His actually uniting with a human being and indwelling within him, and that would be even more conceivable. Yet since Allah has categorically denied the possibility of seeing Him in this life, and has forbidden it through the words of His messengers—Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them—how could physical contact or fusion with a human being ever be admissible?

The sixth line of argument: If His indwelling in human beings were both possible and something that had occurred, there would be no reason for it to be confined to a single person, excluding all who came before or after. His power is all-encompassing, and the necessary conditions—namely Allah’s existence and the creatures’ need for Him—are equally present at all times. Thus, when prophethood proved possible, He sent more than one human messenger; when hearing His speech proved possible, more than one person heard it. As for actually seeing Him in this world with the physical eye, it has never happened to anyone, by unanimous agreement of Muslim scholars. They hold two views only regarding the Prophet—peace and blessings upon him—and the position of the great majority is that he did not see Him with his bodily eyes, as both the Qur’an and the Sunnah attest.

Likewise, since intimate friendship (khulla) with Allah is possible, He took Abraham as a close friend, and He also took Muhammad as a close friend. This is recorded in multiple authentic narrations in which the Prophet—peace and blessings upon him—said:

“Allah has taken me as a close friend just as He took Abraham as a close friend.”

He, peace and blessings upon him, also said, “Were I to take anyone on earth as a close friend …”