All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad. 

Indeed, speaking about the essence of Allah and His attributes is a matter of great importance; consequently, a Muslim should not delve into it without knowledge. Rather, it is incumbent upon the believer to believe in general terms that Allah is the Necessary Existent, deserving of all perfect and majestic attributes, and transcendent from any resemblance to His creation. This is based on Allah's statement {which means}: 'There is nothing like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.' [Ash-Shura, 11].

As for the details, the description of Allah as 'distinct from His creation' is found in the books of the scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah. It can have two meanings: one is acceptable and the other is false. The acceptable meaning is that Allah is not like any of His creation, nor does He resemble them, nor can He be described as being above the world or that there is a distance between Him and the world. This is the intended meaning in the books of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah. As for the false meaning that the anthropomorphists intend, it is that Allah is outside the world in a specific direction, or distant from it by a distance.

The indication of these two meanings, and the refutation of the meaning of distinction by distance and direction, is found in the book 'Al-Asma wa al-Sifat'  by Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him): "...And that Allah is established upon His Throne, and that He is above all things, distinct from them, meaning that they do not encompass Him nor does He encompass them, and He does not touch them nor resemble them, and distinction is not isolation, exalted is our Lord Allah above becoming incarnate or being touched, in a great exaltation." Imam al-Tahawi said in 'Al-Aqidah al-Mujma' 'alayha': "And Allah is exalted above limits, ends, foundations, limbs, and instruments, and the six directions do not contain Him like other created things."

Some people may mistakenly believe that the statement of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, from the early and later generations, that Allah is 'distinct from His creation' and is neither inside nor outside the universe or above it at a distance, is contrary to reason and logic. This misconception is incorrect, because this statement is based on the assumption that Allah is a body, as the anthropomorphists claim. In that case, it would be correct to say that He is either inside the universe or outside it. However, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah deny that Allah is a body. Rather, they believe that Allah exists, exalted above any resemblance to created beings or physical bodies, and transcendent from the limitations of direction and location. If Allah is not a body at all, then it is incorrect to describe Him as being inside or outside the universe, because this is a characteristic of physical bodies, and only bodies can be described in this way. Just as a wall cannot be described as blind or sighted, because it is not a living thing and therefore cannot possess these qualities, so too Allah cannot be described with any of the attributes of physical bodies because He is not a body. Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: 'Know that we affirm the existence of an existent that cannot be perceived by the senses as being here or there, or we say: We affirm the existence of an existent that is not limited by any place or direction, or we say: We affirm the existence of an existent that is neither in the world nor separate from it in any of the six directions of the world. These expressions are different, but the intended meaning is the same.'  "

The correct Islamic creed requires a Muslim to believe that Allah the Almighty is free from place, direction, and limitation, and it is impossible for Allah to be a part of the world, residing within it, or to be a body that exists outside of the world, separate from the creations by distance, direction, or physical presence. This is because the doctrine of anthropomorphism (the belief that God has physical form) is false and implies the denial of the divinity of Allah.

In the book Al-Asma wa Al-Sifat by Al-Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi, it is stated: "If the name of God (Ilah) is affirmed, then any attribute that would negate it must also be negated. Anthropomorphism falls into this category; for if there is something in creation that resembles Him, then it must be permissible for Him to have the qualities that are permissible for that resemblance. If this is permitted for Him, He does not deserve the name of God, just as His creation, which is likened to Him, does not deserve it. It is thus clear that the name of God and anthropomorphism cannot coexist, just as the name of God and the denial of creation cannot harmonize. And Allah is the One Who grants success."

The correct Islamic belief necessitates that a Muslim believes that Allah is transcendent from place, direction, and location, and that it is impossible for Allah to be a part within the world, present in it, or a body outside it, separate from creation by a distance, direction, or sensory perception. All of this is because the doctrine of anthropomorphism (Tajsim) is false and necessitates the negation of Allah's divinity. In the book 'Al-Asma wa al-Sifat' by Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi , it is stated: "For when the name of Allah is established, then every description that would negate it must be denied upon its establishment, and anthropomorphism is one of these descriptions. Because if He has a likeness among His creation, then it must be permissible for Him to have in that aspect what is permissible for His likeness. Moreover, if that is permissible for Him, then He does not deserve the name of Allah, just as His creation, which is likened to Him, does not deserve it. Therefore, it is clear that the name of Allah and anthropomorphism cannot coexist, just as the name of Allah and the negation of creation cannot coexist. And upon Allah is our reliance for success."

Accordingly, the phrase "Distinct from His creation" as mentioned in the books of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah should be understood to mean that Allah exists, exalted and free from anything that does not befit Him, such as physicality, direction, spatial confinement, or any resemblance or likeness to His creation. It is not permissible to interpret it as meaning that Allah is outside the world in a particular direction or at a distance, for such an understanding contradicts the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah and their consensus. And Allah The Almighty knows best.