had said that Allah is in every place in His very essence, Pharaoh would have looked for Him in his palace, within his own body, or even in his latrine—exalted is Allah far above all such notions—and he would not have wearied himself with building the tower.

Abu ‘Abd Allah said: As for the verse which they claim he recited straight through—unlike the other statement whose wording clearly affirms that He is upon His Throne—He said: “Have you not considered that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth?” (al-Mujādilah 58:7). He began by mentioning knowledge, then stated that He is with every whispered conversation, and He closed the verse again with knowledge, saying: “Indeed, Allah…"