Section: A reply to the Christians’ objection concerning the Muslims’ affirmation of the divine attributes and why this does not entail assimilation or corporealism.

The reporter on their behalf said:

“I put it to them: ‘Our interlocutors say to us, "If your conviction about the Creator—exalted be He—is that He is One, what moved you to speak of ‘Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’? By doing so you lead listeners to suppose that you believe in three composite persons, or three gods, or three parts, and that God has a son. Someone unfamiliar with your theology will imagine that by ‘son’ you mean a child begotten through intercourse and reproduction, thus saddling yourselves with an accusation from which you are actually blameless."’

They replied:

“Likewise, when their doctrine concerning the Creator—great is His majesty—is that He has no body, no limbs or organs, and is not confined to any place, what prompted them to say that He has two eyes with which He sees, two hands which He outspreads, a shin, a face He turns toward every direction, a side, and that He comes in layers of cloud? By such language they give the listener the impression that God possesses a body with parts and organs, and that He moves from place to place amid clouds. Anyone unacquainted with their actual creed thinks they ascribe corporeality to the Creator; indeed, some among them have adopted that very notion as their doctrine. And whoever has not examined their belief charges them with something of which they are innocent.”