As for the argument establishing the case directly, it is as follows: If temporally originated attributes could subsist in the Essence of the Lord, exalted is He, this would either entail a deficiency in His Essence or in one of His attributes, or entail no such deficiency. The first possibility is impossible by the agreement of all rational people and adherents of religions. If the second possibility holds, then the attribute must either be an attribute of perfection in itself or not be an attribute of perfection.

The former cannot be maintained, for otherwise the Lord, exalted is He, would have been deficient before possessing that attribute, which is also impossible by agreement. Nor can the latter be maintained, for two reasons. First, before the emergence of the Karrāmiyyah, the Muslim community and adherents of religions agreed that the Lord cannot possess anything other than attributes of perfection and qualities of majesty. Second, the existence of anything is nobler than its nonexistence. Thus, if the Lord’s possessing these attributes entails no deficiency in His Essence or in any attribute