Where Is Allah

Three persons argued with a scholar

One of the scholars was in his orchard and did not mix with the people.
Three persons, who used to sneeze at him and at those who behave in such
manner, heard about him. One of them said, let us go and argue this scholar.
The first advanced towards him and said that, you (the scholars) said Allah
is existent and accordingly I want to see Allah. The Scholar nodded with
them in agreement. The second advanced and said, you said, on the Day of
Judgment, the chastisement will be with fire and the Jinn were created from
the fire, so how is fire tortured by fire. The third and this indicates
that the man is not responsible for his actions and I see that man creates
his actions. Consequently, the scholar filled his hand with a dust and threw
it at their faces and said to them this is my answer to your questions.
Thereupon, they agreed to sue him and they took him to the ruler. The ruler
asked him, ‘Are they truthful in what they said that you threw the dust at
their faces?’, He replied, ‘yes’. He said to him, ‘Why?’ the scholar said,
‘Because the first asked me to see his Lord since He is existent, so, say
to him to make me see the pain he felt from the dust and I will make him see
what he wants. ‘The ruler asked the complainer, ‘Are you able to make him
see the pain?’ He replied, ‘No’ The Scholar said, ‘Say to this ignorant person
that not all what is existent can be seen. As for the second, he asked me
about the torturing of the Jinn with the fire and thought that is impossible
to torture the thing with the substance from which it is made. He said to
the ruler why did this man feel pains of this dust since he is created from
it. And the third asked me about the meaning of predestination and said
to me you must admit that the man is forced in his actions and forget that
man has the choice of gaining (whether good or bad). If I had no choice in
throwing the dust at the face of these persons, why did he sue me?’ Here,
the ruler said, do not think that you can masterly identify God. He is beyond
the creatures’ intuition for He is more Glorious to be known except through
His creatures and signs.⁶

Three persons argued with a scholar

The place of this gathering was Baghdad, the center of radiation of
Islamic thought at that time. The reason of that gathering was the arrival
of a deputy from outside the country to argue the Muslims scholars concerning
Allah (Exalted and Dignified be He). The scholars choose the grand scholar
in that time, Sheikh Hamad, the Sheikh of Abu Hanifa (may Allah be pleased
with both of them). While the people were awaiting the scholar, Abu Hanifa
suddenly appeared and welcomed the attendees and said, our scholar (Hamad)
is too respectable to attend such a gathering to discuss such questions.
And he chose the youngest of his students, Al-Nu’man Ibn Thabit (Abu Hanifa),
to answer your questions. Then he sat in his place with the deputy and immediately
he was faced with a barrage of questions:

The deputy: in what your Lord was born?
Abu Hanifa: Allah is existent before dates, times or ages (His
existence has no limit).
The deputy: we want you to give us examples from our tangible reality?
Abu Hanifa: what is before the (number) four?
The deputy: Three
Abu Hanifa: What is before the three?
The deputy: Two.
Abu Hanifa: what is before the two?
The deputy: one.
Abu Hanifa: what is before the one?
The deputy: Nothing.
Abu Hanifa: If the statistical one has nothing before it, so, what
about the Truthful One, Allah. He is Ever-Lasting and His existence has not
limit?
The deputy: in which direction your Lord is?
Abu Hanifa: If you bring a lamp in a dark place, in which direction
the light goes?
The deputy: in all directions.
Abu Hanifa: if this is the case of the artificial light, so what
about the Light of the heavens and the earth?
The deputy: Mention something about the identify (self) of your
Lord? Is it solid like the steel or liquid like the water or gaseous like
smoke and evaporation?
Abu Hanifa: Did you sit beside a person who is in death bed?
The deputy: yes
Abu Hanifa: Did he ever speak with you after he died?
The deputy: certainly not
Abu Hanifa: before the death, he was speaking and was also moving,
but after death he became immovable and frozen. Who changed him from one
state to another?
The deputy: this is because his soul was taken from his body.
Abu Hanifa: was his soul taken?
The deputy: yes
Abu Hanifa: describe this soul for me. Is it solid like steel
or liquid like the water or gaseous like smoke and evaporation?
The deputy: we do not know anything about it.
Abu Hanifa: if the soul which is created cannot be described, do
you want me to describe the Divine Identity for you?
The deputy: in which place does your Lord exist?
Abu Hanifa: if you bring a vessel filled with a fresh milk, does
this milk contain butter?
The deputy: yes
Abu Hanifa: in which place the butter is in the milk?
The deputy: it has no particular place, but it is spread in all
the milk.
Abu Hanifa: if the created thing, the butter, has not a particular
place, do you want to make the Divine Identity to be restricted to one place?
This is an astonishing thing.
The deputy: if things are destined before the creation of the Universe,
then what is the position of your Lord?
Abu Hanifa: He decrees certain things. He raised some people and
put down others.
The deputy: if entering the Paradise has no beginning, how there
is no end for it, namely, its people are doomed forever.
Abu Hanifa: Statistical numbers have neither beginning nor end
The deputy: how will we eat in Paradise, and neither urinate nor
excrete?
Abu Hanifa: you, every creature and me stayed in our mother’s womb
nine months. We were nourished from the blood of our mothers but did not
urinate nor excrete.
The deputy: how it is possible that the bounties of the Paradise
are increased by eating and spending them and that they have no end nor
expiration?
Abu Hanifa: the more the knowledge is taught, the more increasing
it will be.

Once a Bedouin asked Abi Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Al-Hasain (may
Allah be pleased with him), ‘Did you see your Lord when you worshipped Him?,
‘Abi Ja’far said, ‘It is illogical to worship what I do not see.’. The Bedouin,
‘How did you see Him?’, Abi Ja’far said, ‘ He cannot be seen with very eyes,
but the hearts do that through faith. He cannot be realized by senses, nor
does He resemble people. He is known by His signs and marks and He is Just.
This is the Lord, there is no God but He. ‘The Bedouin said, ‘Allah knows
best where to place His mission”⁷.