known that nothing can be called a ‘thing’ unless it has a limit, an end, and an attribute, whereas ‘nothing’ has no limit, end, or attribute. A thing necessarily has attributes, and nothing can be described without a limit or an end. Your statement that He has no limit means that He is nothing.’

Abū Sa‘īd said:

Allah Most High has a limit known to none but Him. It is not permissible to imagine in one’s mind an endpoint to His limit. Rather, we believe in the limit and entrust knowledge of it to Allah. His place also has a limit: He is upon His Throne, above His heavens. These, then, are two limits.

‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak was asked, ‘How do we know our Lord?’

He replied, ‘By knowing that He is upon His Throne, separate from His creation.’

He was asked, ‘With a limit?’

He replied, ‘With a limit.’

Al-Hasan ibn al-Sabbāh al-Bazzār narrated this to us from ‘Alī ibn al-Husayn ibn Shaqīq, from Ibn al-Mubārak.

Whoever claims that Allah has no limit has rejected the Quran and claimed that He is nothing, for Allah has described the limit of His place in many passages of His Book, saying:

“The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.”
(Tā Hā: 5)

“Do you feel secure from Him who is in heaven?”
(al-Mulk: 16)

“Indeed, I will take you and raise you to Myself.”
(Āl ‘Imrān: 55)

“They fear their Lord above them.”
(al-Nahl: 50)

“To Him ascends good speech.”
(Fātir: 10)