Thus He, glorified be He, addressed Muhammad only by titles of honour, such as “the Messenger,” “the Prophet,” “the Enwrapped One,” and “the Cloaked One,” whereas He addressed the other prophets by their names, even though He sometimes mentions Muhammad’s name when speaking about him. He, glorified be He, thus distinguished between these two forms of discourse concerning the Messenger and commanded us to observe that distinction in his case. This also accords with people’s customary understanding: when addressing eminent rulers, scholars, shaykhs, and leaders, they address and call them only by honourable names. Yet when speaking about one of them, they may say that he is a human being, a rational animal, a body, a being brought into existence, a creature, one subject to a Lord, a fashioned being, someone born of a woman, and someone who eats food and drinks.

But every name and attribute mentioned when speaking about him is used when addressing him privately and speaking to him directly. Although some designations of created beings indicate their imperfection and their having come into existence, Allah’s names indicate neither imperfection nor His having come into existence. Rather, they include the most beautiful names, which indicate perfection, and these are the names by which He is invoked. When speaking about Him, however, one may use a good designation, or one that does not negate goodness without necessarily being good in itself (1).

As for the names handed down in revelation, every one of them conveys a good meaning. This should therefore be carefully considered with regard to supplication and statements about Him, whether transmitted or not transmitted. Such untransmitted statements have been formulated out of necessity because opponents arose—to distinguish between supplication and statements about Him, and to distinguish the transmitted wording that is used—or to acquaint them with what they did not know. Accordingly, not every designation mentioned in one context is to be mentioned in another; rather, the contexts must be distinguished.