just as Allah Most High governs the world without dwelling within it, this would not encompass the face. For the face is part of the body governed by the soul, and would thus resemble a part of the world governed by Allah Most High; it would not be included in the soul that Allah Most High created in His image. That being so, the prohibition against striking the face could not properly be explained by a reason that does not apply to it.

Second, if this were what was intended, it would have been said: “Do not distress a human being, grieve him, or cause him anguish, for Allah created him in His image.” The prohibition would then concern tormenting the soul, which resembles the Lord in the respect he mentioned—if what he said were true.

Third, the claim that the soul is the true essence of the human being and that it was created in Allah’s image is not specific to the face, but applies equally to the rest of the body, since the soul governs the entire body. There would therefore be no reason to single out the face for a prohibition against striking and reviling it on that account. Rather, it must be said: either the soul’s having been created in Allah’s image entails prohibiting the striking and reviling of whatever it governs, or it does not. If it does, then striking every part of the human body would have to be prohibited