Introduction

The twin doctrines of divine omnipresence (being present everywhere) and omniscience (knowing everything) raise a profound conceptual problem: How can an immaterial God be fully present and all-knowing within a finite space-time cosmos? Classical theism affirms that God is not a physical being, yet scripture depicts God as present in every place and aware of every event ​plato.stanford.edu. Reconciling this transcendence with immanence is challenging. Modern physics, however, offers new metaphors that might illuminate this age-old mystery. Theoretical models of the universe that include extra spatial dimensions beyond the familiar three, alongside a dimension of time, suggest a framework in which a being could pervade all of space without being confined to it. This article will explore how the Qur’an and the Bible describe God’s all-encompassing knowledge and presence, examine classical Muslim and Christian theological interpretations of these attributes, and consider whether the idea of higher dimensions in contemporary physics (e.g. string theory’s 10 or 11-dimensional space) could provide a conceptual schema for understanding divine omnipresence and omniscience. We will also address objections from both theology and science, ultimately arguing that thinking in terms of extra dimensions may enrich rather than diminish the classical understanding of God’s transcendence and immanence.

Scriptural Foundations: Omnipresence and Omniscience in Qur’an and Bible

Both the Qur’an and the Bible contain vivid affirmations that God’s knowledge and presence extend to every corner of reality, transcending ordinary spatial limitations. In the Qur’an, God declares: “To Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.” ​quran.com. This verse (Qur’an 2:115) portrays God’s “Face” as present wherever one turns, emphasizing that no direction or location is devoid of His attention. Another verse states, “He is with you, wherever you may be” (Qur’an 57:4), which Muslim theologians interpret to mean that God’s presence accompanies every person in every place ​en.wikipedia.org. Importantly, commentators clarify that this omnipresence is not meant in a physical, bodily sense; rather, “He is everywhere by His knowledge and power, and nowhere [in a way that implies being limited by] place” ​en.wikipedia.org. The Qur’an frequently stresses God’s all-pervasive knowledge: “Not even the weight of a speck of dust in the heavens or earth escapes His knowledge” ​thequran.love. “With Him are the keys of the unseen… He knows all that is on land and in the sea; not a leaf falls but He knows it” ​islamawakened.com. Every private counsel or secret is known to God – “No secret conversation of three takes place but He is their fourth [companion]… nor of fewer or more except He is with them wherever they may be” (Qur’an 58:7) ​quranx.com. Such passages paint a picture of a Deity whose knowledge penetrates the most hidden corners of the world and whose presence cannot be eluded.

The Bible likewise affirms God’s knowledge of all things and His inescapable presence. In Psalm 139, the psalmist exults that there is nowhere in the universe one can flee from God’s spirit: “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there”​plato.stanford.edu. Whether in the heights of the heavens or the depths of the underworld, God is already present. The prophet Jeremiah quotes God’s challenge to any who think they can hide: “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?… Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? declares the Lord.”​ biblehub.com. Here God rhetorically asserts that His divine presence “fills” heaven and earth, an image of immensity that defies any notion of God being confined to a single locale. At the dedication of the Temple, King Solomon acknowledges that not even the vast cosmos can contain God: “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built!” ​biblehub.com. In the New Testament, similar themes appear: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight” (Hebrews 4:13), and “God… knows everything” (1 John 3:20) testify to absolute omniscience. Taken together, scripture strongly portrays God as transcending the usual constraints of physical space. God’s knowledge is immediate in every place and His being is not excluded from any location. This biblical and Qur’anic witness establishes the theological foundation that any corner of the universe – or indeed any dimension of reality – is directly accessible to God. These texts invite believers to imagine God as present and aware in ways far beyond our normal three-dimensional, time-bound experience of the world.

Classical Theological Perspectives on God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience

Classical Christian and Muslim theologians grappled with how to conceptualize God’s omnipresence and omniscience in a philosophically coherent way. They generally agreed that God is not a physical body spread out in space, yet He is fully “there” with every creature. To resolve this, they made careful distinctions between God’s manner of presence and that of material entities.

