eye, then what is the other eye? And where are the remaining bodily parts? This necessarily follows from your statement if by ‘ayn (eye) you mean an individuated entity. If, however, you mean the essence and self—that in which individuation occurs—then you have made the heavens, the earth, animals, and angels themselves parts and portions of Allah. This is the doctrine of those Pharaonic heretics who profess the unity of Creator and creation, whom Allah has caused a curse to follow in this world and who, on the Day of Resurrection, will be among the despised.

He is therefore told: On this understanding, Allah has created nothing, nor is He the Lord of the worlds. For He must create either Himself or something other than Himself. His creating Himself is impossible: it is self-evident that a thing cannot create itself. Hence the Most High says:

“Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators?”

That is: Were they created without a creator, or did they create themselves? Hence Jubayr ibn Mut‘im said:

“When I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recite this verse, I felt my heart split open.”

Thus, they know self-evidently that the Creator cannot be the created. Yet His creating anything other than Himself is impossible according to their premise, because these things are parts of Him, not something other than Him.

(Point) Eight: He has made human beings the eyelashes of the eyelid of Allah’s reality. Yet they continually increase and decrease in number, die and live, and include unbelievers and believers, the wicked and the righteous. Thus, the eyelashes of the eyelid of Allah’s reality would be perpetually scattered, snarling, and corrupt. The polytheists, Jews, and Christians would be the eyelids of His reality. He has cursed those who made them His chosen sons; what, then, of those who make them part of His very self?