Nor is any of them known to have said that, if the texts are interpreted away from what they signify and given a less likely meaning, this constitutes the interpretation known only to Allah. Rather, in their view, these interpretations are false and rejected, and Allah knows them to be false. They cannot be described as truths known only to Allah. Rather, we say concerning them what Allah Most High said concerning the gods, idols and their intercession. He, Almighty and Majestic, said:

“They worship besides Allah that which neither harms nor benefits them, and say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say, ‘Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?’ Glory be to Him! Exalted is He above what they associate with Him!” (18) [Yūnus 18]

These interpretations are of the same kind as those of the Qarmatians and heretics. It cannot be said of them that only Allah knows them. Rather, they are false interpretations: Allah knows that they are false and has made their falsehood clear to His servants. This has been discussed at length elsewhere.

The point is that the claim that the early generations, when saying, “No one knows its interpretation except Allah,” meant that nothing can be understood from the texts concerning the attributes—that one must instead be certain that what they signify is not intended, while the intended meaning is known only to Allah—is not known from any of them. Rather, their statements explicitly affirm the contrary. And Allah Most High knows best.