with His knowledge (1), and in another verse, “What prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My own two Hands” (2).

Then Ahmad (3) said, “So when it is said to them, ‘Whom (4) do you worship?’ they answer, ‘We worship the One who governs the affairs of this creation.’ We then say, ‘Is this being who governs the affairs of creation an unknown whose attributes are altogether unknowable?’ They reply, ‘Yes.’ We say, ‘The Muslims have therefore come to know (5) that you follow (6) nothing at all; you merely deflect reproach from yourselves by means of what you outwardly display (7).’

Later he (8) said to them, ‘In the question of the Divine Speech—as has already been mentioned—you have (9), simply by uttering the word (10), combined disbelief and anthropomorphism, whereas He is exalted (11) above such a description,’ until he (12) said, ‘They declared, “You will never be true monotheists (13) unless you say, ‘There was Allah and nothing else.’” We responded, ‘Indeed, we say: There was Allah and nothing else; but when we affirm that Allah…’"}