But those Jahmiyyah and Muʿtazilah who stated without qualification that the name is other than the thing named intended to say that Allah’s names are other than Him, and that whatever is other than Him is created.

For this reason, the third group said: “We say neither that they are the thing named nor that they are other than the thing named.”

They may be answered as follows: Your statement that His names are other than Him is like your statement that His speech is other than Him, that His will is other than Him, and similar assertions. This is the position of the Jahmiyyah, who deny the divine attributes. You have already learned elsewhere of their specious arguments and their invalidity. They contradict themselves in several respects, as has been explained at length elsewhere.

For they say: “We affirm nothing beginningless other than Allah,” or “nothing beginningless that is not Allah.” They have gone so far as to declare those who affirm the attributes unbelievers, even when their position rests on interpretation. Thus Abū al-Hudhayl said:

“Anyone whose interpretation amounts to likening Him to His creation, attributing injustice to His actions, and denying what He has revealed is an unbeliever. Anyone who affirms something beginningless that is not called Allah is an unbeliever.”

His intention was to declare unbelievers those who affirm the divine attributes and divine decree, as well as those who say that Muslims will come out of the Fire and will not remain in it forever.

One response to these people is this: This argument rebounds upon you. You are more deserving of the charges of likening Allah to His creation, attributing injustice to Him, denying what He has revealed, and affirming something beginningless that is not called Allah. For you liken Him to inanimate objects—indeed, to nonexistent things, and even to things whose existence is impossible. You say that He nullifies great good deeds on account of a single sin, for which the sinner is made to remain in the Fire forever. And you deny what He has told us of His forgiveness and mercy