the All-Wise, the All-Aware (18)” [al-An‘ām: 18].

This is Allah’s declaration that He is in heaven. We have found everything that is low to be condemned. Allah Most High said:

“Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire” [al-Nisā’: 145].

“And those who disbelieved will say, ‘Our Lord, show us the two who led us astray from among the jinn and mankind, so that we may put them beneath our feet, making them among the lowest (29)’” [Fussilat: 29].

We said to them: ‘Do you not know that Iblīs had his place, and the devils had theirs? Allah would never be together with Iblīs [in one place]. Rather, the meaning of His words—blessed and exalted is He—

“And He is Allah in the heavens and on earth” [al-An‘ām: 3]

is that He is the God of those in the heavens and the God of those on earth. He is upon the Throne, and His knowledge encompasses all that is beneath the Throne. No place is beyond Allah’s knowledge, nor is His knowledge in one place to the exclusion of another. This is what He, Most High, says:

“So that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things in knowledge (12)” [al-Talāq: 12].

He said: An illustration of this is that if a man held a clear glass goblet containing a clear drink, human sight would encompass the goblet without the man being inside it. Likewise, Allah, glorified be He—and His is the highest description—encompasses all His creation without being in any part of His creation. Another illustration: if a man built a house with all its amenities, then