But we know that many who deny this are unaware of the necessary implications of their position. Indeed, many imagine that the literal meaning consists solely in the realities peculiar to created beings. Such people do not understand what literal and figurative meanings are, and their position misrepresents both language and revelation. Yet someone who denies a literal meaning may intend to deny that the attributes of the Lord—glory be to Him—resemble those of created beings. He should then be told:

“You are right to reject this false meaning, but mistaken in thinking that it is the literal meaning of the attributes with which Allah has described Himself.”

Such a person is therefore like someone who says: “Allah does not literally hear, see, or speak, because the literal meaning of these attributes is the familiar hearing, sight, and speech of created beings, whereas Allah Most High is far above that.”

He should be told:

“You are right to declare Allah free of resemblance to His creation. But you are mistaken in thinking that His literally hearing, seeing, and speaking would imply that He resembles His creation.”

Likewise, someone might say:

“If we say that He has literally risen above His Throne, this necessarily implies corporeality, whereas Allah is far above that.”

He should be told:

“This meaning which you have called corporeality and denied is also a necessary implication of your saying that He has knowledge in a literal sense, power in a literal sense, hearing in a literal sense, sight in a literal sense, and speech in a literal sense. The same applies to all the other attributes affirmed. For in our case, these attributes are accidents inhering in a body. If, then, you affirm them for Allah Most High while declaring Him free of resemblance to created beings and of the corporeality that such resemblance entails, the same holds for His rising above the Throne. There is no difference.”