Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—was asked:

What do the esteemed scholars—may Allah be pleased with them all—say in response to the specious argument advanced by the Muʿtazilah in denying the divine attributes? They claim that “the Creator’s attributes are not additional to His essence,” arguing as follows:

Either His existence depends upon a particular attribute, such that supposing its nonexistence entails His nonexistence, or it does not. If it does, then His existence depends upon that attribute, and He becomes a composite of parts, whose existence is possible only through all those parts together. A composite, however, has a cause. If His existence does not depend upon that attribute, and supposing its nonexistence does not entail His nonexistence, then it is accidental, and an accident has a cause. Both are impossible with respect to Allah. The only remaining conclusion, therefore, is that the Creator’s attributes are not additional to His essence—which is what they seek to prove.

He replied—may Allah be pleased with him:

Praise be to Allah. The Quran and the Sunnah establish that Allah, glorified be He, possesses knowledge, power, mercy, will, might, and other attributes. For He, the Most High, says:

“They encompass nothing of His knowledge.”

And He says:

“But Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you; He has sent it down with His knowledge.”

And He says:

“Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Possessor of Power, the Firm.”

And He says:

“And might belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.”

And He says:

“Our Lord, You encompass all things in mercy and knowledge.”