In Christian tradition, Saint Augustine (354–430) cautioned against naive, “carnal” imagery when speaking of God’s omnipresence. Even though we say God is everywhere, Augustine insists we “must resist carnal ideas and not imagine that God is distributed through all things by a sort of extension of size, as earth or water or air or light are distributed.” ​plato.stanford.edu In other words, God is not physically extended or spread thin like a gas filling a room. Augustine proposed an analogy: just as a human soul is present throughout its body without being a material fluid, so God can be present in the world in a spiritual manner​ plato.stanford.edu. God has no parts and is not divided among places; rather, “God knows how to be wholly everywhere without being confined to any place”, as Augustine writes ​plato.stanford.edu. He formulates a classic description: God is “wholly present in all places at once” – “not distributed through space by size so that half of Him is in one region and half in another, but wholly in heaven, wholly in earth, wholly in heaven and earth together, not confined in any place, but wholly in Himself everywhere.” ​plato.stanford.edu. Similarly, Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109) reconciled the idea that God is “everywhere and everywhen” with the idea that God is nowhere in a literal sense: God exists at every place and time as the sustainer of all that exists, yet as an infinite spirit He exists in no place or time as a contained object ​plato.stanford.edu. This led to the notion of God’s “immensity” – an older theological term conveying that God’s being is immeasurably beyond spatial confines and yet all places exist within the scope of His presence. In short, classical Christian thinkers maintained God’s transcendence (He is not a thing with size or location) even as they affirmed His immanence (His power and knowledge reach everywhere).

Medieval Scholastic theologians further systematized these ideas. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) taught that God is present to all things by power, knowledge, and essence. Following earlier formulations, Aquinas wrote: “God is in all things by His power, inasmuch as all things are subject to His power; He is by His presence in all things, inasmuch as all things are bare and open to His eyes; He is in all things by His essence, inasmuch as He is present to all as the cause of their being.”​ plato.stanford.edu. In other words, wherever anything exists, God is there as the creative power keeping it in existence, and as the all-knowing mind to whom it is completely transparent. This account allowed Scholastics to say God is “on location” everywhere not by bodily extension, but by acting at and knowing every location. Aquinas even noted that if we consider how a soul is present in each part of its body by its power to animate it, we have a distant analogy for how God, an incorporeal being of infinite power, can be present in the entire universe ​plato.stanford.edu. By contrast, no finite material thing can be totally present everywhere – a body can only be in one space at a time or divided among spaces – but an infinite spiritual being could be present to all of space without occupying a physical volume ​reasonablefaith.org​. Thus, God’s “being everywhere” was understood analogically, not in the same way a physical object is in a place​ plato.stanford.edu. This careful philosophical theology preserved God’s simplicity (He doesn’t “spread” or divide) while upholding the truth that nothing escapes His reach.

In Islamic theology, we find a parallel emphasis on God’s transcendence coupled with affirmations of His intimate nearness. Sunni theologians of the Ash‘ari and Maturidi schools taught that God is “not a body, nor in a place, nor subject to time”, yet by His knowledge and power He is with all creatures ​en.wikipedia.org. The Qur’anic statement “He is with you wherever you are” (57:4) was interpreted to mean God is “omnipresent” in the sense of perceiving and governing all that occurs, without Himself being contained in the world ​en.wikipedia.org. A concise creed from this tradition states: “He is omnitemporal in the way that He is omnipresent… He is everywhere by His knowledge and power, and nowhere [in a way involving] place, direction or location, because He existed before space and time and is not subject to change.” ​en.wikipedia.org. Here again we see the distinction between God’s essence, which is utterly beyond the created order, and God’s attributes or actions, through which He continuously encompasses and sustains creation. Classical Muslim scholars often used the language of tanzīh (transcendence – declaring God free of anthropomorphic qualities) alongside verses that depict God’s nearness, to conclude that God is “closer to man than his jugular vein” (Qur’an 50:16) in knowledge and power, not in physical distance. Some mystical Islamic thinkers (e.g. Sufi philosophers like Ibn al-‘Arabi) went so far as to speak of God as the only true reality, with the world being a manifestation of God’s attributes – “There is nothing but God,” Ibn al-‘Arabi famously said ​en.wikipedia.org. This panentheistic tendency (seeing the universe as pervaded by God’s being) was controversial, but it poetically underscores God’s all-pervading presence. Mainstream scholars, while rejecting any literal identification of God with the world, still affirmed that God is present to every part of creation and directly cognizant of every event. In summary, classical theology in both Christianity and Islam converged on a vision of God as immanent in creation without being circumscribed by it. God does not need a physical form or location to be “entirely with us” at every moment – His mode of existence is categorically different from that of material beings, which allows Him to be accessible everywhere as an undivided, infinite spirit ​en.wikipedia.org ​plato.stanford.edu.

