the First, and nothing precedes You; You are the Last, and nothing comes after You; and You are the Manifest, and nothing is above You.”

Thus, this created entity just mentioned is either something existent or something existent. If the former, it is part of the world, and Allah is above it, for He is the Most High, the Highest, the Manifest, above whom there is nothing. If it is not something existent, it cannot be described as above or below anything else. Nor can it be said that anything is beneath it or above it, since it is pure nonexistence and sheer negation.

It is therefore impermissible to say that there is something above Allah. What is nonexistent is not a thing, especially what cannot possibly exist, which all rational people agree is not a thing. It is impossible for anything to be above Allah; such a thing is therefore a nonentity whose existence is impossible.

[The second perspective]

It may be said: The utmost perfection of elevation is that nothing existent should be above the one who is high, and Allah is described as such.

Even if the void you mentioned were assumed to be unavoidable, this would not detract from the elevation that rightfully belongs to Him. Likewise, He—glorified be He—is described as having power over all things. What is intrinsically impossible is not a thing and does not fall within this general statement; its exclusion is no deficiency in His all-encompassing power.

Likewise, He—glorified be He—knows all things. He knows things as they truly are, and does not know what is nonexistent as existent. As the Most High says:

“Say, ‘Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?’”

[Yūnus: 18],