share, nor does He have any helper among them.” [Surah Saba’ 22]

Rather, He has no need of any of His creation. Likewise, glory be to Him, when He wills a thing, His command is only to say to it, “Be,” and it is. He has no need of the exertion His creatures require.

Likewise, his statement, “He is distinct from them by His beginninglessness, just as they are distinct from Him by their having come into existence,” is correct. Yet what distinguishes Allah from His creation extends beyond beginninglessness alone: He is distinct from them in all His attributes, and nothing is like Him in any of them.

As for his statement, “If you ask, ‘When?’ His essence preceded time,” this is correct. One does not ask of Allah, “When did He come into existence?” For He is the Beginningless One, who has always existed and will always exist.

As for his statement, “If you say ‘He’ (huwa), the letters hā’ and wāw are His creation,” this is unsound. If he means that one may not say “He” of Allah, this contradicts the consensus of the Muslims and all other nations. Its falsehood is self-evident both to reason and in revealed religion.

He, the Exalted, says:

“He is the First and the Last.” [Surah al-Hadīd 3]

And He says:

“And He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne.” [Surah Hūd 7]

And He says:

“And He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Loving.” [Surah al-Burūj 14]

“And He is with you wherever you are.” [Surah al-Hadīd 4]

The occurrences of “He” in the Quran are too numerous to enumerate here. Thus, denying that one may say “He” of Allah is among the gravest falsehoods.