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Al-Rāzī said:

Sixth: Allah’s words:

“Wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.” [al-Baqarah 115]

And His words:

“We are nearer to him than you are, but you do not see.” (85) [al-Wāqiʿah 85]

I say: The verse concerning nearness is comparable to His words:

“We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (16) [Qāf 16]

This has already been discussed. As for His words, “Wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah” [al-Baqarah 115], he has not explained in what respect it is necessary to depart from the verse’s apparent meaning. He seems to be saying that its apparent meaning is that Allah’s attribute itself is there, whereas Allah’s attribute cannot be there.

This verse may be discussed from several angles. First, one may say something along the lines of what I said at one gathering, for this is the very verse that was raised against me by some of the leading