“Those who assert it say: ‘When the Book, the Saying of the Messenger, and the consensus of the Umma all agree, no interpretation remains for the exegete except that of an obstinate or a denier.’” (Same source, p. 54.) As for the deniers, they are the Mutazilites. They marshal proofs that in fact undermine their own position, such as the words of Allah: “[Moses] said, ‘My Lord, show Yourself to me.’ He [Allah] replied, ‘You will not see Me; but look at the mountain—if it stays in its place, then you will see Me.’” (al-A’raf 7:143). The negators argue that “You will not see Me” conclusively denies any vision of God. The affirmers, by contrast, regard this very verse as clear proof that vision is possible. They point out that Moses (peace be upon him) is indeed a prophet, and had seeing God been impossible, he would never have asked for it. Moreover, God tied the vision to a possible event—the mountain’s remaining stable—thus demonstrating its possibility. Since Allah is capable of keeping the mountain firm, He is likewise capable of manifesting Himself to His believing servants, and vision is therefore permissible. They also explain that the denial “You will not see Me” applies only to this world (dunya), not to the Hereafter. Another proof often cited by the negators is: “They cannot encompass Him in knowledge, but He encompasses all knowledge.” (al-An’am 6:103). They interpret “encompass” (idrāk) here to mean “see,” so they take the denial of idrāk as a denial of vision. Yet the affirmers counter that idrāk in this verse means “comprehension,” so the negation concerns God’s incomprehensibility, not vision; comprehension is a higher faculty than sight, and denying it only underscores that Allah is seen but not fully comprehended. A further proof adduced by the negators is: “No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.” (al-Mutaffifīn 83:15). Here the affirmers employ a logical inference: Allah declares that the disbelievers will be veiled from His vision on the Day of Resurrection as punishment and as deprivation of a blessing that is the supreme joy of Paradise, in retribution for their disbelief and denial. If He punishes disbelievers by veiling them, it logically follows that He will reward the believers by lifting the veil from their eyes so they may see Him. For the Mutazilite position and their arguments, see Sharḥ al-Uṣūl al-Khamsa (Commentary on the Five Principles), pp. 233, 245; Dīvān al-Uṣūl by al-Nīsābūrī, p. 614; and the Salaf’s refutation of this proof and endorsement of its use to affirm vision in Sharḥ al-Ṭaḥāwiyya, p. 142; al-I‘tqād by al-Bayhaqī, pp. 46–47; and Ḥādī al-Arwāḥ by Ibn al-Qayyim, pp. 228–229. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him), exposing the incoherence of the falsehood of his opponents when they appeal to authentic proofs from the Book and the Sunnah, states: “I hold that one who nullifies an argument cannot legitimately invoke a correct verse or sound hadith to support his false claim, except in that very text which in fact indicates the opposite of what he intends.” Ḥādī al-Arwāḥ, p. 228. For further details, see Kitāb al-Bayhaqī wa Mawqifuhu min al-Ilāhīyāt (al-Bayhaqī’s Book and His Position on Theology), pp. 305–316.