He has set forth in His Book; for Allah has rebuked the idols on the grounds that they cannot return any speech and that they possess no power either to harm or to benefit. This is something known from the most self-evident dictates (1) of reason: to be unable to speak is an attribute of deficiency, and the one who can speak is more complete than the one who is incapable of speech. Whatever attribute of imperfection a creature disavows for himself, Allah—exalted be He—is even more entitled to be declared free of it; and whenever an attribute of perfection is affirmed for anything, Allah is more deserving of that attribute. Thus Allah is more worthy than living human beings of being declared far above the state of not speaking, and He is more entitled to speech than they are. He—glorified be He—is utterly transcendent above resembling the deficient, the nonexistent, and the lifeless.
(1) In his work al-Iydāḥ fī Sharḥ al-Ṣiḥāḥ (“Clarification on the Explanation of al-Ṣiḥāḥ”), the vizier Abu al-Muẓaffar ibn Hubayra explains that the Ahl al-Sunnah contend that when we affirm divine attributes and cite their related ḥadīths, we are merely using terms common to Creator and creature. They refrain from calling these “shared” (mushtaraka), since God has no partner; instead, God is al-mithal al-a‘lá (the Highest Exemplar), which serves as the primary analogy. Therefore, whatever perfections are ascribed to created beings belong even more rightfully to the Creator—He is more perfect, and He is the one who bestowed those perfections. The Giver of perfection to others is thus more deserving of those attributes than the recipients, for it is inconceivable that He would give and at the same time deprive Himself. Rather, by His generosity He grants creatures their perfections—such as life, knowledge, and power. Likewise, whatever defects are absent in creatures (such as incapacity or ignorance) are even more properly negated of God.
The Shaykh, may God have mercy on him, then clarifies the salaf’s use of this “first analogy” (al-qiyās al-ūlā): “This is a principle that must be known. When one affirms for Him perfections of life, knowledge, power, speech, hearing, sight, and so forth by this rational analogical method—where God is the Highest Exemplar—this constitutes a valid consideration.” The same applies when negating of Him partner-ship, offspring, incapacity, ignorance, and the like by that method. For this reason Imam Aḥmad and other imams employed such rational analogies when refuting the Jahmīs.
(1) In the printed edition: Bidaya.