a form or shape, nor can we do so for the faculty of sight or the other faculties.

Fourth: The intellect conceives of negation and affirmation, then judges them to be contradictory, yet it does not judge that one permeates the other, is spatially separate from it, or is neither permeating nor separate.

Moreover, we find that the intellect suspends judgment concerning the third possibility unless there is a proof establishing or denying it. The intellect also apprehends the essential natures of the various numerical ranks, although it cannot judge that any one of them has such-and-such a subject and such-and-such a magnitude.

Having understood this, we say: What is meant by a thing’s being situated in a direction and place is that it can be pointed to physically as being here or there. The world is situated in a direction and place in this sense. If the Creator is likewise, He would necessarily be touching the world or aligned with it.

The Karrāmiyyah then said that He, exalted is He, is situated in the direction above, either touching the Throne or separated from it by a finite distance—the view of most of their groups—or separated from it by an infinite distance—the view of the Haysamiyyah. This is inconceivable if one affirms direction,