it would contain parts differing in essence. If the parts of a body differ in essence, they must all the more differ from other bodies. If the discussion proceeds on the supposition that the parts of bodies are not alike, one cannot argue on that supposition by invoking something that entails that bodies are alike, for this would combine two contradictory propositions.

It thus becomes clear that, on this supposition, the universal proposition that every body is composed of different parts can be established only by simply likening Allah to His creation. This would entail that, whenever He is called by a name or described by an attribute, He must be likened to every other bearer of that name or attribute, and must resemble them in His very reality. The falsity of this is known self-evidently and through sensory perception, and it is among the gravest and most heinous forms of disbelief.

For this reason, the analogies used concerning divine lordship in the Book, the Sunnah, and the words of the scholars are arguments from the lesser to the greater: some of His creatures are deemed above certain things—such as having a partner or daughters, or being poor—and it is said that Allah is more deserving of being declared free of such things. Or some of His creatures are described by an attribute of perfection, such as knowledge, power, or speech, and it is said that Allah is more deserving of that attribute. This is the way of the prophets and their followers.

As for subsuming Allah and created beings under a universal proposition involving a syllogism