In these times of ignorance a question which is being posed to people to gauge whether they are believers or not is, ‘Where is Allah?’ It is sad that this is being used as a criterion of Iman and Shirk.

If one is confronted by such people of ignorance one answer to give them is “Assalamu Alaikum”.

Another answer is the one the Quran gave when the Messenger (صلي الله عليه و سلم) was asked a similar question by a bedouin. Ibn Abi Hatim narrates in his “Tafsir” (1/314) that a bedouin came to the Messenger (صلي الله عليه و سلم) and asked him, “Is our Lord close that I may whisper to him, or is He far that I may scream?” The Messenger (صلي الله عليه و سلم) remained silent. Allah then revealed the verse 128 of Surah Baqarah:

  وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), ‘I am indeed near‘.” 

In another narration collected by Abdur Razzaq in his Tafsir (1/73) it is stated that, the Sahabah asked the Messenger (صلي الله عليه و سلم), ‘Where is our Lord’? So Allah revealed the above verse.

Ibn Jarir Tabri narrates both in his Tafsir (3/223)                                                                                                   Ibn Katheer also mentions both in his Tafsir (1/505-506)