is called light because it is manifest; likewise, the sun is called light because it is manifest in itself and makes other things manifest through its radiance.”

Al-Ash'arī attributed this view—namely, the denial that He is Light in the literal sense—to al-Jubbā'ī in his al-Maqālāt, saying:

“Al-Jubbā'ī maintained that the Creator is the Light of the heavens, meaning that He guides the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, and that they are guided by Him just as they are guided by light and radiance. He also maintained that we may not call Him Light in the literal sense if He is not of the same kind as lights. For if we called Him that when He is not of their kind, calling Him so would amount merely to assigning Him a title, if the name’s meaning does not properly apply to Him according to reason and linguistic usage. And if it were permissible to describe Him as a created body