The eighth argument is His statement: “If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself.” Remembrance is speech and utterance. Whether inward remembrance or spoken expression is intended, in either case it subsists only in the one who remembers—in his own self and very being—not in one of his attributes. Thus, Allah’s remembrance subsists in Allah Himself, and the servant’s remembrance of Allah subsists in the servant himself.

The ninth argument concerns His statement: “If he remembers Me within himself.” If what is meant here is the servant’s own self and essence, then the same applies to the other expression.

The tenth argument is his statement in the authentic hadith: “When Allah completed creation, He wrote with His hand, making it binding upon Himself: ‘My mercy prevails over My anger.’” He does not write this as binding upon an attribute of His, such as life or continuance; rather, He writes it as binding upon Himself.

If they say: “If ‘self’ may be understood as ‘essence,’ then ‘life’ and ‘continuance’ may likewise be understood as ‘essence.’ Thus, one may speak of a living essence and an enduring essence. We and those who affirm the attributes agree that He is living by virtue of life and enduring by virtue of continuance. Likewise, He may be an essence by virtue of a self.”

The answer is that what “life” and “continuance” denote is an attribute, whereas