Fourth:

It may be said: if what is meant is that everything other than Him is contingent, and the pronoun refers to the Necessary Existent—to Allah, who created all beings—then this merely explains the obvious. For it is well known that everything other than the Necessary Existent is contingent, and that everything He has created is contingent.

Fifth:

It may be said: the term “Face” in the Quran and Sunnah is mentioned only in the context of worshipping Him, acting for His sake, and turning to Him. It therefore serves to affirm His divinity and the worship and obedience due to Him, not His uniqueness as Creator and Lord. The former concerns the final cause, whereas the latter concerns the efficient cause. The final cause is the intended end, which is higher and nobler; indeed, it is an efficient cause of the efficient cause itself. Hence it is given precedence in such statements as:

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

And:

“So worship Him and put your trust in Him.”

The Most High says:

“He owes no one any favour to be repaid,”

“but seeks only the Face of his Lord, the Most High,”

“and he will surely be pleased.”

The Most High says:

“They give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive.”

“‘We feed you only for the Face of Allah. We desire neither reward nor thanks from you.’”

The Most High says:

“Do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face.”

Since this is so, interpreting the term “Face” in this verse according to what it denotes in the other verses is more appropriate than interpreting it according to what the word “Face” denotes in any passage of the Quran and Sunnah. Indeed, the former interpretation, rather than the latter, is obligatory; for this uses the term in a sense in which the Quran has not employed it, whereas the Quran employs it in a different sense wherever it is mentioned.

Sixth:

The term “perishing” means corruption and a thing’s departure from the purpose for which it is intended