And he who says 'When?

And he who says 'When?' sets a time limit for Him, and he who asks 'In what?' tries to contain Him. And whoever asks 'Where to?' confines Him, and whoever asks 'Till when?' indeed fixes (an imagined) goal for Him. Thus whoever fixes a goal for Him, limits Him, and to set a limit for Him is to disbelieve in Him. The discrepancy among the creatures does not effect any variation in Him, and the limitation of the limited ones creates no confine for Him.

He is One but not as number, and He is Manifest but not by was of associating; He is Evident but not by way of being visible. He is intrinsic but not by separation, and He is apart but not by distance. And He is near but not by proximity. He is (truly) subtle, but not in body, He Exists but not from nothingness. He is the doer but not under any duress, and He is the assessor but not yielded to pondering; He is designer without needing any movement.

He Wills without being driven by resolves or determination, He perceives without depending on any senses. He hears and sees without any organ. Time does not accompany Him, places do not contain Him, slumber does not overtake Him, attributes do not define Him, and implements do not benefit Him. His Existence precedes time, His Being precedes void and nothingness. His Eternity precedes all beginning.

By His creating similar things, it is established that He has no likeness, and by His creating dissimilarities among things, it is evident that He has no contrast. And by equation among things, it is understood that He has no equal. He contrasted light with darkness, severe winter with hot wind. He puts together things which are divergent, and separates things which are closer to each other.

Thus by separating, He guides us to its Separator and by putting things together, He guides to its Integrator. Allah, Most High, says (in Qur'an): 'We have created a pair, that perchance you might remember.' (51:49) The meaning of Sustainer applied to Him when there was no one sustained, and the essence of (all) Divine Power belonged to Him when there was no worshipper, and He was the Knower when there was nothing knowable.

He did not merit the meaning of being Creator after having created, nor did He become the Originator after having originated.