‘Hand,’ and the attribute through which nearness is granted by being addressed ‘Face.’

They said: Since reason recognizes that direct involvement in creating and acting confers distinction, and that turning towards someone confers honour and nearness, an attribute must be affirmed for Him—glory be to Him—through which what we have described is possible, without direct contact or spatial alignment. Revelation therefore named one of these attributes ‘Hand’ and the other ‘Face.’ Whoever follows this approach says: Reason does not admit the possibility of revelation affirming anything beyond this. Any additional attributes mentioned in reports are conveyed through non-mass-transmitted reports, which do not yield certain knowledge; such reports cannot establish an eternal attribute. If any such report is established through a means that yields certain knowledge, it is interpreted as referring to an act.”

He said: “Others said that these attributes are established solely through revelation, with reason playing no role in this. When they are asked: ‘If revelation could affirm attributes for which reason provides no evidence, one could not be sure that Allah has no attributes which revelation has not mentioned and which have not become known. Anyone holding this position would also have to admit the possibility of revelation ascribing all human attributes to Allah Most High, since none of them would resemble His attribute.’

Their answer is: ‘When Allah informed the believers of His perfect attributes, He deemed them to possess faith in its fullness upon knowing those attributes. He therefore cannot have another attribute for which there is no means of knowing, since it is impossible for a believer to be a believer deserving praise if