created in the image of Allah, which is the world; it also establishes the falsity of his being a deputy acting on Allah’s behalf. As for the arguments specifically refuting these people and exposing their unbelief and misguidance, these are set out elsewhere. Indeed, on their own premises, Adam cannot have been created in Allah’s image, since their premises do not allow for two distinct beings in existence, one the Creator and the other created. Rather, according to them, the Creator is the created.

Moreover, the Prophet said, “Do not revile the face, for Allah created Adam in His image.” He thus forbade reviling the face because Adam was created in Allah’s image. Yet according to them, the existence of every being is identical to the existence of the Lord, and every instance of reviling, cursing, insulting, and censuring in the world is directed at the Lord, just as every instance of praise and supplication is directed at Him. In their view, He is the one who supplicates and the one prayed for, the one who curses and the one cursed, the one who insults and the one insulted, the killer and the killed, and the one who has intercourse and the one with whom intercourse is had. On their view, therefore, it is inconceivable that any particular thing should be singled out as forbidden to revile because it is in Allah’s image: nothing exists, whether reviled or not, that is not, according to them, part of Allah’s image.

Likewise, his words, “Let none of you say, ‘May Allah disfigure your face and the face of whoever