are denied by those who do not recognize these necessary implications or understand the reality of life and what it entails. The same applies to all His other attributes. His name “the Magnificent” has necessary implications denied by those who do not understand Allah’s magnificence and what it entails. The same applies to His names “the Most High,” “the All-Wise,” and all His other names. Among the necessary implications of “the Most High” is absolute highness in every respect. His highness is absolute in every way: in rank, in dominion, and in His Essence. Whoever denies His highness in His Essence has therefore denied the necessary implications of His name “the Most High.”

Likewise, His name “the Manifest” necessarily entails that nothing is above Him, as related in the Sahīh from the Prophet ﷺ:

“You are the Manifest, and nothing is above You.”

Indeed, He—glorified is He—is above everything. Whoever denies that He is above all things has denied the necessary implications of His name “the Manifest.” Nor can “the Manifest” mean merely one who possesses superiority, as when we say that gold is superior to silver, or gems to glass. Such superiority has no connection with being manifest; indeed, what is surpassed may be more manifest than what surpasses it. Nor can it mean manifestness through dominion and victory alone, although He—glorified is He—is indeed manifest through dominion and victory. This is because this name is paired with “the Hidden,” nearer than whom there is nothing, just as “the First,” before whom there is nothing, is paired with “the Last,” after whom there is nothing.

Likewise, His name “the All-Wise” necessarily entails that His actions have praiseworthy ends which He intends, that He puts things in their proper places, and that He brings them about in the best manner. Denying this amounts to denying this name and its necessary implications. The same applies to all His other most beautiful names.

Section

With these two principles established, the name “Allah” signifies all the most beautiful names and the loftiest attributes through all three modes of signification. It signifies His divinity, which entails affirming the attributes of divinity for Him and denying their opposites of Him. The attributes of divinity are attributes of perfection, free from resemblance and likeness, and from flaws and deficiencies.