Likewise, when Gabriel materialized to Mary as a well-proportioned man, whereas he was not a human, but rather he merely appeared thus to the vision of the eye. Hence, it is confirmed to us that certain things are seen contrary to what they actually are, and likewise our vision of the Creator was contrary to what He is. For the Creator—glorified and exalted is He—when He manifested Himself to the world of humans, they saw Him in a human form like their forms, and a body like their bodies. So that no one assumes that the Creator, glorified is He, is in the reality of His Essence formed in a human form like our forms, the Masters, glorified is their glory, and the monotheists have warned against this matter and said: "Indeed, His vision is other than Him," and that He, glorified is He, is upon a modality and form other than that which we saw Him by.

It came in The Book of the Paradigm and the Form (Al-Mithāl wa al-Sūrah) from our Master al-Baqir, glorified is his glory, that he said: "Praise be to Allah who appeared to His creation while He is other than His creation, and the vision of Him is other than Him."

And from him, glorified is his glory: "Everything upon which sights land is from Allah, yet it is other than Him."