and “Ibn Rushd”, and others. Their claims, however, are not unconditionally true. Demonstrative syllogisms concerning metaphysics are more numerous and superior in the writings of the speculative theologians than in those of the philosophers. Although the speculative theologians’ writings also contain many dialectical, rhetorical, poetic, and even sophistical syllogisms, these types are more numerous in the philosophers’ writings, and weaker, when their discussions of metaphysics are compared with those of the speculative theologians.

The purpose here is to present his account of the philosophers’ position on direction. These are his words in Manāhij al-adilla fī al-radd ʿalā al-usūliyya:

“On Direction. As for this attribute, the adherents of the revealed Law affirmed it of Allah, glorified and exalted be He, from the very beginning, until the Muʿtazilah denied it. The later Ashʿarīs, such as Abū al-Maʿālī and those who followed his teaching, subsequently followed them in denying it. The apparent meanings of all the scriptural texts entail affirming direction, such as the words of the Most High:

‘The Most Merciful rose over the Throne (5).’ [Tā Hā: 5]

And His words:

‘His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth.’ [al-Baqarah: 255]

And His words:

‘Eight will bear the Throne of your Lord above them that Day (17).’ [al-Hāqqah: 17]

And the words of the Most High:

‘He directs the affair from heaven to earth; then it ascends to Him in