both groups contains more falsehood than is entailed by the position of these deniers of wisdom; indeed, the falsehood in the naturalist eternalists’ position is greater still.

Abū al-Maʿālī and these others who deny that divine acts are grounded in reasons say: “When we say that He is wise in His acts, we mean that He acts rightly and perfects them, for He owns all things and disposes of them as an owner disposes of his property, without objection. Wisdom may also mean knowledge: His being wise in His act means that He created it in the manner He willed, knew, and decreed. Yet His knowledge and will are neither a cause of His act nor something that necessitates it, since these attributes are eternal while their objects come into being.”

They thus interpret His wisdom to mean either that He does whatever He wills without deserving blame, or that He has knowledge. Undoubtedly, this differs from what people understand by wisdom and being wise. They do not regard wisdom as a wise agent’s being free to do whatever he wishes. Although Allah Most High may indeed do whatever He wills, wisdom consists in His doing some things rather than others because what is done contains something fitting for a wise agent to intend. Interpreting wisdom as knowledge of the things made is even further removed from its meaning. Yet the position of Abū al-Maʿālī and others like him