a manner in which He resembles none of His creatures, even though each pair of categories shares a common element. That common element is what the unqualified term denotes; when the term is qualified by reference to either subject, its meaning becomes specific to that subject.
Thus, when one speaks of “existence,” “quiddity,” or “essence,” the term encompasses both the Creator and the created being, although the Creator is more entitled to it than the created being. It is used literally of both.
When one speaks of “Allah’s existence, quiddity, and essence,” this applies specifically to Allah. No created being remains included in what these expressions denote, and they apply literally to Allah alone. Likewise, when one speaks of “the created being’s existence and essence,” this applies specifically to the created being, and the expressions are used literally of it.
When one speaks of “the servant’s existence, quiddity, and true nature,” the Creator is not included in what these expressions denote; they apply literally to the created being alone. The ignorant person supposes that literal usage applies only to created beings. This is an error whose falsity is self-evident according to “reason,” “revealed laws,” and “languages.” For it is self-evident that any two existing things have something in common and something that distinguishes them. An expression indicating only what they have in common does not entail what distinguishes them.
It is also necessarily known in the religion of the Muslims that Allah is entitled to the most beautiful names, and that He has called some of His servants by some of those names. Thus, He has called a servant “hearing,” “seeing,” “living,” “knowing,” “wise,” “compassionate,” “merciful,” “a king,” “mighty,” “a believer,” “generous,” and so forth. Yet it is known that sharing a name does not entail that the Creator resembles the created being. It indicates only that the two named subjects have something in common, while what distinguishes and differentiates them is greater than what they share in common.