in time, in place, or in reality. The point here is that separateness necessarily rules out likeness. Since nothing is like Allah, glorified be He, in any respect, He must be completely separate in every respect. Thus He is separate from creation in attribute and magnitude, reality and direction, and in His beginninglessness, which distinguishes Him from beings in their temporal existence. Things are therefore separate from Him in their place, time, and reality, while He, glorified be He, is separate from them in His beginninglessness and endlessness, His manifestness and hiddenness. He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. He is separate from them in His attributes, glorified and exalted be He.

This is further supported by the fact that those who affirm forms uphold Allah’s transcendence above resemblance to creation more fully than those who deny them. For negations do not rule out likeness; rather, nonexistent things are alike. Likeness is ruled out only by positive realities. Thus, the more fully a person affirms what Allah’s names and attributes entail, the more fully he rules out likeness to Allah. It is therefore clear that these Jahmīs, who claim that their aim is to declare Him free of resemblance, are themselves the ones who have assigned Him likenesses and rivals, both in what they affirm and in what they deny, as explained previously. And Allah knows best.