The twenty-ninth point: He has offered no proof that necessary existence is incompatible with admitting of increase or decrease; instead, he has substituted a supporting argument from among his rational proofs.

The thirtieth point: Concerning his statement, “Some who liken Allah to His creation have cited this verse to establish that He, exalted is He, is a body. This is false, for we have already explained that His being One is incompatible with His being a body. Thus, the opening of this verse indicates that al-Samad cannot have this meaning. Moreover, al-Samad, understood in this way, is an attribute of dense bodies, and Allah is exalted above that.”

We reply: This is an appeal to counterevidence. You have not refuted what their evidence indicates, but have merely claimed that it conflicts with the surah’s denial of that meaning. Nor have you shown that this quality denoted by al-Samad is inapplicable to Him. The evidentiary force of something cannot be dismissed merely by claiming that opposing evidence exists, unless the opposing evidence is shown to be stronger. You have not shown this.