toward the heaven and pointing it toward the people.” (1) This affirms Allah’s loftiness through the Prophet’s action.

As for his tacit approval: it is shown in his approval of the slave-girl when he asked her, “Where is Allah?” She replied, “In the heaven.” (2)

As for scholarly consensus: the early generations among the Companions and the Successors, and all the leading imams, unanimously affirmed this. The basis for establishing their consensus is that no report has come from them diverting the words from their apparent meaning in any of the cited proofs for Allah’s loftiness. We have already mentioned that this is a sound method: if someone asks you, “Who says that they unanimously agreed? Who reported that Abu Bakr stated that Allah is above in His Essence? Who reported that Umar said this? Who reported that Uthman said this? Who reported that Ali said this?”

The answer is that, since nothing has been reported from them that contradicts the texts, it is known that they affirmed them according to their apparent meaning.

As for reason: we say that loftiness is an attribute of perfection, whereas its opposite is an attribute of deficiency. Allah is far above all deficiency. Loftiness is also part of complete sovereignty; this is why we find that, in this world, kings are provided with a raised platform upon which they sit.

As for the innate human disposition: there is much that may be said. An elderly woman who cannot properly read the Quran, who does not know the sunnah, and who has never consulted “The Fatwas of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah” or any other books of the early generations, knows that Allah is in the heaven. Whenever Muslims call upon Allah, they raise their hands toward the heaven; no one ever says, “O Allah, forgive me,” while lowering his hands toward the ground.