His nearness is mentioned, on the grounds that such nearness is impossible for Him. Nor does the possibility of His nearness entail that every passage mentioning it refers to His own nearness. Rather, this remains a possibility, and the particular text must be examined: if it indicates one meaning, it is understood accordingly; if it indicates the other, it is understood accordingly. This is like the preceding discussion of the words denoting coming. Although, in their understanding, one passage indicates that He Himself comes, another indicates that He comes with His punishment, as in His words, Most High:

“Then Allah came upon their building at its foundations,”

and His words, Most High:

“So Allah came upon them from where they had not expected.”

Reflect carefully on this, for people frequently err on this point. When those who deny attributes and those who affirm them dispute an attribute and whether a text indicates it, someone may seek to make that expression—wherever it occurs—signify the attribute and bear that apparent meaning.

Then the one who denies the attribute says: “It did not indicate the attribute there, so it does not indicate it here.”

Some who affirm the attribute may say: “It indicated the attribute here, so it must indicate it there.” Indeed, having seen that some texts indicate an attribute, they classify as verses concerning the divine attributes every verse containing something they imagine is ascribed to Allah Most High as an attribute, such as His words, Most High:

“I fell short in my duty towards Allah.”

Groups among both those who affirm attributes and those who deny them fall into this. It is among the gravest errors, for the meaning conveyed in each passage depends on its context and the accompanying verbal and situational indicators.