the purpose here is to explain the heresy of the Jahmiyyah, who deny the divine names and attributes. These people deny the realities signified by Allah’s most beautiful names, claiming that He is called by them only figuratively, that they refer to something other than Him, or that their meanings are unknown. Their obfuscation rests on their assumption that applying these names entails a resemblance that must be denied. This is why Muslims have discussed this subject so extensively. It has been treated at length elsewhere.

[Al-Juwaynī’s discussion of the attributes of Allah Most High]

Establishing the truth of this matter is among the greatest foundations of religion. As Abū al-Ma‘ālī al-Juwaynī said in al-Irshād: “Among the attributes of the Eternal One is His dissimilarity to created things: the Lord resembles none of them, nor does any of them resemble Him.”

He said:

“Discussion of this subject is among the greatest pillars of religion. One group went to extremes in negation, stripping Allah of His attributes, while another went to extremes in affirmation. Those who went to extremes in negation said that sharing any affirmative attribute necessarily entails resemblance. On this basis, they said that the Eternal One, glorified be He, is not to be described as existent; rather,