the Eternal One. Thus, al-Qādī denied that it bore the false meaning claimed to be its apparent meaning. He called this its apparent meaning, adopting the usage of those who regarded it as such, and demonstrated through scriptural and rational proofs that this meaning was impossible. He cited nothing from Ahmad on this matter. His designation of this as the apparent meaning follows the usage of those advocates of figurative interpretation who called it such, for he based his book on that of Abū Bakr ibn