take up Ibn Arabī’s Fusūs al-Hikam (The Bezels of Wisdom), hold it in the highest reverence, and almost faint with delight in it. Thus, among the shaykhs of the Ittihādiyyah are those who show loyalty to Christians; perhaps they are even more loyal to them than to Muslims.

This being so, it should be understood that the discussion in this section is intended for its own sake: it distinguishes the people of monotheism from the people of heresy. The affirmation that Allah is above the Throne is something upon which all the prophets agreed, and it is mentioned in every book revealed to every prophet sent. The early generations of this Muslim community and its leading scholars, from all groups, likewise agreed upon it. All the groups that affirm the divine attributes hold this view, including the Kullābiyyah and the early