from him:

“Allah is in heaven; His knowledge is everywhere, and no place is beyond His knowledge.”

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said the same as Mālik and Ibn al-Mubārak. The reports from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—his Companions, and the other scholars of the Muslim community to this effect are mass-transmitted, as anyone who has traced them knows. Scholars have compiled works on them, both short and extensive. Anyone who examines these reports also knows with certainty that not a single word contradicting this can be transmitted from any of them. Rather, they all agree upon one position and one creed, each confirming the others, although some are more knowledgeable than others. Likewise, they all acknowledge the prophethood of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—even though some possess greater knowledge of its distinctive features, merits, rights, implications, reality, and qualities.

Moreover, none of them ever said, “The apparent meaning of this is not intended,” or, “This verse or this hadith is to be understood contrary to its apparent meaning.” Yet they did say such things about verses concerning legal rulings whose general scope or apparent meaning was not intended, and they discussed difficult passages that might be imagined to contradict one another. This is well known to anyone who has examined the matter. They stated these attributes in sound, pure, and clear terms, untainted by obscurity or deceit.

Had this not been the apparent meaning understood by Muslims, the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and then the early generations of the Muslim community would have told the community, “The apparent meaning you understand is not intended.” And some Muslim would have found this verse and others problematic.