with respect to the meanings of the names and attributes, even if His modality is unknown, as Rabī‘ah and Mālik said: “Rising over is known, but its modality is unknown.” Some of them also said, “O You, none but You knows how You are,” and similar expressions.

This is the position of the early generations and the majority: the Lord—glorified and exalted is He—has a reality unknown to human beings, which they sometimes call māhiyyah and mā’iyyah (quiddity)