and thus it follows that if He, exalted is He, were a space-occupying entity, He would be identical in nature to all other space-occupying entities. We say that this is impossible because two things identical in nature must share all their necessary properties. Consequently, either all must have a beginning or all must be beginningless, which is impossible.

If it is objected that a thing’s being located in a region of space and preventing anything else from being where it is are properties of its essence, and that sharing properties and necessary attributes does not entail identity in essence, the answer is twofold.

First: a space-occupying entity has three properties. The first is that it is located in a region of space and occupies it;