the acceptance of Islam by Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī, Saʿd, Saʿīd, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, and all (1) the Emigrants and the Helpers, together with the many delegations that entered Allah’s religion in crowds. It is clear that not one of them came to know Allah—mighty and majestic—except by believing in the prophets, the hallmarks (2) of prophethood, and the proofs of messengership, never through motion or rest (3), nor through the categories of whole and part, nor through the notions of “was” and “will be.” Had reflection on motion and rest been obligatory for them, and had the affirmation or negation of a body—and likewise the affirmation or negation of tashbīh (anthropomorphism)—(4) been binding, they would not have neglected it; and had they neglected an obligation, the Qur’an would not have spoken (5) in their praise, extolled their precedence, or elaborated in lauding and exalting them. Moreover, had such matters (6) been well known within their sciences (7) or recognized among (8) their character traits, they would have been widely transmitted from them and they would have become famed (9) for them just as they became famed for the Qur’an and the transmitted reports (10).”

The sixtieth consideration is that (11) his statement, “The Lord is one, characterized by oneness, sanctified above division and partition,” and Ibn Furak’s remark, “for the Lord is a single speaker,” along with similar phrases in which they describe the Lord as one and give people the impression that they