Aqidah Tahawiyyah (Representing the Muslim creed).
“Nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are.”
As Allaah Ta`ala says: "…whereas Allaah surrounds them from all over" {Surah Burooj, verse 20}. When it is said that Allaah Ta`ala surrounds them from all over, then it implies that He encompasses from all the six directions. Directions are behind everything and it encompasses all things. And for Him Who encompasses all things, it is not possible for anything to encompass Him
or to be behind Him. Otherwise it would be a combination of opposites, since it is impossible for The Encompasser to be encompassed.
Allaah Ta`ala is free of and beyond any of the six direction. It is also established that He has full and total cognisance of all the directions, because He encompasses everything. So, if for example, one says that there is a top of Allaah, then this would not be possible because, Allaah Ta`ala is above everything, and HisAttributes are All-Encompassing and there can be nothing above Him. If one considers the bottom, then He is Baatin (internal) there is nothing below Him. It is also established from the Ahaadith that Allaah Ta`ala is above and below everything. So since we have established that Allaah Ta`ala has no top or bottom, then the right, left, front and back would follow suit. The right side is stipulated in accordance with Him, as Allaah Ta`ala says: So (the first group are) the people of the right (the average Mu'mineen); how excellent are the people of the right! (They are referred to as the “people of the right” because they will receive the record of their actions in their right
hands, indicating entry into Jannah.) And (the second group are) the people of the left; how wretched are the people of the left! (They are referred to as the “people of the left” because they will receive the record of their actions in their left hands, indicating entry into Jahannam.)
He is behind the entire creation and ahead of them, leading them on, because He is indeed The First. He is behind the entire creation and He will be even there after them, as He says: “And We are the Inheritors”.
He will bring to light on the Day of Qiyaamah, after differentiating between the obedient and the disobedient, the sincere and the insincere (Munaafiqeen). He leads people onto the Path, and the entire creation walk behind Him. In short, it is established that Allaah Ta`ala is not restricted to any of the six directions, in fact, He is the yardstick for them. As Allaah Ta`ala says: "Wherever you turn, you will find Allaah’s presence there" {Surah Baqara, verse 115}.
Allaah Ta`ala is the criterion by which the directions are measured and not anyone or anything besides Him. This proves that no direction overwhelms Him, rather He overwhelms all directions. In fact, He overwhelms and
encompasses all six directions.
Commentary of Aqeedah Tahawiyyah by Hadhrat Muhammad Qari Tayyob (A.R)