Physics and Cosmology: Extra Dimensions and Modern Models of Space-Time

While theologians approached God’s omnipresence in metaphysical terms, modern physics has developed models of the universe that intriguingly expand our notion of space and could provide conceptual analogies for how a being might be present “everywhere” at once. In contemporary cosmology and high-energy physics, especially in string theory and its extension M-theory, scientists hypothesize that the universe has more than four dimensions (3 space + 1 time). These theories propose the existence of additional spatial dimensions – perhaps ten or eleven in total – which are not apparent in everyday experience​thequran.love ​medium.com. For example, string theory requires six extra spatial dimensions (for a total of 10 dimensions of space-time) to consistently unite quantum physics with gravity. M-theory, a leading candidate for a “theory of everything,” suggests a framework with 11 dimensions (10 of space and 1 of time)​medium.com. If such dimensions exist, they are thought to be “hidden” or compactified – rolled up tightly at subatomic scales or otherwise inaccessible to our senses​thequran.love. One physicist explains that we don’t notice these dimensions in daily life because they might be curled up to extremely small sizes, or our observable universe might be confined to a 3-dimensional “brane” within a higher-dimensional space (often called the “bulk”) ​thequran.love ​backreaction.blogspot.com. In other words, just as a two-dimensional surface can exist within a three-dimensional space, our three-dimensional world could be embedded in a higher-dimensional reality that we typically cannot see. These exotic ideas are still theoretical – to date, no experimental evidence has confirmed extra spatial dimensions (they would likely require energy scales or precision measurements beyond our current reach) ​thequran.love. Nonetheless, they are taken seriously in physics as a way to resolve deep inconsistencies between quantum mechanics and general relativity, and they offer a fertile ground for philosophical imagination.

To visualize extra dimensions, scientists often use analogies. A classic analogy is to imagine a “Flatland” – a two-dimensional world inhabited by flat creatures. A three-dimensional being (like a human) could interact with Flatland in ways that seem miraculous to the flat creatures: by stepping out of their plane, the 3D being could disappear from one location and reappear in another without traversing the intervening space, or see inside sealed containers in Flatland (since the container’s interior is exposed in the third dimension). Now, apply this analogy to ourselves: if there were a fourth spatial dimension, an entity moving in 4D could similarly “pop up” anywhere in our 3D space or encompass many 3D locations at once, without being constrained by the linear distances within our space. Modern physics suggests something similar might be true on a grand scale. Our universe might be like a 3D “surface” or membrane floating in a higher-dimensional space. Indeed, brane cosmology (inspired by string theory) posits that all standard particles and forces (except gravity) are stuck to a 3-dimensional brane, while gravity can leak into extra dimensions – which is why gravity is so weak compared to other forces​ backreaction.blogspot.com. If higher dimensions exist, a being not confined to our brane could potentially access every point in our 3D universe more freely than we can.

