attribute to Him the properties of hearing and sight also establishes the obligation to attribute to Him the properties associated with perception. Yet the Lord Most High is far above being one who smells, tastes, or touches, for these attributes imply various kinds of contact, above which the Lord is exalted; they do not indicate perception as such. A person may say, ‘I smelled an apple but did not perceive its scent.’ If smelling indicated perception, this would be equivalent to saying, ‘I perceived its scent but did not perceive it.’ The same applies to tasting and touching.”

I said: Any inconsistency on their part—if they are indeed inconsistent—does not entail denying the vision of Allah, which is affirmed by texts transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through numerous independent chains.

And I said: As for the succession of temporal events, they denied it on the grounds that a beginningless series of events is impossible. If this distinction is sound, well and good; otherwise, they must consistently allow the possibility, as others who do not rule it out have done.