-
ArticlesOfTheIslamicFaithByGhazali, page : 138
when He never had any direction below Him when He created
mankind; for that will mean that He has feet, since below
designates the direction below the feet. Allah is far Exalted
(above His creatures) to have feet. All this is too impossible
(to imagine) in the mind. For whatever the mind conceives
is definite in so far as it is limited by place, in the same
way as substances are limited, or by substances, in the
same way as their qualities are. But the impossibility of His
being a substance or its quality has been established - consequently
His being subject to a direction becomes impossible.
If therefore anything else is meant by the term direction other
than these two meanings then the usage will be wrong in terminology
and signification; because if Allah were above the
mankind; for that will mean that He has feet, since below
designates the direction below the feet. Allah is far Exalted
(above His creatures) to have feet. All this is too impossible
(to imagine) in the mind. For whatever the mind conceives
is definite in so far as it is limited by place, in the same
way as substances are limited, or by substances, in the
same way as their qualities are. But the impossibility of His
being a substance or its quality has been established - consequently
His being subject to a direction becomes impossible.
If therefore anything else is meant by the term direction other
than these two meanings then the usage will be wrong in terminology
and signification; because if Allah were above the