that the sages’ doctrine affirms Allah’s being above created things, even though they interpret seeing Allah as an increase in knowledge and hold that the Quran’s letters were created within the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and other such views. Thus, al-Ash‘arī did not undertake [a refutation] of them that would make the Mu‘tazila’s openly expressed disagreement on this matter widely known and expose their contradictions concerning it. Consequently, opposing them on this matter did not become a defining feature of his school. Rather, he agreed with them on certain principles. Some of his followers said that these principles necessarily entail denying Allah’s being above the Throne, although al-Ash‘arī and the leading scholars among his followers did not say this.

People of knowledge, understanding, reason, and insight have recognized that the principles on which he agreed with them entail their conclusions more strongly in the matters on which he openly opposed them than in those on which his opposition to them was not widely known. For this reason, most people—both those who affirm and those who deny the divine attributes—regard those who affirm seeing Allah, His speech, and other such matters while denying His being above the Throne as among the most self-contradictory people, whether judged by the revealed Law and the Sunnah or by reason and analogy. Hence, [those who] pursued these questions thoroughly among them, such as al-Rāzī and others like him, inwardly incline toward denial in the question of seeing Allah as well, and in other matters.