[and He would have possessed] 1 the reality of flesh and blood, making death by slaying permissible upon Him. But if he says, "It possessed no ultimate reality," his belief regarding the form is invalidated, because anything that lacks an ultimate reality [cannot have its existence established] 2 . Furthermore, if a questioner says, "Indeed, the Meaning cast his likeness upon the Adversary (al-didd) at the time of occultation," we reply to him: This is impossible, because the Adversary at that specific time was the very slayer himself!
Moreover, the Sheikh Abu Abdillah, may God sanctify him, did not establish any illusory likeness (shabahan) for these seven stations; rather, likenesses occurred exclusively within the exemplary manifestations (al-zuhurat al-mithliyyah). To which of the two, then, does the pointer of designation apply? Does it apply to the discarded form that manifested the slaying, or to the new, speaking station, which is Shith, His glory is magnificent?