self-contradictory. As for the first point, denying both contradictories is impossible, just as affirming both together is impossible: nothing can be neither existent nor nonexistent. As for their self-contradiction, they must use some distinguishing feature to identify the One of whom they claim that both contradictories are denied, in order to predicate this denial of Him. Whatever they say must entail a negation or an affirmation; indeed, it must entail an affirmation. We have refuted them at length elsewhere. For this reason, many heretics do not go this far.

Rather, they say, as Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sijistānī and other heretics have said:

“We do not deny both contradictories; rather, we refrain from attributing either of them to Him. Thus, we do not say that He is existent or nonexistent, living or dead, knowing or ignorant.”

They should be told:

“Your hearts’ turning away from knowing Him and your tongues’ refraining from mentioning Him do not mean that He Himself is devoid of both contradictories. Rather, this reveals your disbelief in Allah and your aversion to knowing Him, mentioning Him, and worshipping Him. This is the true nature of your doctrine.”

Those heretics who claim adherence to Sufism and the realization of truth, such as Ibn Sabʿīn, al-Sadr al-Qūnawī, and others, and who say that He is absolute existence, on condition of being unrestricted by any affirmative or negative attribute, belong to the same category as these people. Yet they say that He is absolute existence, thus ascribing existence to Him rather than nonexistence. Then they say that He is absolute; but that which is absolute, on condition of being unrestricted by any negative or affirmative qualification, exists only