as He wills. He has likewise spoken of some of His creatures as “spreading the hand,” saying, “Do not keep your hand chained to your neck, nor extend it to its utmost extent” (17:29). Yet hand is not like hand, and spreading is not like spreading. Even if by “spreading” one intends giving and generosity, Allah’s giving is unlike the giving of His creatures, and His generosity is unlike their generosity. Many other examples could be cited.

Therefore, one must affirm whatever Allah has affirmed for Himself while denying any resemblance between Him and His creation. Whoever says, “Allah has no knowledge, no power, no mercy, no speech; He neither loves nor is pleased; He did not call out or converse; He did not rise over the Throne,” is a denier who likens Allah to what does not exist and to lifeless objects. Conversely, whoever says, “His knowledge is like my knowledge, His power like my power, His love like my love, His pleasure like my pleasure, His two hands like my two hands, His rising like my rising,” is a comparer who likens Allah to living beings. The required path is to affirm without likening and to declare His transcendence without denying.