Thus, if it is known that there must be a self-existent being possessing distinctive qualities shared by no other, [and requiring nothing external to itself for those qualities, then the supposition that every being with distinctive qualities must have a determining cause] distinct from it [is] a false, satanic imagining. This is of the same kind as what the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—mentioned in the authentic hadith when he said:

“Satan comes to one of you and asks, ‘Who created such-and-such?’ He replies, ‘Allah.’ Then Satan asks, ‘Who created Allah?’ If any of you experiences this, let him seek refuge in Allah and stop pursuing it.”

In another hadith:

“People will continue questioning one another until they say, ‘Allah [created] everything; who, then, created Allah?’”

This is because false, satanic whisperings do not stop at the Necessary Being, the eternal Creator. On this point, various groups have gone astray, coming to deny attributes that must be affirmed of Allah Most High because they do not know what necessitates His possessing them.

Moreover, they contradict themselves. The Mu‘tazilah distinguished between His being knowing and powerful and His speaking and willing, arguing that knowledge applies universally—for He, glorified be He, knows all things and has power over all things—whereas speech applies selectively: He says some things rather than others, since He speaks only the truth. Will likewise applies selectively: He wills some things rather than others, willing only what He knows will come to pass.

Others said to them: “Grant that this is so. But what necessitates His saying some things rather than others, and willing some matters rather than others? There must therefore be