For this reason, the descriptions by which Allah characterizes Himself through negation generally entail the affirmation of something praiseworthy, as in His saying:

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

through to His saying:

“And preserving them both does not weary Him.”

Negating drowsiness and sleep entails the perfection of His life and His self-subsistence and sustaining of all. It thus makes clear the perfection of His being the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting Sustainer of all. Likewise, His saying:

“And preserving them both does not weary Him”

means that it causes Him neither hardship nor burden. This entails the perfection and completeness of His power, unlike a created being who possesses power but can accomplish something only with effort and difficulty: this is a deficiency in his power and a defect in his strength. Likewise, His saying:

“Not an atom’s weight in the heavens or on earth escapes Him.”

Negating anything’s escaping Him entails His knowledge of every atom in the heavens and on earth. Likewise, His saying:

“We certainly created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us.”

Negating any touch of weariness—which means fatigue and exhaustion—indicates perfect power and utmost strength, unlike a created being, who is subject to fatigue and exhaustion. Likewise, His saying:

“Vision does not encompass Him.”

He negated only apprehension in the sense of encompassing Him, as most scholars have explained; He did not negate seeing Him as such. For what does not exist cannot be seen, and there is nothing praiseworthy in its not being seen. Were that so, what does not exist would be praiseworthy. Rather, what is praiseworthy is that He cannot be encompassed even when He is seen, just as He cannot be encompassed even when He is known. Thus, just as knowing Him does not mean encompassing Him in knowledge, seeing Him does not mean encompassing Him in vision.