Al-Rāzī said:

“Know that an attribute is either a real attribute devoid of any relation, such as blackness and whiteness; a real attribute that necessarily entails a relation, such as knowledge and power, which necessarily relate to what is known and what is subject to power, respectively, this being a particular relation between them; or a pure relation, such as something being before or after something else, or to its right or left. Changes in these things do not entail any change in the essence or in any of its real attributes.

Thus we say: changes in relations are unavoidable. As for changes in real attributes, the Karrāmiyyah affirm them, while others deny them. The distinction between the position of the Karrāmiyyah and that of others is therefore clear. We do not call that an attribute, nor do we say that it constitutes a change in real attributes, as explained earlier.”

Al-Rāzī then argued on three grounds:

“First: His attributes are attributes of perfection, so their coming into existence entails