when they are made to stand before their Lord.’ [al-An‘ām: 30]

And He said:

‘If only you could see when the criminals hang their heads before their Lord.’ [al-Sajdah: 12]

And He, exalted be He, said:

‘They will be presented before your Lord in rows.’ [al-Kahf: 48]

All of this indicates that He is not within His creation, nor is His creation within Him, and that He is established over His Throne. Glory be to Him, and far exalted is He above what the wrongdoers say—those whose descriptions of Him affirm no reality for Him, and whose references to Him establish no oneness. All their statements ultimately amount to denying His attributes, and all their descriptions indicate negation. They seek thereby—or so they claim—to declare Him free of imperfection and exclude any likeness to creation. We therefore seek refuge in Allah from declaring Him free of imperfection in a way that entails negation and denial of His attributes.”

I say: He thus argued that Allah is not within creation on the basis of His words, exalted be He:

‘If only you could see when they are made to stand before their Lord.’ [al-An‘ām: 30]

And His words:

‘Then they are returned to Allah, their true Master.’ al-An‘ām: [62]

And His words, exalted be He:

‘Hanging their heads before their Lord.’ [al-Sajdah: 12]

And His words:

‘They will be presented before your Lord in rows.’ [al-Kahf: 48]

For if His relation to all places were the same, without His being specifically above them, He would be within those returned just as He would be within the One to whom they are returned, and within