For this reason, Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz was asked, “How did you come to know Allah?” He replied:

“By combining opposites.”

He meant that what would be contradictory in the case of created beings is combined in His case. Thus, He is the Creator of everything—the deeds of His servants and all other entities and actions, with whatever evil they contain—while also being just, wise, and merciful. He enables those of His servants whom He so enables to commit sins, although He has the power to prevent them, yet in this He is wise and just. He is the most knowledgeable of all who know, the wisest of judges, and the best of arbiters. He knows what is before them and what is behind them. It is therefore all the more fitting and certain that their knowledge cannot encompass what is greater than that. They asked about the spirit and were told:

“The spirit is of my Lord’s command, and you have been given only a little knowledge.”

It is related in the two Sahīh collections that, when a sparrow dipped its beak into the sea, al-Khidr said to Moses:

“My knowledge and yours have diminished Allah’s knowledge no more than this sparrow has diminished this sea.”

As for what is denied of Him and from which He is declared free, one category consists of whatever contradicts His known perfect attributes. Anything of this kind is denied of Him, as He says:

“Allah—there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.”

And He says:

“And put your trust in the Ever-Living, who does not die.”

Drowsiness, sleep, and death of any kind are therefore impossible for Him. It is impermissible to say of any of these, “It may apply to Him in a manner befitting Him,” because anything of this kind entails a deficiency in His perfection.