Though these theories are complex, the core idea is that space itself might have more layers or directions than we perceive. If so, what we think of as vast distances or impassable barriers in our 3D world might be trivial to traverse via a higher dimension. For instance, two points far apart in ordinary space could be adjacent from a higher-dimensional perspective (much as two distant points on a paper might be adjacent if the paper is folded in 3D). Physicist and theologian discussions have noted that if one imagines God as existing in a hyper-dimensional realm beyond the familiar four dimensions, it could conceptually explain phenomena like His immediate presence in multiple places or instant knowledge of events ​math.brown.edu​. Science writer Michio Kaku and others have popularized the notion that a higher-dimensional observer could see our entire timeline at once – somewhat analogous to how God is often described as seeing past, present, and future in a single view. While mainstream physics does not speak of God, it does entertain the existence of unseen dimensions that permeate every “point” of our observable universe. Even though those dimensions are hidden, their effects might be felt in subtle ways (for example, in certain particle interactions or gravitational behavior at small scales). The key takeaway is that contemporary cosmology widens our understanding of the fabric of reality, showing that three-dimensional space could be part of a much richer geometric structure. This gives us a new vocabulary to think about omnipresence: rather than picturing a spirit somehow diffused like a gas in 3D space (which classical theologians rightly reject), we might picture God as operating in a higher-dimensional “space” that underlies and penetrates our own ​thequran.love. Such a God would not be limited by the distances or barriers that exist in our four-dimensional space-time. Notably, string theory’s additional dimensions are often described as all-pervasive – they are “everywhere” but curled up at each point of our normal space ​thequran.love. This resonates with the theological notion that God is present at every point; one could imaginatively say that perhaps God’s presence lurks in those unseen dimensional aspects of each location. While these scientific models remain speculative, they provide a striking parallel to long-standing religious ideas of an all-encompassing Deity.

Integrative Argument: Extra Dimensions as a Framework for Divine Presence

The convergence of theology and physics in this thought experiment suggests an intriguing integrative argument: If God is truly present in every place and moment (as scripture and doctrine assert), then perhaps the structure of reality itself accommodates such omnipresence—potentially through extra dimensions that transcend our normal space-time. In other words, the reason God can be “here” with me and simultaneously “there” with you, no matter the distance, is that God’s mode of existence operates on a plane (or planes) of reality that undergird all points of our universe. Just as a three-dimensional being can be in contact with multiple points of a two-dimensional surface at once, God could be in contact with all points of our three-dimensional world by virtue of a higher-dimensional presence. An omnipotent creator would not be confined to the limits of the creation; rather, creation would exist within the scope of the creator’s being or power. Extra-dimensional models offer a metaphorical “space” or framework in which God’s presence and knowledge can interface with the physical universe without God Himself being a finite physical object.

One way to articulate this is: omniscience logically implies some form of omnipresence. To truly know the exact state of every particle, every thought, every event in the cosmos at every moment, God must in some sense “be present” to all those things ​thequran.love​. Classical theologians would say God is present by His knowledge and action; in modern terms, one might say God has a kind of multi-dimensional access to every location. For God, the universe is not an expansive void that needs to be traversed – it lies “open to His eyes” entirely and immediately ​plato.stanford.edu. If we imagine the universe as a 3D tapestry, God might be conceived as the fourth-dimensional (or higher) reality that envelops and permeates that tapestry on every side. This would enable what seems impossible in 3D: containing or permeating the entire cosmos without displacing anything within it. In speculative theological language, God could be thought of as existing in a “hyper-space” that interlocks with our space at every point. This hyper-space is not empty but filled with God’s being, much as the Qur’an says “Allah is All-Encompassing (al-Wāsi‘)” ​quran.com. Thus, when God acts in the world – sustaining an atom here, listening to a prayer there – He does so not by traveling to that location, but by already being present on a foundational level of reality that touches all locations. Some writers have indeed suggested that “the existence of God as a higher-dimensional being explains these [divine] characteristics simply”​ math.brown.edu. From a higher dimension, God can survey every moment of time (past, present, future) at once and be simultaneously close to every space​medium.com. This does not prove God’s omnipresence, of course, but it shows it is conceptually plausible: if even physics allows for dimensions in which an object could have a kind of ubiquity, then a fortiori an infinite deity could have true ubiquity. As one analysis puts it, “God – as a higher-dimensional being – is only omnipotent, omniscient, etc. relative to lower-dimensional beings. The existence of higher dimensions clearly explains these powers attributed to God.”​ math.brown.edu. In this view, omnipresence and omniscience are not magical properties; they are natural corollaries of God’s multi-dimensional mode of existence. If humanity eventually discovers that extra spatial dimensions are real, it would dramatically underscore how reality has far more layers than our senses perceive. The believer could then say: See, a reality with unseen dimensions is exactly the kind of reality we would expect if an invisible God truly fills heaven and earth! ​biblehub.com.

