deep insight into conduct and other matters. For he speaks of hope in terms resembling those of the basest Murji’ites, at odds with the principles of the great masters who adhere to the Sunnah. He claims for himself the highest station in affirming Allah’s oneness, and Abū Yazīd and others have criticized him. His words resemble those of preachers; this is also the approach of Abū al-Qāsim and others like him.

The statement quoted above falls into this category. Not every attribute of Allah that he omitted from this answer is an attribute of a created being. Rather, Allah has many sublime attributes not included in these words. Moreover, if an attribute is deemed characteristic of a created being merely because the same designation is used for both, then this also applies to his words, “an all-powerful King” and “He is ever watchful,” just as the Exalted says:

“Lie in wait for them at every place of ambush.”
[Sūrat al-Tawbah 5]

Furthermore, his answer to “Where is He?” differs from the answer that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, accepted and approved, and on account of which he judged the person who gave it to be a believer. It also differs from the answer he himself gave to someone who questioned him. For when he asked, “Where is Allah?” and was told, “Above the heaven,” he accepted this and approved the person’s answer. He did not say, “This is an attribute of a created being.”

Shaykh al-Islām al-Ansārī al-Harawī, the author of ʿIlal al-Maqāmāt and Manāzil al-Sā’irīn, related in his book entitled al-Fārūq, through a chain of transmission from Yahyā ibn Muʿādh, that he said: “Allah is above the Throne, separate from His creation. His knowledge encompasses all things, and He has numbered everything precisely. None departs from this statement except a vile Jahmī,