by which we have marked out the path and opened the door to understanding the virtues of the righteous. Whoever reflects on this and is granted a share of it will discern beyond it what none but Allah can enumerate. Only those whose grasp of discourse and knowledge is confined to outward appearances, and whose grasp of realities extends no further than their outlines, have turned away from this. They have fallen into innovations and specious arguments, and lost their way among positions and pathways. We shall now set out the arguments they have advanced.

(The first argument:

His words, Most High:

“The Messiah will never disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor will the angels brought near to Him.”

Someone wishing to demonstrate the submission of the mighty and the obedience of the great begins with those of lower rank, progressively ascending to those of higher rank, so that the listener may understand, step by step, the greatness of the one to whom they submit and whom they obey. Otherwise, if the listener were confronted at the outset with the submission of the greatest, the successive degrees of greatness would not become clear. Mentioning those of lesser rank afterward would be pointless; indeed, it would be a backward step and a diminution.

Thus, people naturally say: “So-and-so does not come to me, yet so-and-so does”—meaning: “How can he disdain to come to me, when someone nobler and greater than he comes to me?” One does not say: “So-and-so does not refuse to honor you, nor does someone above him.” The progression from the Messiah to the angels therefore proves their superiority, especially since they are described as being near to Allah, which is the very essence of excellence.

The answer:

The judge maintained that this is not a case of conjoining the higher-ranking with the lower-ranking; rather, it is simple conjunction.

He said:

This is because some people worshipped the Messiah and claimed that he was the son of Allah—glory be to Him—while others worshipped the angels and claimed that they were Allah’s daughters, as Allah Most High related