Moreover, since both groups denied that Allah is described as possessing love, pleasure, displeasure, joy, and similar attributes conveyed by the divine texts and supported by rational evidence, they disagreed—despite agreeing that Allah does nothing that would be bad on His part. They held two views on whether such an act is intrinsically impossible, whether it is inconceivable that He could have the power to do anything bad, and whether He—glorified be He—is above such acts and refrains from them solely because of the badness discernible by reason that they had posited.

Both views deviate in the same manner as the two views mentioned earlier. The first group drew no distinction, in His creation and command, between guidance and misguidance, obedience and disobedience, the righteous and the wicked, the people of Paradise and the people of Hell, or mercy and punishment. Thus, they did not regard Him as deserving praise for the justice He exercises or the injustice He refrains from, nor for the kindness and blessings He bestows or the torment and retribution He withholds. The other group declared Him above such acts on the basis of the badness discernible by reason that they had posited, which has no reality. They placed Him on the same footing as His creatures regarding what is good and bad, and likened Him to His servants regarding what He commands and forbids.

Whoever considers divine decree alone, extols absorption in the affirmation of Allah’s sole lordship, and stops at the reality of His governance of creation does not distinguish between knowledge and ignorance, truthfulness and falsehood, righteousness and wickedness, justice and injustice, obedience and disobedience, guidance and misguidance, right conduct and waywardness, Allah’s allies and His enemies, or the people of Paradise and the people of Hell. Although these people indisputably contradict Allah’s Books, His religion, and His revealed laws, they are