To be clear, portraying God as utilizing extra dimensions is a theological model or analogy. It does not reduce God to a scientific entity; rather, it uses scientific imagination to illustrate how an uncaused, independent Being might relate to a universe of limited beings. It suggests a metaphysical harmony: the universe is a multi-dimensional canvas and God is the painter whose hand touches every part of the canvas at once. In such a framework, miracles or divine actions (like those described in scriptures – God “speaking” from a sky, or Jesus appearing in a closed room in John 20:19) could be thought of as manifestations of higher-dimensional intervention in our 3D world ​math.brown.edu. The integrative argument does not claim we can empirically detect God in extra dimensions the way we might detect a particle. Rather, it posits that if extra dimensions exist, they could be the conduits or “interfaces” for God’s constant interaction with the cosmos​ thequran.love. And conversely, the enduring theological claim that God is immanent everywhere might be seen as a sort of philosophical pointer that reality is more than meets the eye – perhaps as complex as the multidimensional cosmos of modern physics. In sum, the concept of extra dimensions offers a powerful metaphor: God as the ultimate Higher-Dimensional Presence, one in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), could literally underlie all of physical reality, unseen yet sustaining it at every point.

Addressing Objections

Any attempt to link divine attributes with scientific concepts faces serious objections. From a theological perspective, one might argue that God has no need of any “spatial” dimensions at all, extra or otherwise, to be omnipresent. Classical doctrine holds that God is spirit, utterly simple and unbounded – “neither substance nor accident, not limited or finite, having neither dimensions nor relations” in the physical sense​en.wikipedia.org. To suggest God’s presence “permeates” space could wrongly imply God is a part of the fabric of the universe, potentially undermining His transcendence. The idea of divine simplicity means God is not composed of parts or spread out in a medium; He simply is – wholly and perfectly. Thus, theologians like Augustine and Aquinas insisted that when we say God is everywhere, we speak analogically, not as if God were a gas or field filling space. The notion of God using extra dimensions might be seen as a crutch that is unnecessary at best and misleading at worst. God’s omnipresence, in the classical view, is a sui generis mode of existence that does not require a “container.” For example, William Lane Craig notes that traditionally Christians believe God “transcends space altogether”, so that “we shouldn’t think of God as some sort of invisible ether spread throughout space… one would rather say God is entirely present at every point in space, but not in a spatial way.” In light of this, importing the concept of extra physical dimensions might seem to compromise God’s immateriality. It could be objected that we are treating God as an advanced object within creation (just a subtler one), whereas orthodox theology posits God as the Creator on a wholly different order of being. A related objection is that this theory borders on pantheism or panentheism – implying that God is a kind of “soul of the universe” extended through space-time. The integrative argument must be careful to maintain that God transcends all dimensions (since He created them), even if we use dimensional language as an illustrative tool. Theologically, one can respond that extra dimensions are simply part of creation too; God doesn’t “need” them but could make use of them. The proposal is not that God is literally a higher-dimensional physical organism, but that higher dimensions provide a helpful analogy or structural parallel for conceiving how God’s knowledge and power relate to the world ​thequran.love. Ultimately, many theologians would prefer to say God’s omnipresence is a mystery rooted in His infinite being, not fully comprehensible via physical analogies. They might commend the extra-dimensional analogy as a pedagogical aid, while cautioning that God’s reality exceeds any model.

