people, in their finer points as well as their major aspects. As al-Sha‘bī said, “No one has introduced an innovation without its clarification being found in Allah’s Book.” Masrūq said, “Whatever we ask Muhammad’s Companions about, knowledge of it is in the Quran, but our understanding falls short of it.”

Since the expression “occupying space” is ambiguous and imprecise, various groups among those who affirm the divine attributes have refrained from affirming or denying it without qualification. Undoubtedly, neither its affirmation nor its denial is reported from any of the early generations or leading scholars. The same holds for terms such as “body,” “substance,” and the like.

This is because these are ambiguous terms that may convey either truth or falsehood. Most who use them in affirmation or negation intend a false meaning, particularly those who negate the attributes. For all who negate the attributes deny descriptions such as “body,” “substance,” and “occupying space,” incorporating into this denial the negation of Allah’s attributes, what His names truly signify, and His distinctness from His creatures. Indeed, when their position is examined closely, their negation is found effectively to entail denying His very essence. For it reduces the matter to an absolute existence with no reality except in the mind and imagination, or an abstract essence that exists only in the mind and imagination, or the combination of two contradictions by affirming attributes while denying their necessary implications.