who maintain that He indwells the saints and those whom they believe to possess sainthood, or some of them, such as al-Hallāj, Yūnus, al-Hākim, and others like them.

The second is particular union. This is the doctrine of the Jacobite Christians, whose doctrine is even more vile. They are the black peoples and the Copts, who say that the divine and human natures intermixed and blended like milk mixed with water. This is also the doctrine of those extremists who profess Islam and agree with them.

The third is universal indwelling. This is the doctrine that the leading scholars of the Sunnah and hadith reported from a group of the early Jahmiyyah. It is held by most of the devout worshippers among the Jahmiyyah, who say that Allah is in every place in His essence. They appeal to ambiguous passages of the Quran, such as His words:

“And He is Allah in the heavens and on the earth,”

and His words:

“And He is with you.”

Refutations of these people are numerous and well known in the writings of the leading scholars of the Sunnah, those endowed with knowledge, and the scholars of hadith.

The fourth is universal union. This is the doctrine of these heretics who claim that He is the very existence of created beings. Their disbelief is greater than that of the Jews and Christians in two respects. First, the latter said that the Lord unites with His servant whom He has drawn near and chosen, after the two had not been united. These people, however, say that the Lord has always been the servant and the other created beings, and is not distinct from them. Second, the latter restricted this to those whom they revered, such as the Messiah, whereas these people