From the physics and scientific perspective, the objections are of a different kind. Firstly, extra dimensions remain unproven and perhaps unprovable. These concepts are speculative parts of cutting-edge theories. One might object that we are piling one speculation (theology) on top of another (higher-dimensional physics) to get a third speculation. As one commentator notes, current science has no empirical confirmation of large extra spatial dimensions – they “remain inconclusive, and such discussions are largely philosophical.”​ thequran.love. If future physics were to abandon theories of extra dimensions (should they fail experimental tests), would our theological analogy collapse? It’s important to stress that the validity of God’s omnipresence does not depend on any specific physical theory. God, in classical thought, could make Himself present in a wholly supernatural manner without need of dimensional mechanisms. We are merely using physics as an analogy, not as a rigorous framework for God. A scientist might further object that invoking extra dimensions for God is a category mistake. The dimensions of string theory are part of the natural order – they are spatial (or spacetime) in character, governed by physical laws. But God in monotheistic belief is supernatural and not constrained by any created dimension. In fact, some could argue it’s more fitting to think of God as beyond all dimensions (even the 11 of M-theory), rather than occupying one. By trying to “locate” God in a higher dimension, do we risk dragging God into the domain of scientific hypothesis, where He can be poked or measured? This certainly is not the intention of the integrative model, but the caution is valid: God’s relationship to space-time is unique and not fully analogous to any physical entity’s relationship to space-time.

Another scientific objection is that even if extra dimensions exist, their nature might be such that nothing like a mind or person could exist “in” them in isolation. The extra dimensions in physics are typically compact and unobservable; they aren’t “big roomy spaces” where a being could roam – at least not in most formulations. However, some cosmological models (like certain brane-world scenarios) do allow for large extra dimensions or parallel spaces. If one of those happened to be a kind of unseen bulk space coextensive with our universe, one could fancifully imagine that bulk as a “higher plane” where a spiritual being might operate. Still, this is admittedly stretching scientific terms for metaphysical purposes. Empiricists would point out that appealing to undetectable dimensions to explain God faces the same critique as any God-of-the-gaps argument: it isn’t testable or required by data; it’s a theological overlay. The empirical inaccessibility of God (He cannot be measured or falsified by experiment) remains unchanged whether we speak of Him in 3D or 11D. Thus, one might argue the extra-dimensional talk adds nothing of scientific value; it’s a poetic flourish that risks confusion between metaphor and reality.

Both sets of objections remind us to handle this integrative idea with care. Theologically, one must affirm that God’s omnipresence is ultimately a mystery of His infinite being, not a physical process. Scientifically, one must acknowledge that extra dimensions are speculative and, even if real, may not resemble our imaginative depictions. Our argument is not that “God must exist because extra dimensions do,” nor that “extra dimensions prove God’s presence.” Rather, we propose that if one accepts both the theological premises and the possibility of extra dimensions, the two together yield a coherent and enriching way to conceptualize God’s interaction with the universe. It’s an invitation to dialogue between science and faith, not a deduction in either domain.

Conclusion

Contemplating God’s omniscience and omnipresence in light of extra-dimensional cosmology provides a striking example of how the horizons of science can enrich classical theological understanding. Far from reducing divine transcendence, the notion of extra dimensions can amplify our sense of God’s majesty: it paints a picture of a reality in which God is present in ways even more profound than we imagined, operating in the deep structure of the cosmos beyond our perception. In an age when physics reveals hidden layers of creation – from quantum entanglement that links particles across space, to the possibility of multi-dimensional space-time – believers can find new metaphors to express ancient truths. The concept of God existing in a higher-dimensional “space” dovetails with the age-old affirmation that “heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain” the Almighty ​biblehub.com. It underscores that God’s immanence (nearness to and involvement in creation) need not conflict with His transcendence (existence beyond all creation). In fact, it beautifully illustrates it: God is “above” our physical world (transcending it in higher-dimensional glory), yet intimately “in” it (pervading every dimensional level of creation). We can think of God’s relationship to the world as analogous to an author’s relationship to a story – the author is not a character in the story’s space, but the author’s mind encompasses the entire narrative. Extra dimensions provide a kind of scientific poetry for this relationship, suggesting that the fabric of the universe is open to God at every point and moment.

