so-and-so in the span of a night or a day,’ for he is high above, and your ascent to him would take a whole day. Thus, when they reach the Throne they have, in reality, ascended to Allah—although they do not see Him, nor do they in any way equal His exalted height. They have only risen from the earth and carried the affair upward.

Allah the Exalted says: ‘Rather, Allah raised him to Himself’ (4:158); He did not say ‘to His side.’

He also says: ‘And Pharaoh said, “Haman, build for me a tower so that I may reach the ways—the ways of the heavens—and look upon the God of Moses.”’ Then He resumes the speech, saying: ‘Indeed, I think he is a liar’ (40:36–37) regarding what he told me, that his God is above the heavens.

Thus Allah, glorified be He, made it clear that Pharaoh deemed Moses a liar in what he had said, and therefore set out to seek Him in the very place Moses had indicated, thinking Moses to be untruthful. Had Moses