Allah Most High says:

“And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so invoke Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His names.”

His most beautiful names include “the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful” and “the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” These expressions are His most beautiful names, and when used in supplication or statements, they refer to the One named. When He says:

“And put your trust in the Almighty, the Most Merciful,”

the One named is intended. It does not mean that one should put one’s trust in the names, which are expressions. This is how all other speech works, whether the speech of the Creator or that of created beings.

They argue that if someone asks, “What is the name of the One you worship?” and we answer, “Allah,” we give the same answer about the name as we do about the One worshipped; this therefore proves that the name of the One worshipped is the One worshipped Himself. This argument is invalid: it counts against them, not in their favour.

For if someone asks, “What is the name of the One you worship?” and we answer, “Allah,” what is meant is that His name is this expression—not that His name is His very Being, the One who created the heavens and the earth. The question was only about His name, not about Him Himself, so the answer was to mention His name.

But if someone asks, “What do you worship?” and we answer, “Allah,” then the One named is intended, not that the object of worship is the expression. Since the questions differ in the two cases, the intended meanings of the answers also differ. Although the answer in both cases is “Allah,” in one case this spoken expression is intended, while in the other the One named by this expression is intended.

Likewise, if someone asks, “What is so-and-so’s name?” and the answer is “Zayd” or “ʿUmar,” the expression is intended. But if someone asks, “Who is your ruler?” or “Whom