—namely the report from al-Khattābī, which Ibn al-Athīr relayed from al-Harawī—that the phrase is meant to teach proper etiquette when praising Allah, Most High: one should attribute to Him the admirable aspects of matters, not their blemishes, as a matter of reverence.

I say: This resembles what Allah, Exalted is He, told us about the jinn—that they ascribed good to Him while referring evil without naming an agent. The same pattern appears in the Opening Chapter of the Book: “Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray” (al-Fātiḥah 6–7). These noble verses guide us to the etiquette of supplication and praise: bestowal of favor, guidance, and every kind of good are to be attributed to Allah, whereas evil, anger, and the like are mentioned without assigning them to a doer—all the while knowing that Allah, Most High, is the Creator of good and evil alike and is characterized by both favor and wrath.

Al-Nawawī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Prophet’s words, “and evil is not attributable to You,” must be interpreted, for the creed of Ahl al-Ḥaqq holds that every created thing, good or evil, is an act and creation of Allah, Most High. Accordingly, the phrase requires interpretation, and five explanations have been offered:

1. It means that no one seeks to draw near to You by means of evil. This was stated by al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad, al-Naḍr ibn Shumayl, Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Abū Bakr ibn Khuzaymah, al-Azharī, and others.

2. As Shaykh Abū Ḥāmid reported from al-Muzanī—and others have echoed—it means that evil is not ascribed to You in isolation; one does not say, “O Creator of apes and swine,”