If someone who affirms those attributes which in us are accidents, such as life, knowledge, and power, but does not affirm those which in us are parts, such as the hand and foot, says, “These are components and parts that entail composition and corporeality,” he is told:

“Those, too, are accidents that entail corporeality and conceptual composition, just as, in your view, these entail composition perceptible to the senses.”

If he affirms those in a manner that does not make them accidents, or holds that calling them accidents does not preclude their affirmation, he is told:

“Then affirm these, too, in a manner that does not amount to composition and parts, or hold that calling them composition and parts does not preclude their affirmation.”

If it is said, “These can only be conceived of as components,” he is told, “Those can only be conceived of as accidents.”

If he says, “An accident is something that does not endure, whereas the Lord’s attributes endure,” the reply is:

“A part is something that can be separated from the whole, and that is impossible with respect to Allah. The separation of the eternal attributes from Allah Most High is absolutely impossible, whereas a created being’s accidents and parts may be separated from it.”

If he says, “That amounts to corporeality, and corporeality is ruled out,” the reply is: “This, too, amounts to corporeality, and corporeality is ruled out.”