say that He is infinite in every direction, yet does not mingle with things. Moreover, when they say that He mingles with things, they say: “This does not detract from His perfection, just as a ray of light is not impaired by being above filth.”

Although their view is false, as has been explained elsewhere, the point is that those who deny and say, “He is neither within the world nor outside it,” cannot refute these people’s view.

Indeed, one might say that the view of these proponents of divine indwelling is better than that of those deniers of the divine attributes who say: “He is neither within the world nor outside it.” Hence the saying:

“The theologians of the Jahmiyya worship nothing, while the devotees of the Jahmiyya worship everything.”

Some of them say one thing at one time and the other at another; others say: “This is my belief, and this is what I inwardly taste and feel.”

Only the people of the Sunnah who affirm the divine attributes and say that He is distinct from the world can refute all these views. As for these groups, their arguments against one another are inconsistent.

Thus, if they say, “We do not concede that He must mingle with the world, or we do not concede that there is anything objectionable in that. Rather, it is possible for Him either not to mingle or to mingle, without any deficiency or defect,” their position is of the same kind as the positions of the others, for they have affirmed what reason deems impossible.

If they then say to the others, “This is a judgment of the estimative faculty, not of reason,” then