And He says:

“So say, ‘You will never go out with me, nor will you ever fight an enemy with me. You were content to stay behind the first time, so remain with those who stay behind.’” [Surah al-Tawbah: 83]

And He says:

“They were content to be with those who stay behind.” [Surah al-Tawbah: 87]

And He says:

“But the Messenger and those who believed with him strove with their wealth and their lives.” [Surah al-Tawbah: 88]

Examples of this abound in the speech of Allah Most High and in Arabic speech generally.

If the word “with,” when used of one created being being with another, does not indicate that their essences intermingle, then all the more so does it not indicate this with respect to the Creator.

The claim that this is its apparent meaning is therefore false for two reasons:

First: This is not its meaning (1) in the language, nor is there anything accompanying it in actual usage that would make this its apparent meaning. Thus, such an apparent meaning is absent (2) in every respect.

Second: If this apparent meaning is absent where it would be more readily applicable, then all the more so must it be absent where it would be less applicable.

Second (3): The Quran speaks of Allah’s being with particular people more often than of His being with everyone. If what was meant were the intermingling of His essence with created beings, it would be general and could not be restricted to particular people.

Third (4): The context of the passage, from beginning to end, indicates the meaning of this being-with, as