and, accordingly, these souls neither know that Allah has a side nor acknowledge it, as is evident from their condition in this world. How, then, can the apparent meaning of the Quran be that Allah has stated this about Himself, when He says, in recounting their words:

“Alas for my neglect of my duty to Allah!”

They thus placed neglect in Allah’s janb (side). Neglect is an act or an omission, and neither can inhere in Allah’s essence, whether in a side or elsewhere. Rather, it exists apart from Allah. This is known through sense perception and observation.

The apparent meaning of the Quran therefore indicates that someone saying, “Alas for my neglect of my duty to Allah!” is not placing his action or omission within a side counted among Allah Most High’s attributes and parts. Where, then, does the apparent meaning of the Quran state that Allah has only one side, in the sense of a flank?

It may, however, be argued that the Quran affirms Allah Most High’s janb and affirms neglect within it. The presence of some latitude and figurative usage concerning what is placed within it does not entail that the janb itself is being referred to with the same latitude and figurative usage. This is comparable to His words, Most High:

“In His hand is dominion.”
[al-Mulk 1]

There are two things here: the hand, and dominion being in it. Hence their disagreement over affirming this as an attribute of Allah.