by necessity that a being can exist neither within the world nor outside it. Even supposing someone made such a claim, it would not refute what the others have claimed. Rather, judgment would rest with someone other than either party. They must therefore all submit judgment to Allah’s revealed Books and the prophets He sent.

There is no dispute among people that the divine Books and prophetic reports indicate that He, glorified is He, is above the world more strongly than they indicate the negation of modality and quantity with respect to Him. This would give greater weight to the former position even if we supposed that these people had some evidence in revelation. How much more so, then, when all their scholars, and the scholars of earlier and later generations, know that revelation contains no indication—whether explicit or apparent—that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is not above the world! Yet it contains explicit statements and apparent indications that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is above the world in numbers that none but the Lord of all His servants can count.

Allah knew that people’s debates would reach this point, and that they would claim direct awareness and necessary knowledge—either truthfully, while being mistaken and unaware of the source of their error, or falsely. He therefore sent His messengers, revealed His Books, and commanded them to judge between people concerning their differences. Thus, disputes among human beings can only be settled through prophets and messengers, and their need for this is indispensable. Allah Most High says:

“Mankind was one community; then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good tidings and warnings, and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between people concerning that in which they differed.”
[al-Baqarah 213]

And He Most High says:

“If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Day