in it as something additional to the essence, as when we say “one” and “eternal.” An attribute grounded in a quality is one predicated of the essence because a quality subsists in it.

The Asharīs say that these attributes are grounded in qualities and are additional to the essence. Thus, they say that He knows through knowledge additional to His essence, and is living through life additional to His essence, as is the case in the observable world.

This entails that the Creator is a body, for there would then be an attribute and something possessing it, a bearer and something borne—and this is what characterizes a body.

For they must say either that the essence subsists independently and the attributes subsist in it; that each of them subsists independently; or that the essence subsists through the attributes. If they say that each of the two subsists independently, then there are many gods. This is the position of the Christians who claimed that there are three hypostases: those of existence, life, and knowledge. Concerning these people, Allah Most High said:

“Those who say, ‘Allah is the third of three,’ have certainly disbelieved.”
[al-Mā’idah: 72]

And if they say that one of the two subsists independently, while the other subsists