that is so, it is impossible for Him, exalted is He, to occupy a spatial location or be situated in a direction. The proof of the first premise is that, when a lunar eclipse occurs, if we ask the inhabitants of the farthest east about its beginning, they say that it occurred at the beginning of the night; whereas if we ask the inhabitants of the farthest west, they say that it occurred at the end of the night. We thus know that the beginning of the night in the farthest east is the very same time as the end of the night in the farthest west. This entails that the earth is spherical.

Our reason for saying that the earth’s being spherical makes it impossible for the Creator to occupy any spatial location is that, if the earth is spherical, the direction that is above relative to the inhabitants of the east is below relative to the inhabitants of the west, and vice versa. Thus, if the Creator were situated in a particular direction, He, exalted is He, would be below relative to some people. This is false by agreement between us and our opponent. It is therefore established that He cannot be situated in a particular direction.”

In response to this, it may be said: What he has stated rests on the earth being spherical and the celestial spheres being spherical. This much may be disputed by