and in front and behind, without end. For this reason, none of these is described as a limit or a direction. The direction of the Throne faces that part of the Essence opposite it; it does not face the entire Essence, for the Essence has no end.”

I say: His reconciliation of Ahmad’s two statements—affirming a limit and a direction on the side of the Throne, below, but not in the other five directions—contradicts his earlier explanation of Ahmad’s words, which accords with their explicit wording. There he said:

“He thus denied that He has a limit in the sense mentioned, namely one known to His creation. The passage in which he used the term without qualification is to be understood in two senses. First, it is said with reference to a specific direction: He does not extend in all directions; rather, He is outside the world, distinct from His creation and separate from them, not within every direction. This is the meaning of Ahmad’s statement: ‘A limit known only to Him.’ Second, it is an attribute by which He is set apart and distinguished from others. Thus He Most High is one and unique; none can share in His most distinctive attributes.”

He said: “We have disallowed speaking of a limit without qualification in several places