what he intends is true and accords with what the messengers brought and with the Book and the Sunnah, whether in negation or affirmation, we accept it. But if it is false and contradicts what the Book and the Sunnah teach, whether in negation or affirmation, we prohibit saying it.

They held that the approach presented in the Quran accords with clear reason and authentic revelation, and that it is the approach of the prophets and messengers. The messengers—may Allah’s blessings be upon them—brought general negation and detailed affirmation. Hence He, glorified and exalted, says:

“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they ascribe to Him. And peace be upon the messengers. And praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds.”

He thus declared Himself far above what those who oppose the messengers ascribe to Him, and pronounced peace upon the messengers because their statements were free of deficiency and fault. The messengers’ approach is the one presented in the Quran: Allah Most High affirms His attributes in detail in the Quran, while denying, in general terms, that anything resembles Him or is His equal.

In the Quran, He states that He knows all things and has power over all things; that He is Almighty, All-Wise, All-Forgiving, Most Merciful; that He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing; that He is All-Forgiving, Most Loving; and that He, exalted in the greatness of His essence, loves the believers and is pleased with them, while He is angry with the disbelievers and displeased with them. He states that He created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne; that He spoke directly to Moses; and that He manifested Himself to the mountain and made it crumble—and other such statements.

By way of negation, He says:

“There is nothing like Him.”

“Do you know of any equal to Him?”

“So do not draw comparisons with Allah.”

“Say: He is Allah, One.”

“Allah, the Self-Sufficient, upon whom all depend.”

“He neither begets nor is born.”

“And there is none comparable to Him.”

Thus He affirms His attributes and denies any likeness to created beings.