Allah has thereby opposed Allah in His command.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd. Calling someone who opposes His command and judgment an “opposite” is like calling him an “enemy.” In this sense, Allah has many enemies and opponents. According to the first interpretation, however, there is undoubtedly nothing in reality that stands in opposition to Allah. Rather, such opposition occurs in the minds of the unbelievers: falsehood is the opposite of truth, and lying is the opposite of truthfulness. Thus, any belief about Allah that attributes to Him something from which He is exalted is contrary to sound faith in Him.

As for his statement:

“Light is the opposite of darkness, and the Truth is far too exalted to have an opposite,”

he is told:

The living is the opposite of the dead, and the knowledgeable is the opposite of the ignorant. One who hears, sees, and speaks is the opposite of one who is deaf, blind, and mute. Likewise, all the other names by which Allah is named have opposites, but He is exalted above being called by those opposites. Far exalted is Allah above being dead, powerless, needy, or anything of that kind.

As for the existence of a creature of His characterized by the opposite of one of His attributes—such as someone who is dead, ignorant, needy, or unjust—there are many such creatures. Indeed, most of His names have opposites found among existing beings. Such beings are not called “opposites of Allah”; rather, they are said to possess attributes opposite to Allah’s attributes. For incompatibility between attributes applies only within one and the same subject, not across two different subjects. Thus, for one characterized by death, life is incompatible with that state; and for one characterized by life, death is incompatible with that state.