and misery after its separation from the body. They say: ‘If you may interpret verses and reports susceptible to anthropomorphic readings as referring to spiritual realities, departing from their apparent meanings, which concern corporeal realities, why should the same not be permissible concerning the gathering and resurrection?’ Thus, if by denial we mean rejecting the texts without interpreting them, we would have to exclude the philosophers from those who deny the Messenger’s truthfulness. If they are not among those who deny his truthfulness, they must not be unbelievers, since a definition must hold in both directions.

“If, however, we count those who resort to interpretation among those who deny his truthfulness, it is clear that not everyone who interprets a text denies his truthfulness. Otherwise, we would have to take all reports and verses at their apparent meanings, which would entail anthropomorphism, Qadarism, and mutually contradictory doctrines—all of which are false. Rather, one must regard