Foundations of God's Essence

According to Imam al-Ghazali in his Jerusalem Epistle, the first pillar of Iman one must learn is recognizing God’s essence. This is done through learning ten foundations:

1. Knowledge of God’s existence.
2. Knowledge of God’s beginninglessness.
3. Knowledge of God’s endlessness.
4. Knowledge that God is not a substance.
5. Knowledge that God is not a body.
6. Knowledge that God is not an accident.
7. Knowledge that God is not in any direction.
8. Knowledge that God is not resident in any place.
9. Knowledge that God can be seen.
10. Knowledge that God is One.