they say that He knows things other than Himself only in a universal way. Their confusion concerning His knowledge is comparable to their confusion concerning His exaltedness and His being above creation. By affirming both truths, Allah’s Book and the position upheld by the early generations of this ummah and its leading scholars refute these people’s error on both matters. As Allah Most High says:

“He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what emerges from it, what descends from heaven and what ascends into it. And He is with you wherever you are. And Allah sees all that you do.” {4}

[al-Hadīd 4]

These people deny or doubt that He is above the Throne and that He is with us wherever we are. There are groups of such people who, despite the merit and intelligence that distinguish them from those who do not share these qualities, and despite the reputation and authority they enjoy, harbour this and other forms of ignorance and hypocrisy. There is no power nor strength except through Allah.

Imam Ahmad said: “Among the statements of Allah Most High that the Jahmiyyah have misinterpreted is: ‘There is no private conversation among three but He is their fourth, nor among five but He is their sixth’—the verse. They said, ‘Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is with us and within us.’ We replied: Why have you cut off the statement from its beginning? Allah says: ‘Do you not see that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth? There is no private conversation among three but He is their fourth’—meaning that Allah