ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAlī al-Tamīmī al-Sūfī narrated to us, relating from al-Husayn ibn ʿAlī al-Dāmaghānī, who said: ‘Abū Bakr al-Zāhid was asked about knowledge of Allah and replied: “Knowledge of Allah is a name whose meaning is the presence of reverence in the heart that prevents you from denying His attributes or likening Him to creation.”’ Abū al-Hasan al-Būshanjī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Tawhīd is to know that He is neither like other beings nor devoid of attributes.’”

These are two sound statements, and Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah do not dispute this general principle.

Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī said: “I heard Abū Hātim al-Sijistānī say: I heard Abū Nasr al-Tūsī al-Sarrāj relate from Yūsuf ibn al-Husayn, who said: ‘A man stood before Dhū al-Nūn and said: “Tell me about tawhīd: what is it?” He replied: