made Islam
her mahr."
Umm Sulaym was pleased and delighted with her new husbandwho placed
his unique energies and talents in the service of Islam. He was one of
the seventythree men who swore allegianceto the Prophet at the second
Pledge of Aqabah. With him, according to one report, was hiswife Umm
Sulaym. Two other women, the celebrated Nusaybah bint Kab and Asma
bint Amr witnessed Aqabah and took the oath of allegiance to the
Prophet.
Abu Talhah was devoted to the Prophet and took enormous delight in
simply looking at him and listening to the sweetness of his speech. He
participated in all the major military campaigns.He lived a very
ascetic life and was known to fast for long periods at a time. It is
said that he had a fantastic orchard in Madinah with date palms and
grapes and running water. One day while he was performing Salat in the
shade of the trees, a beautiful bird with brightly colored plumage
flew in front ofhim. He became engrossed in the scene and forgot how
many rakats he had prayed. Two? Three? When he completed the Prayer he
went to the Prophet and described how he had been distracted. In the
end, he said:"Bear witness, Messenger of Allah, that I hand over this
orchard as a charity for the sake of Allah, the Exalted."
Abu Talhah and Umm Sulaym had an exemplary Muslim family life, devoted
to the Prophet and the service of Muslims and Islam.The Prophet used
to visit their home. Sometimes when the time of Prayer came, he would
pray on a mat provided by Umm Sulaym. Sometimes also he would have a
siesta in their house and, as he slept, she would wipe the
perspiration from his forehead. Once when the Prophet awoke from his
siesta, he asked: "Umm Sulaym, what are you doing?" "I am taking these
(drops of perspiration) as a barakah (blessing) which comes from you
," she replied.
At another time, the Prophet went to their house and Umm Sulaym
offered him dates and butterfat but he did not have any of it because
he was fasting.Occasionally, she would send herson Anas with bags of
dates to his house.
It was noticed that the Prophet, peace be on him, had a special
compassion for Umm Sulaym and her family and when asked about it, he
replied: "Her brotherwas killed beside me."
Umm Sulaym also had a well-known sister, Umm Haram, the wife of the
imposing Ubadahibn as-Samit. She died at sea during a naval expedition
and was buried in Cyprus. Umm Sulaym's husband, Abu Talhah, also died
while he was on a naval expedition during the timeof the third Caliph,
Uthman, and was buried at sea.
Umm Sulaym herself was noted for her great courage and bravery. During
the Battle of Uhud, she carried a dagger in the folds of her dress.
She gave water to and tended the wounded and she made attempts to
defend the Prophet when the tide of battle was turning against him. At
the Battle of Khandaq, the Prophet saw her carrying a dagger and he
asked her what she was doing with it. She said: "It is to fight those
who desert."
"May God grant you satisfaction in that," replied the Prophet. In the
face of adversity, Umm Sulaym displayed a unique calmness and
strength. One of her young sons (Umayr) fell sick and died while her
husband wasaway looking after his orchards. She bathed the child and
wrapped him in shrouds. She told others at her home that they should
not inform Abu Talhah because she herself wanted to tell him.
Umm Sulaym had another son whose name was Abdullah. A few days after
she gave birth, she sent Anas with the baby anda bag of dates to the
Prophet. The Prophet placed the baby on his lap. He crushed the dates
in his mouth and put some in the baby's mouth. The baby sucked the
dates with relish and the Prophet said: "The Ansar are only fond of
dates."
Abdullah eventually grew up andhad seven children all of whom
memorized the Quran.
Umm Sulaym was a model Muslim, a model wife and mother. Her belief in
God was strong and uncompromising. She was not prepared to endanger
her faith and the upbringing of her children for wealth and luxury,
however abundant and tempting.
She was devoted to the Prophet and dedicated her son Anas to his
service. She took the responsibility of educating her children and she
played an activepart in public life, sharing with the other Muslims
the hardships and the joys of building a community and living for the
pleasure of God.

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