al-Junayd—may Allah be pleased with him: ‘Affirming Allah’s oneness means distinguishing that which is beginningless from that which comes into existence.’”

I say: This statement admits of different interpretations. One who adheres to the truth interprets it soundly, while one who does not reads other notions into it.

Al-Qushayrī means what the speculative theologians describe as declaring the Beginningless One free of the characteristics peculiar to originated beings. Muslims agree on this principle. They disagree, however, over many attributes: are they characteristics peculiar to originated beings, from which the Beginningless One must be declared free, or are they necessary concomitants of existence, whose negation amounts to denying His attributes?

As for al-Junayd, he means the affirmation of Allah’s oneness to which the shaykhs refer: singling Him out in purpose and intention, together with the sincerity, reliance and love that this entails. It means devoting all of this exclusively to the True One—glory be to Him—who is beginningless, associating no originated being with Him in any of it, and distinguishing the Lord from those under His lordship in your belief and worship. This is true and sound, and forms part of the affirmation of Allah’s oneness with which Allah sent His messengers and revealed His scriptures. Al-Junayd’s words also encompass distinguishing the Beginningless One from originated beings and affirming His separateness from them, so that one recognizes this and witnesses that the Creator is distinct