Cautionary Note:

Siddiq Hasan Khan stated in his exegesis of Surah Yunus: "The Judge (al-Dayyan) is transcendent above place (makan)." Al-Albani followed him in Mukhtasar al-'Uluww li al-Dhahabi (p. 71), stating: "(And that He, despite that—meaning His highness—is not in a direction, nor a place)!!"

I say: It is not hidden that these expressions are not from the speech of the Pious Predecessors (al-Salaf al-Salih). Refer to (p. 183) for the discussion concerning the negation of direction (jiha) from Allah, the Exalted.

What is incumbent upon the Sunni is adherence (ittiba') and abandoning what the Pious Predecessors (may Allah the Exalted have mercy on them) did not utter regarding the rights of Allah, the Exalted.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyya (2/45): "No one is able to transmit from any of the predecessors of the Ummah or its Imams in the [first] three generations a single letter that contradicts this; they did not say any of the negating expressions: that Allah is not in the heaven, or that Allah is not above the Throne, nor that He is neither inside the world nor outside of it, nor that all places are the same in relation to Him, nor that He is in every place, or that He is not in a place, or that it is not permissible to point toward Him, nor similar expressions used by those who negate His being above the Throne—neither explicitly nor implicitly..." [End quote].

And how can 'place' be negated for Allah?! Especially when the reports (athar) have indicated it, as you shall see.

May Allah grant us and you success in following the reports (athar) and the people of the reports (Ahl al-Athar).