section—I mean the preceding section.” He means the section on divine transcendence, for he discussed divine transcendence after discussing the affirmative attributes.

He said: “For it may be thought that this question is, in some respect, included in the preceding section, because of the Most High’s words:

‘No vision can encompass Him, but He encompasses all vision.’ [al-Anʿām 103]

For this reason, the Muʿtazilah denied it and rejected the reports concerning it transmitted in revealed law, despite their number and renown. This brought severe censure upon them. The reason this doubt arose concerning revealed law was that the Muʿtazilah believed that He—glorified and exalted is He—is not corporeal, and that this must be stated explicitly to all those subject to religious obligations. In their view, denying corporeality necessarily entailed denying direction, and denying direction entailed denying vision, since everything seen lies in a direction relative to the viewer. This reasoning compelled them to reject the transmitted teachings of revealed law and impugn the hadiths