that inhered in him. He then dies when that quality ceases, acquired knowledge after not possessing it, and may forget what he knew. He heard, saw, and spoke through bodily organs that may suffer impairments. Thus, applying these descriptions to created beings does not imply any likeness to the Creator, Glorified and Exalted is He, even though the designations of these attributes are the same.”

Abū Nasr also said:

“An Ashʿarī once addressed me on this question, saying: ‘The Eternal cannot be subject to division.’

“I asked him: ‘Do you acknowledge that Allah truly enabled Moses to hear His speech without an interpreter?’

“He replied: ‘Yes’—they assert this without qualification, misleading those unfamiliar with their doctrine. Yet truly hearing Allah’s speech from Allah Himself is impossible according to al-Ashʿarī’s principles. For created beings, given their natural constitution and the customary order to which they are subject, can only hear what is sound or has the character of sound. If it is not of this kind, one comes to apprehend it through a form of knowledge and understanding. These two sometimes take the place of hearing, since knowledge is obtained through them just as it is through hearing. Such apprehension may be figuratively called hearing because it is close to hearing in meaning. But actually hearing something unlike sound is not possible for created beings within the ordinary course of things.”

He said:

“I then said to my Ashʿarī interlocutor: ‘We both know that truly hearing Allah’s speech from Him is impossible according to your principles. There is no one here whom you need to be wary of, nor need you fear