Chapter Five: Does the Negation of Physical Form Imply a Negation of Existence and a Denial of Manifestation?

We have stated in the preceding chapter that the Creator, glorified is He, is transcended above physical form and formal configuration; for this reason, we must negate the bounded form through which we perceived Him.

If an objector should challenge us, asking: "How is it permissible for us to negate the form that we have witnessed with our own eyes? Is this not an outright negation of existence, a denial of manifestation, and an invalidation of it—Allah forbid?"

We reply to this objector: Indeed, transcending the Creator, glorified is He, above physical form, formal configuration, body, and embodiment does not mean that we negate the witnessed form itself—which is the Sublime Essence—nor that we deny its existence or invalidate its manifestation (Allah forbid!). Rather, we only negate the physical outlines, shapes, configurations, and human states that we perceived by means of that form.

The Master al-Makzun clearly demonstrated this in his saying, Allah sanctified his secret: