How can one understand the Quranic verses such as: "Do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven would not cause the earth to swallow you?" and "The Most Merciful [is] above the Throne established," taking into consideration what has been mentioned in some interpretations that Allah is in or above the heaven, and that His being established above the Throne means elevation and loftiness in a manner befitting His majesty, in order to dispel confusion and whisperings?

Regarding the issue of Allah's exaltedness (uluw) and His ascension (istiwa') over His Throne, there are two principles:

1. Affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself: Allah the Almighty has described Himself as being exalted above His creation and having ascended over His Throne in clear verses, such as His saying: (They fear their Lord from above them) [An-Nahl/49-50], and (Do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven) [Al-Mulk/16]. And likewise in the prophetic traditions, such as the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "I am trustworthy to Him who is in the heaven."

2. Allah’s transcendence from being encompassed or His need for His creations: Allah the Almighty is not encompassed by anything of His creation, nor do His creations contain Him, and He is free of need for them, as in His saying: (No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision) [Al-An'am/103].

Based on this, the People of the Sunnah believe that Allah’s exaltedness means His being above all creations, above the heavens, Paradise, and the Throne, and that nothing of these creations encompasses Him. The texts that describe Allah as being "in the heaven" mean that He is high above His creation, and "heaven" here means elevation, or that "in" means "upon."