on the right of the Most Merciful—both of His hands are right—namely, those who act with justice in their judgments, toward their families, and in whatever they are put in charge of," and other texts of this nature.

[Whoever asserts, regarding some of the divine attributes, that the apparent meaning is—or is not—intended must apply the same rule to all of them, for they belong to a single category.]

If, on the other hand, someone maintains that the plain sense of the texts whose meaning is disputed is of the same kind as the plain sense of the texts whose meaning is undisputed, and that in every instance the apparent sense is indeed intended, then—given that Allah has informed us that He is All-Knowing of everything and All-Powerful over everything, and that the people of the sunnah and the leading scholars of the Muslims have unanimously agreed that these statements are to be taken at face value—it is self-evident that they never imagined this apparent sense to mean that His knowledge resembles our knowledge or His power our power.

Likewise, when they concurred that He is truly Living, truly Knowing, and truly Powerful, they did not intend thereby that He is like a created being who happens to be living, knowing, and powerful.

The same holds when they comment on His words: “He loves them, and they love Him” (Q 5:54),