his unbelief. But those who ascribe a body to Allah do not hold this view, so their ascribing a body to Him does not entail their holding it. Do you not see that the sun, the moon, ants, and bugs are all bodies? Our acknowledging that they share in being bodies does not mean that we liken the sun and moon to ants and bugs.”

He said: “If by someone who likens Allah to His creation you mean someone who maintains that Allah Most High resembles His creation in some respects, this does not entail unbelief. Muslims agree that Allah exists, is a thing, and possesses knowledge and power; animals likewise have these characteristics, yet this does not entail unbelief. If by someone who likens Allah to His creation you mean someone who says that God is a body confined to a particular spatial location, we do not concede that there is a consensus declaring anyone who holds this view an unbeliever. Rather, this is a claim of consensus on the very point in dispute, and so it merits no consideration.”

I say: This statement of his concedes that Allah’s resembling His creation in some respects is a matter of agreement among Muslims, since they agree that Allah Most High exists, is a thing, and possesses knowledge and power. Accordingly, everything that exists resembles something else in some respects, since both share in existence