Abu al-Maʿali1 said: “So whoever2 affirms these scriptural attributes and holds that they are additional to what the proofs of reason3 establish, cites as evidence the Almighty’s words4: ‘What prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My two hands?’5
They argue: ‘There is no justification for interpreting the two hands as power, for all created things are brought into existence through power6; interpreting the verse in that way would nullify the point of the specific mention.’
He7 replied: ‘That is unsound, for reason judges that creation can take place only through power, or through the Agent’s being powerful8; therefore, there is no basis for assuming that Adam was created without power.’
The Judge9 said: ‘The verse affirms two hands as two distinct attributes, whereas power is a single attribute; hence it is impermissible to construe it as power.’10
(1) In al-Irshad, pp. 155–156. Abu al-Maali was the first to become known for denying the khabariyya attributes; he held two positions on their interpretation. In al-Irshad he endorsed the first view, then recanted in al-Risala al-Nizamiyya, where he forbade any interpretation and affirmed that the salaf were unanimous in this prohibition. See al-Aqidah al-Nizamiyya, p. 32.
(2) In al-Irshad the text reads “wa-min” (“and among”).
(3) In the S and T editions: “al-maqul” (“the reasonable”).
(4) In al-Irshad this refers to God’s rebuke of Iblis when he refused to prostrate.
(5) Quran, Sura Sad (38:75).
(6) In al-Irshad the phrase appears as “al-mubdiat mukhtari’a lillah ta’ala bi-l-qudra” ("the beings brought into existence are originated by God through His power").
(7) That is, al-Juwayni in al-Irshad; the passage continues without break from what precedes.
(8) In the original autograph (S) the verb appears as “yakun” (“is”); the reading preserved in the T edition and in al-Irshad is the affirmative form.
(9) Abu Bakr ibn al-Baqillani, al-Tamhid, p. 259 (translation rendered by paraphrase).
(10) Al-Qadi states in the same source, p. 259: “Had the intent of these two terms been ‘power,’ He would require two powers, yet you do not assert that the Creator—exalted be He—has only one power; so how could you attribute two to Him? Indeed, the Muslim scholars among those affirming the attributes have unanimously agreed …”