Only the negators among the Qarmatian Ismā‘īlī esotericists and like-minded philosophers deny that these names apply literally. They deny Allah’s most beautiful names and say:
“He is neither living, nor knowing, nor ignorant, nor powerful, nor powerless, nor existent, nor nonexistent.”
These people and those who resemble them deny that these names apply literally to Him. Some of them then say that these names belong to certain created beings and do not apply to Him either literally or figuratively. These are the people whom Muslims call heretics, because they have deviated concerning Allah’s names and signs. Allah Most High has said:
“To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.”
He Most High also said:
“Indeed, those who deviate concerning Our signs are not hidden from Us.”
These people are worse than the polytheists of whom Allah said:
“When it is said to them, ‘Prostrate to the Most Merciful,’ they say, ‘And what is the Most Merciful? Should we prostrate to whatever you command us?’ And it increases them in aversion.”
He Most High also said:
“Thus We have sent you to a community before which other communities have passed away, so that you may recite to them what We have revealed to you; yet they disbelieve in the Most Merciful. Say, ‘He is my Lord; there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. In Him I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance.’”
Those polytheists denied only the name ‘the Most Merciful’; they did not deny Allah’s names and attributes. For this reason, Muslims regarded them as greater disbelievers than the Jews and Christians.
If Allah’s names and attributes were figurative, such that they could validly be denied without qualification, it would be permissible to say that Allah is not living, knowing, powerful, hearing, or seeing; that He does not love them, nor do they love Him; that He has not risen over the Throne; and other such things. Yet it is necessarily known from the religion of Islam that it is impermissible to deny without qualification what has been affirmed by