consensus (1). Rather, they have opposed, with their corrupt opinion (2), what has been mass-transmitted from the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and his followers among the Emigrants, the Helpers, and those who followed them with excellence (3).

As for inconsistency, these deniers of the vision say: “He exists neither within the world nor outside it (4), nor is He separate and distinct from it. He does not draw near to anything, nor does anything draw near to Him (5). No one sees Him, and nothing in particular, as opposed to anything else (7), screens Him from sight (6). Nothing ascends to Him, and nothing descends from Him,” and other similar claims.

When it is said to them (8), “This contradicts reason. It is the description of something known to be nonexistent and impossible to exist,” they reply, “This negation is a judgment of the faculty of imagination.”

They are therefore told: “When the mind is presented with an existent that is not a body, subsists in itself, and can be seen, it accepts this and does not reject it. If it is further said, ‘It can be seen without being face-to-face,’ then, if this is said to be possible, their position is invalidated. But if it is said, ‘This is something reason precludes,’ the reply is: ‘Reason precludes what you have deemed existent and necessary (9) even more strongly.’”