Allah Is Greater than Everything

28-11-2020 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum,In the below link its says by Sheikh Uthaimeen "the Universe is small compare to creator".Is this correct to say Allah is bigger than universe or throne etc.As we are not aware the nature of Allah's existence how we will compare created things with creator. Big, small these are qualities of created physical world right. Please explain.https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/275167/ibn-uthaymeens-view-on-allaah-having-a-body-limit-and-directionThank you.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There is nothing wrong with saying that Allah, The Exalted, is Bigger or Greater than the Throne or other created things, and this does not involve likening The Creator to His Creation.

Sharing an attribute in its absolute sense does not entail likeness. For example, Allah, The Exalted, exists, and the created being also exists, but the two existences are not similar, and the same is true of all other attributes (shared between The Creator and the created beings).

Imaam Ad-Daarimi may Allaah have mercy upon him said in his refutation of Al-Mareesi: “Allah is Greater than all creation. A group of scholars interpreted the meaning of Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) to mean that Allah is Greater than everything. Az-Zajjaaji said, in the interpretation of the Beautiful Names of Allah: ‘As for ‘Allahu Akbar,’ it means that Allah is Greater than everything. The word ‘Akbar’ literally means ‘bigger than’, but ‘than’ was omitted from the expression since it is evident from the context.’” [End of quote]

Ibn Taymiyyah may Allaah have mercy upon him said in Qaa‘idah Hasanah Fi Al-Baaqiyaat As-Saalihaat: “Likewise is saying ‘Allahu Akbar,’ because whatever greatness comes to the mind of people, Allah is Greater than it; (He is Greater than) the Angels, the Jinn, and humankind. Anything that is revered by man is essentially less great than the greatness attributed to Him. Whenever a slave of Allah says ‘Allahu Akbar,’ he evokes within his heart the meaning that Allah is Greater than everything.” [End of quote]

Thus, your statement that the adjective ‘big’ (its Arabic equivalent is ‘Kabeer,’ which is derived from the same root from which the superlative adjective ‘Akbar’ is derived) cannot be attributed to Allah, The Exalted, and is rather an attribute of the created physical world is a false statement that has no grounds.

Allah Knows best.

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