that He depends on something other than Himself without which He exists is like saying that He depends on something of which He, glorified and exalted is He, has no need. This is like saying, “He depends and does not depend; He is self-sufficient and is not self-sufficient.”

Likewise, if by “other” he means something that can be separate from Allah in time, place, or existence, then the spatial locus inseparable from His existence is like an essential attribute inseparable from Him: it is never separate from Him in time or place. We have already explained that an existent spatial locus may mean the encompassing boundary of the spatially located thing itself, or something separate from it that encompasses it. Neither Allah nor, indeed, any created thing depends on an existent spatial locus in the second sense. As for an existent spatial locus in the first sense, it cannot be separate from the spatially located thing in time, place, or existence unless that thing is itself split apart, in which case it would no longer be the same thing. Yet Allah, glorified is He, is al-Samad (the Self-Sufficient), and cannot be split apart or divided.

If he intends this meaning by “other,” the argument would amount to saying: “If He were confined to space and direction, His existence would depend on something inseparable from His essence, which could neither be detached nor separated from Him.” The same holds for all essential attributes. The meaning would therefore be like saying: “If He had an essential attribute, He would depend on it as the bearer of an attribute depends on that attribute.” This is one of