Ultimately, whether or not extra spatial dimensions literally exist, engaging with the idea expands our intellectual canvas for talking about God. It challenges us to move beyond overly simplistic notions of “up in heaven” or “out there in space,” towards a more nuanced appreciation that God’s mode of being is utterly beyond our standard frames of reference. As one modern reflection noted, “The Bible presents a God who is omnipresent and omniscient… This aligns with the concept of a being who operates beyond time and space”​ medium.com. Rather than seeing science and faith at odds, we find them converging in wonder: both point to a universe more mysterious and multi-layered than common sense would suggest. The theologian can say – in language now resonant with modern physics – that God’s presence is “higher-dimensional,” fully encompassing the entirety of creation while remaining beyond it​math.brown.edu. This in no way replaces the spiritual understanding of God, but it adds depth to our imagination of His omnipresence. It encourages humility as well: just as flatlanders cannot fathom a sphere, we may never fully fathom God’s manner of being. Yet glimpses of higher dimensions give us a tantalizing hint of how God’s transcendence and immanence are not contradictory but two sides of the same reality – the transcendent God can be immanent everywhere because all of space and time exist within the scope of His supra-spatial, supra-temporal being​ en.wikipedia.org.

In conclusion, exploring God’s omniscience and omnipresence through the lens of extra dimensions is both intellectually and spiritually fruitful. It does not prove any doctrine, but it provides a rich conceptual analogy that echoes the proclamations of scripture: God fills heaven and earth​biblehub.com, His knowledge encompasses even the fall of a leaf ​islamawakened.com, and in Him all things hold together. Rather than diminishing the classical understanding of God, this perspective invites us to marvel at a God who is even more dynamically present than we may have thought – a God at home in the vastness of a multi-dimensional cosmos, yet closer to us than our own soul. Such reflections ultimately lead to awe and worship, affirming that the heavens (and whatever lies beyond the heavens) truly declare the glory of God.

Sources:

• Sacred scripture (Qur’an, Bible) as cited: Qur’an 2:115​ quran.com, Qur’an 6:59 ​islamawakened.com, Qur’an 57:4 ​en.wikipedia.org, Qur’an 58:7; Psalm 139:7–10​ plato.stanford.edu; Jeremiah 23:23–24 ​biblehub.com; 1 Kings 8:27 ​biblehub.com, etc.
• Augustine, Letters 187 & 137, on God’s non-spatial omnipresence​plato.stanford.edu​.
• Aquinas, Summa Theologica I.8.3 and Summa Contra Gentiles III.68, on God’s presence by power, knowledge, essence ​plato.stanford.edu.
• Islamic creed (Ash‘ari/Maturidi doctrine) on God’s transcendence of space and concomitant omnipresence by knowledge​en.wikipedia.org.
• Zia H. Shah, The Muslim Times, “From Omniscience of God to Extra Dimensions in Physics,” exploring how God’s knowledge implies omnipresence and suggests extra dimensions ​thequran.love​.
• Daniel Dillu, The Unseen Realm (Medium), “Multi-Dimensional Existence in Scripture”, connecting biblical visions to the idea of multiple dimensions​medium.com​medium.com.
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Omnipresence,” for historical and analytic discussion of divine omnipresence ​plato.stanford.edu​.
• Brown University project, “The Fourth Dimension and the Bible,” quoting W.A. Granville and others on higher dimensions explaining divine attributes ​math.brown.edu.
• Hugh Ross, Beyond the Cosmos, as reviewed by T. Koch, summarizing how modern physics (Big Bang, relativity, string theory) points to extra dimensions “in which God exists, moves, and works” ​half-air.com.
• General physics references on string theory and M-theory’s extra dimensions (e.g. Physics World on 11D geometry ​medium.com, Sabine Hossenfelder’s Backreaction blog on brane-worlds​backreaction.blogspot.com).
• William Lane Craig, Defenders Podcast (Doctrine of God: Omnipresence), distinguishing God’s transcendence of space​ and the pitfalls of naive spatial conceptions ​reasonablefaith.org.

These sources collectively illustrate the interdisciplinary narrative we have traced: from the scriptures’ transcendent imagery, through the subtle reasonings of theologians, to the imaginative frontiers of modern physics – all converging on the intuition that reality is permeated by the presence and knowledge of an ultimate, dimension-transcending God.​reasonablefaith.org ​thequran.love