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Fatwa CenterDetails about the Preserved Tablet
Question
Assalamu Alaykum,
What is the preserved tablet (al-lawh al-mahfouz)? Where is it located? When was it created?
Thank you
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The Preserved Tablet is the Book in which Allaah had written the predestination of His Creation before He created them. Allaah Says (what means): {Do you not know that Allaah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record.}[Quran 22:70] Ibn ‘Atiyyah 
said: “This (i.e. the Record) is the Preserved Tablet.” Moreover, the Prophet said: "First of all, there was nothing but Allaah and (then He created His throne). His Throne was over the water, and He wrote everything in the Book (in the heaven) and created water, the heavens and the earth.” Ibn Hajar said: “What is meant with Reminder here is the Preserved Tablet.”
As regards the location of this Book, it is in the seventh heaven, as stated by Ash-Shawkaani from some scholars from among our righteous predecessors. However, we are not aware of any authentic narration which clarifies when it was exactly created. However, it is confirmed that the Prophet said: "Allaah has decreed the destiny of all the creatures 50,000 years before He created the heavens and the earth." [Muslim]
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 88967 and 89025.
Allaah Knows best.
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