Have you not seen those who praise themselves for purity?, that is, [those] who remove the attributes of their souls through their own souls, which is not possible, just as it is not possible for one of us to bear [the burden of] his soul, since these [attributes] are concomitants of the soul, subsisting and adhering to it, which is why God, exalted be He, says And whoever is saved from the avarice of his own soul [Q. 59:9], since the vile traits are kneaded into it, subsisting [in it] as long as it subsists. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: 'The worst of people is the one who is still alive when the resurrection takes place'; that is, he has stopped at the knowledge of the Oneness but his soul has not found death in annihilation so that it might then find life in God. Such a person in that case is a heretic who permits violation of the law in all things (ibāḥa). Nay, God purifies whom He will, effacing his attributes by eliminating them with His attributes, exalted be He; and they shall not be wronged, a single date-thread, in other words, they shall not have even the smallest thing of their attributes and what is due to these [attributes] diminished. For God does not take anything from them, despite their feebleness and the speed with which they are extinguished, until He gives the equivalent in return from His attributes, despite their power and everlastingness.