From Imaam al-Bukhaaree's, ‘Khalq
Af’aal Ebaad’
[All the narrations are authentic according to the research done on this work by the great hadeeth scholar Badr al-Badr (RH), and are from the sahaabah or those who came soon after]:
“6) Wahb bin Jareer said, ‘The Jahmiyyah are heretics, they think that He has not risen over His Throne.’
13) Ibn al-Mubaarak said, ‘we do not say as the Jahmiyyah say that Allaah is on the earth, rather He has risen over His Throne.’
14) And it was said to him, ‘how should we know our Lord?’ He said, ‘above the Heavens, over/upon (‘alaa) His Throne’
29) Sufyaan ath-Thawree was asked about the verse, “and He is with you wheresoever you are”. He said, ‘His Knowledge.’
64) Sadqa said, ‘I heard Sulaymaan at-Taimee
saying, ‘if I were asked, “where is Allaah?” I would say, “above (fee) the heaven”. And if it said, “where was the Throne before the Heaven?” I would say, “over the water.” And if it is said, “where was the Throne before the water?” I would say, “I do not know.”’ [This shows that the question ‘where is Allaah’ was considered allowed by the Salaf, and how could it be otherwise when the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) himself asked the slave girl, “where is Allaah” as is established firmly in the saheeh of Imaam Muslim. So do not be misguided by the Jahmiyyah of today, Saqqaaf and al-Habbashee and their likes who try to declare the above hadeeth of Muslim as weak, and make out that the above question is a bid’ah, having only the classical Jahmiyyah as their precedents.]
And Imaam Bukhaaree said, ‘and that (i.e. his answer) was because of the saying of Allaah, “and they cannot encompass anything of His Knowledge except what He wills.” i.e. except what He explains.’
66) Muhammad bin Yusuf said (one of the teachers of Bukhaaree), ‘the one who says that Allaah is not over (‘alaa) His Throne is a kaafir. And the one who thinks that Allaah did not speak to Moses is a kaafir.’
103) Ibn Mas’ud (RA) said about His saying, “then He rose over His Throne”, - ‘the Throne is over the water, and Allaah is above (fawqa) the Throne, and He knows what you are upon.’
104) Qataada said about His saying, “and He is Allaah in the Heaven and in the Earth” - ‘the One Who is worshipped in the heaven and in the earth.’”
Statements of the Salaf on Where is Allaah (Part 1)