from him. Instead, he told him: “Either you accept what you required me to accept, or you commit yourself to saying: ‘The created thing has always existed alongside Allah.’”

What al-Marīsī said would follow from 'Abd al-'Azīz’s position only if he ruled out every alternative that could be proposed in this matter. He did not do so, nor could he. By contrast, what 'Abd al-'Azīz required him to accept was an inescapable consequence of his position, for he held that:

“All created things—and, according to him, Allah’s speech is among them—came into existence after not existing, without any act performed by Allah, but rather through His power, which has always existed.”

Moreover, 'Abd al-'Azīz subsequently explained that what al-Marīsī had conceded was sufficient for his argument concerning the Quran. Al-Marīsī acknowledged that Allah created these things through His power, thereby affirming something that is an uncreated attribute of Allah Most High. Thus, the foundation of his position, on which he based his denial of the attributes and his claim that the Quran is created, was invalidated. 'Abd al-'Azīz explained to him both what followed from his position and what he had conceded, showing that the argument was established on either basis. Al-Marīsī, however, countered by saying: “What you required me to accept also follows from your position.”

That rests on premises, not one of which he mentioned. One of these is to say: If He brought things into existence through His act, which proceeded from His power, the point at issue is established without affirming anything eternal alongside Allah Most High. This is why 'Abd al-'Azīz told him:

“I only said that action is an attribute of Allah, that Allah has the power to act, and that nothing prevents Him from doing so.”

Another copy contains this addition:

“I only said that the One who acts has always been one who will act, and the Creator has always been one who will create, because action is an attribute of Allah.”