lower than his own; for whoever possesses the higher quality is more capable of what lies below it. This therefore indicates that an angel’s condition is superior to his condition of being an angel, which is the point to be proved.

Third: Al-Qādī mentioned that, were it not for the settled conviction of those addressed that an angel is greater, it would not have been appropriate to address them by disclaiming something beneath his rank. They were allowed to retain this belief, and he did not challenge it; it is therefore established as true.

The answer has several aspects:

(First: He denied knowing the unseen and possessing Allah’s treasuries, and denied being an angel who neither eats nor drinks nor enjoys pleasures. His denial of these things does not necessarily mean that an angel is superior to him. Do you not see that, had he said, “Nor am I a writer or a reader,” this would not indicate that someone who writes and reads is superior to someone who does neither? Thus, the verse provides no proof for this argument.

There is also what Al-Qādī said: they demanded the attributes of divinity—knowledge, power, and self-sufficiency—that is, knowing all things, having power over all things, and needing nothing. He therefore disclaimed the attributes of divinity. This is why they said:

“What is the matter with this messenger, who eats food and walks in the marketplaces?”

Allah Most High said in his defence:

“We did not send any messengers before you but that they ate food and walked in the marketplaces.”

It is as though they wanted him to possess the characteristic of the angels—that he should be