He said: “This is astonishing. They say that the essence of the First Principle is one, and that its names become numerous only through its relation to something, something’s relation to it, or the negation of something concerning it. Negation and relation do not entail multiplicity in the essence of that concerning which something is negated. The difficulty, however, lies in reducing all these descriptions to negations and relations.” He then presented the remainder of their position.

Abū Hāmid said: “They should therefore be asked: How did you establish that multiplicity of this kind is impossible, when all Muslims except the Muʿtazila disagree with you? What is the proof for it? For the statement, ‘Multiplicity is impossible in the Necessary Existent, even though the attributes described are one,’ amounts to saying that a multiplicity of attributes in Him is impossible. This is precisely what is disputed, and it is not