affirmed both the attribute and the defect, whereas these people denied the attribute just as they denied the defect. They refute the Christians’ assertions concerning Jesus and his mother, saying, “The uncreated cannot exist within the created,” thereby invalidating the Quran. It cannot escape discerning minds that the teachings of their earliest and latest proponents are like the color-changing thread of a trick toy.

Listen now, people of understanding, and consider what superiority these people have over their predecessors. Those predecessors said—may Allah condemn their assertion—“Allah exists everywhere.” These people say, “He is not in any place, nor can He be described in terms of ‘where.’” Yet the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who conveyed the message from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said to the slave girl of Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam, may Allah be pleased with him, “Where is Allah?”

They said, “He is above just as He is below. We do not know where He is, nor can He be described as being in a place. He is neither in heaven nor on earth.” They also denied