anthropomorphism, for they liken Him to the impossible, the nonexistent, and lifeless matter, while divesting the divine names and attributes of all meaning—an approach that ends up negating even the very Essence.

[The Bāṭinī School]

Their extremists go so far as to strip Him of both sides of every pair of opposites. They say, “He is neither existent nor nonexistent, neither living nor dead, neither knowing nor ignorant,” claiming that if they described Him by affirmation they would be likening Him to things that exist, and if they described Him by negation they would be likening Him to things that are nonexistent. So they negate the two opposites together—a stance that is patently impossible to the most elementary reason. In doing so they distort what Allah revealed in His Book and what the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, brought, and thus fall into a worse error than the one they tried to avoid: they liken Him to impossibilities. Negating both opposites is just as impossible as combining them; both are absurdities.

It is self-evident that existence must have a Maker, One whose existence is necessary—