and nonexistence is impossible for His essence, so it is likewise impossible for any of His attributes of perfection.

As for “inability and impossibility,” it is said: If a person does not know the modality of his own soul or fully comprehend its reality, although it is the nearest thing to him—indeed, his very identity—then a servant is all the less able to know the modality of the Creator, majestic is His glory, or fully comprehend His reality. Hence the best of creation and the most knowledgeable of his Lord, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, in Your pardon from Your punishment, and in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praises; You are as You have praised Yourself.”

It is established in Sahīh Muslim and elsewhere that he would say this in prostration. Al-Tirmidhī and others also narrated that he would say it during the supplication in the witr prayer. Even if this hadith is open to question, the former is authentic and firmly established.

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As for the questioner’s inquiry, “Is it a substance or an accident?” the term “substance” (jawhar) is ambiguous. Clearly, the questioner did not intend the ordinary linguistic meaning of jawhar—although it has been said that the word jawhar is not native Arabic but an Arabicized borrowing. Rather, he intended its technical meaning in the division of existing things into substances and accidents.