Section

Al-Rāzī said: “Fifth, the Most High says: ‘Prostrate and draw near’ (19) [al-‘Alaq 19]. This nearness is attained only through obedience and servitude. As for nearness in a spatial direction, it is necessarily known that this is not attained through prostration.”

This may be addressed in several ways.

First, it may be said to him: Your aim is to establish that one must depart from the apparent meaning of the Quran. Yet the apparent wording of the verse does not mention to whom one is to draw near. Rather, He says, “Prostrate and draw near” (19) [al-‘Alaq 19]. He did not say, “Draw near to such-and-such.” You would therefore need to say: The apparent meaning of the Quran here is “Draw near to Allah,” and drawing near to Allah is impossible. Yet this is not mentioned in the Quran’s apparent wording; rather, it is an omitted, implicit element.

Second, the one to whom nearness is sought is omitted and must therefore be understood implicitly. Drawing near to Allah Most High must be either possible or impossible. If it is possible, the meaning would be “Draw near to Allah,” just as