of nonexistence and cannot be seen. You reduce greatness to the great things He creates, but seeing created things is not seeing Him.

Second, he said, “I saw Him in the most beautiful form.” If you take this to refer to Allah’s attributes, meaning “with the most excellent attribute,” it follows that He could be seen with an attribute other than the most excellent. It also follows that He has different states in His essence: one in which He possesses the most excellent attribute, and another in which He does not. All this is impossible in your view, because it entails temporal events subsisting in His essence and His undergoing change.

Third, if what was meant was His attribute, it would follow that he had seen His most excellent attribute. Yet it is well known that his seeing Him in the Hereafter is more perfect, even if he had seen His most excellent attribute in this world.

Fourth, this would entail that he knew the reality unique to the Lord; indeed, he would have seen it, and seeing it surpasses knowing it. Yet the founder and others consistently maintain the contrary, citing the Prophet’s saying—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—“I cannot praise You fully,” and other evidence.