10. My father said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of Ibn Abu Najran, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Sinan that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq was asked to interpret the Word of the Mighty and High: Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision.

He explained: It is the comprehension of the imagination. Do you not see His Word: Verily, there have come to you clear proofs from your Lord. This does not mean the vision of eyes; whoever will therefore see, it is for his own soul. It does not mean seeing with the eye; and whoever will be blind, it shall be against himself.1 This does not mean blindness of the eyes. It certainly means comprehension of the imagination, like it is said: so and so has the vision of poetry, so and so has the vision of jurisprudence, so and so has the vision of coins, and so and so has the vision of clothes. Allah is far above visual perception.