But if he explains his statement, “A body unlike other bodies,” as affirming some other meaning while declaring the Lord free of characteristics peculiar to created beings, then the discussion with him concerns whether that meaning is affirmed or denied.

In this discussion, therefore, one must consider whether any characteristic peculiar to created beings is being attributed to the Lord. For example, someone might say, “I ascribe to Him what all bodies and substances have in common, just as I ascribe to Him what He has in common with all other existing beings and with every being that lives, knows, hears and sees, although I do not ascribe to Him anything peculiar to created beings.” Otherwise, if someone says, “He is living, but not like other living beings; powerful, but not like others who have power; knowing, but not like others who know; hearing, but not like others who hear; and seeing, but not like others who see,” or something similar, intending thereby to deny of Him characteristics peculiar to created beings, then he is correct.

But if he intends to deny the reality of life, knowledge, power and the like—for example, by affirming the words while denying the meaning that Allah has affirmed for Himself, which belongs to His attributes of perfection—then he is mistaken.

Once this is clear, the substantive dispute between those who affirm substance and body and those who deny them concerns two matters. The first is their disagreement over whether bodies and substances are all alike, on which there are two well-known views.

Those who hold that they are alike say that anyone who says that He is a body necessarily likens Him to created beings.

Those who hold that they are not alike say that this does not necessarily entail likening Him to created beings.