on this among the early generations of the Muslim community and its imams. They differed only over whether the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had seen Him, although certain speculative theologians, ignorant Sufis, and others unfamiliar with the Sunnah and the way of the community disputed this concerning others as well.

If he means that Allah is not seen in this world or the Hereafter, or that seeing Him is impossible, then this is the well-known position of the Jahmiyyah and the Muʿtazilah on this matter. The falsity of this position has been established by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the agreement of the early generations of the Muslim community and its imams—indeed, even by the clear dictates of reason.

If he means that Allah belongs to the category of intelligible things apprehended by the heart that cannot be objects of sense perception, then he should be told:

Purely intelligible things are universals. For when a person perceives certain things through his inward or outward senses, such as his hunger and thirst, contentment and anger, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, or what he sees with his eyes and hears