Thus, on this supposition, his statement that an existent is either located in space or not located in space is compatible with the first group’s statement, so accepting it does not undermine their position.

If, however, this is incompatible with the first position—such that saying, “An existent may or may not be located in space, and whatever is not located in space is neither inside another nor outside it,” means that those who say, “An existent can only be either inside another or outside it,” are asserting that nothing exists unless it is located in space—then this is what is maintained by those who say that He is neither above the Throne nor a body, as al-Mu’assis and his associates maintain. It is also maintained by those who say that He is above the Throne and is a body. It also entails the position of those who say that Allah is above the Throne with a limit.

On this supposition, the imams who said that no existent can coexist with another unless it is either inside the other or outside it, or that He is upon the Throne, would be affirming this position and that He was thus. It is known that these imams hold that clear reason precludes the existence of an existent that is neither inside another nor outside it. On this supposition, therefore, they would be saying that clear reason rules out