of them is neither a body nor corporeal, but rather that neither inheres in what it governs, although it influences it—then this is a meaning that the wording does not convey in the language in which they were addressed. Nor did those addressed possess the knowledge needed to understand that meaning. Conveying this meaning through such wording would therefore fall outside the conventions of discourse: for them, it would be neither literal nor figurative. Figurative usage requires clear contextual indications establishing the intended meaning, yet those addressed had no contextual indication clarifying it.

The twentieth point: Regarding the meaning they claim—that the soul is neither a body nor corporeal, that it is not within the body, that its relationship to the body consists solely in governing it, and that the Creator likewise is not a body and His relationship to the world is one of governance—the response is that this can only be understood through an extended explanation. But the claim that the mere statement, “He created Adam in His image,” conveys and clarifies these meanings, coming from the Messenger whose duty is to convey the message clearly, is self-evidently false.

The twenty-first point: Their claim that the soul is not within the body contradicts the explicit texts of the Quran and Sunnah. It also contradicts what human beings perceive directly, especially at the time of death, when