—and they were many—“He is above the world; indeed, He is above the Throne, yet He is neither a body nor something that occupies space.” This is maintained by groups among the Kullābiyyah, Karrāmiyyah, and Ash'ariyyah, and by groups among the followers of the imams—the Hanafīs, Mālikīs, Shāfi'īs, and Hanbalīs—as well as the people of hadith and the Sufis. This is also the position that al-Ash'arī attributed to the people of hadith and the Sunnah.

Other groups among them said: “He is not above the world, and there is nothing whatsoever above the world, nor anything above the Throne.” This is the position of the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, groups among the later Ash'ariyyah, the philosophers who espouse negation, and the esotericist Qarmatians. Alternatively, they say that He is everywhere in His essence, as do groups among their worshippers, speculative theologians, Sufis, and ordinary followers.

Some of them say: “He is neither inside the world nor outside it, nor does He indwell it, and He is not in any place.” Thus, they deny both opposing descriptions of Him. This is the position of groups among their speculative theologians and thinkers. (The former) is the predominant view among their ordinary followers, worshippers, and those among them possessed of knowledge and deep understanding. (The latter) is the predominant view among their thinkers, speculative theologians, and those engaged in inquiry and syllogistic reasoning.

Many of them combine the two positions. When engaged in reflection and inquiry, a person maintains that both opposing descriptions must be denied, saying: “He is neither inside the world nor outside it.” Yet when engaged in worship and devotion, he maintains that He is everywhere and that nothing is devoid of Him, to the point that they explicitly affirm