Third, regarding His words, “Whoever draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by a cubit,” either both instances of drawing near mean His mercy drawing near and coming close to the servant, or one of them means something else. The first possibility is impossible: if the two instances of drawing near were identical, the reward for the deed would be the deed itself, which is false. Thus, one of them must mean something other than the meaning he mentioned. Moreover, He said, “Whoever draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by a cubit,” making the second twice the first; they therefore cannot be identical.

Fourth, His mercy drawing near and coming close to the servant is not the servant’s own action or within his power; rather, it is Allah’s action. It therefore cannot serve as an explanation of the servant’s drawing near. Rather, his explanation of drawing near can apply only to the drawing near of Allah, Most High.

Fifth, at the beginning of this section, among the proofs cited by those who interpret these texts figuratively, he said: “Fifth, His words:

‘Prostrate and draw near.’ (19) [al-ʿAlaq 19]

For this drawing near is only through obedience and servitude.”

He has thus explained the servant’s drawing near as his obedience and servitude. It is therefore clear that his giving it a different explanation is contradictory.