he has disbelieved.

If you wish to know that the Jahmī lies about Allah when he claims that He is everywhere, rather than in one place and not another, say to him:

“Did Allah not exist when nothing else existed?”

He will say, “Yes.”

Then say to him, “When He created something, did He create it from Himself or outside Himself?”

He must then give one of three answers:

One is this: if he claims that Allah created within Himself, he has disbelieved, for he has claimed that He created the jinn and devils within Himself.

If he says, “He created them outside Himself and then entered into them,” this too is disbelief, for he has claimed that He entered every desolate, filthy, foul place.

If he says, “He created them outside Himself and did not then enter into them,” he has abandoned his position altogether. This is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah.”

[Ibn Taymiyyah’s commentary]

Imam Ahmad has thus explained what is known through clear reason and self-evident understanding: when He created creation, He necessarily created it either separate from Himself or co-located with Himself. In the case of co-location, either