and was not transmitted from the early generations.” I have not made this statement. Even if I had, he has transmitted only what he himself knew to be weak, and weak evidence refutes nothing. These points demonstrate his inconsistency and his attribution to us of statements we have not made.

As for “demonstrating the unsoundness of the argument,” we say: Regarding his statement, “It must certainly be interpreted figuratively,” we concede neither that it must be interpreted figuratively nor that, even if this were obligatory, its obligation would be certain. Rather, the vast majority of Muslims do not interpret this name figuratively. This is the position of those who follow the early generations and of the majority of those who affirm the divine attributes among the theologians, jurists, Sufis, and others. It is also the position of Abū Sa‘īd ibn Kullāb, who mentioned it in al-Sifāt (The Attributes) and refuted the Jahmiyyah’s figurative interpretation of “the name Light.” He is the master of the Ash‘arī theologians who affirm the divine attributes—their earliest master. Abū Bakr ibn Fūrak reported this from him in his book Maqālāt Ibn Kullāb (The Doctrines of Ibn Kullāb), as did al-Ash‘arī. Neither attributed its figurative interpretation to anyone other than the Jahmiyyah, who are condemned by common agreement. This is also the position of Abū al-Hasan al-Ash‘arī, which he mentioned in al-Mūjaz (The Epitome).

As for his statement that this occurs among the Most Beautiful Names, the hadith in which it is mentioned is the report of al-Tirmidhī. He narrated the Most Beautiful Names in his Jāmi‘ through al-Walīd ibn Muslim, from Shu‘ayb, from Abū al-Zinād, from al-A‘raj, from Abū Hurayrah. Ibn Mājah also narrated them in his Sunan through Mukhallad ibn Ziyād al-Qatawānī, from Hishām ibn Hassān, from Muhammad ibn Sīrīn, from Abū Hurayrah. Those versed in hadith have agreed that these two narrations are not the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Rather, each consists of the words of some of the early generations. Al-Walīd related these names from some of his Syrian teachers, as is explicitly explained in some transmission routes of his hadith.