The tenth point is that his words, “He created Adam in His image,” or “in the image of the Most Merciful,” imply that He created and fashioned him in that image. If what was intended were the created, owned image—that is, Adam’s image, attributed to Allah to confer distinction—he would have said, “Adam’s image is Allah’s image,” or “The human image is Allah’s image,” or used similar wording indicating attribution alone, although even that would be problematic. But to say, “He created him in His image,” while intending only that his created image is attributed to Allah because He created it, is a manifest contradiction that the wording cannot bear.

As for the third interpretation reported from al-Ghazālī, namely, that “He created Adam in His image” means that the human being is neither a body nor corporeal and has no connection with this body except through governing it