Is the Mi’raj of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam proof of Allah being in the direction above?

An oft repeated argument by Pseudo-salafis:

Also the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) reported his eventful journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and from there up to the heavens (al-Israa wal Mi’raj).5

The summary of that report is:“Jibreel took me up to the lowest heaven and requested its guards to open its gate. He was asked, ‘Who is this?’ He answered, ‘Jibreel.’ ‘Who is with you?,’ they inquired. ‘Muhammad’ (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) He answered. They inquired. ‘Has he been invited?’ ‘Yes’. Jibreel replied. Then someone greeted saying, ‘He is most welcome’.” The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) continued, “when the gate was opened, I entered and met Aadam there. Jibreel said to me, ‘This is your father, greet him’. Aadam greeted me back, saying: ‘Welcome, pious son and pious Prophet’. Then Jibreel ascended to the second heaven and requested its guards to open its gate.” The questioning that took place in the lowest heaven was repeated before the gate was opened. The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) described what he saw in every heaven, until finally he was taken up to the seventh heaven where he spoke to Allaah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and the obligatory prayers were prescribed to him.

 

This authentic Hadeeth speaks clearly in plain words and a straightforward manner which is not liable to misconstruction or farfetched interpretations. The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was taken up to his Rubb from one heaven above the other. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah believe that the Mi’raj was neither an illusion nor a vision, rather real and essential. Had Allaah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) been everywhere, why would the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) be taken all the way up to the seventh heaven? Allaah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) would have prescribed to him the Salaah on earth rather than in the seventh heaven!!

Link to pseudo-salafi source

Of course Ahl Al-Sunna do not believe Allah is ‘everywhere’ as the pseudo-salafis falsely portray above.

The Qur’an in Surat Al-‘Araf v. 143 refutes their flimsy argument.

وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِيۤ أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي وَلَـٰكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكّاً وَخَرَّ موسَىٰ صَعِقاً فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” [ Allah ] said, “You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, “Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.”

(Sahih International)

Questions to the proponents of this argument to ponder upon:

Why did Allah speak to Moses when he was on Mount Sinai?

Does it mean Allah is in the direction of Tur according to the Pseudo-Salafis? (Allah’s refuge is sought!)

Or did the mountain need to ascend to the heavens for Allah to become manifest to it?

If its ascension to the heavens is not a requirement for Allah to manifest himself to the mountain in this world then on what basis do you say that the Prophet’s mi’raj is a proof for Allah being in the direction above?

In addition, in his tafsîr Imâm Al-Qurtubi said:

Ibn Al-‘Arabi said: I have been informed by more than one of our colleagues about the incident pertaining to the Imam of the two Holy Mosques, Abi Al-Ma’ala ‘Abd Allah bin Yusuf Al-Juwayni, when he was asked about The Creator being in a direction. He said, No! He transcends that. It was then said to him: What is the proof for this? He said: The proof for this is the saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “Do not give preference to me over Yunus Bin Mata (عليه السلام).”

[……]

Thereafter, the Imam proceeded to narrate the hadith and he said: Yunus bin Mata flung himself into the ocean and the whale swallowed him up, and he was thereafter surrounded by three layers of darkness at the very bottom of the ocean. He cried out: “There is no god except You, be You glorified. No doubt I have been amongst the transgressors.” (Al-Ambiya, 87). This is as Allah (ta’ala) has reported it in the Qur’an. And Muhammad (صلى اللهعليه وسلم) was not present when (Yunus) sat in the green meadows and ascended high above them until he reached a place where he heard the squeaking of pens, and his Lord entrusted him with that which the lord entrusts. He thereafter sent revelation unto him (and) Allah (ta’ala) has not revealed to anyone closer to Him than Yunus in the belly of the whale in the darkness of the ocean.

source

Furthermore, in regards the Hadith: “God is between you and your qibla” (إِنَّ رَبَّهُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْقِبْلَةِ)

Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani said that in this is a refutation on those who claim that God is above the throne bi dhatihi (with His Essence).

(فِيهِ الرَّدّ عَلَى مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ عَلَى الْعَرْش بِذَاتِهِ)

Link to Arabic Quote

Abu Huraira also reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The servant is closest to his Lord during prostration, so increase your supplications therein.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 482

As for their question:

why would the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) be taken all the way up to the seventh heaven

The purpose of the mi’raj and the answer to their question is explained in the first ayah of Sura al-Isra‘:

Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al- Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs.